Ultimate Creativity

From The Robert Genn Twice Weekly Newsletter

August 7, 2007

Dear Karen,

We all have a tendency to focus on the daily progress and setbacks of our working lives. The balancing of practical matters and creative joy seem so all-involving that our art can become our main reason for living. Not that there's much wrong with this--without dedication it's pretty well impossible to thrive in the game. I've spent a bit of time in these letters trying to express the necessity of study, application and hard work. I've talked interminably of creative commitment. I've also talked about the values of family and significant life-passages. Over the years I've shared the death of my parents and other personal happenings, and I thank you for your patience.

Perhaps not often enough have I mentioned the ultimate and rather excellent form of creativity that's open to most of us. I'm talking about children. None of us asks to be born. We step out innocent to the world's wiles. We require nurture to approach our potential--to be handled before we can handle. Children are soon enough presented with a puzzling world. "Keep me away," said Kahlil Gibran, "from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children."

Carol and I have been blessed with three terrific kids. David, our oldest, is a musician and music producer. James, one of our twins, is a film director. Sara, our other twin, is a painter and singer-songwriter. How this den of artistry and application happened we never quite figured out. Believe me, we're not disappointed there are no lawyers or accountants in our outfit.
But I digress.

This morning at 8:21 David and his wife Tamara produced our first grandchild. Everybody's doing well. The event makes it even more clear, no matter what else might happen during a short stay on the planet, this sort of creation rises above all else in its profundity. This has been a day of wonders. How David was issued with the genes to stand by in green scrubs and cut the umbilical cord we'll never know. The glow of accomplishment and joy on Tamara's face as she held the newborn was more beautiful than any painting or sculpture could ever be. Who knows what these perfect little hands will do--and where these tiny feet will take him. Please welcome Beckett David Nathaniel Genn.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Your children are not your children, they are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but are not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you." (Kahlil Gibran)

Esoterica: Art is life and life is art. Offspring may be the greatest art, but they are also like art. They eventually go into the world and make their own way. They flow from some source that we cannot fully know. Like art they require love and work. David and Tamara will know more of this when they check out of the hospital in a couple of days. "Work is love made visible," said Kahlil Gibran. What a work has now become visible.

Current clickback: If you would like to see selected, illustrated responses to the last letter, "I'm not going anywhere," about working in confined spaces, please go to:
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/not-going-anywhere.php
If you would like to comment or add your own opinion, information or observations to this or other letters, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write
rgenn@saraphina.com

Give the gift of the twice-weekly letters. We are currently snail-mailing a free copy of The Painter's Keys (the book) to current subscribers who go to the URL below and send us the names and email addresses of five or more of their creatively-minded friends. No strings, just a thank-you. We make it easy. We even send your friends a personal letter to let them know the twice-weekly connection is from you.
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/giftscribe.php

Go joyfully into the world! A Premium Listing in the Painter's Keys Directory is the most effective thing an artist can do to be tastefully and respectably noticed. This listing--really a mini web page--costs $100 per year--and we do all the set-up.
You can find out how well it might work for you at
http://www.painterskeys.com/art-directory.asp

Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend.

If you think a friend or fellow artist may find value in this material, please feel free to forward it. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to http://www.painterskeys.com

In compliance with the welcome legislation on spamming, our
mailing address is: Painter's Keys, 12711 Beckett Rd., Surrey,
B.C., Canada, V4A 2W9.
(c) Copyright 2007 Robert Genn.

Lion Brand Yarn - By Kids For Kids Newsletter - July 2007

There's a great project in the Lion Brand Yarn's Kid's Newsletter this month -
Natural Dyes from Edible Items
I've used natural dyes for Easter eggs a few time, but never for yarn. (Guess what we'll be doing soon?)
Here's a portion of the newsletter, I know you're going to want to subscribe for yourself!

By Kids, For Kids: July, 2007
Natural Dyes from Edible Items
Creating your own dyes can be a fun and exciting way to personalize projects. This month, we show you how to make all-natural dyes and use them with different cotton and wool yarns.
We used only edible items purchased at our local market, boiling water and (in some cases) salt to make beautiful, all-natural dyes.

After trying our dyes, you will probably want to experiment with other natural food dyes of your own. Start by using fruits or vegetables that stain and experiment! You can mix dye baths to make different colors. You will probably find, as we did, that the colors are all -- surprise -- "earth" tones!

Because this project requires boiling water, adult supervision is required.

If you are not already a subscriber to BK4K, click here! It's free!

