Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends on RB. It has been such a fun, exciting, inspiring time on RB this year, I can’t wa…
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends on RB. It has been such a fun, exciting, inspiring time on RB this year, I can’t wait to see what 2008 holds for us all. Thank you everyone and see you next year! All the best to you and your families. Stay safe and be good to one another. Sylvia / X
Just thought this would be a great way to say thanks to everyone who comments on my photographs. You know who you are…I do try to get …
Just thought this would be a great way to say thanks to everyone who comments on my photographs. You know who you are…I do try to get back to everyones pages to check out their portfolios and leave comments but I never have enough time…so a big hug to you all from me. I’m so glad some of you were able to work out the gallery link for your own pages. I think it makes a huge difference, especially if someone visits your page with a special interest. Saves clicking through all the pages. I could easily spend all day here looking at all the incredible work by all of you, but work and family have to come first. This place is so addictive and its so cool connecting with artists from all over the world. Gosh…so much talent in one place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again so much …...you are my inspiration!!! hugs Kathie
WOoOoOo HoOoOoOo I Won!!!!! / / I’ve won Boredom Competitions on the 24/7 Alive...
WOoOoOo HoOoOoOo I Won!!!!! / / I’ve won Boredom Competitions on the 24/7 Alive!!!!!!!!!!! / / Would like to thanks all of you who read / ALIVE- AN EMPTY PLATE and voted!!!!!! / / You can read my interview here / / thank you so much for voting!!!! / / I’m nothing without you! / thank you so much all my RB friends, thank for making me winner and letting me feel such a great honour! you all are meant to world to me! I’m feeling so special!!!!!! / / love you all!!!!! / / love and peace, Huggles / / Ushna. / xoxoxoxox
Just wanted to write and say hi to all of my wonderful friends here on RB… Im alive lol…. I so much appreciate all the mail, You all …
Just wanted to write and say hi to all of my wonderful friends here on RB… Im alive lol…. I so much appreciate all the mail, You all mean so much to me…. I had to go out of town, came home last night, and the unthinkable happened…. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol, My new computer, had been struck by lightning while I was away, so thats what Dell says…. and is just all messed up… Im praying my stuff on my hard drive is all still there, I think it will be though… anyways lol… to make a long story short…. the Dell Service Technician wont have the parts until Thursday, and then he has to call to set a time to come out here, so until then, I wont be too active…. I dont care for this laptop lol, and alllllllllllllllllll my stuff is in my pc…. So im like a chicken with its head cut off right now and that aint too good ! LOL I miss you all very much and am so touched by all the emails, bubblemails and etc…. Know that I am thinking of each of you and will talk to you as soon as I can… If I DONT MAIL YOU BACK RIGHT NOW, its not that I dont wanna, its that Im really behind, REALLY BEHIND LOL, on all mail ! Hugs and love you always! / Bonita / WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BABY! :)
Well, I was asked to do an interview earlier today, and I just realized , July is my one year anniversary on RB!!!!!!! I just want to let…
Well, I was asked to do an interview earlier today, and I just realized , July is my one year anniversary on RB!!!!!!! I just want to let each of you know how much I have truly enjoyed meeting you all. You have all inspired me in a way that you will never ever truly even comprehend ! What an awesome bunch of folks out here ! My group is now well over 800 members, Live, Love, Dream…. I am deeply touched and honored, and just to put icing on the cake lol, My birthday is Friday! WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO Again! LOL I wasnt gonna tell, but Terri is gonna anyways, so I might as well tell it ! LOL I also, although its not a habit for me to lie, lol, was gonna say I was 29, and that probably wouldnt float too well, so then I thought, well, 39, lol, and then I saw on my home page it already says 39 year old lol, so I reckon the right thing to do is to be honest, Lordy Lordy look who is 40 ! ROFLOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may cry all day Friday when the 3 changes to a 4, lol, but then again, I may just rejoice and thank God for yet another beautiful year ! Yeah, thats what I will do, and thank him for allowing me to share this past year with each and everyone of you! Its truly been my pleasure…........... I love yall…....... Thanks for all the inspiration ! / Hugs and love always and forever! / Bonita / ” The Old Chick ” Roflol….......... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To everyone that has voted for me in the contest ! Im in first place ! WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! It probably wont …
To everyone that has voted for me in the contest ! Im in first place ! WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! It probably wont last lol, but thank you anyways ! I appreciate each and everyone of you more than words can say! If you would like to check it out, you can go here ! Contest Anyone that hasnt voted yet, and would do so, IT WILL BE SO GREATLY APPERCIATED ! Im trying to really do something with this, of which I will explain in detail later on down the line ! Thanks again and love you all ! / WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO / Bonita
YABBA DABBA DOOOOOOOOOOO 10,000 Views since March 2008. / I would like to the all those that took a look at my work. / Particularly thos…
YABBA DABBA DOOOOOOOOOOO 10,000 Views since March 2008. / I would like to the all those that took a look at my work. / Particularly those who made comments and or contacted me by b:mail. / You have all given me so much to think of, / some of you even more lol. / I can’t sleep at night much anymore you’ve put me in hypodrive lol. Any way thank you all once again, your all Super Stars / and I luv youse all. sniff sniff Peter
It was really delightful to be informed by Karen Cook that my “Love Is Lighting Up Somebody…
It was really delightful to be informed by Karen Cook that my Love Is Lighting Up Somebody Else’s Darkest Moments is being featured side by side with Karen’s at the RB’sFeatured Wall Art And Greeting Cards :D It’s my first feature there, so exciting!! :D Many thanks to the Singapore Group for featuring both Heartstrings and Wish Upon A Star too!! :D My sales in zazzle have also started to pick up, I have 4 sales this week… Sales at Zazzle was really slow for me initially…no sales for first 2 months, it got really discouraging…but thought I would just press on and see how,glad I did because I made close to 20 sales in the last 1 month plus or so,really counting my blessings everyday for that. I am about 3 plus months into Zazzle :D I want to mention special thanks to Ujean for being that constant beacon of light for me at zazzle…for those who are in Zazzle, maybe like me,you may feel like a small fish in the ocean,so tiny and lost there at times. Ujean visited my gallery many times and often gave me encouraging comments and suggestions,enough fuel from her to help me last another 3 months,haha! Thanks so much Ujean! :D Here are the cute small items I sold this week :D Many thanks to Susan who bought the Love Mediations products, our dear Midori who bought Mountain Whispers Button and a lady named Holly who bought the Love Is Lighting Up Somebody Else’s Darkest Moments Button :D
