It's Raining Chocolate

Last year in a master's course about religions, meditation, and stillness we learned about mystical Judaism. What most stood out for me is the bottom of the Khabbalah tree: Malkut. The concept of Malkut is when putting yourself in alignment with the holy and living cleanly. Then the holy comes through you. Malkut is those amazing bursts of inspiration. Malkut is those times when you are clear on what needs doing, and your only choice it to allow yourself to do it.

Our course professor, Dr. Helen Mitchell said her book Roots of Wisdom wrote itself--Malkut. She described Malkut as raining chocolate. If you hold your bowls up to the sky, it will always rain chocolate. You only need to be ready to receive it.

I've been fretting over the last few weeks on how to finish one of my master's courses, and today I remembered to put my bowls out. It's raining chocolate. You can see how my critique group and I have been using our endless chocolate over at the Writersvibe.

What happens when you put up your bowls? What kind of chocolate are you catching?

It's Raining Chocolate

Eyes to the sky

I tip my head and cry

Salt on my lips

It's dry, dry, dry

Blank. Blocked. Stopped.

I smell like a flop

Salt on my lips

Dry like drought crops

Moans and howls

Caught near growl

Salt on my lips

Sinking into a spiral

Plop. Drop. Splatter.

Rise from the slaughter

Licking salt from my lips

Now this? THIS matters.

Eyes to the sky

I tip my head and glide

Chocolate on my lips

Raised arms can fly

It's raining chocolate

Oh, sweet mother of fate

Chocolate on my lips

To abundance, I relate

Fill up my cisterns

Drought adjourned

Licking chocolate on my lips

Rain, chocolate, reign

Reluctant Spring

Reluctant Spring

I blinked open Monday
Puzzled by silence and
Spring nestle in the
Late March snow

Being an Inspiration

Last month on the Writersvibe we were taking a look at publishing. I mentioned being an inspiration using only a few words. I did just that last fall.This is what my inspirations looked like:

I also consider this another way I do creativity and art. I spent hours finding the right font, the right font size, and the right colors. The magnets have changed a little since the first set, and they continue to evolve. I've even added two more magnets to the series--I even used my own photographs for the background on one of them.

I'm traveling this weekend, and if you are in the right place you'll see one of these. Take it, leave it, or pass it on. You can follow the journey of what happened and what is happening at smilegoneviral.com.

What would you leave behind on a magnet to brighten the world for the rest of us?

Finish More: The Little Dog Laughed

A few weeks ago I spent my last day at "work." Since then I feel a little like I've been living in a nursery rhyme:

I'm not sure how I chose "Hey diddle diddle" for what's going on right now. I think it's the improbability of moon-jumping cows, plates and spoons eloping, and actually getting some of my goodness-that-would-be-so-awesome-and-I-will-never-find-the-time things finished. Well, I'm doing it! Here's a recap.

Look

III: The Little Dog Laughed

One job finished. A new on the way someday. Breathing

One room spackled. Prime in progress.

Four shelves display crafts, baubles, fabrics, and paints

The place of nursery rhymes, stick stands, and dragons

One movement starts here in the ache of thighs and shoulders

of kettle balls. Balls of iron slung and swung. Stronger

One point five closer to master; One month early with spring

One hundred turtles complete in a puzzle, not a missing piece

One paperweight turned video conferencer and writing utensil

Intentions set. Some done. Some undone. Loving progress.

What nursery rhyme are you living in right now?

Stepping Outside the Blank Page

This month the at my other home, the WritersVibe, we are showcasing our other art mediums. I am so excited to write about the connections I've noticed between writing and other ways of using my hands and creativity.

I love to play with words and that's how Rhyme's a Rhyme came to be. I had some blocks with my writing. In  times of "blocked," I rediscovered that I like to play with paper and beads and thread and paint and glue and pine cones and whatever else happens to be laying about. After a little (and sometimes a lot of) play, the words come like an avalanche.

I've written about the journey a few times:

• Silk, Erasers, Brushes, Chalk, Water...Oh Boy! 
• Joy's in Collaborative Art 
• Spark: Tiny Stitches and Candles 

and, oh, there is so much more.

Traci recently highlighted the wonderful possibilities of a snow day at Jots Beyond the Margin. She chose to read. I might choose to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate, an old magazine (or manuscript?), and a pair of scissors to create snowflakes and paper chains.

Where are you creative outside of writing?

Functional Kindergarten Worksheet Paper Chains