Awakening | The Direction of Intention

Realize It [on KS Friday]

Posted on October 5, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

i am alive song box copy

Years ago, at the retreat center on Whidbey Island, Kendy talked with me about her budding meditation practice. She was having difficulty quieting her mind chatter. To help, a teacher gave her a mantra to use in her meditation. The mantra gave her busy mind a focal point. It was a simple phrase: I Am. I Am. “It’s the craziest thing,” she said, “I feel like I need to add a description, I Am…what? I am happy? I am fulfilled? I am a loser? I am bored? And then it occurred to me that it’s the descriptor I’m trying to quiet! Why do I need to define everything? Judge everything? Assign a score to everything? Isn’t the whole point to realize how profound it is to be alive? I Am.”

There is a photograph of my uncle Al, just months before he died of cancer, fulfilling a dream of flying on a trapeze. At the moment of letting go of the bar, he reaches into space. The catcher is not in the frame. Al’s face, wracked with his disease, is shining with the joy of his moment. The simple pleasure of his moment of I Am.

There is a lyric in Kerri’s song, I Am Alive, that brings me back to my conversation with Kendy and the enormity of her realization. It makes me miss Al. The lyric goes like this: we are bonded by the power of this dream that is I Am.

Cut through all the chatter-of-the-day and it’s plain enough. It’s simple enough. Add the final descriptive word to the I Am. Realize, as Al did in that gorgeous moment of flight, of not-here-or-there. I Am Alive.

I AM ALIVE on the album AS SURE AS THE SUN is available on iTunes & CDBaby

read Kerri’s blog post about I AM ALIVE

i am alive/as sure as the sun ©️ 2002 kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Edges, Gratitude, KS Friday, Transcendence, Uncategorized | Tagged: as sure as the sun, awakening, cancer, cancer survivor, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, I Am Alive, inspiration, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, meditation, meditations, realization, society6.com/kerrisherwood | Leave a comment »

Blink! [on Flawed Cartoon Wednesday]

Posted on August 1, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

One of my least favorite self discoveries is that I am obsessive. And compulsive (so I’m told…). If I latch onto a task, a painting, a project, an idea,…, it is nearly impossible for me to let it go. I am a deer in the headlights. A moth to flame. Fixated. Mesmerized. Obsessed. Compulsive. Don’t ask Kerri for examples!

Standing squarely on the pavement of the back road of life, transfixed by the headlights coming my way, I am trying to learn to blink. For all of those in the singular-focus-club, this Flawed’s for you. Blink!

read Kerri’s blog post about BLINK, DUSTY! BLINK! just don’t ask her for examples of my obsessive/compulsive behavior!

www.kerrianddavid.com

blink, dusty! blink ©️ 2016 david robinson & kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Flawed Cartoon Wednesday, Navel Gazing, Uncategorized | Tagged: blink, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, deer in the headlights, fixated, flawed cartoon, Flawed Cartoon Wednesday, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, mesmerized, obsessive, ocd, society6.com/flawedcartoon, studio melange, the melange | Leave a comment »

Split A Second [on KS Friday]

Posted on July 6, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

Earlier this week I wrote about our visit to Arches National Park and the paradox of presence: it is only when we recognize how very small we are that we are capable of standing in the immensity of this moment, the present. I called it a joining. In her song, In A Split Second, Kerri calls it, “walking that thin line.”

It is possible to put down the list of to-dos. It is possible to stop dragging along that big bag of the past. It is possible to be here, where you are, in the immensity of this moment of life. Give yourself a gift, be where you are, and let Kerri help you walk that thin line.

IN A SPLIT SECOND on the album AS SURE AS THE SUN, available in iTunes & CDBaby

read Kerri’s blog post about IN A SPLIT SECOND

www.kerrianddavid.com

in a split second/as sure as the sun ©️ 2002 kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Possibility, Uncategorized | Tagged: arches national park, artistry, as sure as the sun, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, future, in a split second, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, paradox, past, presence, society6.com/kerrisherwood, studio melange, the melange | Leave a comment »

Be Small [on Two Artists Tuesday]

Posted on July 3, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

Arches copy

On a crisp fall day, watching the waves roll in at Pismo Beach, Jim told me that people come to the beach to touch their mortality. “The waves were here long before we were born. They’ll be here long after we are gone.”

It is only in the moments when we recognize how infinitesimally small we really are that we ‘re also capable of grasping how glorious, how profound, how immense are our fleeting few moments of life. It’s a paradox. It is a joining. Watching the waves, standing on the mountaintop, feeling the sunrise, holding your newborn. Boundaries blend with beauty so vast it makes you ache.

While in Colorado, we jumped the border into Utah for a day and visited Arches National Park. It is one of those places. I felt so incredibly small. I grabbed Kerri’s hand and the paradox door swung open. For a few moments, we were part of the monument, life burned so keenly, so intensely, we joined the timeless, and laughed at the utter impossibility of it all.

read Kerri’s blog post about Arches

www.kerrianddavid.com

arches national park ©️ 2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Perspective, Two Artists Tuesday, Uncategorized | Tagged: arches national park, beauty, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, life, mortality, society6.com/twoartists, timeless, Two Artists Tuesday | Leave a comment »

Choose Your Way [on Two Artists Tuesday]

Posted on May 22, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

One of the ideas behind the melange was to invite you into our studio, to offer a peek behind the curtain into the messy art piles and chaotic processes that spark and give fuel to our creative lives.

