Ranunculus – my favorite tissue paper-like flowers.

Most people think of the tulip as the poster flower of spring. But for me, it’s the ranunculus. The first time I laid eyes on this precious flower was not in a garden bed but at my corner market in New York City many years ago. When I saw the little tissue paper flowers it was love at first sight. People yearn to see a field of tulips or sunflowers but I dream of running through a valley filled with ranunculus one day.

I love this cheery flower (a relative of the buttercup) at every stage of its development-from the little rounded tight bulb sitting atop a sturdy bending stem, to a fully-opened masterpiece with layer-upon-layer of paper-thin petals in rich, vibrant colors. I have taken hundreds of photos of them this year. I can’t seem to stop. As I sit here writing this newsletter, a bunch of goldenrod yellow ranunculus sitting by my desk cheer me on.

I can’t help but compare these flowers to our own blossoming in the spring and the emergence of our creativity in all its glory. Ayurveda teaches that we are comprised of all the same elements as everything in nature. If we honor this truth and go with the flow, miraculous things will happen. Those ideas that were germinating while we were hibernating and resting over the winter will unfold just like the petals of the ranunculus.

Now is the time to take action. It could be that restaurant that you’ve wanted to open, the book you’ve been yearning to write, the non-profit you dream of starting, or simply the wall you want to paint a lovely new color…the list is endless. You don’t have to be a professional artist to claim the word creativity. We are all creative beings-it’s part of our true nature. But when we deny our creativity and keep it from flowering, our spirit will wither and die just as surely as a flower that has been denied sunshine and fresh soil.

Always be gentle with yourself in the process. Sometimes our dreams seem so grandiose that they overwhelm us and we never even get started. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say. Just begin. I watch my ranunculus take their time unfolding. Unlike some flowers whose petals seem to open and fall within days, if I nurture my tissue-paper flowers with fresh water every day, they often last for weeks.

I can physically feel creativity coursing through my body right now. If you stop, slow down and be quiet for a bit, I’ll bet you will too. It’s quite an amazing feeling. And although I love to hibernate, when the creative force comes alive in me, I am glad to once again be part of Mother Nature’s spring dance.

Here are a few sure-fire tips for tapping into your creativity:

• Meditate every day. It’s in that quiet place of stillness that creativity comes alive. Here’s an easy way to learn.

• Journal. Leave self-criticism out of it. Just write about whatever thoughts, dreams, regrets, etc. need releasing. It feels so good, and in the process, all kinds of fresh ideas will spill forth.

• Take a walk in nature sans iPod or other distractions. It’s medicine for the soul and you will feel a rush of creativity if you open yourself up to it.

• Do what you love-on a daily basis, if possible-but weekly, at the very least. It will inspire you.

• Spend quality time alone with yourself. This is an easy one for people like myself who actually enjoy solitude. But for many, it’s challenging. Trust me, in terms of creativity, it’s critical.

Not heeding the spring call to create can do more than leave you uninspired. It can leave you sick…literally. The body knows what the soul needs and trust me, it will let you know when there is a lack of attention to creativity. As is usually the case when I write a newsletter or blog post, I’m often writing to myself, figuring something out or reflecting on my life, and hoping that my own experiences will benefit my readers. This is certainly the case here-I have spent way too many extended periods in the figurative desert of creativity. I have ended up sick in body, mind and spirit from not nurturing the artist in me. It is such a lifeless place to be that I don’t wish it on anyone. So, I hope you will heed the spring call to create and share with the world your own precious, unique gifts.

Much love,
Barbara

Light house

Where the whales swim

During the last ten days we have been travelling along the east-coast of Australia from the southern end of Queensland heading to Kiama in N.S.W. for my nephew’s wedding. Much to our surprise, delight and great  excitement, on several occasions we saw many whales who were also travelling south.

Although the whales were a few hundred metres  out to sea, some even quite far out  close to the horizon line, we were still able to see them breech, flap tails and spout. One female also appeared to give birth.

 A local resident and longtime whale watcher explained to us that this whale was a  female who was spiralling slowly to deliver her calf. A little later there were two dark shapes in the ocean, so we were hugely privileged and awed to witness that miracle. 

This last experience  alone was a huge thrill but there were also pods of dolphins quite close to shore, leaping and playing as well as  abundant of Spring flowerings in the bush and  gardens. The normal grey-green of the Australian bush was rich with yellow gorses, white flannel flowers, purple native irises and tall, red, Illawarra lilies, some of these were as high as the trees. In the Blue mountains Waratahs were also making an appearance.

This trip was hugely awe inspiring;  reconnecting not only with family, but ever revealing  amazing natural wonders and colours. However now not so exhilerating as hayfever takes toll and I seem to be a dripping tap unable to be turned off.

There is also another flip side to this story- while we were away bush rats decided to take advantage of our absence and renovate my car. They have eaten a large portion of the insulation under the bonnet as well as munching two large holes in the air filter. In the filter box a nest had been constructed from the packing materials. So far……

My car is being serviced as I write and I am hoping that this tale of destruction is ended.

Our explorations took in some new and spectacular territory ranging from waterfalls, and magnificent rock escarpments to lush green valleys with handbuilt stone walls and terraces; lakes and rivers coloured in hues of pink from red sunsets, and long stretches of beaches with aqua waves gently frothing as they broke on the shore.  A lighthouse on a craggy rock face and shells glistening and scattered in a mosaic across white sands. These pictures flash and mingle and will inspire for some time to come.

Shortly before leaving on this trip I had attempted another exploration – trying to capture the essence of Spring- in particular the theme of  renewal. This felt piece resulted. It is called  Sacred Mother and through it I tried to give expression to the emergence of new growth and new life; that creative force of Gaia, the Earth, Her essence  and Her cycles of continual birth and rebirth. How truly amazing, then to witness  the whale migration and especially to see the new calf emerge .