Yesterday turned out to be a record for me – 4 features in the one day ! It was great to see them all featured, and it was extra special …
Yesterday turned out to be a record for me – 4 features in the one day ! It was great to see them all featured, and it was extra special to see one my poems being featured ! Thanks to the Moderators for choosing some of my work to be featured. This site just couldn’t work without your efforts ! These are my recently featured works: The True Beauty – Friday November 7th 2008 / The Ocean Was My Temple / A poem about the magic of the ocean and surfing Rivers, Lakes and Dams – Friday November 7th 2008 / The Last Ship Comes In / Newcastle NSW Group – Sunday November 9th 2008 / The Closing Of A Day / Colors of Water – Sunday November 9th 2008 / The Closing Of A Day 2 / Statues and Such – Sunday November 9th 2008 / Sail and Sextant / Alternative and Progressive International Art – Sunday November 9th 2008 / Man vs Environment / Waves Group – Monday November 10th 2008 / The Ocean Was My Temple / A poem about the magic of the ocean and surfing So if you are on the lookout for some new groups to join, it’s well worth checking out those groups ! Thanks to all for the many excellent comments – it’s been a great week ! James
Thank you very much to all the Moderators responsible for choosing some of my work to be featured. It’s always great to see your work get…
Thank you very much to all the Moderators responsible for choosing some of my work to be featured. It’s always great to see your work get that little bit more exposure ! These works have been featured this week: Newcastle NSW Group – Saturday November 15th 2008 / Pastel Sunset / Dimensions Group – Sunday November 16th 2008 / Skatetribe – Invert and Black Text / ImageWriting Group – Tuesday November 18th 2008 / Visions Of Summer / Amazing Graves Group – Tuesday November 18th 2008 / Departed – But Lingering / All About Your Best Work Group – Tuesday November 18th 2008 / The Ocean Was My Temple / A poem about surfing Amazing Graves Group – Friday November 21st 2008 / Dreamboat / Thank you to all my RB friends and those people who have watch listed me this week ! I always appreciate every last comment and looking at your work too ! :) Thanks for looking, James
I just would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy new year. I would love for you all to take just a mom…
I just would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy new year. I would love for you all to take just a moment and say a prayer for all the little children around the world that are unwell and spare some thought for their families at this time as they find strength to live and love. I myself have been humbled, in the past few months in my life, with visions i’ve experienced of individual little souls struggling to overcome illness … I myself have found strength through prayer. Christmas, now has an enriched meaning for my family and I, more than ever before … it is important my friends, to take time from our often busy and sometimes selfish lives to consider others and thank especially our lord at this special time for our own lives and all that we have around us in terms of what really matters … the love of our family and friends and the health that really is our wealth … and remember my dear friends … no matter who you are or what your ‘religion’ might be … your God is also my God … the only difference is in how and where we pray to our God … I believe this … and we all have an equal right to believe in what we think is true … but my God is and will forever be your God too :-) ... so love him and thank him for all that makes you the person that you are. Thankyou xxx SNAPPYDAVE
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas,I want to thank everyone of you for all the fantastic comments on my work,I don’t have time to a…
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas,I want to thank everyone of you for all the fantastic comments on my work,I don’t have time to answer to each of you personnaly and I feel very sorry about it,I will do my best to go and look over and comment on your superb work when I have more time… I realy apreciate all your encouragement and support …amitié ...Gisèle xx / I also want to thank all those great groups who work so hard to give us the opportunity of more viewings,comments and sometimes sales…. / The dance of infinity…featured in All things twin group… / White Stream …featured in My neighborhood group… / All by myself ...featured in Inspired Art group… / The Sound of Silence ...featured in Seasonal scapes group…
WOW I surely woke up to a great morning to find that my dear friend Icesrun had bought 8 of my cards, Thank you so much my wonderful fr…
WOW I surely woke up to a great morning to find that my dear friend Icesrun had bought 8 of my cards, Thank you so much my wonderful friend, you have really made my day start off good and I really needed that for sure; I hope you enjoy your cards when you receive them…and thank you again. / ~Angi / Freebird 2 / The Long And Passionate Night / You’ll Always Be In My Heart / Good Evening My Love / Time Stood Still / To Make You Feel My Love / I’m Going Home 2 / Be My Valentine / My Heart Will Go On / Splash / All By Myself / Happy Valentine’s Day, I Love You /
This series means alot to me on many levels.. It REMINDS ME.. what I am good at with the camera.. I really love photojournalism… event…
This series means alot to me on many levels.. It REMINDS ME.. what I am good at with the camera.. I really love photojournalism… events and me and capturing the essence of that day, moment, time and place are what I love to shoot. My best work has not been so much for weddings nor for personal hire nor flowers or buildings or minimal shots of which I so admire all these venues. My best work is when I am so excited about what I am seeing that it translates into the medium of photo taking. I can’t help it I love people..and most of them never know I am taking their picture.. when they are aware, sometimes electricity is exchanged in good keeping as I try to portray these moments with the best possible art in my heART. I feel a great honor to have been so recognized by the group C.O.R.E. as they caught onto my mission and indeed highlighted their features this last few day with my work and the work of many others pertaining to this momentous occasion. I deeply appreciate the Hosts. theyellow fury and the amazing Ushna Sardar They have featured / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE.. / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE.. / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE THEY HAVE A PAGE TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR MESSAGE HERE WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY TOO THAT MY POEM WHAT WAS HE LOOKING FOR was featured in the new group for me.. but the work they showcase is OUT OF CONTROL AMAZING.. UNCONVENTIONAL ARTISTRY THE HOSTS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK… EARTHMONSTER AND CHEYWINGS / BIG DAY AHEAD AT WORK.. ALL IS WELL.. AND I heART YOU VERY MUCH!!
