My Intro: Aine Butler-Smith

I'm a new contributing writer to Writer's Rising and I want to thank Katherine Jenkins for her invitation, I am quite honored to contribute here after reading the wonderful work being posted by other writers. I am a woman moving into the wise woman years of my life; my youngest, at nineteen just moved out in recent months. I am striving to move into this phase of my life gracefully and expansively, I view life as an always evolving journey, in fact my blog and my website are called The Evolving Spirit.

I have been married for nearly twenty-seven years to the same man and we have three daughters, one grandson who will be turning two in one month and another grandson whose entrance into the world is imminent. I love being a mother, I came to it naturally, I'm a very mothering type.

I've moved around alot in my interests and studies over the years, having been an artist and performer, to an astrologer and reader of the tarot, to a metaphysician and healer, a dream counselor, a lecturer, a ceremonial high priestess, a hypnotist and a published author. In my evolution I came to view the symbolism of myths, religion, and the esoteric as a road map of the evolution of consciousness for me and I learned that interpretation of symbols came quite naturally to me.

I focus mainly now on my writing and my art as I move into a more settled, focused, and quiet stage of my life and I hope that my writings inform, possible educate, and most importantly inspire. But I write for myself most of all; I never preach. I will share and let you in on what works for me and hope that it might be applicable for you; at the very least, I hope it inspires you to seek out what works for you. I also seek community and companionship in spirit with all, and I have found the internet to be a wonderful tool for the connecting of us all in our collective consciousness. I look forward to sharing and getting to know all of you.

In service, love and light,


Aine

Introducing: Pam Bousquet

Hello everyone! My name is Pam Bousquet, and I recently joined Writer's Rising as a contributing blogger...as the “new kid on the block” it has been requested that I introduce myself!

While I'm certainly no kid, I did recently make a mid-life decision to revisit a life-long dream of mine....to further explore the world of creative writing and my possible place within it. Putting my personal thoughts to paper has sometimes been a difficulty for me – I still have vivid memories of several attempts I've made over the years to begin (hand-written) journals - the challenge lasting maybe a few months, then eventually loosing my momentum and desire.

I discovered the world of blogging late last year – this medium opened up a whole new vista of possibilities to me. Thus, my desire to leave a footprint...a mark...perhaps even a legacy to my family and my world community has been restored. More than just a recording of my day-to-day activities and the important milestones I've experienced within my life (and that of my family), I began to realize that a blog was a form of communication – an opportunity to not only express my inner-most thoughts and personal views of the world around me, but the chance to exchange emotions and viewpoints with other individuals the world over.

This new opportunity has lead me to some wonderful discoveries. The mere process of reading and exploring another person's thoughts, views, and reactions to the world around them brings us profoundly closer together. Cyberspace in general, makes this infinitely easier. But through the personal window of a blogger, we are permitted to discover each other's humor, sadness, joy, wisdom, insight, spirituality, and so much more. The world indeed, becomes a much “smaller” place. I don't believe I will ever tire of feeling the thrill of learning that someone else “out there” is feeling or has felt about something the same way that I do. In addition, by accepting and absorbing views and feelings that differ from mine, I have expanded my vision and personal boundaries. I'm prepared, now, when others begin to question me about the importance or significance of writing a blog: I understand how it brings me closer to the world at large, and that I become an active rather than passive player upon its stage.

My family – like all families - has certainly dealt with its share of toils, troubles, heart-ache, illness, death, and pain. However, we've also been blessed with an amazing number of Joys. When first making the decision to begin a blog, I struggled with the question of what “genre,” which direction, my blog-writing should take. There were and are so many wonderful and creative “mommy-blogs” out there, and while each of us is more than capable of sharing unique and individual stories, I felt that I didn't quite fit that shoe.

My husband (and most of my family) will tell you that I tend to perpetually wear a pair of rose-colored glasses. I heartily admit that I've had some (extremely) low points of self-esteem and sadness in my life, but I almost always bounce back, remaining the “cock-eyed optimist” that I am. I most certainly am not claiming to be perfect - believe me, I'm still working on ironing out some personal issues at the age of fifty! But more-often-than-not, you'll find me searching for the positive part of any situation - or person, for that matter.