Selecting Your Yarn Different fibers absorb dye differently. We found that:
1.The all-wool yarns -- Lion Wool and Fisherman's Wool -- took color much more easily than the cotton yarns;
2.The soft pastel shades of the cotton were very pretty but very subtle -- much like the colors of home-made fresh fruit ice cream;
3.In some cases, the same dye produced one color in the wool yarn and a quite different color in the cotton yarn.
4.There was very little difference between the way the different wool yarns took color, but the Fisherman's wool fluffs up a bit more after handling;
5.There was very little difference between the way the different cotton yarns took color.

Your Equipment
1.Cutting board and knife;
2.Stainless steel or enamel cooking pots;
3.A stove;
4.If you are using beets, a grater;
5.A clock or 1-hour timer;
6.Tongs or spoons for handling yarn in the dye bath. If you plan to do several colors, make sure you have a different utensil for each so you don't accidentally contaminate your dyes;
7.Some place to hang the yarn to dry;
8.If you are making more than one color, index cards or labels to put with the yarn while it is drying so you can remember what is what.
9.Recommended, not required: a notebook to document your work. Use this to take notes about the materials, the process times and the results. Samples of the yarn are helpful, as are pictures. Having this information makes it easier to repeat a particular color.

The Dyes The colors in wool are different from those in cotton, but they are both pretty! (Wool is on the left, Cotton on the right)



Turmeric We found turmeric in the spice section of the market.
Click here for the recipe.




Skins of Yellow Onions We saved and used the skins of a dozen yellow onions to make this beautiful warm brown.
Click here for the recipe.




Grape Juice We used frozen juice and got this beautiful dusty-rose color on the wool and soft lavender on the cotton.
Click here for the recipe.




Beets The pink dye is not colorfast, but it is so pretty in the cotton that we can't resist telling you about it! If you make something out of it and wash the item, you will have to re-dye it after washing.
Click here for the recipe.

They've also included some patterns to use with your newly dyed yarn -

So now you've have some beautiful naturally-dyed yarn, what next? Using just one ball of the natural vanilla and one dyed a bright yellow with the turmeric recipe above, we made this fun retro purse set -- a VERY 60's holder for dark glasses, for a cell-phone and for small change or other little necessities.

Subscribe to the Newsletter Here!

this morning's Gift

My blog entry for this morning was already written and waiting in the draft folder to be plugged into place - when this arrived in my email.
The first newsletter I've received from my (free) subscription to the Support4Change Newsletter.
A gift. And I'm paying it forward.
Please - be kind to yourself and subscribe !

To subscribers of the Support4Change Newsletter:

Here is the link to the latest newsletter finished on July 9, 2007

If you need to copy the URL and paste that into your browser, here it is: http://www.support4change.com/general/newsletter/04-Jul-9-07.html
This is what you’ll find inside the newsletter:

· Happy Summer to Paris Hilton—and Everyone Else

· Q-and-A Club Questions: Superlatives – Memorial Day – Fashion, Fame and Fortune – Being “American”

· Today's gratitude: Tree trimmers and power tools

· Ideas worth considering: Vacation take-a-breaks

· Books for children and grandchildren: Meet an enchanting team of author and illustrator

· Books for Adults: Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) and The Know-It-All

· Blog entries you may have missed: On “The Secret” and the use of humor

· Getting a different perspective: Solving problems next to a fishing hole

· Five Articles You May Have Missed: From a safe environment to healing families

Enjoy!!

If you have any questions or comments, use the Contact Us form on the website or send a note to the address below.

Arlene

----------------------------------------------

Arlene Harder, MFT, Founder and Editor
Support4Change.com
arleneharder@support4change.com
2522 Boulder Road
Altadena, CA 91001
626-797-8914

The World of the Small

We saw a butterfly out in the yard yesterday afternoon.
We followed him and watched him and sat with him for a while as he rested, swaying on a blade of grass.

In this morning's email, I received my twice weekly newsletter from Robert Genn. This time the topic is the art of Miksang. Robert writes:
"The art of Miksang was begun as a meditational tool by Shambhala Buddhists, but it has implications for painters and other creative people. The idea is to find joy and awareness by attending to the minor and seemingly insignificant--the colours, patterns and textures that exist in the close-up world. Miksang is a Tibetan word that means "good eye." Shambhalas think widespread use might lead to more compassionate and enlightened societies."

"These days Buddhist instructors in several countries are handing digital cameras to kids. Children seem to take to it faster than adults, and, according to some, get better results.

"Please visit Robert's Page Here to read the full article and take a look at some of the intricate detail in the photographs.
"Miksang makes for pause, reflection and quiet centering. By increasing awareness one builds a feeling of wonder and kinship with the overlooked. "