Sorry to make this come as a journal entry but I can’t do what hosts can do, which is mass mail my friends. A bummer but probably a goo …
Sorry to make this come as a journal entry but I can’t do what hosts can do, which is mass mail my friends. A bummer but probably a goo thing. LOL! What I have in my mail now is HUNDREDS of things I can’t ID and can’t weed thru either. You know how you sometimes get “Ooops! I forgot/messed up a link” four times in a day and three times in a row from the same artistic (read “neurotic”) host? Know how you have friends that host and hosts who are friends but used to be able to tell their messages apart? Know what it’s like to NOT want to enter 12 challenges/votes a daily? I’m sure most of you do. It’s a lot like homework in high school. Each teacher assigns a ‘fair’ amount for you to do for the night, completely ignoring the fact that 5 or 6 OTHER teachers are ALSO assigning an additional ‘fair’ amount of homework for the night. Well, there’s only ONE night and 6 times the amount of work you can do in one night’s ‘fair’ amount of homework! Now I have something like one teacher (i.e. hosts in RB) dishing out solely a fair amount of Bmail yet I can’t tell the forest for the TREES when there’s scores of Bmail from everywhere. Add in all of you: friends I want to chat with; maybe a half dozen urgent requests from group members; compliments/hate mail about my work (Not really since NOBODY hates my work. Hehehe!); “new to me” people who want to network around common interests; inquiries about specifics in a piece I produced, and; easily 20 or more other things I can’t remember while ranting. Suddenly I don’t know who is who and can’t even tell dates and times mail arrived without open every single conversation. I’m not sure what a “conversation” is or how Red Bubble tells them apart. I doubt it’s by reading every single word from every single one daily. (If so, I’m in one HUGE amount of hurt! ROTFLMAO!) Amanda, I just lost every single thing we’ve talked about, every single word. I don’t even know how it deleted much less what you said in the unopened Bmail. Worse, you probably don’t know what I opened already or haven’t even seen yet. Hopefully this new mail system will allow you to cut and paste everything on a new Bmail and send it all back to me. Otherwise we start over right now: “Hello, my name is Lenny…” LMAO! If there’s a new incoming mail filter, I don’t know where it is and would LOVE to hear about it. Bottom line, if you don’t get replies to Bmail from me in a timely manner, or you don’t get replies at ALL, your message lost somewhere in or accidentally deleted from (currently) 56 “live” Bmail from both friends and hosts, some of which are very prudent with group Bmail and some…. well, you know. I’m writing the advisory email to Red Bubble while hoping/urging everyone who’s now feeling like I do – totally buried in a tidal wave of completely unsortable incoming mail – to let your feelings be known. Red Bubble listens but they will need to hear something to listen to it. I’m one voice in the wind unless others who are also in the wind make yourselves heard. Honestly, I’m not complaining about change. Changes recently have been extremely good here in RB. Even this one has the SUPER benefit of allowing you to read what someone is replying to that you wrote but can’t remember for the life of you. LOL! However, the loss of control is so radical I’m afraid I’m going to lose track of many of you and lose the mail I really WANT to read from people I really what to talk to. My only other option is to pull everything out of groups and quit them to filter my mail to just people who want/need to reach me. I’m not giving up on a single one of you and losing all membership to groups is a tiny price to pay to achieve that. Only friends and strangers have purchased my work, only friends and strangers have supported my work. I thank and cherish you ALL. I consider every one of the wonderful featurings and mentions within groups to be from individuals within groups because that’s what they are. I’ve won no challenges nor contests, which would be ‘group’ related/created. Yet, people who have only seen a single thing I produced and submitted to a single group have honoured me. That didn’t come from a group; that came from one group with the fine people in the Red Bubble community. :-) So, I’ll write to Red Bubble and beg for a return to some sort of the former normalcy in Bmail or dump all groups except the ones I host, co-host, or moderate by the 20th of this month. That’s about as long I can stand not to have contact with you: my friends receiving notification of this by watchlist along with those following my contributions – hitting my site to the tune of 37,000 hits in 12 months or 3000 HITS PER DAY!!! That’s my indication of your incredible support. :-D Thank you most sincerely. That MORE than warrants my every possible effort to stay in touch with individuals I dearly hold in high esteem. You people ROCK!
I was really thrilled today to learn that I have made a sale of a Print of Sharing This World...
I was really thrilled today to learn that I have made a sale of a Print of Sharing This World to a US buyer. This is the biggest sale I have made on RB to date, but what is more important, (and I am even more proud to say) is that the proceeds of sales of this image are pledged to the Wildlife Appeal ... So a nice big fat cheque for $64 will be heading to WRAP via the Wildlife Appeal very soon! / Thank you to the person who purchased this artwork, your generosity and compassion will reach out and touch many! And I hope that this piece of art on your wall reminds you of this connection!
Guess what? Today, the 17th of May marks the exact 4 month anniversary of the day I finally plucked up the nerve to join this Bubble! ...
Guess what? Today, the 17th of May marks the exact 4 month anniversary of the day I finally plucked up the nerve to join this Bubble! When I realised this a couple of days ago, I was actually very surprised, as it sure feels like I’ve been here much much longer than that….. and, I guess that this feeling of having been here for ages comes from the really huge steps and growth that being a part of the Red Bubble community has enabled me to make in this time. / So, I think it’s worthwhile to have a look back at what some of the major developments and milestones for me – both as a person and an artist – have been. I had been browsing Red Bubble ‘from a distance’ for some months before I finally managed to pluck up the nerve to join myself – gazing in total awe at the wonderful artworks displayed in the many groups here – wondering at the great talent of the artists who made up this community. I was totally terrified of posting any images of mine, as though people around me had been telling me my photos were ‘good’ and that I had a good eye for an image… well… I was so pleased that within a few moments of uploading my first images I actually received several extremely positive comments!!! I am so grateful to those people who ‘just happened to be around at that moment’ and responded so positively and encouragingly to my work, and made me feel so welcome in this enormous artistic community. They are people I consider good friends now. That has been an incredible development for me here on Red Bubble – and one that I didn’t expect at all – that I have made FRIENDS!!!!! For me, who because of the family circumstances and environment in which I grew up, and having spent the past 7 years as a virtual recluse as I struggled to deal with the issues of my past – to have anyone i could and would consider a true FRIEND is a totally NEW experience!!!!! And – a truly wonderful one! There are people I have met here who are not only extremely talented artists, but also wonderfully warm, caring and loving people. And, to find myself now in a position where I can truly consider them FRIENDS, and I am comfortable that they feel the same about me – is an absolute privilege :))) I have even had the honour of being asked by Red Bubble to join their new ‘invitation only’ group ‘The Scouts’ (1 of only 12 members so far!!!!!) whose role is to browse the work submitted to Red Bubble by people who have joined in the past month, and comment constructively on any of their images we like, to make them feel welcomed here, so they don’t get lost in the 1000s of new members and works being submitted every day and every week…. Being a member of this small select few is enabling me to find and meet even more wonderful lovely people and truly brilliant artists! So, then, there is too the fundamental reason for joining Red Bubble in the first place – and that is my photography and my art. When I first joined, I think I had got to a point where I could take what were pretty good photos of pretty basic things… my favourite themes were my snakes, dandelions, and water. I found it amazing that the images I initially posted were even recognised with ‘featuring’ in the groups they were submitted to within those first days!!!! WOW! They must be ‘ok photos’.... I must be an ‘ok photographer’..... But – one of the most wonderful aspects of this Red Bubble community is the scope it provides for learning and artistic development. The more I saw of the amazing scope of digital manipulation of images, the more it fascinated me, and the more time I spent at my own computer, clicking on any command I could find in Photoshop to see what would happen. Boy – I would LOVE to have a dollar for every time I’ve used ‘edit – undo’ LOL!!! I browsed ever more and more of the more ‘experimental / digital manipulation’ themed groups, and found many artists who gave enough information on how they’d made their images that I could begin to experiment with these techniques myself. Several people were even generous enough to respond to my queries regarding how they had made specific images – for this I will always be grateful :))) I absolutely LOVE my own private gallery of images I have ‘favourited’ and get great pleasure form every now and again looking through all the wonderful and inspiring images I have collected there… The other thing that started to happen as I ‘freed up and expanded’ my technical skills in creating images is that I also ‘freed up’ my emotional and artistic ability to begin to create more conceptual, rather than simply representational images… This, I think, is also an indication of the enormous personal growth I have experienced in these 4 months… that I can dare to approach my own experiences and true feelings to begin to use what I feel and what I know as inspiration and grounding for my art. I think – and hope – that this is the point where I have maybe moved from simply being able to take ok photos of some THING… to possibly getting closer to what I truly want to be – an ARTIST. I received an invitation from Butchart, one of the hosts of another ‘invitation only group’ – ‘A New Aesthetic – Divine or Otherwise’ – to actually join this prestigious group and find myself in the company of the select group of wonderfully talented artists there!!!!! Now that was a SUPER BIG shock and I’m still a little stunned by the privilege of being able to submit my work to this wonderful gallery and have it’s name appear under my images as one some of them are represented in! I still have images that I create that I don’t think ‘work’, and I think that pretty much everything that I have done to date could be done ‘better’... but that’s also how I think things should be and will probably always be. I still have moments (many!!!) where I doubt my ‘talents’ and my ability. Even though I have – through participation in many forum discussions – now become quite comfortable with the notion that ANY judgement of ‘art’ must by it’s very nature be subjective, I still feel pleasure and gratitude when my work is accepted by groups – and even ‘featured’... Though I gave up journalling all my features long ago, I have still kept count and in my ‘I’m no good at this’ moments it is a little reassuring that I can look and see that I have now had images of mine – in multitudes of different styles and groups – featured 98 times (including 1 by Red Bubble).... (now on the morning of 18th May I can make that 100 lol)! I think this MUST be an indication I’m doing sort-of ok… I’ve also lost track of how many top 10 finishes I’ve had in challenges now… though I do remember I won 1, and just recently, since the introduction of the new overview page, I know I had one image finish in the top 10 with the same number of votes as the winning image… if only I’d been the last to submit my entry LOL!!!!! Of course, I love it and feel good about what I do when I see that people have bothered to view, and even comment on my work… sometimes even add an image of mine to THEIR collection of favourites! Though – I would like to admit that the greatest boost that I get to my confidence as an ARTIST now is no longer the group acceptances, the features, or challenge ‘successes’.... The thing I find MOST pleasing and affirming of the value and quality of my work is the moment I see in my overview feed that someone whom I consider to be a wonderfully talented (sometimes even fully professional) artist, whose own portfolio is filled with the most incredibly wonderful artworks has favourited an image of mine – or even more amazing – has just put ME on THEIR watchlist!!!!! WOW!!!!! Now – that is truly something! And – I have experienced this wonderful affirmation of me and my work now many, many times! These few short months have truly been a wonderful period of expansion and growth for me both as a person and as an artist. I owe much to the wonderful people, artists and special friends I have met here and, of course, so so much to the existence of this wonderful Red Bubble itself. Thank you all more than any words can say :))) Kallena aka DragonFlyer xx
12 years it has taken me to release this short story to the eyes of the public. I have had this short story sitting in private viewing f…
12 years it has taken me to release this short story to the eyes of the public. I have had this short story sitting in private viewing for the past three weeks waiting for the courage to put this one out there. Ushna and her fabulous group has given my humble short story voice and recognition. This is one of my most valued features. / Thank you. Voice has been in my life a central theme. When I was at University studying Masters in Adult Education, I studied Voice and its implications in Women Studies and Autobiography and Life Long Learning. I was interested in giving voice to women in my first Autobiography Two Voices Two Women, a dialogue between my mother and I. And in my second autobiography, My life of love, loss and learning a voice to my love of all the important men in my life from father to teacher to lover to mentor to muse. With Men Talk I wanted to do something quite different and write a short story not only through the voice and eyes of one man but two men. And I wanted to write through their voice about their women. This was an exciting challenge and I have always held this little story close to me and now after all these years have brought it out to the public. I have read much and studied the men’s movement and men’s perspective as much as I have studied women’s movements and perspectives. So I just want to thank my friends on RedBubble and Ushna for allowing me this wonderful platform to bring forward not only my poems that I am writing now but for also allowing me to share those pieces of my writing history that no one has ever seen before. With Love, Anthea
Hello to all who have ventured to this page… In the spirit of accountability and responsibility / is this journal entry… Firstly…
Hello to all who have ventured to this page… In the spirit of accountability and responsibility / is this journal entry… Firstly, / THANK YOU so much to the groups’ moderators who have Featured my works in the past few weeks!!!! / Art & Stories for Children / 60’s glory / Backyard Photography / Inspired by life / Witches, Wizards & Warlocks Secondly, / As moderator and co-host in 11 redbubble groups – I do SEE/READ most of your artwork and writings, however, I have been remiss recently with commentary – there simply are not enough hours in the day ;) Thirdly, / Being a part of Earthmonster Illustrated – the group, the ezine and now the newest Video group, I admittedly have not mastered the balance necessary for this new endeavor – PLEASE BEAR with me, learning alot, havin’ alot of creative fun, but get lost in the flow too… Keep your eyes open for a special HALLOWEEN edition SOON!!! Fourthly, / I am approaching my 48th birthday this weekend, and we are preparing for our 5 day visit from fellow-bubblers’ Larry & Dawn Davis from Australia / SO will be even more remiss in my commentary, some group moderation and just general presence around here for the coming week… Finally, / The grandest intentions are always overpowered by the smallest thoughts of gratitude, friendship and understanding… / For this I can rely upon, especially here amongst so very many with trueheARTs!!! LOVE to you ALL ♥ Tammy (TK) tkrosevear / NAMASTE’ / DOHIYI~
I just came back from work to see that I Our Future was on Homepage...
I just came back from work to see that I Our Future was on Homepage ...I’m realy touched by all the fantastic comments,watchlists added,encouragements and love that I received….thank to all of you beautiful bubblers…you are fantastic …..x Gigi /
Aloha kakou, to all our beloved family and friends. I have met so many wonderful people on this website this year. It has been a learning…
Aloha kakou, to all our beloved family and friends. I have met so many wonderful people on this website this year. It has been a learning experience as well for there are so many talented photographers and artists who are a continuous source of creative inspiration. I appreciate the kindness of all the hosts as well of the many wonderful groups who have featured my work. / / For those of you who so kindly responded in my private BubbleMail with holiday wishes and beautiful Christmas cards, I invite you to copy/paste your messages here in my journal, that would be so wonderful. Mahalo nui loa, thank you so much for all your wonderful gifts of Aloha. / / To everyone who has commented on my work this year, I may not always have the time to answer every message, yet I cherish every single one. Thank you so much. / / And to those of you who have purchased my images and my calendar collections, thank you so much from my na’au, from the depths of my heart for your kindness. I cannot tell you how meaningful it is for me that you love my work enough to want to own a print. Mahalo nui loa. / / We wish you a beautiful holiday season with much love and every happiness for you and your beloved family. / / E pili mau na pomaika`i ia `oe / (May blessings be with you always) / Mele kalikimaka me ka Hau`oli makahiki hou / (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year) / / Aloha e Malama pono / Jacob and Sharon Mau / / / /
My warmest thanks go out to all those who’ve bought things from me recently including the lovely bubbler Michelle Whennan...
