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Whatever you do with your life - whatever you end up achieving or not achieving - the great gift you have in you to give to the world is the gift of who you alone are; your way of seeing things, and saying things, and feeling about things, that is like nobody else's. If so much as a single one of you were missing, there would be an empty place at the great feast of life that nobody else in all creation could fill.
Frederick Buechner
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Gratitude Box
These newsletters include a sidebar to cultivate the practice of gratefulness: for writing, for the natural world, and for all the gifts of Life.
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Yesterday I walked quietly alongside a loved one, a new acquaintance, and my dog. The sun was strong, even in the places on the trail with dappled sunlight. I was suddenly overcome with the smell of pine sap and the way the light fell in bright streams through the needled boughs far overhead. I paused for a while and closed my eyes to focus on the clean scent. I opened my eyes to pay deep attention to how the shimmering sunbeams above me turned everything to liquid. The noticing caused me to smile, and the smile reminded me to be thankful.
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Practice:
A holy woman I know recently noted that, "being around thankful people makes it much easier to be thankful ourselves."
(Mother Melania)
With this in mind, think about or make a list of those people in your life who tend to express their gratefulness often and easily. You may want to list the qualities that demonstrate gratitude in others: how do you know when someone is thankful for their life? Do they say, write, or paint their gratitude? Are they overcome with tears as they smilingly share a story with you? Once you have a lengthy list, begin arranging the events in your tomorrow so that you are in the presence of one of these people. Make a commitment to sit next to, speak with, walk alongside, or have a meal with somebody on your list every day this week. Stretch that commitment to thirty days.
Watch your own gratitude increase.
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Books | | |
Common Ground Between Crafts Collectives and Conservation
Weaving a Network
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Greetings!
Twenty-two hours on four days over a week and a half: sensory bliss. We followed our noses from the grocery store up a winding road for five miles to what would become our first of many such stops. The sign "open studio" had caught my eye and lured us along an increasingly rural path that gave way to dirt and then finally ended alongside an overgrown creek bank. It was only upon reaching the first enticing home, and seeing the printed booklet, that we learned the annual studio tour was underway. Thankfully, that was only the first day of the tour; we had missed nothing.
Something strange kicked in for me: my lifelong desire to touch anything with texture, to fondle a brightly colored thing, to caress an item I know is hand crafted, conspired to tease me out of my natural introversion. I began talking with the artists as we proceeded from studio to studio. My business card supply in my bag was depleted by the end of the first day as I invited further conversations with the artisans. The allure of the lifestyle, the kindness, and the obvious glowing talent of these many artisans opened my voice and heart; I had powerful and pleasant conversations until my mouth ran dry, until I had to go home and rest on the couch. But I awoke the following morning with an urge to open the studio tour booklet and begin again - searching out more stunning art, more creative souls to converse with...these creators of paintings, photographs, sculptures, turned or assembled wood products, ceramics, jewelry, collages, textiles (oh, how I love weaving!)...Some were functional items; all were interesting. For two weekends, my inner passion met the outer expression of the artists' passion.
The sight of all this beauty, and the talent of the hands that crafted it, inspired me. There is an abiding connection here between the inner and outer landscapes: that upon which the artist draws as inspiration, the way in which it is nurtured and grown into an idea, and the actual object of that creative impulse (the tangible art piece itself). This is process. This is insight. This is the convergence of the inner/outer landscape, made manifest.
This issue focuses on insight and creative inspiration.
TEALarbor stories' newsletters offer inspiration, encouragement, and beauty; inform about the connection between story, the natural world and all things writerly; and promote our professional offerings.