Thus, it made perfect sense that I focus my energies, my gifts, on seeking out the positive in all that I undertook while writing for my blog. My desire is that while continuing to learn about, absorb, and appreciate the world around me (in the company and in guidance of fellow writers), that I return a smile, a small slice of Joy...a brief respite for my fellow travelers on this journey we call life. I am SO looking forward to meeting other writers and readers via Writer's Rising, and rubbing elbows with those I now consider my teachers and colleagues.

I'm humbled and grateful that you landed here, chose to read my thoughts, and are sharing the ride with me!


-Pam

(for additional information about me and my other site, feel free to read my updated bio!)

Introducing "Marcime" aka Marcella Corroeli Jager

It was late friday night and I needed a story, something maybe about daily Buddhism, something to make me feel all is well with this world. Something I could go to sleep with. I stumbled upon Lessons from the Monk I Married. Now that sounds interesting, really really interesting. I read, I commented, I became a follower, I slept well. Kathy responded, read and became a follower on my blog that badly needs a following (not many of my readers blog, most are hidden and leave me comments on email or on the street!)  I was grateful - wow, someone noticed, someone wants to follow what I write - and this from someone that writes so well herself. I felt all glow-y.

Then Kathy dropped the bomb and invited me to write on this blog. My weekend became a good-karma-bomb - and all because I wanted a bedtime story. I feel very grateful to the wide wily web of life for this opportunity.

I decided to introduce myself to who YOU all are - and I found out - what lives you lead  - we are all such a diverse group  - and what interestsing things you observe and write about! wow. this could be fun. Karma-bomb indeed. I feel so privileged to connect with you, learn from you.

If you click on "marcime" in the contributors list to the left - you'll find my profile and my blog.  I am interested in becoming published one day very soon and then, again and again and again after that. My genre is mostly (though not exclusively) creative non-fiction which is just creative and reflective recollection...amazing how one tiny thing can become a huge elaborate story given time and distance to see it for what it is.

Memory to me is like latent energy, a remnant of what once was, that is still alive,  luminous,  present - if you make it so... if you write it so.

 Cheers and Peace !-  Marcella (marcime)

Happy to Be Here

My thanks to Kathy for inviting me to share this beautiful space. I found Kathy and her incredible site through my friend Sharni who interviewed me for her own blog. Sharni found me while searching for blogs about New York City, a place she'd like to travel to. What a glorious, tangled web blogging weaves.

I am a product developer by day and a writer by night. I spend time writing every day, and now it has become a wonderful, happy habit, just like brushing my teeth, eating breakfast, and doing yoga. It keeps my mind fit and active, and has brought me connections with so many wonderful people whom I may have never otherwise met.

In 2009, I blogged every day about something that made me more hopeful. It was my New Year's Resolution in 2009 to be more hopeful every day and bring that hope to others. Blogging helped me accomplish both of those things. I'm turning those posts into an e-book that I hope to have done in March. This year I'm taking all of that hope and every day blogging about one little step I'm taking toward building an extraordinary life in 2010.

This month I launched my new site complete with my full blog as well as content pages that highlight some of the other projects I'm working on: my yoga teacher certification and an after-school program in East Harlem for middle school students interested in product development and entrepreneurship.

I've always wanted to join a writing group and have poked around at a few though I never found one that had the right vibe until now. Then Kathy invited me to this group and my first reaction was, "ah, yes. This is the feeling I was looking for." My unending thanks to Kathy for inspiring me with her own writing and inviting me to be here with all of you. And of course to Sharni, my blogging sister down-under. I look forward to the conversation!

The photo above is me having fun in a park near my apartment. Photo taken by my pal, Dan Fortune.

Into 2010 we go...

Out of The Sandbox



Recess in first grade was a war with the second graders
A battle over who could build the higher sand pile
With little time to shape and mold pointed piles
Awkward miniatures of Kilimanjaro or the Mater Horn
The challenge was all consuming, six of us working
Steadily, quickly, but the second graders always won.