My warmest thanks go out to all those who’ve bought things from me recently including the lovely bubbler Michelle Whennan and sweetscent62 and my dear real life friend Christine Jones and lovely fellow bubbler yanmos TSHIRT SALES / / Photo taken of Sugar Coated TShirt by Bec Schopen during the Manly Art Festival Sydney 2009 Womanly TShirt Exhibition where our 100 tees were hung on a clothesline exhibit at the beach, i was one of the lucky ones who sold a tee that day!! Thank you Bec!! / Geisha Girl TShirt (modelled by karin) available in red/colour as above or Antique version of the tee here in more subdued hues CALENDAR SALES / MATTED PRINT AND GREETING CARDS SALES / CANVAS PRINT SALES / It’s a huge happiness and thrill for me to see people liking my work and buying it to add to their walls and homes and to give to friends, it’s the fulfillment of a dream, thank you everyone, i hope you really enjoy the products you’ve purchased, and that the artwork is a nice new addition to your wardrobe, your home, or introduction of something new to friends and family that inspires and refreshes…. kindest wishes to all for a very Happy Christmas!
Wow 2009 what a creative and intense year it has been. When I come to the end of a year I become very introspective and reflective of the…
Wow 2009 what a creative and intense year it has been. When I come to the end of a year I become very introspective and reflective of the year that has past and think about all the high points and memorable moments that make my heart dance. It has been a highly creative year here on RedBubble and as a way of celebrating I am reviewing my poetry, art and photography and am going to publish in my journal my top ten poems and my top ten paintings/photography. I also want to thank each person who has visited my poetry, left comments, favourited my work and read my poems. Your contributions and attention has been so deeply appreciated by me, my beautiful RedBubble friends. Four out of my top ten poems were inspired by the beautiful paintings of Reynaldo in our Two Collaborations, Passion Series and A Tribute to Womanhood. These four poems include Purple Passion, No is No, Meeting the Madwoman and Blue Eyed Gypsy Woman. It is and has been an honour and a pleasure to collaborate with the brilliant and gifted artist and wonderful person Reynaldo over the past five months of 2009. We will continue with remainder of the Tribute to Womanhood Series and other collaborations in early January 2010. Here are my top 10 Poems for 2009: 1. Insane or Wired or Brilliant? Brilliant Plath disappeared in her Bell Jar / Intense Vincent Van Gogh was labelled insane / And when he cut off his ear they cried he had gone too far / They cut poor Frances Farmers emotion out of her brain / And made her placid benign boring and dull / Angelina was considered already dead / Vulnerable girl interrupted accused of a lull / Her hurt was cold but her blood was red. Insanity was thrown in my face at 17 / When the high school boys shouted / My favourite artist Van Gogh was insane… / ‘He is not’…I found my voice / ‘He is sensitive, passionate, intense, / misunderstood…and Don Mclean had / it right on that Starry Starry Night / He took his life as Lovers often do… / I could have told you Vincent this world / Was never meant for one as / Beautiful as you. Ah the eternal debate… / There is a fine line between / genius and insanity…they say / and how closely do we step the tight rope / With so much mental illness today / Exposed…Depression, Anxiety, / Bi-polar…Obsessive Compulsive / Disorder…A mental health professional / recently advised that 9 out of 10 have / a mental health issue. / Are so few exempt…are these figures really true? With so much stimulation in the media, mobile, data / Sensory overload with iPods linked to our brain / Texting 24/7 with our mobiles we sleep instead of our lovers / Is the cyborg fantasy becoming a reality…? / in this wired generation? / Constantly on…we must be or we miss out… / We become fed by instant gratification / and stimulated by virtual admiration. / Addiction to this constant contact means that our / heads are overloaded with stimulus but / not given as much time to reflect, to think, to feel. We are becoming overdeveloped in responding to stimulus / and underdeveloped in knowing our own heart. / Strangers and outcast to our own feelings / Dependent on the hit and the high of the new / and losing sight of the bravery of the subtle and simple. / Craving perfection and the eradication of foibles / we photoshop out our character lines and faults / so that we fit into some kind of ideal of the neo post notion of beauty. Are not faults far more defining then some sanitised notion of perfection? / Are not our faults the real indicators of our individuality? / Is not our vulnerability a sign of our sanity? / Does not our sensitivity reveal that we still belong to humanity? / Taking time to celebrate and know the individual in their idiosyncrasies / Surely this is worth the effort rather then striving for some standard of / fantasy that can never be translated? I shudder when I think where we are headed / Man machine…woman machine…cyborgs half man half machine / I pray that disposable people, relationships that end with a click / of the key and people racing to rejection will never be the accepted. / And that the human mind, heart and soul will pause…think and / move the emotional muscle so that sensitivity can still survive / and link us together through heart and mind / right through to the end of time. So Vincent, Sylvia, Frances, Angelina and Girl Interrupted / Insanity does not seem to be able to define, / What really was going on in your mind, / As far as I can tell…you all could see, think and feel, / Oh that you suffered and were misunderstood / This cannot be denied but you were / real raw and achingly human in your pain / and there was no question of your humanity / Even if there was and still is a question over your sanity. To me you were brilliant, free, sensitive and intense / And by all indicators ahead of your time. / And I bow to your courage / to follow your own voice and live the / passion that was raw in your heart… / To me it is as if you just knew right from the start. by Anthea Slade 26-4-09 Views 665 / Comments 83 / Favourites 10 / Features 5 / Anger Management / Midnight Ramblers / CORE / All Things Poetical Artistic Philosophical / Freedom to Shine 2. Passion Chase the emotion / around my heart / until it crystallises / A butterfly landing / on an open flower / Beauty upon beauty / My eyes water / and flood my face. / / Building a fascination / into an obsession / Feed each word until / it etches on my heart / a blood tattoo more / red then black / that cuts across my eye. / / A hunger that / pervades my essence / A yearning that cannot be categorised / A passion that cannot be rationalised / A feeling from the core that only intensifies / / Annihilate alienation / Celebrate fascination / Imbibe motivation / Right to the core of the matter / to the the nuance of heart beat / Subtle sensations that climax / to bliss and beyond / A kiss like honey dew / and so strong / makes my stomach ache / with undying emotion. / / A knowing that cannot be spoken / A love that cannot be broken / A fascination that burns / Flames that fire the soul / with the deep sensual flame / Tormenting the heart / Longing to embrace and engage another / / Raw…it aches… / Skin on Skin / Heart on Heart / Matter doesn’t mind / When the heart is seduced / Look that sees the blood breathe / Touch that feels the pain / To reveal or to hide / the flame. / / It’s sooooo hot / Flame to sweat / Spontaneous and welling / Dance of soul / Music of mind / Drama of heart / It is complete / when enraptured, intoxicated / and feed by longing / It is so hot it is wet… / exploding the boundaries of desire. / / Removing the restraints of thought / And venturing where words cannot go… / To the very heart, the heat / the pain and the utter bliss / of passion. / / By Anthea Slade 