8 Ways to Shine

January 1, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

DMC Original Art “Underwater Tune” hand painted piano. Hudson Yards Mall, New York City. 2020.

It’s only right to have these moments of reflecting and assessing. We take must take inventory of how we’re feeling. It’s necessary to replay the turn of events from the last set of 365 days. It matters. It feeds our drive as we continue on our journeys. So, what really happened? What was your response? Are you handling it? Have you learned the lessons? What needs to change? How.

Everyday, I am learning so much about myself. It’s a beautiful experience. I know what works for me, and what doesn’t. Here are eight guidelines I’ve created to keep my balance:

Coffee 🙂
Always be your authentic self
Start your day with whatever brings you peace, love, light, and joy
Make a “to-do” list
Seek counsel/guidance – not opinions. You already know what you want
Identify your support system and thank them every chance you get
There is no competition. Stop looking for it. It does not exist. Do you!
Keep creating. Keep imagining. There’s plenty of space for it all

There are some things we just don’t ask permission for. We’re taking breaks when we want one. We’re putting our all into our work. Everything we touch will have our signature by the rich quality of what we’re producing. We’re finding beauty and joy in ALL of the little things. And in this grand world, everything is considered “the little things”.

Shine bright!

Happy 2021.

Teacher, Teach Her.

November 27, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

If it were ever a mystery, allow me to make it quite clear – I absolutely love nature.

It’s where I find comfort, inspiration, and the persistence to be more of myself with each given moment. It feeds my desire of releasing my inner child through play and laughter. It feeds my desire of balancing a light heart with peace of mind. In nature is where I become alive, and it is through my art where I am able to express my gratitude for life. I take what creates an impact on me, and I attempt to extend a form of flattery by imitating nature through creativity. It’s a cycle.

DMC Original Art is a world of my emotions in color. It’s a world that depicts my deepest frustrations and my highest joys. It’s a world where all of my hopes and dreams seep through my body and onto any blank canvas, transforming them into little pieces of my soul. It’s such a profound experience, and the end result is honorable. Artists literally create from the spirit, and then tangible pieces of our spirits are sprinkled out into the world. We truly become reflections of our environments, and we’re brave enough to share variations of ourselves with the world, as the world so shares with us.

This has been a year of deep gratitude and reflection. It has been a year of collective spiritual pain and disgust. And, in my “gotta look at the silver lining” frame of mind, it has been a year of beautiful growth. This year, I’ve literally witnessed myself evolve. I don’t take this realization lightly. It’s not a simple task for me to look at myself and say, “Wow, you’ve changed so much” and to be quite honest – it’s a phenomenal feeling. From the trees, to the sky, to the stars, I am rooted, but I flow.

My art is my teacher. It’s within each creation that has ever come into fruition since 2012 that has guided me, taught me, and showed me my true self. I’ve learned about what’s been below the surface through the colors I’ve been drawn to working with, the shapes that have appeared in series of paintings, to now even the power of fluid art and resin. I’ve gone from wrapping myself up in darkness and shapes, drawing boundaries of where I do and do not belong, to allowing the colors to blend as they wish, and becoming inspired by their free spirit. I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of the artist I am growing into and out of and I embrace the ongoing flight that will continue as I fly through nature becoming inspired to use paint as my way of giving thanks. I’m so grateful.

DMC Original Art is my baby! It is the world in which I learn the most, and the world that I am so proud to share with everyone else. It’s the world where I have zero rules, zero expectations, and ALL of the peace, love and light. It is everything, and nothing at all. That type of joy can’t be wished for, you just have to keep yourself open to receiving all that you don’t know you want and need.

My mission during this human experience is simple, it is to be in service of my soul. That is the definition of honor. That is spiritual freedom. That is living. That is receiving and giving. That is flow and alignment.

It is.

Boat.

May 1, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

I’m not a great swimmer. It may be one of the reasons I dream a lot about large bodies of water. In this physical life, I practice safety around it, which has pretty much become a natural instinct to “stay away from the deep end”. This could easily be defined as a fear of drowning. Figuratively, I am continuously drawn to explore what’s below the surface. Yet, the dive is not always simple.

In my dreams, I am free of concern. I float, I fly, I maneuver with ease. No swimming. No drowning. I am in a calm control over the experience. I make my way to wherever I feel the desire to go. That’s what it’s all about. Being present, fully aware, having vision, and letting nothing stop me, letting nothing discourage me, letting nothing delay me from maneuvering through time and space for the simple pleasure of just being. The simple pleasure of just acting on feelings. The simple pleasure of allowing my desires to live fully, and fade away freely. I become inspired each time to live in this manner with opened eyes.

Where am I going? Wherever I please.

How will I get there? By any means…

Lose Count

April 1, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

It’s deeper than that. Deeper than the surface, the grains of sand, the ocean. Deeper than the flesh, the bones. It’s all worthless if you serve no purpose. Deeper than bank accounts and possession amounts. We’re still searching. This game of life, we’re all players, until we dive deep, peeling back the layers. We’ve been dressed up, made up, to forget what we’re really made of… Just love.

Just a spirit.

Just a soul, without limits.

