Journal Idea: How the Day is Going to Go

A month ago I watched the British television series Cranford for the first time and loved it. Did anyone else see Cranford? Well, it's a bit slow and windy, but like any good nineteenth century novel the end is packed with all sorts of new understandings.

I particularly enjoyed Judi Dench's character Matty, and at one point during the series she relates a story about how her father taught the girls to write in their diaries in the morning how they thought the day was going to go and in the evening write down how the day actually went.

How the day is going to go...

How the day went...

I thought this was such a neat idea, that I decided to experiment with it for myself. I'm on day thirty-four, and I have to admit that it is hard to put into words how this exercise transforms your thinking. First off, I have appreciated writing down my intentions for the day. I've never been an oral learner, so being able to physically write and see my intentions has proven to be so much more powerful then just thinking or saying them.

Secondly, I've noticed that it is actually somewhat easy to reach many of my goals for the day, but often I subconsciously sabotage events in the spirit of having a spontaneous adventure. My crazy monkey mind loves to blow things up and create stimulating chaos so as to provide a new kind of distraction that I've never seen before. It's very entertaining to watch :)

Another thing I've observed is that in the beginning my journal entries started out as hum drum. Such as "I will go to yoga class and feel rejuvenated." Doesn't take a rocket scientist to make this event happen, but you'd be surprised how many little wrenches I could throw into the system to whack this personal goal out of place. Nevertheless, as I progressed, my journal entries have begun to be a bit more fanciful. I suppose you could call them hopes, wishes, or dreams that I write in the present tense. So far none of them have actually come true, but what is most interesting is my emotional reaction to writing them down.

As soon as I write a wish down, I feel my body tense up and then a voice inside say, "you're crazy." This experience is quite leveling for I've noticed that even though it is my natural tendency to be dreamer, I'm sure afraid of letting myself enjoy these daydreams. When did I start sucking all the pleasure out of a simple daydream? I can't put my finger on it, but it seems like it may have been one of those adult requirements.

Here's the thing...the dream doesn't have to come true before we are able to take pleasure in the experience of daydreaming. Imagine that! Imagine dreaming for just pure pleasure with no need for an outcome. How would life be different for you if this were so?

Hedgehog Secrets: Repulsion & Curiosity

clay figure hedgehog goddess, Late Minoan III culture, 14thc B.C.

Last year I designed a hedgehog charm for Hint Jewelry, but it wasn't done without a long back story. The beginning of Hint Jewelry's hedgehog starts with the collision of two feelings -- repulsion and curiosity.

You see, I've always been slightly repulsed by hedgehogs. I could never fully explain why, because honestly they seem to resemble many other rodent-like creatures, and I completely adore hamsters, mice, rats, etc. I would see a hedgehog design and think to myself, "Why are people attracted to this creature and why would they want to wear it? Am I missing something?" Slightly embarrassed by my feelings, I kept my thoughts to myself.

In the midst of some reading about ancient sculpture, I saw this image of a hedgehog goddess pictured above. I was so taken by her charming design that I made a photocopy and tucked it away for future investigation. The little bumps all over her skirt were similar to many of the design elements I was including in my abstract clay sculpture.  Here was an example of me being attracted to something hedgehog related...very curious.

I was also intrigued by the snippet of text included with the photograph, explaining that this Aegean goddess was linked to regeneration and up until the twentieth century women in Alpine villages carried spiked balls painted red called "hedgehogs" as folk medicine for uterine problems.

When you are repulsed by something, it is always a clue that there is something you are wanting to learn about yourself but you are deeply afraid. Even though I knew this, I consciously chose to avoid hedgehogs for another three years. Then in a conversation with my mother about a book she thought I might enjoy, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, I realized that my curiosity and repulsion to hedgehogs had grown to such magnificent proportions that I had discover what it all meant.

So here begins my journey of understanding the secret of the hedgehog. I hope you will join me during this short blog series, to uncover and share your own thoughts about the hedgehog, and how it may relate to some of the most unique aspects of our human nature.

Calder Jewelry

Brooch, Alexander Calder, 1958

Recently I was surfing the Internet and stumbled upon photographs from an exhibition of Alexander Calder's jewelry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2009.

Wow, first I didn't even know that the American sculptor Alexander Calder made jewelry and then the other shocker is he designed approximately 1800 pieces of body adornment in his lifetime using brass, silver, gold, and found objects.

