Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

On Being Thankful - Heaven's in Our Heart

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Heaven's in our heart ~ Tracy Chapman "Heaven's Here on Earth"

Sometimes you just can't find words to say it better. Such is the case with this post. This is a reprise from my 2007 Thanksgiving post. Actually, I fully credit the sublime Tracy Chapman for this enduring sentiment and inspiration. My unending thanks go to her for communicating a simple idea so eloquently.

From the moment of creation when each of us became the specific person we are, endowed with our own uniqueness and incredible special gifts, we are indeed a most lucky person. We have beaten the tremendous odds in nature's selection process to become a person, to be alive. Who cannot be thankful for the opportunity to be alive?

If you are reading this blog, you, as I am, are greatly blessed. For there are so many who, while lucky to be alive, will never glimpse much less experience the privileged lives we lead with our computers, cell phones, cars, warm homes, plentiful food and with an abundance never known by previous generations.

I am grateful for what I have and have been given. To me the greatest gift of any parent is the one I have known and possessed all my days, that is unconditional love from my parents, siblings, extended family and close friends. I will be in the company of part of my family again for this Thanksgiving holiday. For that too, I am grateful and blessed and am eager to bask in the warmth of their love and friendship. No material gifts nor money can match such a magnanimous rewarding gift.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and family brings to mind the powerful poignant lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here On Earth" from her New Beginnings album and the above video.

You can look to the stars in search of the answers
Look for God and life on distant planets
Have your faith in the ever after
While each of us holds inside the map to the labyrinth

And heaven's here on earth
We are the spirit the collective conscience
We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world

Heaven's here on earth
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice

Heaven's in our hearts
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be

If Heaven's here on earth
If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief that truth is divinity
And heaven's here on earth

I've seen spirits
I've met angels
I've touched creations beautiful and wondrous
I've been places where I question all I think I know
But I believe, I believe, I believe this could be heaven

We are born inside the gates with the power to create life
And to take it away
The world is our temple
The world is our church
Heaven's here on earth

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Heaven's in our heart

Have a blessed safe holiday if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Wherever you are, regardless whether a splendid celebration of or a mere late fall weekend somewhere where the Thanksgiving holiday is not celebrated, please take a moment to rejoice for your blessings, gifts and your little piece of heaven here on earth all the same.

Please know I also am grateful, thankful, humbled and honored to have you as a reader of my blog.

All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Labor Day Thoughts for Artists and Others

Here in the U.S. and Canada, we are celebrating Labor Day this weekend. It is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers.

Most job protections we take for granted came about from the Labor Movement.

It seems most of us don't think too much about the labor movement these days. We are either too busy trying to keep a job, find a job, or hustling a second career, as in artist, to have much time to ponder what the labor movement was about and why its worth celebrating.

Labor Day has its origins in the labor union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. Before workers organized, there were terrible unsafe conditions and no way to control how long they worked in a day.

I don't embrace extremism left or right, I embrace common-sense. We need and deserve better politicians. Ones who will put the common good above single issues and bi-partisan bickering.

The labor movement was as much a reason as any for the development of the Middle Class in America. Today, it is under assault from many sides, making modern management seem benign. The deeply conservative Arizona Republic ran an in-depth article in its Sunday, September 4,issue titled Middle Class Maybe Losing Political Influence.If the Arizona Republic is worried about it, you ought to be as well.

If you are feeling like nobody in politics really cares, you are right and not alone. It seems the super rich are the ones politicians pander to these days. Where it was once possible to get elected being a champion of the people, it no longer seems that way. So who do you blame?

Looking for someone to blame? Congress is a good place to start.

(This column originally ran in the Orlando Sentinel on March 7, 1995. Former columnist Charley Reese retired from the Sentinel 10 years ago. His final column ran on July 29, 2001.)