We make it a practice to walk through life noticing things, appreciating moments. It is a muscle we consciously exercise. It is the reason we write. It is the reason we take photographs of the food arranged on our plates or the evening sunlight topping the trees or the funny sign posts on the paths we walk. Kerri recently said – and I think it is true – we are inspiring ourselves and perhaps, through our art, words, and designs, helping others live appreciative lives.

In a past incarnation, when working with teachers or corporate types or artists, I said again and again, “See what is there, not what you think is there.” Try and see beyond what you think. A full spectrum of beauty bubbles brightly right in front of our noses but largely goes unnoticed through the mind chatter that dulls our perceptions. It renders us sense-blind.

On this Two Artists Tuesday, a not-so-subtle reminder to slow down, choose a piece of quiet, open your eyes and appreciate your moment. Take a stab at seeing what is bubbling out there just beyond your oh-so-important-thinking. It just might take your breath away. Or, more to the point, it might bring you a deep creative breath. It just might give fuel to your creative life.

WHICH WAY gifts and cool products

laptop sleeves

read Kerri’s blog post about WHICH WAY

www.kerrianddavid.com

which way designs and products ©️ 2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood

Filed under: Art, Awakening, Creativity, Two Artists Tuesday, Uncategorized | Tagged: awareness, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, horizontal, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, monkey mind, see beyond thinking, seeing, society6.com/twoartists, studio melange, the melange, thinking, Two Artists Tuesday, vertical, which way | Leave a comment »

Enjoy The Puddles [it’s Chicken Marsala Monday]

Posted on May 21, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

Puddle is a fun word to say. Try it. Puddle. Muddle. Fuddle. In fact, when fuddled or muddled, there is only one thing to be done and that is to find and jump gleefully into a puddle. Essentially, become puddled.

Chicken has a decidedly Buddhist side. If he had three simple rules for spiritual growth, one would certainly involve puddles and play. Speaking to we too serious adult-types, he might say: you can never control the rain, but you can most certainly control how often you play in the puddles .

On this Chicken Marsala Monday, from studio melange, leave behind your muddle and go to the puddle side of life [begin by reading this post out loud to someone you love – puddles are more fun with friends].

ENJOY THE PUDDLES gifts and cool things to remind you to play

bags, bags, bags

read Kerri’s blog post on ENJOY THE PUDDLES.

www.kerrianddavid.com

enjoy the puddles nugget & designs ©️ 2016/2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Chicken Marsala Monday, Uncategorized | Tagged: Buddhist, chicken marsala, Chicken Marsala Monday, Chicken nugget, circumstance, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, detachment, fun, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, play, puddles, society6.com/chickenmarsala, spiritual growth, spiritual practice, spirituality, studio melange, the melange | Leave a comment »

Rest [It’s Chicken Marsala Monday]

Posted on April 30, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

From studio melange, Rest on Chicken Marsala Monday

Karola was old and wise. She was one of those rare people filled with laughter that spilled over into everyone around her. Go visit Karola and you’d leave refreshed and giggling. Each moment, each day for her was new and vital and a siren’s call of unknowns and adventure. She found more miracles in her backyard than most people find in their round-the-world tours. She was alive. She paid attention.

She was also one of those people who always seemed to know what you were thinking before you knew what you were thinking. We met at the pool and swam every morning before work. One morning, climbing out of the pool, she said, “You are exhausted.” It was true. I had no juice in my tank and hadn’t for many weeks. During my swim I was pondering my exhaustion and wondering how I was ever going to get everything done. I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to push through it.

“You never let your glass go empty! You fight it so hard that your cup can never refill. Stop fighting! Go empty. Rest. Allow some good space in there so new things can come in! She howled at my puzzled expression. “Rest,” she repeated. It’s the only way you will ever get everything done!”

From studio mélange on this Chicken Marsala Monday, listen to Karola and rest. Let the cup go empty. Make space for balance and into that space all good things will come.

REST gifts and reminders

read kerri’s blog post about REST

www,kerrianddavid.com

rest and good things will come ©️ 2016 david robinson & kerri sherwood

‘rest…’ product designs ©️ 2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, Chicken Marsala Monday, Uncategorized | Tagged: balance, body wisdom, chicken marsala, Chicken nugget, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, energy, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, rest, rest and good things will come, reverse threading, society6.com/chickenmarsala, studio melange, the melange, wisdom | Leave a comment »

That Morning Someday [On KS Friday]

Posted on April 27, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

A sunrise for your KS Friday from studio melange.