Just wondering where the winds were born, where they traveled from, and where they’re off to next. Just wondering how the oceans stay put, all that water, and only once in a while does she hurricane her tsunamis.

Now’s the time to check your baggage. What are you carrying? Everything can’t go, and in due time – none of it can go.

Check your baggage, what do you possess, – is it un·quan·ti·fi·a·ble?

A Journey Entry

February 1, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

This is a safe space. Words can be placed here to express thoughts and feelings that first sit with me, and are then passed along for you to relate, or not. I write in my journal at the start of every new day. I write my peace. It’s all just a journey. And today, I say…

February 1, 2020

Dear Self,

We are grateful. Our body, mind, and spirit are in sync. We are living in alignment with our heart. We have all that we desire, lacking nothing. We know that should there come a time for us to want something new, something different, something more, we must do one simple thing – ask.

Once we release our desires into the universe, our journey changes. WE then become programmed to do the work that is necessary to become fulfilled within these new interests. It’s a call and response. An action and reaction. We have the power to live as we truly wish. Our mission is to have purpose and protect our peace.

We feel rich knowing that we have peace of mind. We feel strong, sturdy, and grounded, knowing that we’ve built this from the ground up. Our foundation is made of self-love and patience. Our prayer is to continue to live out loud, live fully, explore the world while we can, and to truly love others so that the love we receive is pure, genuine, and gentle.

What do you do every day, to practice self-awareness?

Treat yourself, write your desires, and follow through with actions – for, they speak louder than any words you could ever write or say.

Dear reader, you are greatly encouraged to write a letter to your future self by visiting futureme.org . I received a letter I wrote last year on this day, and let’s just say – I spoke a lot into existence.

Have a great February!

Love & Light.

Perfect Vision

January 1, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

The rain is gone. The view is clear. Perfect, almost. It’s time. Measure. Strategize. Set the tone. Dive in. Do the work. Manifest the dream. Prove that it’s possible. Live the life always imagined. Take the risk. Be great. Be Epic.

Dear Mirror:

The love in your eyes runs down long passageways, that stems from your soul. No one could ever find the root. It’s universe. Stars burst. The love in your eyes, magnetize, heart’s gravitating, catapulting from chest, to the source of spirit. Up. Out. There. Somewhere. The love in your eyes spoke my language, finally. We can communicate. Safe, in the open. The love in your eyes reminded me, vulnerable me, it’s more than okay to peek. It’s more than okay to be free. The love in your eyes easily unlocked a door, without trying. Thank you, for cleaning the mirror. I can see clearly. I see, perfectly.

Dear Sun:

Thank you for always shining. Even when clouds thought they rained on your parade. They passed. You were unbothered. You were steady. Thank you for teaching me stillness. Consistency. Your glow is everlasting. Undeniable. You bring hope, and you don’t even have to try. Thank you for being the brightest star. Inspiring me to share my light, regardless of the clouds that trickle through space and time. I am powerful. Steadfast. Similar to the makings of you. You bring the heat, the fire, the light. You do what is only meant for you. No ego. No idea of competition. With you, it is what it is. You are desired, respected, admired, and we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for providing light. I can see clearly. I see, perfectly.

Dear Self:

“Within you is the light of a thousand suns.”

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.”

“You get what you focus on, so focus on what you want.”

Beauty in all things. Color in darkness. I am the light. A responsibility to seek possibilities. I am hope. I am power. I have the key to open the doors. Seeking more, and more. Unstoppable. I can see clearly. I see, perfectly.

Keys to Outside.

December 1, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Tuscany, Italy. 2017.

Once upon a time, I didn’t understand stillness. The kind that creates a simple balance by blocking out the noise. The noise of faces, words, actions, and ideas. The kind that makes you feel born again, entering the world anew, conscious of your spiritual presence. The kind that is unaware of “ego.”

The way the universe is set up, I know for sure I’m not alone. We are experiencing detachment from self-importance. Since we’ve begun to indulge in moments of stillness, our forever mood is abundant peace. We have become self-less. We have become silent. We have become our own meditation. We’ve had our epiphanies, our awakenings, our moments of reflection, our tastes of fulfillment. Our stillness has opened up the doors of joy, deeply rooted, and growing beyond our wildest dreams. We have become honest and forgiving. We are loyal to our heart’s desires. In any moment of dis-ease, we have grown up onto a level where we remind ourselves to breathe. We know it’s not supposed to be difficult, and when life presents itself to us as the unexpected game of pinball it is, we handle it.

We’ve decided to no longer pay for tickets to get on the emotional roller coaster, when we’re the one in control of the power button. We’ve learned to let the emotion run its course, and we have learned to gracefully move right along! We’ve matured into giving ourselves about a day to feel the feels, and then we get back on our feet, check in with our heart’s greatest desires, and we push through. We’ve been still. We’ve learned lessons. We’ve grown, so much, and we know our best days are ahead of us.

The greatest advice I’ve heard to date is to “Fall upwards into the embrace of the supreme. Stay low in the arrogance of person-hood, and we will taste the suffering. Choose the higher, even not having any firm conception of what it is. Overcome all attachments.”