That day, I believed for once we really had them
It was near the end and we had them by a foot or so
Then, joined by others, they took the lead and the bell rang.
Another day of humiliation, why did we always lose?
With that weight, I started to the line, then turned back
The devil in my feet; ran and kicked their mountain down!

It felt good to get the best of them, see the horror, the fear
But their expressions were not about the sandbox war…
Something— Ahhhh! — Something stung me, whipped me!
Jumping, my arm twisted in the death hold of her hand, I jerked
She slapped again and again until I screamed in painful fear
I remember words about not turning back after the bell rang...

Then she let go, I walked slowly, every eye in the school on me
I couldn’t look up, couldn’t get in line, walked to the boy’s room
Locked myself in, bawled for what seemed hours (was ten minutes)
The first grade teacher came, talked me out, my mother arrived
Raised hell, had that woman called on the carpet, reprimanded
(Good old Mom)… events then fade; I don’t know what happened,

Remember mostly the sting of that hand, hard words, those eyes
My first encounter with the terror of pain inflicted by a stranger
Something bigger people called
The Law.

365 Lessons-Lesson 23: Nurture Creativity

My sister sent me this video yesterday. It was kind of what I needed to hear. The author of Eat, Pray, Love talks about nurturing creativity. I find it can sometimes be a hard thing to nurture and protect at times. Our passions can sometimes get squashed when the realization hits that we need to make a living and living our passion is somehow not going to be the way we do that. Life takes over, and sometimes, for me...remembering to nurture my creativity or in this case, my writing, which is my passion, is no easy task. It takes constant effort, but it is worth every step. Here's the inspirational video my sister sent just when I needed it:





Sometimes I feel like all the artists, dancers, and writers out there are known because they must be geniuses. I don't think so now.

(I painted this painting called Clear Fall Day in 2006 after a meditation course. I've never painted anything in my life on canvas before or since. This all goes to show that we all have this creativity inside us. We can do and be anything we want to be)

We all have amazing gifts to share with this world. We are all geniuses. If you are passionate about something. If you have a dream. If you are an artist, a mother, a dancer, a painter, a traveler, a knitter, a sewer, a trumpet player, a doodler, a whistler, a gardener, a whatever and you LOVE doing what you are doing, NURTURE IT! Believe in what you are doing and do it. If you feel happiness from what you are doing in life, that happiness spreads to all those around you. There must be something you do in life that makes you happy. Make that your priority. Protect it at all costs. When we are doing what we love we inspire other people to do what they love and it goes on and on and on like this. All of us have these gifts inside us. I am grateful for everyone I have met here because I see that you all are doing just that!

the sound of a dream...

I know I had written about my journey in Prague on my blog, The Lotus Sutra Chronicles. I took so many images, that I just simply wanted to share more of the experience here. Music is so important to a lot of people. It is amazing how effective music is. It can evoke a memory, change a mood, or simply put you in a place or time you have never been before when you hear it for the first time.
The surroundings seem to be everywhere and anywhere, with music pumped into the streets. Prague is full of magic, a magic I seemed to tap into as a complete stranger here. It is fascinating to me to see how much Prague has changed since the revolution. It has retained the beauty of its identity, but the Western influences has come in the forms of cuisine and increased shops that cater to those that are addicted to their labels. Money and things have crept into the frequency of conversations of a generation that had not and is slowly transforming them into haves.
The signs of the old sculptures are integrated into the new cafes and restaurants. I find it interesting to see how this world is ever changing. You are dining where the ancients once roamed. Watching the waves of power and influence shift around the globe has been interesting to see first hand. The Czech Republic was a very poor country, under the control of Russia. It is the people that forced the change and cried out for new ways when old systems were breaking down. Revolution is apart of history, a history that many governments fear.
I looked at the adornments of the Municipal House and found it difficult not to fall in love with the atmosphere. You saw the jaded eyes of those who were used to seeing it all. There was a loss for the magic. I love those moments, where eyes light up and you want to carve a moment in time and hold on to it. However, time moves and the only way to freeze those moments are through these images and words. It makes it last longer by sharing them with the attitude of a wondrous child.
It was amazing. It still is.
From the Municipal House in Prague, The Prague Royal Orchestra - Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - Row 1, Seat 12.