21-2-09 Views 409 / Comments 69 / Favourites 12 / Featured 1 / Featured in Up & Coming Writers 3. Disrupt Don’t come near me unless you want to be disrupted. I will: Upturn a cliche and write it to a new form / Eradicate generalisation and turn it specific / Challenge a belief system if your face is sad / Think from different perspectives always… / Look at one feeling, idea, person from multiple points of view at once / Break apart binaries good/bad right/wrong that imprison our minds / Turn objectivity to subjectivity and then reverse it / Unpack revolutionary, anarchist, activist, environmentalist…..creative / Bounce from one archetype to another from muse to vampire thanks Jung / Shatter expectation if it is judgemental and cruel / Surprise with imagination and odyssey travelled / Thrive with encouragement and inspiration / Question our wired generation / Devastate prejudice and bias that hurts others / Advocate freedom and fight for love, honour, decency and respect. / Look through lens of post structural, scientific, modern, psychological / and head towards Neo Post or Beyond the Post… / Research from Foucault to Derrida to Decartes to Hegel to Jung to Freud / Think creatively, innovatively, strategically, laterally and emotionally / Live on the edge, the fringe, from the inside, the outside and be free / Do what you don’t expect…. ...because I have been told since I was a little girl that I / think too much… ‘Leave your mind behind next time’ They said to me: You feel too much / You are too much because not only can you think you can feel too much… / Your too intense / (Did they think these words would silence me…remove my voice… / stop my mind…) Too much for Who? / Too much for What? / Too much for You? / Too much too much too much / Much too much / Makes me want to scream…too much. I will: Disrupt / Dismantal / Unpack / Challenge / Reconstruct / Recreate As long as my mind is free and my voice can speak and my heart can / feel I will disrupt death in life, cruelty to others and intolerance / of difference. And live full and free to my last breath. Too much….......never :) Anthea Slade 21-2-09 Views 292 / Comments 57 / Favourites 8 / Features 1 4. He He rhymes with ‘she’ ‘free’ and ‘be’ / He is silent and then he speaks / He excites and he provokes / He is energetic, he is assertive, he is driven / He is magnificent! / He is intellectually and emotionally alive / He is articulate and expressive / He is mysterious and he captivates / He sees – he believes / He is primal and earthy / He is erudite and aware / He is generous / He is pleasure / He is pain / He is virile and he is masculine / He is vulnerable and he is strong / He is wild / He is sensual and social / He blows my mind / He has charisma / He is a king and a knight / He cries / He creates beauty…he is beautiful / He loves without pause / He sees life from and through his own eyes / He is agile, adept and engaged / He is poetic…he is wise / He has a creative imagination / He is passionate…he is whole / He is colour…he is heartbeat…he is ocean / He is the sun – wind – rain / He questions / He challenges / He is spiritual / He heals / He is an alchemist / He is heart / He seeks and he finds / He is a feeling mind / He is kind / He is Man. By Anthea Slade Views 278 / Comments 46 / Favourites 6 / Feature 1 5. Purple Passion Her body tilts back into him / opening her breast to the universe / She reveals an open heart / in order to be close / She risks raw / to reveal what is true If she falls will she be caught? / She leans back exposing her heart, / her breast to the world. / Vulnerable echoes across her soul / as she risks real / in order to grow She dreams of true intimacy / but she knows that to be close / can be messy and not always polite. / Closeness urges her to be more, / to push the boundaries of fear / She imagines herself dance / through expectation / as she eradicates limitation. She wonders if she tells her story / will he be there / when she reveals the real in her. / Human kind cannot bare too much reality. / Oh it can bite, it can make her bleed. / If she shows her wounds will / he still breathe her in, drink her / essence and revel in her mystery / or will he walk away? But purple passion is more then all passions / the highest of all it extends / beyond the earth into the heavens, / transcendent and beautiful it is / more then what we see. Foibles and idiosyncrasies can / come out to play and / she does not need to suppress / them or hide behind a façade. / When she reveals more she wonders / closing her eyes and she / imagines him still there. She hungers to tell her story / and still be seen and in / her dreams to be real. / What ever is written in her heart / finds a voice in time / and he will hear her. The emotion of longing / strokes her soul and she feels / his arms holding her arms, / his cheeks pressed to her cheek, / his hot breath on her neck, / his masculine scent mixing, / with her feminine scent, / releasing the pulse of heart / and the reverie of fidelity. She can feel her body open / as the more she reveals / he remains. / And she delights that her / truth does not shred their closeness / Instead he loves her story / he holds her close to his heart / as her story unfolds / a tear scuds done his cheek. / She shares her life / of soul and her years. He whispers in her ear / telling her to reveal more and more, / as their heart beats in time / he does not want her to shut down / her soul to social propriety / And with each truth he urges her / to be more and more of what she is. He sees her, not just her sensuality and / beauty by her soul screaming to find voice / He knows her sensitivity that purrs, / her passion that integrates her reason, / and her heart that expands his universe. / He holds and contains her fragile courage / and she leans back, relaxes into his / strength and tenderness the true note of his love. She is no longer afraid to be as fragile as she is / and no longer fears the echoes of her inner strength / With his strong arms around her, / She can breathe and be, / because purple passion is just like that, / where to be is finally enough! By Anthea Slade 13-9-09 Purple passion was inspired by Reynaldo’s beautiful painting Purple Passion and was part of our first collaboration Passion Series. / / Purple Passion by Reynaldo Views 272 / Comments 45 / Favourites 12 / Features 3 6. Meeting the Madwoman She is nice / She is kind / She is subtle / She is compliant / She is nurturing / She loves so much / She is sweet… / Oh the feminine beauty we all know, / we all love. / That intrinsic beauty that / belongs to women, / we revel, we indulge, / we dance in the flame of softness. / So tender, so full of delight / I love this side of others and / self…the divine feminine. Women have throughout history been / iconized for their ability to nurture and build / relationships with family and friends, / rewarded, applauded and admired in fact. / But this is just one side of the story, / there is another that needs to be told… / and that is of the mad woman. For every hurt that hits her heart / For every disappointment that eats her soul / For every rejection that wounds her mind / For every heart ache that shreds her sensitivity / there needs to be an expression. For some women it comes out in tears / For others it comes in silence and disappearing / For others it comes out in bitchiness / or passive aggression that is mean. / Others become insecure and are / unable to be a sister to other women. / It comes by her dying inside and losing / touch with who she really is. / And others it comes out in illness, / losing confidence, / losing voice… But for some it comes out in rage, pure unadulterated anger. / Why is there such a fear of anger? / Is not anger the other side of love? / Is not anger a healthy, normal emotion that / makes the blood explode with fire? / Why is it many people cringe whenever they / see a woman expressing her anger? / Why do some people run from her? / Screaming she has gone hysterical, / crazy, god