Yes, of course, I get scared. How could I not have moments of fear? The Hilton Hawaiian Village, my marketplace, is a ghost town — which is as it should be. The islands are on Shelter-in-Home orders.

This is out of our hands, out of our control. We like to feel in control and these times are bigger than us.

It’s comforting to know that none of us are alone in this. We’re all experiencing this at the same time. We’re all human, feeling the panoply of emotions, going through quite the equalizing experience.

Introverts use alone time to recharge their energy before going out in public. Extroverts recharge while out in public.

My coach/friend Aletta de Wal calls herself an “extroverted-introvert.” I’ve adopted the moniker as well. We’ve learned to monitor our times in public and balance them with alone time.

I imagine the amount of alone time we’re experiencing now is more difficult for extroverts than for introverts.

From SARK, I learned the Inner Feelings Care System. It’s important to feel your emotions as they move through you. It’s important to let them move.

Emotions = Energy in Motion. If they get stuck or tamped down, they can wreak havoc on your body.

Feel your emotions and then send them thanks. Talk to them.

Your emotions are your personal
“emergency broadcasting station.”

They have messages for you, it’s okay to ask for clarification.

Often the message is to not take your thoughts too seriously, especially if you’re starting to freak out.

Freak-out moments can mean that you’ve moved off the truth of who you really are. You are love incarnate.

We don’t have to believe our panic or fear. Acknowledge it, yes; believe it, no.

Name your emotion. “Oh, this is fear” or “Oh, this is panic.” It is not YOU, it’s an emotion running through you. Rather than push it away, recognize it for what it is. Feel it and it will move on.

This is a Sacred Moment in Time.

Our fears are reminding us that we’re human. Our personal divinity is knocking at the door wanting to be let into our life, waiting to be acknowledged.

“Accidental Angels” and the three heart paintings I’ve painted the past three months came in preparation for this moment of time.

We’ve been preparing for this moment our entire lives. Live well and mind your heart.

Thank you, Spirit. Thank you, Inner Wise Self. Thank you, hands, paints, brushes, paper, & the past almost 20 years of painting!

The things that attract our attention have information for us that can help us make choices and decisions in our lives.

When we take the time to notice our surroundings or notice what captures our attention, we’re sure to learn something subtle about ourselves.

My latest palm frond painting (a work in progress) began when I noticed some dead palm fronds cut up and awaiting removal near my parked car. I took photos from different angles to capture their essence.

Later, while staffing the Hawaii Watercolor Society exhibit, I was drawn to two paintings showing a strong contrast of warm and cool colors. The colors, not the subject matter, captivated me.

When I began this palm frond painting, I did so in a rush. I was too impatient to sketch it all out before I starting to paint.

This painting wanted to be painted!

I didn’t know what the painting was about until I awoke around 3:30 AM with thoughts of being transported someplace that I really wanted to go. I wish I could remember where I went, alas, it’s vanished. Such is the nature of sleep and dreams.

That’s when I realized I’m painting the feeling of movement.

Palm fronds that fall to the Earth carry with them a remembrance of the wind in their tangled leaflets and the striations on their “hilt.” They wear their history in their beauty.

I'm facing a new move in my life, in a year already filled with inner and outer movement.

No wonder these fronds captured my attention. They’re reminding me that movement is essential to a healthy, vibrant, evolving life.

Almost, but not quite finished, this piece is titled, “Remembering the Wind”.

Move on!

We each have our own sources of inspiration — thank goodness! We don’t need to rely on any one person, place, or thing to be inspired.

Each of us is responsible for being aware of our “AHA” moments, and sometimes backtracking to discover their origins.

Sometimes the genesis is clear. We’ve seen an incredibly beautiful sunset or vista and want to capture the way it touched our heart.

Sometimes the source is obscure. Inspiration is a flash of insight, out of the blue.

We can stoke our inspiration by following our heartfelt curiosity.

Being curious is different from being “nosy” or “niele” (Hawaiian word for “nosy”). When curiosity tickles us, it sends us on a journey of discovery.

