Shared Messages from the Universe

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere.

The messages are all around us
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I am working my way through the lessons in the e-course Business Soul Sessions:  Hello Soul Hello Business and we were asked to create a vision board.  So, during the past week I've snipped and cut things from magazines. I sat down yesterday to snip some more. I have a few magazines that I receive through the mail and that I read cover to cover: AFAR (one of the most beautiful travel magazines, in my opinion, the photography is phenomenal), Yoga Journal and The Sun Magazine (a literary magazine with wonderful writing, great black and white photography and no advertisements).  Otherwise, I go to B&N, like everyone else, and page through magazines while I enjoy a cup of tea.


As expected, much of what I snipped were messages from the universe. Go figure.

Typically, my posts for Shared Messages from the Universe are signs that I see on billboards, in subways, or posted around the city. Today I wanted to share my vision board and show you that messages are all around us and even in what we read.

 A few of my favorite and how they speak to me: 

"This investment was a no-brainer there was no turning back"

I need to create a life filled with creativity. I know, that sounds selfish but in order for me to deeply be happy - I do. I am on that path and there really is no turning back. I've been teased by taking more pictures, dabbling in painting, exploring by creating journals, paper flowers, and jewelry. It really is all I want to do.

"Every connection counts..."

I have a supportive family, really great close friends, new artist friends recently met online and you. I am forever grateful for all of your support. 

"Alive means living your own damn life, 

not the life your parents wanted, 

or the life some cultural group or political party wanted, 

but the life that your soul wants to live." - Michael Meade

This is so true...this life is so short and we need to embrace whatever it is that our soul sings so that we can dance in our own way. What kind of life does your soul want to live? 

This now hangs on my wall next to a few other things that I've created in my lifetime (paintings and photos from last year - a shelf from high school). Thank you Superman for supporting my dreams.

So, grab a couple of magazines that you have already read and start at the back. Yes, the back and page through - cut out anything (pictures, words...) that inspires you, that makes you smile, that makes you pause. I encourage you to start at the back so that you don't re-read it - you need to select based not on what you think but what you feel so don't over think this. Next, put them together. I chose to use a piece of newspaper as my backer because of it's size (why waste a good piece of paper when the newspaper was available). Now sit back and look what you have put together. What speaks to you the loudest? Now, how can you make it happen? Dream! Discover! and Dream Bigger!

I believe that dreams

    are like raises

       you don’t get, if you don’t ask

    you have to put them out there

       in order for the universe

    to help make them bloom

 I encourage you to pay attention to those things around you - are they speaking to you? 

Have you noticed any Shared Messages from the Universe?
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Share your message by joining my flickr group by the same name: Shared Messages from the Universe and post or link your photos. Share those written messages that you walk by most of the time. Those message that all of sudden you notice, you read, you react and they move you forward.

I'd love to see the messages that have inspired you!

Sunday Color Snippets...Flowers

I had flowers on the brain yesterday...which is pretty normal -they are one of my favorite things.  So, I saw them everywhere.  I have walked past the buildings where I discovered these flowers numerous times and I never saw them.  It is amazing what you don't see when you are in auto mode.  This time, because I didn't have a destination in mind, I was able to see the world around me with fresh eyes.

After creating my bouquet for the Creative Color Challenge (which you can see if you scroll down to yesterday's post), Superman and I went out for my birthday lunch and a walk in the city. 

 We walked past Gwyneth Leech's Coffee cups at the Flatiron building.  This time I noticed the floral cups, go figure.  

 If you haven't, please visit the exhibit as it will come down on February 18th.  I can't tell you how much joy her coffee cups have brought to my days.  Don't tell anyone... but I think I am officially a stalker as I have walked by, stopped, and stared in wonder more than a dozen times.

I encourage you to see the world around you through fresh eyes.

Can you find color in your every day?

Tangerine Tango Color Challenge

 Louise Gale is hosting the Creative Color Challenge 2012 and the color for January is Tangerine Tango.  You can read about the color and the challenge here.

During the past few weeks, I walked NYC and I searched for this color but it really isn't prevalent mixed within the concrete. Thus, no photo mosiac as I was hoping to do and if you know me you were probably expecting.

So, I decided that I would create a bouquet of flowers using wire, a few beds and paint chips from the home improvement store.  I has such fun rifling through the orange chips to find the right combo - mind you tangerine tango has not hit the paint scene yet...but I think I came close. 

I took my flower pattern that I designed specifically for my flower pendants and cut flowers out of the paint chips. A little color can brighten anyone's day so I encourage you to add a little color to your world.

Currently they hang here in my apartment but on Monday they will join me in my commute and take up residence on my 'day job' desk so that I can have a little color in my day.

I look forward to next month. I wonder the color will be? So much fun. 

Please visit Louse Gale's site to visit the other artists that are participating in the challenge this month. 

Friday Frenzy

 First, I just want to say thank you. I am always so amazed by your comments. It is so encouraging and wonderful to read your shared words. Thank you for visiting, commenting and sharing my journey.

When I get to escape the office, I often walk to Madison Square Park and right past a building on Madison Avenue that has the most beautiful doors.

Look close...there are hearts in this iron door.  I think I am in love and inspired to look for hearts around the city and share them with you on Valentine's Day.  This is going to be fun!

 Meanwhile, I am feeling better, thank you for your well wishes.  So the frenzy this weekend...

• Pictures - farmer's market on Saturday morning
• I need to finish my orange creation for the Color Challenge - I am so behind
• By the way, Saturday is my birthday so I am sure that there will be an outing of some kind.
• Desk cleaning

So not too much crazy activity but it promises to be so much better than last weekend which was spent in bed.  Thanks to Tucker for stepping in last Friday and sharing some photos with you. He sure is a great cat!

 

What does your weekend frenzy look like?

Alphabet NYC

My workdesk this week is still, honestly, cluttered with many of the same projects from last week since I have been sick most of the past week.  I have, however, been doing more work on the computer with my photographs. So, I decided that since I am a photographer this week I would share the results of my computer desk for WOYWW.

Please visit Julia Dunnit's website at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ so you can stalk other artist's workspaces.

I participated in Beth Nicholls' Do What You Love e-course in 2011 and it was one of the best things that I have ever done.  The activities inspired me to capture how I see the world around me.  Beth's course gets you  in touch with yourself, with what you are passionate about and her prompts for taking pictures has helped me immensely.

One activity that she offered was a large list of prompts that I made into cards and she suggested that we draw a few cards, grab our camera and play.  Well, as much as I enjoyed her prompts, all to help us see things differently (circles, the color orange, etc), I went one step further - I started to see letters around the city. I am still working on completing my alphabet but here a few examples.

And here is the letter that I have had the most difficulty finding (and it was so close to my apartment carved upside down into a railing of a mansion on Fifth Avenue).  

Can you see the Q?

As I mentioned, this is still a work in progress but I am having so much fun unconsciously finding letters in the city around me.  I find them without even looking for them.  Crazy what your mind can do when you don't even push it.

LOVE in NYC                                                    (c) Lori Moon Studio

I encourage you to be a little more cognizant of the world around you.

What can you notice in a different way that you normally walk past every day?