Politicians, as I have often said, are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Everything on the Republican contract (Ed. note: circa 1995.) is a problem created by Congress. Too much bureaucracy? Blame Congress. Too many rules? Blame Congress. Unjust tax laws? Congress wrote them. Out-of-control bureaucracy? Congress authorizes everything bureaucracies do. Americans dying in Third World rat holes on stupid U.N. missions? Congress allows it. The annual deficits? Congress votes for them. The $4 trillion plus debt? Congress created it.

To put it into perspective just remember that 100 percent of the power of the federal government comes from the U.S. Constitution. If it's not in the Constitution, it's not authorized.

Then read your Constitution. All 100 percent of the power of the federal government is invested solely in 545 individual human beings. That's all. Of 260 million Americans, only 545 of them wield 100 percent of the power of the federal government.

That's 435 members of the U.S. House, 100 senators, one president and nine Supreme Court justices. Anything involving government that is wrong is 100 percent their fault.

I exclude the vice president because constitutionally he has no power except to preside over the Senate and to vote only in the case of a tie. I exclude the Federal Reserve because Congress created it and all its power is power Congress delegated to it and could withdraw anytime it chooses to do so. In fact, all the power exercised by the 3 million or so other federal employees is power delegated from the 545.

All bureaucracies are created by Congress or by executive order of the president. All are financed and staffed by Congress. All enforce laws passed by Congress. All operate under procedures authorized by Congress. That's why all complaints and protests should be properly directed at Congress, not at the individual agencies.

You don't like the IRS? Go see Congress. You think the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency is running amok? Go see Congress. Congress is the originator of all government problems and is also the only remedy available. That's why, of course, politicians go to such extraordinary lengths and employ world-class sophistry to make you think they are not responsible. Anytime a congressman pretends to be outraged by something a federal bureaucrat does, he is in fact engaging in one big massive con job. No federal employee can act at all except to enforce laws passed by Congress and to employ procedures authorized by Congress either explicitly or implicitly.

Partisans on both sides like to blame presidents for deficits, but all deficits are congressional deficits. The president may, by custom, recommend a budget, but it carries no legal weight. Only Congress is authorized by the Constitution to authorize and appropriate and to levy taxes. That's what the federal budget consists of: expenditures authorized, funds appropriated and taxes levied.

Both Democrats and Republicans mislead the public. For 40 years Democrats had majorities and could have at any time balanced the budget if they had chosen to do so. Republicans now have majorities and could, if they choose, pass a balanced budget this year. Every president, Democrat or Republican, could have vetoed appropriations bills that did not make up a balanced budget. Every president could have recommended a balanced budget. None has done either.

We have annual deficits and a huge federal debt because that's what majorities in Congress and presidents in the White House wanted. We have troops in various Third World rat holes because Congress and the president want them there.

Don't be conned. Don't let them escape responsibility. We simply have to sort through 260 million people until we find 545 who will act responsibly.

Copyright © 2011, Orlando Sentinel

 

25 Visual Artists Coming Together to Promote Cancer Awareness

Art can heal. Art can create awareness. Art can communicate.

Matt LeBlanc asked me to help create awareness for this poignant video. It has many artists I know and all whom I admire. Watch and be inspired.

Here is a wonderful video with some very talented and passionate artists who want to share their concerns about cancer. I lost my father to cancer when I was only 10, and a good friend just a couple of weeks ago. In one way or another cancer stalks us all and will until we find a cure for it.

On Being Deeply Grateful and Forever Thankful

Why I Am Thankful

This is a reprise, with the video above added, from my 2007 Thanksgiving post. Sometimes you just can't find words to say it better. Such is the case with this post.

From the moment of creation when each of us became the specific person we are, endowed with our own uniqueness and incredible special gifts, we are indeed a most lucky person. We have beaten the tremendous odds in nature's selection process to become a person, to be alive. Who cannot be thankful for the opportunity to be alive?

If you are reading this blog, you, as I am, are greatly blessed. For there are so many who, while lucky to be alive, will never glimpse much less experience the privileged lives we lead with our computers, cell phones, cars, warm homes, plentiful food and with an abundance never known by previous generations.

