retinal perspectives

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the curtains match the paint. do you think they planned it?

why i think of my business as a yoga & music festival

i don't know if you read the fluent self. if you do, you might be familiar with havi's metaphor technique. we use metaphors all the time (like "time flies"); her technique helps us use them deliberately in a way that's helpful for you.

so .. back when i was still at the day job, and at one of havi's events, i came up with a metaphor for my business using her technique. i don't love the word business - the qualities that spring to mind are dull and colorless and boring and i think of people trying to be all business-like - so i thought it would be useful to have a metaphor.

i wrote down all the qualities and aspects that i wanted my business to embody. the list included things like flexibility, steadiness, unexpected bonuses, writing, creativity, love, kindness, photography, spirituality, in control, variety, freedom, color, silliness, fun, time to play, movement, dog-friendly, time to rest, nature, beauty, solitude, happy people, stillness, delight, hugs, taking care of ourselves & each other & the planet, health, joy, compassion, giving, sharing ..

then, i looked at everything on the list, and asked myself what they reminded me of.

the first image that came to mind was a circus. except i am not a fan of circuses - the thought of animals confined in small cages and forced to do silly tricks makes me sad - and many people don't like clowns. clearly that wasn't it.

the next image that came to mind was the wanderlust yoga & music festival. it's a four-day festival in lake tahoe that includes yoga + music + dance + art. i was so excited at the idea that i squealed with delight. it was absolutely the right metaphor.

and it still is. i think it is the best metaphor ever. part of my mission is to create space for people to pause and see the beauty in and around them. to that end, i do believe in the power of a festival (or retreat, since wanderlust is really a yoga retreat + music festival) to take people outside of the ordinary for a moment and fill them with beauty and love and joy and connection so that they go back into the ordinary taking more of those things with them.

now, i want to actually attend the festival someday.

p.s. i am reusing a yogi photo of atlas, in color this time, just because it makes me laugh.

p.p.s. speaking of business: first, in case you're wondering about the whole reiki thing, i wrote a post titled (everything) i think about reiki. second, in case you were interested in the postcards from heaven, i am doing a smaller session from october - march and it's now open for registration.

ode to joy, volume 34

{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}

i've been taking a lot of photos of balloons this week; i wanted a few fun shots for a project. there is just something magical about watching them blow in the wind, full of color and fun.

plus, i was playing with photoshop and liked the colors in this version. for some reason, they make me think of summer and the boardwalk and polaroids.

pure joy.

the theme is - soften and stay

as i can, i thought i'd share a few more pairing ideas based on the entries for the giveaway. it is fun for me, and it might give you a way to meet other lovely people (i think everyone has a blog).

this one comes from valerie. her choice - soften and stay.

and the word is - relief

the name drawn from the hat for the giveaway was avonelle, and her word was relief.

here is my pairing. clearly i was in a very literal mood.

{avonelle, i'll get your address from you and send you the set as soon as it is made. i hope you enjoy them!}

this was a fun giveaway for me - you people are seriously creative. i'll have to do it again. thanks so much for playing!

it's a (happy) dog's life

atlas thoroughly approves of the whole self-employment thing. i think he has put on about seven pounds of muscle since my last day of work. this is kind of funny to me because i feel like our walks are so much slower. he likes to meander and sniff, and now i feel like i have the time to let him. so i do.

p.s. there's still time to enter the giveaway! i'll draw a name tonight. i am just loving the entries.

a green spider web

and a green dragon. what is happening to the neighborhood?

p.s. there's still time to enter the giveaway! the entries are very creative.

name your giveaway

next month, i am having a (virtual) party for my business, so i thought i'd create a few new sets of cards for my etsy shop at the same time. whee!

on that note, if you haven't figured it out by now, i love to pair things. often words and words (i am partial to using song lyrics as email subjects). more often, words and photos (like quotes and photos).

so, i'm hosting a card giveaway! since i'm planning on making cards anyway, i thought i'd let you make your own giveaway set. of sorts.

your entry into the giveaway will be a name (or a theme) for your card set.

i'll draw a name on wednesday evening, pair photos with the name to create a set of cards, and send the winner a set once the cards are made.

sound like fun? i hope so! happy naming!

ode to joy, volume 33

{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}

buying myself one of my favorite flowers to celebrate the launching of my tiny, sweet thing.

pure joy.

*happy sigh*

a stream of consciousness post ..

thank you so much for being so excited with me and for me yesterday. your comments made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (warm and fuzzy! that is totally a name for a photo card set. i must create one.)

speaking of photo card sets, i had a fun idea for a giveaway. i'll tell you about it on sunday or monday.

when i look at these photos, i like to imagine that i am seeing the wind blowing through the flowers.

possibly i am not a true carrot cake connoisseur, but i do think that trader joe's mini carrot cakes are the best tasting carrot cakes ever (cake + frosting). if you disagree, i am happy to do a taste test; just send me a cake!

may your weekend be full of joy and delight and magic. and cake.