Living This Creative Life

The Crossings is a spa/retreat, tucked up in the hill country of Austin…roadrunners bounding across paths; striped, two inch lizards sunbathing on flat, white chalk-like rocks; flowers blooming the rainbow’s colors… with mint and rosemary and cedar trees, their bark hanging like strings of black licorice; birds calling as they swoop across a wide, open crystal blue sky, not a cloud in sight…and all of the buildings are quietly nestled amongst a never ending forest…and when i woke up in the morning, i would walk out onto a private balcony overlooking the hills below…rolling and folding into the green of one another.

The room itself was very Amish…peaceful, calm, earth tones with a plain, chocolate stained bench in the entrance, two handmade iron crosses hanging on the wall. There is an off white tiled bathroom with juniper shampoo, conditioner and lotion…oh, it smells so fragrant! There were two full sized beds, with two enormous brown pillows embroidered with paisley designs and tiny droplets of shimmering flowers, a la Morocco. My clothes were already hanging in the closet, thanks to my friend and helpmate, Teresa.
I laid down on the bed and rested my mind for a moment, breathing in and out, slowly.

The weekend couldn’t have been more in the moment. In the moment of self-awakening, of self-motivation, of caring and laughing and love and concern and friendship. There were ten of us…me, the teacher, and nine students from around the country…gathering at the Fallen Oaks, a sunbeam colored yellow facility with a plentitude of windows and light. We dove in, head first, and never looked back.

I would like to say that teaching really thrills me to no end. Not just because it is fun to spend time organizing what I wish to share, but because the affect is so positive, so shining! Everyone in the room was pushing themselves to try something beyond their comfort level…and I became a proud mother hen. I don’t think I could have loved these new friends more than I do at this very moment, thinking back about all the art and sounds and movement and music and writing and spontaneous combustion we all created. The spirit in the room was so DEEP. It was as if time didn’t really exist…when I got home Sunday night, I was completely exhausted.

One of the things we talked about was creating abundance. Of putting your desires out into the universe, out of your body, to get the juices flowing, to be specific in what you ask for…For example, many, many months ago, I had said to Teresa (my lovely assistant), “I’d love to teach at the Crossings,” and I believe it was the next day THEY called US and asked me to come out and teach a class!!! “On what…?”, we asked…”Oh, anything…” they said. And so….my wish was fulfilled.

It sounds so ridiculously simple, a bit of Harry Potter. But I really believe it only takes one step to get the journey started. That’s it.
You think to yourself, “I want to be here,” and then you make travel plans, buy a plane ticket or rent a car, and then, there you go…
you’re on your way. What if we all looked at everything in our lives that way? From the small (I want to paint my bedroom blue) to the big (working with orphans in Africa….) to really big (I want to be an astronaut)…That’s what is so clever about the Nike ad….”Just do it”. What could be more on target than that statement? Really brilliant.

I don’t know when I will teach another class like this…but I know I will, someday. Right now I have to focus on my children and this summer of fun, finishing this new record and figuring out the tour plans for next spring….

We had our dear cat, Grady, shaved yesterday. She is a longhaired calico with a meow like a tiny fairy. She had been missing for the last thirty days, and returned covered in thick, binding dreadlocks. Oh, it was painful to see! We called Exmoor, and they took our dear one in IMMEDIATELY….she is so soft and happy now. We are keeping all of our cats as close as possible with all the cat trauma we have endured of late. Our newest addition, Pepper, is a kitten Lily gained trust with over the course of several weeks. He had been dumped and was living under our shed. He now lives inside and Lily is determined to teach him to walk with a leash.
So we got one of those halter collars yesterday, a leash, and we shall see…Lily is quite capable of making her thoughts reality, so I don’t doubt I will see her walking, gaily, with the little nipper by her side any day now.

Off to buy a pinata for Lily’s birthday….!

Pictures from the workshop, courtesy of Delia!