I am grateful for what I have and have been given. To me the greatest gift of any parent is the one I have known and possessed all my days, that is unconditional love from my parents, siblings, extended family and close friends. I will be in the company of part of my family again for this Thanksgiving holiday. For that too, I am grateful and blessed and am eager to bask in the warmth of their love and friendship. No material gifts nor money can match such a magnanimous rewarding gift.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and family brings to mind the powerful poignant lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here On Earth" from her New Beginnings album and the above video.

You can look to the stars in search of the answers
Look for God and life on distant planets
Have your faith in the ever after
While each of us holds inside the map to the labyrinth And heaven's here on earth
We are the spirit the collective conscience
We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world

Heaven's here on earth
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice

Heaven's in our hearts
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be

If Heaven's here on earth
If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief that truth is divinity
And heaven's here on earth

I've seen spirits
I've met angels
I've touched creations beautiful and wondrous
I've been places where I question all I think I know
But I believe, I believe, I believe this could be heaven
We are born inside the gates with the power to create life
And to take it away
The world is our temple
The world is our church
Heaven's here on earth

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Heaven's in our heart

Have a blessed safe holiday if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Wherever you are, regardless whether a splendid celebration of or a mere late fall weekend somewhere where the Thanksgiving holiday is not celebrated, please take a moment to rejoice for your blessings, gifts and your little piece of heaven here on earth all the same.

Please know I also am grateful, thankful, humbled and honored to have you as a reader of my blog.

All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Digression about Love, Life, Humanity, Generosity and Bob Dylan

Recently, I had the serendipitous pleasure to talk with Charles Haeussler. He is the Business Manager for Montague Street, a publication devoted to the art of Bob Dylan. And, no it is not about Dylan's visual art, although it could include coverage for that aspect of his life. Rather, it is a serious journal covering Dylan's epic oeuvre. Here is how editor, Nina Goss, describes it:

Our commitment is to soliciting critiques and examinations of Dylan’s work that can enjoy a respectable shelf-life and provoke lively discussions in the here and now.

Nina also publishes the Gardner is Gone. It is an excellent entertaining thought provoking blog that is a terrific companion to the semi-annual Montague Street journal.

In our conversation, Charlie and I explored what Bob Dylan and his music has meant to us over the years. As a young idealistic person in the 1960s, his music and lyrics grabbed me and caused me to think about things in ways I never would have without the exposure to him. I followed Dylan through protest songs to blues rock and rambling dissertations with images pouring out at such a rapid staccato pace they were near impossible to comprehend or keep up with.

Dylan - the original rapper

To my mind, Dylan was a precursor; a rapping folk rocker before the first rappers were born. Yet despite epic poetic lyrics there are melodies as compelling as his words. The incredible amount of diverse material he has produced over 50 years is a staggering testament to his artistry. Arguably, like no other artist of his era, Dylan deserves a publication such as Montague Street devoted to examining the deeper potent meanings of his work and the winding extraordinary trail he has taken to create it. 

As Dylan evolved, devolved, revolved in his career, so did I in my life and attraction for his work. Along with many in my generation, the idealism I once felt was battered down by the insanity of assassinations, and by what seemed then like an endless and still now a useless war, which was followed by saddling into life with marriage, jobs, advancement, mortgages and all the typical trappings of success. Somehow my connection to Bob Dylan lost much of its relevancy in the process.

Rediscovering one's past, especially the passionate parts, is wonderful

So, Bob and I parted company as I traversed a musical exploration through rock, then jazz and blues. But, although I stopped buying his records, I still went to an occasional concert to be fascinated by what iteration of this chimerical genius would turn up. Catching the 1989 show in St. Louis' Forest Park, with a stripped down trio led by G.E. Smith, was a return to his classics and one of the best concerts I've seen.

It was a tour de force performance. Dylan was in great voice and humor. The backup band played with tight sheer virtuosity. Song after song rolled with mighty power over an immensely appreciative audience. No theatrics, just music and it was all one could have hoped for in a Dylan concert. The experience took me all the way back and reminded me how much the man and his music had meant to me as a young man.