I swear I knew this piece of music years before I met Kerri. I think I knew this piece years before she composed it. It is the soundtrack of a sunrise – and not just any sunrise. The Sunrise. Many years ago, on a California beach, wrapped in a blanket, after a night of revelry and playing in the surf with friends, I walked by myself toward the sunrise. I was utterly filled with peace, completely quiet inside. Content. It was a rare and precious moment and so distinct that it was forever burned into my memory. That morning changed me. I revisit that moment often. I revisit that sunrise when I need a touch of peace.

When I first listened to this track on Kerri’s album, Blueprint For My Soul, my mouth dropped open. “I know this piece,” I said. “I know it.” She smiled, “It’s possible.”

Yes. Possible. That Morning Someday is like a sunrise. It is about the quiet entrance of vast possibilities. Take a moment on this KS Friday, and give yourself a rare and precious moment. Revisit your sunrise. And remember what peace feels like.

THAT MORNING SOMEDAY from the album BLUEPRINT FOR MY SOUL (TRACK 11 ) iTunes

THAT MORNING SOMEDAY also available on CDBaby

THAT MORNING SOMEDAY/RIGHT NOW products we designed are sold at society6.com

read Kerri’s blog post about THAT MORNING SOMEDAY

www.kerrianddavid.com

that morning someday/blueprint for my soul ©️ 1997 kerri sherwood

that morning someday/right now product designs ©️ 2018 kerri sherwood

Filed under: Awakening, KS Friday, Uncategorized | Tagged: blueprint for my soul, contentment, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, KS Friday, new age, peace, society6.com/kerrisherwood, solo piano, studio melange, sunrise, that morning someday, the melange | Leave a comment »

DR Thursday

Posted on April 5, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

kerri calls this morsel, Layered Meditation. a perfect name as it comes from my painting, Meditation.

I believe that every moment of life is a meditation, conscious or otherwise. Your current meditation may be about the anxiety of having enough money to pay the bills. It may be about the frustration of being stuck in traffic – again. It might be about a perceived injustice; blame meditations dominate most of our inner monologues. Of course, you might also be meditating about what to get at the grocery store or what to plant in the garden this year. You might be meditating about how to make life better for your children. Not all meditations are worrisome. Generally, we dedicate a small sliver of the meditation pie chart to the generative.

And, that’s really the point. We choose where we place our thoughts, we decide where we aim our focus. It is a dedication, not a runaway train.

One of my favorite moments in Carlos Castaneda’s book, The Teachings of Don Juan, happens when the master, Don Juan, refuses to place any value in the continued angst of his student, Carlos. Laughing at Carlos’ dedication to his misery, Don Juan says, “You indulge like a son-of-a-bitch!” Discovering and shedding indulgences is a many layered exploration. Shedding indulgences, like cutting junk food from your diet, comes when you recognize that you choose what you consume, not the other way around. You choose what you think, you choose your meditations, not the other way around.

Meditation, 48 x 48in, mixed media

I am relearning this lesson. Lately, in the studio, I find I am meditating on my personal hall of monsters and past injustices. I’ve been taken aback at my dedication to replaying these tales of woe and unfairness. And then I hear Roger’s voice in my head saying, “What kind of a sissy word is ‘fair!'” And I laugh. Laughter is great for rededicating the thought-train. Laughter loops me back to another favorite Don Juan-ism: “The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”

LAYERED MEDITATION reminder/merchandise

metal wall art

it makes a cool beach towel!

stationary gift cards, mugs, framed art prints, and more.

PURCHASE THE ORIGINAL PAINTING: MEDITATION

read Kerri’s blog post about LAYERED MEDITATION

kerrianddavid.com

Filed under: Awakening, DR Thursday, Uncategorized | Tagged: carlos castaneda, choice, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, DR Thursday, fairness, indulgence, inner monologue, Kerri Sherwood, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, layered mediation, mantra, mediation, prayer, society6.com/davidrobinson, the melange, the teachings of don juan, thought | Leave a comment »

Chicken Marsala Monday

Posted on March 12, 2018 by davidrobinsoncreative

Chicken Marsala thoughts from the melange to help you start your week:

Almost every spiritual tradition offers a form of this thought: make no assumptions. Sometimes it is called ‘detachment.’ Sometimes it is called ‘the middle way.’ Often, it is referred to as ‘presence.’

It sounds so simple. Be where you are. Be here now. Aspirations always sound easy but are never easy to realize.

In my past life as a consultant/facilitator I regularly issued two “caveats” prior to beginning the work of the day. The first was, “Have the experience first, make meaning of the experience second.” The idea of opening to an experience, that they might actually be capable of stepping out of their roiling story of assumptions, was a revelation to my clients.

And, that’s the point. The revelation, the insight, the heaven-that-you-seek is just on the other side of the story-fog that obscures your experience of life. That is why it shows up so often in all-practices-spiritual. Quiet your mind. Make no assumptions. Open to what is there beyond what you think is there.

However, we are human. That fast running inner monologue, that incessant storying of experiences, pre-and-post occurrence, is what we do. So, a good first step toward the quiet mind, toward the suspension of assumptions, is to make life-giving assumptions. Our runaway minds chug down a track so why not put that train on a generative track: assume awe.

ASSUME AWE merchandise