I’ve been on such a journey the past few months — one I wasn’t fully aware of until inspiration for my newest painting struck.

Finally! Yippee! It’s felt like F-O-R-E-V-E-R since I’ve felt this level of inspiration. I’ve missed the feeling of eager anticipation that sometimes precludes the start of a new painting.

Yes, every new painting starts with an idea or inspiration.

Sometimes my inspiration is a piece of coral, or a stone, or a flower — something that catches my eye. These can be great fun to sketch, draw, or paint.

The level of inspiration I received last week is connected to the books I’ve been reading and the questions I’ve been asking in my journal.

This kind of inspiration is a product of my heart working with my brain to give me a visual representation of what I’m learning.

This intensity of inspiration doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I’m hoping that now that I'm more aware of the process, I’ll be able to entice deep inspiration to happen more often.

STEPS TO ENCOURAGE A TRULY INSPIRED, CREATIVE LIFE

1. Make more drawings of the things catching your attention. This can mean making more starts and fewer finished pieces. It can mean making many smaller drawings or paintings.

2. Focus more on what is wanted rather than on the lack of what is wanted. Be more aware of the things that inspire us and nurture the pursuit of them — and be less aware of missing the inspired feeling. (We find what we seek!)

3. Continue to read books that inspire. Recent reads include a novel, “The Luster of Lost Things” by Sophie Chen Keller and “Into the Magic Shop” by James R. Doty, MD.

4. Listen to podcasts that inspire: “On Being”, “New Dimensions”, “Hidden Brain”, “Ted Talks”, “Abraham-Hicks”.

5. Pay attention to the questions we’re asking and look for the sparks that often launch inspirational “AHA Moments”.

6. Keep our hearts and minds open to the possibilities swirling around us —

Trust in Your Possibilities.

By taking inspired action, I began the creation of this painting — which is almost (but not quite) complete.

If this feels like a formula you’d like to follow, please do! I can’t promise it’ll work for you, but it might. I definitely feel more inspired when I remember to follow these steps!

If you have another way to encourage inspiration into you're your life, please share it with me.

I am forever grateful to my best friend in college. Carol taught me to keep a journal. I’d never done it before and it seemed like a really cool thing to do.

Keeping a journal started out unevenly. I’d keep it for a few days a week and then drop it for a few days or weeks.

Eventually, I realized that when I kept it up, I felt better. Keeping a journal has helped me maintain a more balanced outlook on life and has kept me focused on my goals.

I’ve used several different kinds of journals over the years. The most important criteria for me is that they be blank. No lines please! This allows me to have space to sketch in them as well as write.

Ten years ago, I learned a valuable add-on tool to keeping a journal from coach Christine Kane — that of doing a Weekly Summit.

In addition to writing in my journal six to seven days a week (three pages minimum per Julia Cameron’s “The Artists Way”), I take 15-20 minutes once a week to annotate the previous week.

I record my “Ta-Dah’s” (accomplishments), my “Not-Done’s”, my “AHA’s”, and my “To-Do’s” for the week ahead.

Jotting down my “AHA’s” is by far my favorite part.

You’d think that the fact that I’ve had “AHA’s” every week would be excitement enough that I’d remember them. Alas, no, they’re easily lost in the week’s haste to move on.

Lately, I’ve started to note the date of my “AHA” in case I want to revisit that date in my journal. Maybe there’s more there to be mined.

Please try these tools. They aren’t technically magical, and the results can be magical!

Life goes by SO quickly.

Reviewing my weeks helps me to become a slightly better person, artist, human being, one-little-word-at-a-time.

This morning I received an even better idea, one I haven’t quite fleshed out yet. I will keep an “Imagination or Vision Journal”. It will hold all my wishes, hopes, and dreams.

This feels WAY more fun than my regular journal.
And I suspect both are important to keep.

Do you have any rituals to help you “keep yourself on track”? If so, please share them with me!

I believe in life-long learning and in living a good, long life! Together we can keep this party going and headed toward better and better lives for all of u