Dylan re-discovered and resurrected himself in the 1990s

That Dylan shook off the dust and rust that have settled over his contemporaries and several generations behind them to come out with what is called his Trilogy, is simply astounding. Here is a multi-millionaire in his sixties, who has sold more than 100 million albums and with more acclaim than he or anyone could have imagined for him or any other performer of his era, who was able to churn out three successive studio albums, some of which won Grammy Awards, that re-established him as a viable notable contemporary songwriter. No one else could have done that!

The songs on those Trilogy albums are full of powerful lyrical and melodical energy. Not what you'd expect from a craggy-voiced old guy who easily could coast for decades doing oldies. Instead, after the third album, he told an interviewer for Rolling Stone magazine this when asked about retirement:

I always wanted to stop when I was on top. I didn’t want to fade away. I didn’t want to be a has-been, I wanted to be somebody who’d never be forgotten. I feel that, one way or another, it’s OK now, I’ve done what I wanted for myself. —
I see that I could stop touring at any time, but then, I don’t really feel like it right now.—
I think I’m in my middle years now — I’ve got no retirement plans. (Quotes courtesy of www.rightwingbob.com)

Lessons in aging well from an enduringly fascinating Bob Dylan

As one who is junior to Dylan by less than a decade, I've aged right along with him. Although he started out a folk hero for me, he has now become a hero and a model of how to live life fully and gracefully despite the vagaries of aging. Like him, I'm not ready to retire and feel there is much good work left in me.

The second edition of my book is an example. It is better in every way than the first. I'm eager to get it on its way so I can turn to a couple more titles in my head that are itching to come to life. There are other new projects poised to be unveiled shortly. It makes for exciting interesting times for me now. I'm happy to have someone like Bob Dylan show that staying relevant is possible even as one finds many contemporaries packing it in or making plans to do so post haste. Thanks Bob!

Love - This post's subject line refers to love, life, humanity and generosity. I will relate to those attributes this way. Dylan was never just about raging against the machine, or pointing out the inequities in life. The love in the title refers to Dylan's love songs and sentimental ballads that are just as poignant and look to stand the test of time as any of his work.

Life - The life element is really about living life long and well as Dylan has done. That Montague Street took up to study his 20-year old Oh Mercy album testifies to the agelessness of much of his work. (I had to go get it the album and have listened to it repeatedly since with each turn revealing something I'd previously missed.)

Humanity - The humanity is in finding kindred souls such as Charlie Haeussler with whom I always will share a special bond over our mutual admiration for the art of Bob Dylan.

Generosity - The generosity in the kind way Charlie shared the initial copies of Montague Street with me. He did so with no quid pro quo. In fact, I don't think it came up that I wrote this blog. His was merely a gesture proving the kindness of strangers is not a phrase, but a reality.

Many thanks to you Charlie. All the best for great success in seeing Montague Street manifest its goals. I can affirm if you are a Dylan fan, or especially if you are a fallen Dylan fan, the articles you will find in the journal will reinvigorate your appetite for more and leave you wondering why you waited so long to revisit the magic and power that is Bob Dylan.

Christmas Haiku - My Gift to You

I confess to a fondness for dichotomies, and  to creating them now and then. A good example is today’s subject: Christmas Haiku.

 

Haiku is a a form of Japanese poetry with 17 syllables in three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, often describing nature or a season. The dichotomy, of course, is the Japanese traditionally do not celebrate the Christmas holiday.

 

Here are my gifts to you. A Haiku poem from me and a sublime duet by Michael Franks and Veronica Nunn performed in just where you would expect, Tokyo. The poem owes a generous nod to the song's lyricist, Michael Franks.

Peace, prosperity and goodwill to all in 2010!

Christmas Haiku

A season of joy
When I give my love to you
Words cannot reveal

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Give yourself the gift of learning and inspiration from the 2010 SmARTist Telesummit

If you want more help on you career from me, I will be one of the eleven speakers the 4th Annual SmARTist Telesummit. Click here to sign up now or to get more information about the topnotch panel of presenters who are ready to help you catapult your career this January. With the impressive lineup Arianne Goodwin has put together, you are sure to get a very positive career boost from your investment in time and money.

