I SENSE THERE IS THIS MYSTERY

Depth of Wonder - (Dream Mandala series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image - red alder flower staminate


I Sense There is This Mystery: All Life is Being Lived

And yet, though we strain
against the deadening grip
of daily necessity,
I sense there is this mystery:

All life is being lived.

Who is living it then?
Is it the things themselves,
or something waiting inside them,
like an unplayed melody in a flute?

Is it the winds blowing over the waters?
Is it the branches that signal to each other?

Is it flowers
interweaving their fragrances
or streets, as they wind through time?

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

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While I enjoy creating many different kinds of mandalas, it is the themes of mystery and wonder that intrigue me the most. While creating this image, I could not help but be drawn into its depth . It spoke to me of holiness. The mandala's 11 rays creates a bridge between the higher and lower realms and offers spiritual illumination. I thought this poem by Rilke, found on @gassho's (Pamir Kiciman) Twitwall posting a perfect accompaniment to this mandala.

This is my 250th post. I had other plans, originally, to mark this day, but spirit apparently has some other plans for me. Instead I will offer gratitude and thanks for all of those who have helped and inspired me along the way. I hope you know who you are...parents, teachers, lovers, friends, medical and spiritual advisors, different mentors...thanks for holding me up and helping me get to where I am. My open heart is full of appreciation for you all.

WONDER, MYSTERY AND MAGIC

Bouquet Mandala - (Circles of Wonder series) - © Sue O'Kieffe

I thank you god for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the
blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes
~e e cummings

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Even though I live on the North Coast of California where flowers are just beginning to bloom now in mid-January, finding something new to photograph is a challenge this time of year. My eyes are hungry for something different, and so on Sunday I wandered into the local high end grocery store with my camera. It has a pretty nice floral department besides deli counter, juice bar, bakery and delicious organic produce. Once I wander inside anywhere with my camera, I must admit I feel a bit self conscious or wonder when Im going to be thrown out on my ear; but no one really cared when the flash went off amidst the orchids and so I relaxed a bit. I've wondered for a while if I could use a bouquet for a source image. I loved the colors of the flowers in this collection. But even more, they contained the feel of moon and mystery I was looking for to begin with.

I have had different people comment to me about the magic of digital art. I agree so much. The math of it which creates these functions which mimics the processes of film development never ceases to amaze me. I don't want to know how it works. I'd much rather marvel at the magic.

Does knowing how something works make it more or less amazing for you?

CREATING IN 2008

wonderment2
pen and ink, neocolor2 and crayola crayons
© Sue O'Kieffe 2008



It is your responsibility to share your gifts with the world. Creativity is holy. ~Matthew Fox

Say hello to my first doodle and first creation of 2008 on this, the first Sacred Silly Saturday of the year. I ushered in the New Year with one humdinger of a cold, which left me feeling anything but creative, yet filled with lots of wonder. I think that's a good sign.

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.~ Rainer Maria Rilke

When the New Year comes around I prefer to think more in terms of intent than I do in resolve. At the end of 2006 I stated my intention as being open to what it took to become a self-sustaining artist. At the end of 2007, I find myself back in the work force full time. Not exactly what I expected a year ago, but it is a decision that feels right and good to me. I've never been a big fan of the concept of the starving artist. The question it raises for me, though, as Im sure it must for lots of other artists, is how does this fit in with those dreams of mine, of being an Artist in Business for Herself? How do I manage my time effectively and still have fun?

And right now I just don't know. I do suspect,though, that like much of life, it won't end up looking like what I thought ... or hoped .... it would.

Would any of you care to share your experience or insights with me?