Be Still. Be Free. Be You. Be True.

With love.

Paint Your Portrait

November 1, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Mexico City, Mexico. 2018. The Frida Kahlo Museum (The Blue House)

When I think of self reflection, Frida comes to mind. A woman, a seeker, a dreamer, a fighter, an artist.

“I paint myself because I am alone, I paint myself because I am the subject I know best.” – Frida Kahlo

How well do we really know ourselves? It only becomes complicated when we spend so much time looking outside for answers about the world, our world, and who we are in it. We are force-fed identities, and molded into their shadows – unless we are stubborn enough to know better. It pays to be stubborn. Stubborn people know who they are, and what they want, and very often refuses to subject themselves to a sort of change that does not align with their beliefs.

Let’s imagine a world where Halloween is everyday, and that persona we’ve been anxious to disguise ourselves as is us, everyday. Who would we be, then? What’s our “uni brow?” We all have something unique to offer. And, let me just say – cliches are necessary; reinforced and overused statements for reminders of what’s real.

We’re all yearning for more and more people to reveal themselves. We celebrate that. We celebrate people like Lizzo, which is amazing – but what are we waiting for? Have we truly accepted our differences, are we still trying to somehow “fit in,” are we waiting for someone else to “do it first?” Why? When we think about who inspires us, what is it that we’ve found in them? Do we not already have the courage, are we fearful of taking off the mask? Is it possible to express ourselves and amplify our own voices to a level of authenticity, for greater clarity on the lives we are to be leading? If we are not our authentic selves right now, here, today – then anything that lies ahead is deceit.

Are we spending enough time alone to truly get to know ourselves, without the distraction of other people’s authentic or false identities? We owe it to ourselves to be certain of who we are, where we stand, and what we have to offer.

“Your playing small does not serve the world, there’s nothing enlightened about shrinking.” – Marianne Williamson

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better.” – Frida Kahlo

Are you your own muse? Are you expressing yourself, fully? Are you waiting for the right time? Do you have time?

Be You. Be True. Paint Your Own Portrait.

Golden Spirits

September 1, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Caye Caulker, Belize. 2019.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

Our intuition is golden. We have the powerful ability to read between the lines, and to hear silence ever so clearly. It’s the reason we move the way we do. It’s the reason we may find ourselves attached and detached. It’s the reason we are free or bonded. It’s why we find ourselves saying, “No obligations, no expectations, no disappointments.” When we have little to no expectations of people, and just hope for their honesty and integrity – we’re in a safe place.

Our intuition reminds us that it’s in control, and when we disregard it – there’s a great lesson to be learned. So, we vow to lack disappointing ourselves. We become encouraged to do as we feel, to live life to the fullest, and to stay in the moment. We become inspired to express ourselves, creatively. We stay true to ourselves, we reach for the stars, and we travel the world. We live the lives we dream of, and we wait for no one to join us on our journey. We know that when we do this, when we live our lives in this manner, the universe blesses us with more and more – exceeding our expectations, growing wilder than our imaginations.

We are so grateful for all that we have, and all that we do not have. We look forward to change, growth, new. We look forward to dreams becoming reality. We stay close to our emotions, doing as we feel, and honoring ourselves. We know that our soul needs to breathe easy, and we let it. This looks like flowing, floating, swaying, soaring, glowing and growing through time. This looks like forgetting the limitations of ourselves as humans, and being golden spirits. This looks like freedom.

“Intuition – the sense of knowing how to act spontaneously, without needing to know why.”

When you show yourself who you are, believe it the first time.

“When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Dr. Maya Angelou

Deeply Overthinking.

May 27, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Somewhere in the world.

Having a moment. In my feelings, thinking deeply, overthinking. Curious and confused. Inspired and ambitious.

Early mornings, with a swollen face after some hours of sleep, looking at myself in the mirror and wondering about the new day. How shall I spend the time?

Glancing at the words hanging next to that mirror, paired with the voice in my head. “Keep moving, keep flowing.” (Do as water and light.) “Let things come to you.” (But never remain idle.) “All things with love.” (Even when you don’t understand.) “Stay humble.” (For better or for worse.) “If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.” (Don’t ask any questions, just trust, and move on.)

Slipping into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I somehow feel a need for it to join me as my thoughts land on the pages of my journal, during what seems like a very long five minutes.

Stepping out into the streets of the world, it’s the wandering of my mind that forced movement of my feet. What will I find? What will find me? No way to be certain. There’s a lot of noise out there. Lots of lies. Then, there I am, in the midst of it all. There we are. Each one of us, and our 70,000 thoughts. It can be overwhelming.

With the day flying by, stepping back over to that mirror, wondering if I spent too much time thinking about whether or not I used my time wisely. Wondering about time being a complete illusion. Thinking that it’s more than okay to have some days when I do absolutely nothing but overthink everything. Considering my thoughts, and those of others – and wondering where to draw the line. Checking in with myself, making sure that my peace is secure.

Falling into slumber, upon my lavender oiled pillow, looking forward to the time I’ll spend, not thinking too deeply.

All Things DMC

Tag: Self Reflection