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Gratitude and Abundance - Playing for Change

Turn it up and enjoy!

When my brother sent me the link to the video above, I had to watch it several times as once was not enough. It put me in touch with so many thoughts and feelings as it reminded me how we all need someone to stand by us, how small and intertwined our world is, and how influential artists, even unsung heroes playing for change, can make an impact on our lives. It also is a powerful example of how the Internet and technology add dimension to our lives. Thanks to Jimmy for sending this video my way. 

There can be lots to like about a day job

Many of you reading this are likely like me. That is, you may toil away at another job that gives you sustenance, stability and benefits so you can also work away at creating art, or in my case, creating a blog about the art business. While I can't speak for you, I don't mind saying I enjoy my day gig and get more from it than just a paycheck and benefits.

I work in sales and support for the world's largest domain registrar. I rarely mention it here because it generally is not germane to thoughts on the business of art. Plus, no mention means no obligatory statement that my thoughts posted here are my own. With a growing list of more than 50 products to understand how to sell, setup and service, Go Daddy presents a challenging and fast-paced working environment.

Diversity offers perspective and brings balance to my art marketing pursuits.

Besides fueling the part of me that is intrigued by all things techie, particularly as they relate to art and commerce, it puts me in touch with a unique cross-section of the population as represented by my fellow employees and our customers. Employment there requires a higher than average ability to juggle different types of tasks equally well. So being smart helps in getting hired, but so does being able to move from math, to logic, to verbal challenges simultaneously. The resultant mix is an eclectic group of people working in a wide range of ages and backgrounds. It makes for interesting observations for an inveterate people watcher.

While the bulk of the business comes from North America, it is a global business. Today, I fielded calls from New Zealand, India, Scotland and from a soldier in Iraq. What never ceases to amaze me is the unending enthusiasm I encounter from folks seeking to better their lives by jumping into a business for themselves. Calls come from neophytes looking to find a way to make some money on the Internet, or just to get more business for a landscaping business. They come from really skilled operators who are already using the Internet to make a full-time living through e-commerce, or in some cases, by buying and selling domains. Others are seeking to use the Internet not to make money, but rather to share a dream, create a memorial, or help a cause, as with the Playing for Change video above

A spirit of abundance and hope is pervasive, prevalent and widespread

A common thread I encounter among our domain, hosting, ecommerce and email customers is the undeniable, though most often unspoken, spirit of abundance that is in the voice and plans of callers from around the globe. I can't tell you how uplifting and heartrending it is to speak to a 78-year-old grandmother making a Web site to honor a grandchild fighting a terminal disease. I wish you could hear the lilt of the happy Scotsman, a self-professed man of God who called. He also is an author and speaker seeking to get the word about his work out. Were it not for this job, I would never have spoken to these people and they have touched me in some small, but special, way.

A touch of humanity, a grand dose of gratitude

When I ended the brief call from the soldier in Iraq, I told him take care and godspeed and I felt a lump in my throat and my eyes got wet just for having a moment in his life. I am a Vietnam Era vet, but did not go there, so I don't know firsthand the experience of war on foreign soil. But, nevertheless, I was reminded today of the mostly unfelt price our soldiers overseas pay to fight our battles for us.

These things make me so appreciative of the chance to sit at a computer, with my favorite music playing the background, and pass along these thoughts to you. I am reminded nearly daily that my efforts to help artists makes a difference. For that acknowledgment, however it arrives, I am grateful and humbled to know I have made a useful contribution. Just as I'm certain readers of this blog are thankful for the talent that gives them the means to create beautiful compelling works of art, I'm am grateful for an ability to turn a phrase and communicate meaningful messages.

Though times are tough, there is still much we have to be thankful for

We are undeniably going through a very rough patch with our economy. Although we may be dinged financially, or be suffering from job losses and real estate setbacks, we largely all are all right.We still have it better than the majority of this planet's inhabitants. While it may seem there are artists every where one turns, the truth is only a small percentage of people have the aptitude to make art on a level that attracts collectors.