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The Landscape of Insight
|  Visual arts are a fusion of the inner and outer landscapes; insight into self allows the artisan to turn inspiration into tangible product. As writers, we know that there is an outcome for our writing: a project with a definable length, structure, content. But we do not always know how to turn the impulse, requirements (self- or other-imposed) - the imperative to write - into that final, material product. Or, we don't have the insight into self-process to get from inspiration to the tangible. But we can use writing for insight to understand ourselves, our project, and to get to know the content - both of the thing itself as well as our own inner "content" (landscape of emotions, ideas, understandings). We come to know ourselves as writer, as well as the writing itself, in a deeper, more intimate way. This gives life and vitality to our writing. The very act of writing can take us to the place where we learn to jump off into the cool waters of ourselves. Refreshed after the dip in the cold autumn stream, we see ourselves, our lives, our project (the writing task before us), more clearly. Insight: Looking within. Looking from within. We put that which we have come to know into active service to ourselves and to others (the written product). |
Spotlight:
Writing for Insight
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We often have some clarity about the tangible writing project at hand: what it entails; how to begin, complete and polish the writing; and how to best prepare it for the particular audience, the reader. But each writer swims in her own unique understanding about what she brings to the writing project; sometimes that awareness about her personal writing process is a bit murky. Being clear about what is happening internally for the writer is as germane to writing as understanding the tangible aspects of the writing project; sometimes it is even more important for the writer to explore these inner spaces in preparation for writing, or continuing to write. It can also be fun, offer relief, and "normalize" the writing experience.
This is why TEALarbor stories offers experiential practices for coming to deeply understand, or have insight into, what is occurring on the inside of the writer as s/he approaches and engages writing. I call this "writing for insight." It is about engaging in the inner processes associated with writing. In order to know how and why we are writing, we must explore our inner landscapes. Without such understanding, our writing can become formulaic, dry and outcome-driven. I utilize many types of creative and nature-based experiences to help people with this type of deep exploration. Sometimes what we find are those aspects of ourselves we do not want to face - fears, insecurities, negative past experiences; these "shadow" aspects come to the fore as we look deeply within. Using art, low-risk time in the natural world, and the opportunity to talk through some of the barriers to writing can transform the way we view ourselves and our writing. It can also significantly enhance the written product. Dealing with emotions, spirituality and other aspects of our inner landscapes are the keys to finding the insights that push our writing to the next level. This also makes the writing more believable to our audience.
To learn how TEALarbor stories can help you clarify your writing process, and thus - the writing itself, please send an email to: tealarborstories@gmail.com
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| Easy Ways to Support TEALarbor stories |  1. "Like" the TEALarbor stories business page: 2. Forward this newsletter to a friend, colleague, client, student, or family member.
3. Give the gift of TEALarbor stories to a loved one, or to yourself. For just $150, you or somebody you cherish will have a singular experience that can have an ongoing impact.
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News and Updates
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Join us for the introduction to a new monthly workshop series:
Writing the Inner/Outer Landscape
Explore what it means to write from the perspective of the inner and outer landscapes. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with three evocative types of written expression: writing for insight, writing as rite and writing for outcome. Whether a novice or experienced writer, you are invited to see what emerges when writing meets inspiration and nature. Participants need to bring plenty of unlined 8½x11 paper and several pens. Limit of ten seats available. Drop-ins are welcome but a seat can't be guaranteed without pre-registration.
Napa Bookmine, October 22, 2013 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Requested donation $10.
Contact Jennifer with questions, to hold your seat, or to learn more about the early sign-up discount for the monthly series: tealarborstories@gmail.com
Starting November 12, join us every second Tuesday of the month for the drop-in fee of $20. Themes for upcoming months will be announced in the next newsletter, on
TEALarbor stories' Facebook page, and on the TEALarbor stories blog.
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TEALarbor stories reaches a global audience. An Internet connection, Skype or email account are all that a person needs in order to access any of our services.
- You can sponsor a writer who wants TEALarbor stories' services. Please send an email for more information.
Blessings,
Jennifer Wilhoit
TEALarbor stories
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TEALarbor stories' mission is to support people as they discover and convey through writing their deepest Stories. The nature-based, creative processes help individuals to: write for insight, write as rite, write for outcome.
Offering mentoring, editing, tutoring, story & nature guiding ©, workshops and more...
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