forbid insane! But no she is just angry. Passionate! / She is hurt and she has become angry. / Her pain is real. At that moment it is her truth. / It is a raw expression of her soul / Gasping to find breath, / it is her true voice finally finding expression. Anger is as valid as her sweetness and without / owning it she is just half a woman. / Jung referred to this as a shadow side. / Our less pretty side and it was his belief / we needed to embrace and integrate our shadow / side into ourself creating light and shade. / Yin/Yang? We need to dance with anger, / love her, hold her, embrace her with out fear / that we will be: abandoned, / rejected…left again. She is the wild part of our soul / that is screaming to find a voice. / She is the wild woman of passion and sexuality / that longs to dance and embrace every archetype within. In meeting the mad woman we engage the core self. / We chant to fire and burn with passion / as whole wild women. / After all isn’t anger…another view, another angle, / another lens of Passion? And is it not passion that attracts our lovers and / creates our art and yes above all makes our / heart start! By Anthea Slade 22-7-09 Meeting the Mad Woman was part of Rey and my collaboration A Tribute to Womanhood and inspried Rey’s beautiful painting and my drawing by the same name. / / Meeting the Mad Woman by Reynaldo / / Meeting the Mad Woman by Anthea Slade Views 267 / Comments 52 / Favourites 12 / Features 2 7. Growing older with Grace ‘It’s all over for us’ / Two 40 something women in my class cried… / ‘No it’s just beginning’ I replied / ‘Your 40’s and 50’s are the best years of you life’ / I echoed the words of my 75 year old mother / who texts me for my birthday, in Paris / travelling Europe for the first time in her life. ‘You become invisible in your 40’s’ / A relation said to me. ‘I will never photograph again’ / ‘You lose your sexual power…your pull / and not seen the way when you were young.’ / ‘I disagree…women grow more beautiful / with age if they let their face follow their heart / it’s only the beginning, just the start.’ I replied. Ah yes society’s eternal obssession with youth… / the mags, the movies, the stars, the reviews, the shows / the chasing after that 20 to 25 skin and frame… / Poisoning the forehead with botox / Puffing up the lips with fat / Cutting and lifting that face to eradicate all those lines / And stop expression from forming / As faces start to drop and sag / some just stop smiling to save their skin / just to hold to fragile branch of youth. Youth is beautiful – this cannot be denied… / tight bodies, faces and hearts. / Confidence that comes from physical prowess / and a face that is even and smooth. / Attention comes from every where and it is / soft and smooth encased in desire. With aging there comes a new kind of beauty / less obvious and more subtle and gentle. / If the heart is open and the / inner child is nurtured / an inner harmony is built on the confidence / that grows from wisdom through experience. / An acceptence of just knowing / where to just be is finally enough. A time of maturity where the acceptance of self and other / leads to a warmth and courage to / wear that smile without fear of lines / and let them breathe and flow / as they follow the contours of our hearts. When I think of all the women I admire / my mother, Cheryl, Glenda, Judy Dench, Meryl Streep… / they all have one common denominator / they all grow older with grace. / Their lines are lines of life and character / Their faces are raw and beautiful / and there is no supression of emotion / through botox and any other artificial procedures. So when I see my smile lines become more defined / and the cracks in my top lip appear / I smile even more and create more lines / and embrace this wonderful aging process. / I turn on the music / I dance to my own rhythm / and I embrace the sensitivity and vulnerability / that comes from a growing maturity / My heart deepens…my insight sharpens / and my sensitivity sucks in all the emotion. / Acceptance of the changing self is perhaps / the greatest beauty of all. On June 9…I always become reflective / because this is the day I was born / And I celebrate each year alive on this wondrous / earth…I sing to the sun behind my curtain / I dance to the full moon that is my birthday present / and I shout out loud… ‘I just love growing older’ … By Anthea Slade / Views 245 / Comments 82 / Favourites 12 / Features 2 8. No is No No is not yes / No is not sort of / No is not kind of / No is not maybe… No to mind games that devastate sensitive brains / No to power that intimidates tender hearts / No to subtext that does not equate real text / No to premediatated cruelty that attacks self esteem / No to dishonesty that disturbs pure minds / No to manipulation that hurts our souls / No to love bombing, where abundant love shifts to deprivation / No to pushing through boundaries that are never meant to be broken / No to sadistic enjoyment of others misfortune / No to words that will never be action / No to betrayal that leads to deep wounds / No to abandonment where ones security is erased / No to rejection that should never be an option / No to lies that deceive and torment us / No to lack of decency and honour / No to black and white thinking that limits our minds / No to judgemental attitudes that bleed our imagination dry / No to undermining sentences that crack our confidence / No to praying on the innocent / No to sexualising children / No to disrespecting our aged / No to exploiting our vulnerable / No to snobbery that alientates and divides No is not a joke / No is not a laugh / No is not to be taken lightly / No is not an invitation / No is not a temptation / No is not a seduction / No is not a revelation / No is not a suggestion No is an answer / No is to be respected / No is a protection / No is given for a reason / No is fullstop. / No is The End. / No to Date Rape. / No is No. / That is all. By Anthea Slade No is No is part of Rey and my collaboration A Tribute to Womanhood and was inspired by Rey’s beautiful painting No to Date Rape. / No to Date Rape by Reynaldo Views 238 / Comments 61 / Favourites 16 / Features 3 9. Blue Eyed Gypsy Woman Her crystal blue eyes sparkle / with the verve of life / reflecting the gentle rawness / of her journey that has / sculptured the woman she is now. Her sensual lips quiver, vulnerable / with the sensitivity of her heart / revealing that through cruel experience / she has blossomed into a goddess, / gracious, wise and knowing. Her blue necklace and earrings / dance with her blue eyes to expose / the serenity of her heart / Her red dress energies her / to keep moving from town to town, / Her brown hat attaches her to the earth. Where ever she roams / She becomes part of the time and place / Learning from experience, / Living in the present, / She becomes one with the moment, / She is zen. A free wind that blows / through one town to the next / Where ever she goes she shows / the local people they can be free / because freedom resides in her heart. She is there and then she is gone / but she leaves indelible mark / on their minds. / Her beauty and her grace / etched in gold for all who look / and see her radiate love. It just takes a moment to see her / kindness and warmth / Her true free spirit, / will last in their memory always, / Cause she has courage to keep flying. Free like a bird of grace / she flies to the next place, / to start the next transformation / Because she is the divine feminine / the alchemist of our souls and for / all those who dare to look / will be forever changed. Forever free and wild, / overflowing with kindness / she gives all who / greet her a touch of grace, / blissful joy and a / radiant smile on their face. By Anthea Slade 20-9-09 Blue Eyed Gypsy Woman was part of my collaboration Tribute to Womanhood with brilliant artist Reynaldo and it was his beautiful painting that inspired my poem. / / Blue Eyed Gypsy Woman by Reynaldo Views 233 / Comments 21 / Favourites 5 / Features 2 10. Creating Heart In that moment when our hearts break / We can choose to remain open / Feel our pain / or shut down. If we remain open we are raw / We scud through a plethora of emotion: / shock black, anger red / grief grey, growth green / love pink. / The odyssey of pain. Often the violence of our pain / makes us want to withdraw / like a deer, to lick wounds / like a hermit to fall within ourselves. If we choose to close down / We divert our minds / Our wounds stay open and / then become crusty and dry / And our heart shrinks, tightens, / and the creative flow…stops. If we stay open… / vulnerable…fragile everything hurts. / Looks shatter. / Words annihilate to red raw. / We crumble and fragment / And we bleed. But we survive if we live our emotions / We wear our feelings out until / our tears a continual waterfall on our / face wash the pain away. / And we begin to heal. Our divine inner child walks / and than dances again / Delicate fragile and raw / our heart breathes / And our creative flow continues / Vulnerable we can create and feel. And we grow and we reconstruct / and put our pieces back together / Raw, exposed and alone / we draw from our heart / to create beauty / Alchemists and transformers we / recreate ourselves in a new form. Naked, consumed in the act of creation / engaged and enraptured / we are consumed forever in / creating line by line / brushstroke by brushstroke / colour, line and form / uninhibited and free / creating beauty, creating life ...Creating Heart. Written by Anthea Slade Views 230 / Comments 21 / Favourites 5 / Features 2 Thank you so much to all my wonderful friends on RedBubble for your reading and support of my poetry and I wish you all an inspired and poetic year in 2010 filled with grace and beauty, Love and Respect, Anthea
Isn’t it amazing? It seems it was 1970 j…
Isn’t it amazing? It seems it was 1970 just three days ago…... / The 70’s was a monumental time for me personally, graduating from high school, venturing off to explore the world, marrying my first husband, experiencing the miracle of the birth of my first child, surviving an almost fatal car accident and almost simultaneously suffering the sudden death of my beloved Father, which left a vacant gaping wound in my heart that took years to heal…...... as well as experiencing devastating emotional and physical abuse and a heartbreaking divorce…. The 70’s was a time of innocence, and a loss of innocence. .. yet, I learned so much and I have no regrets. I became independent, reevaluated my belief system, shed my childhood conditioning, totally redefining my life as I discovered my own personal and spiritual values defining who I am, what I stand for and what I believe. I returned to my childlike innocence. I embrace my rich and dynamic cultural heritage, opened my eyes and my heart and embraced other cultures and languages as well. I am grateful for every experience, for every lesson I have learned from every person I have met and I am grateful for every good thing that has happened in my life. Fast forward to the 80’s with several moves on the mainland from the east coast to the west and all points in between, with several transcontinental moves, enjoying several years living in Europe, exploring other countries and mastering foreign languages. The 80’s was a time of enlightenment, a time for spiritual ascension and moments of profound revelations, a new marriage, delighting in the births of two more beautiful children. And the music of the 80’s was awesome. I especially loved U2. The 80’s was prime time for me. I wish I looked now like I looked in the 80’s with long thick auburn hair and flawless ivory skin. :)))) It was a decade of working and playing and personal growth and realizing that I could create my own reality as I followed my dreams. The 90’s were certainly interesting. Another divorce. I devoted most of those years as well to nurturing my young children and refining my career. Imagine my surprise and dismay when my Irish heritage manifested itself as my rich auburn hair transformed virtually overnight to a platinum blonde. It is still a surprise each time I look into the mirror. It was a time of tremendous sacrifice as well and often times I worked three jobs as I explored many interests and tried so hard to maintain a good balance in my life. Such as Time flies and the last decade certainly seems to have breezed by as if in a dream. From the year 2000 to 2009 so much has happened I could publish a book and it would probably be a best seller for the places I have been, the people I have met and the things that have happened are so fascinating. I am so amazed that it is now the year 2010. So much has happened this last year. I was single and independent almost 19 years when I met Jacob. And now this year Jacob and I celebrated our first year of marriage. I have met hundreds of members of our family on his side here on Maui. Most everyone on Maui is related to us. If they are Hawaiian, they are probably our ohana. :)) We have made many new friends and lost a couple of frenemies :)) You know who they are, the ones who pretend to be your friends, but they are really your enemy and when you have a disagreement they only do their best to slander you and bring you down as they project and impose their own personal opinion, belief or value system on you without regard for your truth or your heart. The true friends who remain have my best interests at heart, as I do theirs, and they help to protect my heart. I am grateful for my true friends. We have experienced some tragic very sad events as well. It certainly hasn’t been all fun in the sun. We have also buried many of my husbands family and life long friends in 2009. Through it all we face each day our own mortality. Every day we realise, we remember and acknowlege that each day is a gift. / We focus on the good things in life. Yet, most of all we have had tremendous fun and enjoyed many wonderful, some truly extraordinary experiences here on the island. For me personally it has been educational in so many ways. No one can really know the Hawaiian culture unless you are submerged in it. You may come here on holiday and explore the island, shop the beautiful galleries and gift shoppes, see the sights and explore the ocean, the seacliffs, the cloud forests, the rain forests and the many beautiful beaches, yet to truly know Hawai’i and understand this magnificent culture, you must live here. I try to share this beauty with all of you through my imagery. I am so happy to hear from you when you leave a note and let me know my work and the splendid poetry I search for and attach to my images to breathe life into them speaks to your heart. / / On another happy note, in a couple of weeks my son and his wife will be welcoming the birth of their first child, a precious baby girl. She will be my fifth grandchild and Jacob’s tenth. Imagine that, between us we have 15 grandchildren. Wow. My son is my youngest child and I cannot explain how I feel knowing he will soon be holding his own child in his arms. If I could wave my magic wand she would be born here on the island. How I wish we could, it would be so wonderful as I have not seen my children in three years and I would love for this child to be born on Maui. I have three beautiful talented children. My oldest daughter (the one I grew up with) is married with 4 beautiful children. My second daughter is still single (thank God) and attending university studying to be a graphic designer. And my son is having a child. I miss them all so much and I love them more than my own life. Jacob has 7 beautiful children, and we are truly blessed, for our children are our legacy and they are our greatest gifts in life. To all our family and friends, we wish you love and sweet compassion. We wish you tremendous success and every happiness. May you all enjoy a fabulous new year!!! / / Aloha oukou / E pili mau na pomaika`i ia `oe / `Okole maluna Jacob and Sharon Mau /
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