What a wonderful feeling it must be for those artists who regularly receive kudos and warm thoughts from collectors and admirers ... and get to get paid for their efforts, too! Had your art in some large or small way not touched your collectors, you wouldn't be getting that kind of feedback from them.

Like me, I'm sure you are abundantly grateful to have the talent to make something from your own imagination, the drive to find others to appreciate it and the freedom to pursue both in a democracy designed to protect your rights and encourage the best from you.

Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings! Merry Christmas!

2008 turned out to be one heck of a tumultous year. It undoubtedly will be looked back upon as a watershed year for reasons known all too well and too well covered to bother with a rehash here. 

Instead, I'll use this post to thank all who take their time to read this blog and to wish each and every one a holiday season filled with fun and joy.

May 2009 bring prosperity to you in whatever manner you may need it. No one I know expects the near future to be anything but challenging, including me. What I seek to do is to take on the challenges and look for opportunity where others might only see problems. As from the still eye of a hurricane, I'll do my best to pass along ideas, information and inspiration to help you improve your business in 2009.

With great gratitude for your support and participation, I extend warm wishes for many blessings in this holiday season and the coming year.

P.S. Apologies if you saw a post come out titled, News, Views and Reviews, it was not intended as a post, but rather a new experimental page on the blog. 

A Time To Be Thankful

We can and will become what we aspire to be - Tracy Chapman 

Recycling is not just for plastic, cans and bottles. I find it is a worthy thing to revisit thoughts from yesteryear. Below are mine from last Thanksgiving. I read them and find the words still ring true for me. The only difference is circumstances will sadly keep me from joining my large family gathering this year.

I realize I linked to another great video link from The Wisdom Book in the previous post. I plan to get back to some nuts and bolts on art marketing after the holiday. That said, there is much to be learned from each video; certainly both offer intellectual and spiritual challenges far beyond my poor ability to present such ideas and emotions to you.

For your pleasure and to better help share the magnificent stirrings of Tracy Chapman's powerful poetry, a video is embedded here. It portray her sentiment and spirituality in ways I never could. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving. (You Tube Tip: Click the the icon second in on the bottom right to see the video full screen.)

 

From the moment of creation when each of us became the specific person we are, endowed with our own uniqueness and incredible special gifts, we are indeed a most lucky person. We have beaten the tremendous odds in nature's selection process to become a person, to be alive. Who cannot be thankful for the opportunity to be alive?

If you are reading this blog, you, as I am, are greatly blessed. For there are so many who, while lucky to be alive, will never glimpse much less experience the privileged lives we lead with our computers, cell phones, cars, warm homes, plentiful food and with an abundance never known by previous generations.

I am grateful for what I have and have been given. To me the greatest gift of any parent is the one I have known and possessed all my days, that is unconditional love from my parents, siblings, extended family and close friends. I will be in the company of many of them over this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. For that too, I am grateful and blessed and am eager to bask in the warmth of their love and friendship. No material gifts nor money can match such a magnanimous rewarding gift.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and family brings to mind the powerful poignant lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here On Earth" from her New Beginnings album.

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice
Heaven's in our hearts

In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be
If Heaven's here on earth

Have a blessed safe holiday if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Wherever you are, regardless if it is a place where it is a mere late fall weekend, take a moment to rejoice for your blessings, gifts and your little piece of heaven here on earth just the same.

Please know I also am thankful, humbled and honored to have you as a reader of my blog.

All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving!

We can and will become what we aspire to be - Tracy Chapman 

Recycling is not just for plastic, cans and bottles. I find it is a worthy thing to revisit thoughts from yesteryear. Below are mine from last Thanksgiving. I read them and find the words still ring true for me. The only difference is circumstances will sadly keep me from joining my large family gathering this year.

I realize I linked to another great video link from The Wisdom Book in the previous post. I plan to get back to some nuts and bolts on art marketing after the holiday. That said, there is much to be learned from each video; certainly both offer intellectual and spiritual challenges far beyond my poor ability to present such ideas and emotions to you.

