When I reach through the hole at my center the gift eludes me. Whatever it may be I can possess it only as that mystery which beckons from the greatest distance and draws my heart deeper into the quest…….Meinrad Craighead
blending our graces with our intentions……lovers of spirit, outwitting limitation, creating wise circumstances….may we find our most skillful means….
The goal of art as a spiritual path is to live a meaningful life, full of active participation with our own hands, minds, and hearts, and appreciation of the joy and pleasure and depth of soul that is possible. It is to take the time to focus our attention on our hopes and dreams and nurture them to fruition. Over time we become able to listen closely and hear: what is it that wants to be born? We take charge of shaping such a life for our families and communities, and in doing so we awaken from the haze of consumer culture and the hunger it creates. We can then consider making alternatives. We have the means to reconnect with the flow of life-force energy that animates us, to guide it toward peace and reconciliation, allowing us to enjoy living while still facing and engaging with the problems life presents in an active, creative, and even joyful way……Pat B. Allen
In truth, neither art nor artists will save the world. Only a new way of being can do that- one that knits people together and inspires a different vision, an ethos of generosity and caring. Only when we dissolve our historical ties to the modern paradigm of materialism and overcome our habits of passivity and consumerism, is there any hope of moving toward a more spiritually informed way of looking at the world……Suzi Gablik
Make Believe Boutique 
There is no need to save the world, it has alway been and always will be, what needs to be saved is our own free will and our true intention in this realm. Shall we choose service to self or to others. This is the balance we should seek. To consume beyond balance is the precipice we now stand before … What choices will hold us back or send us over … What timeline shall we follow?
spiritual touchstones provide us with the details of being steady and committed…..how do we align these principles?…..in each moment…..
I have a hard time discerning between what is a necessary acceptance of reality and many people’s natural passivity. So many women, particularly older women, settle for so much less in life than they need to. Sometimes, after trying to get them out of their sedentary way of life, I realize that the minute I leave them on their own because of my own family’s claims on my time, they fall right back into passivity. It seems sometimes to be mostly a lack of imagination.
oh, this is such a big question….our expectations needle us……sometimes we have to walk this fine line and simply be uncomfortable…..I, too, have these kinds of dualities…….great learning here Eileen….