Bracelet, Alexander Calder, 1940

These two pieces were my favorites from the photographs displayed on the Metropolitan Museum's web site, but I'm guessing the exhibition catalog must be a treasure. I've been reading up on ancient goddess symbols and the brooch reminded me of snake patterns carved into stone and the swirls on the bracelets look just like ram horns that were extremely sacred to the worship of female deities.

Did anyone get a chance to see this exhibition in person or obtain a catalog? I'd love to hear your reaction to this body of work.

Marinara

before

 

after

Phi Mu Sorority: Sir Fidel the Lion

Courage, Beth Hemmila (Hint Charms): sterling silver lion jewelry (phi mu sir fidel sorority merchandise)

The other day someone graciously included my sterling silver lion courage charm in an Etsy Treasury devoted to merchandise for the sorority Phi Mu. Never having been associated with the symbol of a sorority, I was intrigued by the idea that this strong image of a lion could be one of the symbols chosen for a community of women. I decided to learn more.

Founded in 1852 at Wesleyen College in Macon, Georgia, Phi Mu is the second oldest women's fraternal organization in the United States. Their creed is Love, Honor, Truth. Their interest in philanthropy is central to their mission for the first line of their creed states, "To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand." The spirit of this concept guides Phi Mu and has propelled them into becoming a corporate sponsor for the Children's Miracle Network.

It's hard to imagine what it was like to be female seeking a higher education in the middle of the 19th century because now the number of women who go to college to earn a degree is proportionally larger then young men, but it must have been a tremendous event to open Wesleyen College in 1839 as the first and oldest women's school in the United States.

To forge a bond, the sorority Phi Mu adopted several symbols that communicate their values and deeper messages they wanted to spread out into the world.  One of these symbols was a lion, which is found on their coat of arms and then later nicknamed Sir Fidel and adopted as their mascot in 1973. The name Sir Fidel grew out of their motto Les Soeurs Fideles (The Faithful Sisters). What I like best is that the two lions holding up the shield on their coat of arms, also seem to hold up a lantern with a flame. A beacon of light in the world is one of the most powerful ways to communicate our sincere interests in working for the betterment of humanity.

I was so touched by seeing the symbol of a lion in a new way and how it can represent the faith women have in each other to pursue their mission of good works together. Taken out of the context of a fraternity, I began to realized that many of the core beliefs found in Phi Mu's creed were one's that I hope to live by a daily basis. What a blessing to learn from the words of women who back in 1852 had the vision to set down their intentions and then work towards moving them out into the world.

Phi Mu's Creed 
To lend to those less fortunate a helping hand.
To think of God as a protector and guide of us all.
To keep forever sacred the memory of those we have loved and lost.
To be to others what we would they would be to us.
To keep our lives gentle, merciful and just,
Thus being true to the womanhood of love.

To walk in the way of honor, guarding the purity of our thoughts and deeds.
Being steadfast in every duty small or large.
Believing that our given word is binding.
Striving to esteem the inner man above culture, wealth or pedigree.
Being honorable, courteous, tender,
Thus being true to the womanhood of honor.

To serve in the light of truth avoiding egotism, narrowness, and scorn.
To give freely of our sympathies.
To reverence God as our Maker, striving to serve Him in all things.
To minister to the needy and unfortunate.
To practice day by day love, honor, truth.
Thus keeping true to the meaning, spirit and reality of Phi Mu.

Tea + Nirvana = Teavana

My mom gave me some wonderful tea and accessories from Teavana.

This plum blossom cup is such a delightful indulgence for my daily tea.

The tea container is a piece of art that stands on its own. 

The name -- Scarlet Cloud -- is the perfect inspiration to 

transport your imagination off to romantic sunsets.

The smell of the tea is tantalizing
for raspberries are mixed in among the leaves.

The loose tea floats in my porcelain cup like a gorgeous abstract painting, 

and then is lifted away to reveal a delicate cup of rosy liquid.

I can even linger over my tea for awhile
and savor its warmth with this precious lid.

Maybe even entice a kitty to tea?

Happy Valentines Day!

may you feel

the love

blossoming

around you

Communicating Personal Stories with Charms

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms

I've been feeling slightly disconnected from my work, and so last week I picked out some Hint charms that were symbols I've been meaning to explore in my own personal life.