For your pleasure and to better help share the magnificent stirrings of Tracy Chapman's powerful poetry, a video is embedded here. It portray her sentiment and spirituality in ways I never could. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving. (You Tube Tip: Click the the icon second in on the bottom right to see the video full screen.)

 

From the moment of creation when each of us became the specific person we are, endowed with our own uniqueness and incredible special gifts, we are indeed a most lucky person. We have beaten the tremendous odds in nature's selection process to become a person, to be alive. Who cannot be thankful for the opportunity to be alive?

If you are reading this blog, you, as I am, are greatly blessed. For there are so many who, while lucky to be alive, will never glimpse much less experience the privileged lives we lead with our computers, cell phones, cars, warm homes, plentiful food and with an abundance never known by previous generations.

I am grateful for what I have and have been given. To me the greatest gift of any parent is the one I have known and possessed all my days, that is unconditional love from my parents, siblings, extended family and close friends. I will be in the company of many of them over this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. For that too, I am grateful and blessed and am eager to bask in the warmth of their love and friendship. No material gifts nor money can match such a magnanimous rewarding gift.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and family brings to mind the powerful poignant lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here On Earth" from her New Beginnings album.

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice
Heaven's in our hearts

In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be
If Heaven's here on earth

Have a blessed safe holiday if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Wherever you are, regardless if it is a place where it is a mere late fall weekend, take a moment to rejoice for your blessings, gifts and your little piece of heaven here on earth just the same.

Please know I also am thankful, humbled and honored to have you as a reader of my blog.

All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving!

On Being 60

The blessing I get from penning this blog comes from artists who let me know it helps improve their knowledge, and sometimes provides inspiration and steers them to wise informed career choices.

The mission for this blog is not to be about me. However, since this post comes on the occasion of my 60th birthday this week, I'm using it to muse on being 60 and offer witticisms such as, "Any day I wake on the right side of the dirt is a good day".

Not too old to rock n' roll

All in all, for one a decade past AARP age requirements, I feel pretty good and happy. I have not joined AARP as I am far from retired and look upon most of what the organization offers as self-serving marketing hype. But then I'm a cynic who doesn't need 10% discounts at Denny's or Best Western. On being 60, I may not be quite as happy to enjoy a birthday as little Eli pictured here on his first, but I'm darn close and pleased to report only one of us is wearing diapers and it ain't me.

0 - 60 in the blink of an eye

Becoming 60 is much like life in that it sneaks up on you and has you wondering just how one got there there so fast. Or, in my case and more pointedly, how I got there at all. Looking back, in my younger days I tempted fate more than I should have and I am grateful to more fully grasp the saying, "There but for fortune go I."

Now, being older and wiser, I'm thrilled to have ridden our earthly sphere 60 turns around the sun, and looking forward to many more. It's humbling to know my life has been lived in relative ease. Whatever quirk of fate blessed me to come forth under favorable circumstances is nothing short of astonishing. Sure, I could have taller, better looking, smarter, funnier with an abundance of wealth and unlimited talent. But in comparison to suffering from poor health or abject poverty anywhere, being a desperate parentless HIV positive child in Africa, or an average citizen of Baghdad praying for an end to violence, I have no complaints.

Sometimers is not age specific

When I couldn't recall something the other day, I remarked to a young clerk in a store waiting on me despite my gray hair I was not suffering from "Oldtimers." She told me I just had "Sometimers." I asked what that was and she said, "You know, it's like sometimes you just can't remember shit." Sounded good to me... now if my car keys just turn up sometime soon.;>)

My best friend and dear sweet wife, Mary, gave me a lively fun puppy named Maggie Mae for my birthday. It's hard to imagine a better present, but the Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake from Baskin-Robbins was a close second. The best gift anyone who enjoys reading this blog could give me is to let others know about it. When you are so moved, please tell the world about it, or at least your friends and acquaintances. I will be forever grateful when you do.