Beauty All Around
I recently relocated to Colorado, and have begun exploring this vast and amazing countryside. Near where I live there is a 14,200+ foot mountain, Mt. Evans, which boasts the highest paved road in North America. The road climbs up from around 9,000 feet over the course of 14 miles of hairpin turns and sheer drops with no guard rail, reminding me of roads in China and Spain. You twist up through the alpine forest and then break out into the high tundra that resembles a lunar landscape dotted with lakes and the detritus of glaciers. The mountain goats, elk and fox survive in this harshest of environments, where, on an August day, you can have driving snow and fifty mile per winds. On the most perfect clear, calm day, I arrived at the peak in the company of a wonderful friend, shortly before sunset at the time of the full moon. We climbed up the short distance to the peak and settled onto the mountain’s capstone. The only other visitor left, giving us the peak of the mountain to ourselves. The view stretched out in all directions, unimpeded. The sun setting to the west, behind the continental divide, caught Mt. Evans in its glow, casting a perfect shadow, in the shape of an arrow head, stretching to the East with us at the very tip. We settled into quiet and turned within, feeling the powerful vibration of the mountain beneath us. In that moment and space I could feel how very small and insignificant we are, while simultaneously enormous and connected to the universe! After the sun sank to the west, the moon rose to the east, connecting us to the yin and the yang, the beauty and the joy of the world.
Grey is out. Gloom is Gone.
Does anyone else recall the glee when you opened a brand new box of crayons? Do you remember the smell? The perfect wrappers, the long unbroken sticks with the honed, flat, tapered point? Did you seek your favorite color first? For most of my working life, I’ve kept a full set of color markers or pencils on or near my desk. A coloring book of some kind is at hand – mandalas are my favorite. And when I have a few minutes, or need to change my state or take a break, I color.
I’ve loved fabric, paint and texture all of my life. From nail polish to make up, a gauzy floral skirt to a full-length wool cape, these elements of design still move me and make me swoon every day. They delight my senses, make my mouth water, and tickle my spirit. I learned to sew at the age of nine, to crochet in my teens, took up needlepoint in college, and learned to knit on my first lecture tour in New Zealand. (How could I be in a country with 80 million sheep and not learn to knit?) Handwork is a meditation to me, as the luscious yarn glides through my finders, developing a form and personality as I work, yet it also a social focus, as I can “pass the time of day” with others as I create.
The element of design common to all of these—fiber, paint and texture—is color, and I was blessed early on to find a way to use this passion to make my way through the world. I cannot explain the elation that comes when I find the perfect colors and finishes for a space, or what a charge it is to see it—often months later—in real life on installation day. Sometimes I just have to sit and drink in the room and sigh with pleasure, wondering what stories the room will hold in a few years—the events, emotions and gleanings of the souls that will live there.
Color is free energy. The cost for color vs. non-color is usually nil, but the boost that comes from the right color for the right application is a bonus . . . a gift from the Universe. While it is merely a refraction or reflection of LIGHT, the impact is huge, and it gives me great joy. It’s akin to eating canned corn when fresh corn is available: why settle for gray when you can have pink, coral, teal, lime, or sage?
I love this video. It makes my soul smile, from hair roots (uncolored) to my toenails (usually colored). http://www.letscolourproject.com/blog/2010/05/dulux-walls-global-film-launched-2/
Carpe diem
Rebecca
-
The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. The intention of this site is to offer you juicy nuggets that will increase your experience of joy and delight. Take a look around, grab something yummy and share the joy.
Follow Me
Joy Posse
Bernadette Peters (8)
Corinne Chaves (6)
Deb Cooperman (9)Derek Nowatzki (9)
Dr. Andy Vantreese (7)
Erica Burns (6)Fran Asaro (8)
Juliette Mansour (10)
Michelle Goss (7)
Rebecca Ewing (15)
Sandra Kellim (6)Sherry Wheat (2)
Tamara McElhannon (8)Tracey Lynne (3)
Tricia Molloy (12)
Trish Carr (13)
Wendy Watkins (78)