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms: sterling silver hedgehog and Buddha charm

I felt a lot like a little kid who was creating their own personal language. When I placed the hedgehog next to the Buddha, things lightened up inside me. I've been wanting to blog about the symbolism of hedgehogs and how it relates to women for a long time, but just haven't sat down and put it all together. By making this necklace, I was saying in symbols what I hadn't been able to verbalize in words.

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms: sterling silver gazelle and elephant charm

I've been dreaming about the symbols of Vata -- antelope and elephant -- and how these are the physical undercurrents running through my life. How do I channel this tremendous impulsive Vata energy in a healthy way and remain balanced?

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms: sterling silver hedgehog, hand of fatima, eye of horus charms

Egyptian art has been quite alluring to me lately, and so it was intriguing to put these three ancient symbols together. They seem to create a kind of emotional sentence that I have yet to decipher.

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms: sterling silver elephant and hand of fatima charm

This elephant and Hand of Fatima was another spontaneous combination that came about from just matching charms up with each other. This pair seemed to say, "We will bring you luck!"

Beth Hemmila, Hint Charms: sterling silver gazelle, hedgehog, and hand of fatima charm

Lastly, I realized that like a symphony, you can create many layers to your story. The antelope in the foreground for my Vata nature is the force that people may experience when they first interact with me, but the deeper wisdom of the hedgehog and an all seeing eye are aspects that feel like germinating seeds inside me.

Whatever your medium -- drawing, gardening, cooking, sewing, teaching, mothering, photography, etc. -- you are working with symbols on a daily basis. Sometimes just sitting down, playing with symbols, and creating new connections by placing them side by side can help you express something you've been wanting to say but words are unable to capture the depth of the message.

What symbols are you wanting to connect with and what are they saying about you?

Bigfoot Magnet: Pearson Maron

Bigfoot, Pearson Maron

Haha! No, I'm not the Bigfoot fanatic in the family :)

I bought this really cool Bigfoot magnet from Pearson Maron on Etsy as a Christmas present for my husband. Oops...I just outed one of his deepest secrets. My husband loves to watch anything related to Sasquatch. Here in the Northwest, better known as Sasquatch country, I guess that's not an unusual pastime.

 

Now Bigfoot is actually useful around the house, for here he is holding up one of my best birthday surprises from my niece. If for some reason you have a hankering for Bigfoot, Yeti, Loch Ness, or other small scale fantasy sculpture be sure to check out Pearson Maron. Their ideas are clever and their designs are well made.

The Intuitive Diet Plan

beef stew

I spent most of last year exploring a Vegan and Raw Food diet, but now I am slowly integrating meat back into my recipes. I've found that just small portions of meat every once and a while seem to help me feel a little bit more like my true self. Nevertheless, all my work last year has made me a vegetable and fruit lover at heart. More then ever I crave Vegan cooking, so that even when I do eat meat, I long for the next dish that is pure vegetables and fruits.

One of the books I decided to read concerning the Paleo Diet was called Primal Body-Primal Mind: Empower Your Total Health the Way Nature Intended (...And Didn't) by Nora Teresa Gedgaudas. It definitely contained some interesting points on grains, water, and Omega-3 fatty acids, though it was so dense on information that I skimmed most of this book. What I took away from my experience last year and reading this book, is that I'm beginning to listen to my own body and hear what I believe it is wanting for optimal health. Instead of following a prescribed belief system regarding food and health from a book, I've got my own Beth diet guru at work -- my body!

It has been empowering to abandon the directions of others and launch off on my own so as to hear the responses from my body when I ask, "What do you need today to feel vibrant and alive?"

What have you been hearing your body say lately?

The Messenger

Messenger, Beth Hemmila (Hint Charms): sterling silver hummingbird and angel wing charm

A couple weeks ago, I finally got around to watching Oren Moverman's 2009 film The Messenger. Featuring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson as military officers assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service, this movie explores the impact that the Iraqi war has on lives here at home.

It's a movie I categorize as a slow burn...difficult to watch at times for it challenges your ability to pay attention during uncomfortable moments, yet the story seeps into your psyche weeks after viewing it. I'm still thinking about The Messenger, and I guess it caught me off guard because I rarely respond to war movies in this way.

I suppose it is the deeper message, hanging out there unspoken that haunts me. How does one take responsibility and carry one's actions through life with dignity and how do we inspire others do the same?

The Messenger is one of those movies that would be on my top ten list for empathy training, so if you've managed to miss it, I hope you'll soon discover it.

Rainy Days

rainy days

help me

see the world differently :)