NWCU Book Talk ~ Osho ~ When the Shoe Fits

“When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten.”

I could easily lead this discussion towards opinions of Osho, whether his philosophies were unique to him or uniquely retold, whether his life and lifestyle followed his own teachings and whether his popularity was more influenced by the era than his truths but I won't. Rather, I will focus on the book “When the Shoe Fits” and the parables transcribed between the covers.

In my opinion, this book is a tedious read with many redundancies. Most of Osho's work was transcribed by others after his death rather than by Osho himself. I admit finding many truths in the redundant lines and that in itself makes the book a worthwhile read.

Before going into Osho's teachings, the reader benefits from a rudimentary understanding of Chuang Tzu, an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE. He is credited with writing a work known by his name which expresses a skeptical philosophy, arguing that life is limited whereas knowledge to be gained is unlimited. Osho's teachings are firmly grounded in this philosophy.

The book, “When the Shoe Fits,” contains ten chapters of parables used to teach others how to live in a way that brings enlightenment. I have copied some of the passages here for examples and discussion.

On confidence:

Everybody keeps on repeating to himself: I am confident. Why? What are you hiding? If this confidence that you talk about is really there then there is no need to say anything about it. A really confident man is not even aware of it. This has to be understood – whenever something is false you are aware of it, self-conscious. When something is real, you simply forget it. Do you remember that you are breathing? If something goes wrong, yes. If it is hard and there is something wrong with your lungs and you have a cold or asthma, then you remember that you are breathing. But when everything goes okay, you are not conscious. WHEN THE SHOE FITS, THE FOOT IS FORGOTTEN. When you are really confident, confidence is forgotten.

On unresolved:

If there is anger and you fight, what will happen? Half of your being will be with the anger, and half with this idea of fight. It is as if both your hands are fighting each other. Who is going to win? You will be simply dissipating energy. No one is going to be victorious. You can fool yourself that you have now got your anger suppressed, now you are sitting on your anger, but then you will have to sit on it continuously, not even a single moment’s holiday is allowed. If you forget about it for a single moment, you will lose your whole victory. So people who have suppressed something are always sitting on those suppressed things and they are always afraid. They cannot relax. Why has relaxation become so difficult? Why can’t you sleep? Why can’t you relax? Why can’t you be in a let go? Because you have suppressed so many things.

On ego:

Ego is the deepest violence and if you want to strengthen the ego you have to go on fighting continuously. And the ego is very fragile; every moment it is on the verge of dying. And anybody can kill it, just a gesture can kill it, just a look. Somebody looks at you, and the ego is troubled. That man seems to be an enemy. A gesture of enmity and you feel a trembling because the ego is fragile. It is a false, artificial thing, it has to be maintained. That is why there is so much fear – and amidst this fear, this oceanic fear, you manage to create a few islands of bravery. Otherwise it would be too difficult.

Ego is a false phenomenon. It is the accumulation of others’ opinions, it is not a knowledge of the

self. This self, the so-called self which is really the ego, is nothing but the accumulation of reflections

– and then there is always fear. Others may change their mind, you are always dependent on them.

If they say you are good you have to follow their rules to remain good, you have to follow them to

remain good in their eyes, because once they change their opinion you will no longer be good. You

have no direct approach to your being, it is via others. So you not only advertise, you magnify, you

falsify. You may have a little truth, a little beauty, but you magnify it and it becomes ridiculous.

On love:

The very wanting, the very desire to prove, means that you are not. A man who is really wise will never in any way be searching for opportunities to prove that he is wise. A fool is always in search of a way to prove that he is wise. A man who is really in love, who has become love, will not try to prove that he is in love. When you are not in love you try to prove in many, many ways that you are in love. You bring presents, you go on talking about love, but all your efforts say just the opposite.

If you really love a person you will not even mention the fact that you love them. What is the need? If the other cannot understand your love without words, the love is not worth anything. If you have to say it, it means that something is false.

Of Tao:

A man of Tao remains ordinary, absolutely ordinary. Nobody knows who he is, nobody knows what

he carries within him, what treasure. He never advertises, he never tries to display. But why do

we advertise? Because of the ego. You are not satisfied with yourself, you are satisfied only when

others appreciate you. You may have a valuable stone, but it is not enough; others must appreciate it. Others’ opinion is more valuable – not your being. You look into others’ eyes as if they are mirrors and if they appreciate you, applaud you, you feel good.

So if you want to prove something it shows that you are doubtful about it. You want to destroy your

doubt through others’ eyes, through their opinions. You are not really convinced of your beautiful

person, you would like others to say that you are beautiful.

As I read, I found it interesting that Osho taught that we need to return to our child. Most of us can remember things beginning at the age of four with perhaps a few memories prior to that age. We don't remember the earlier years not because the brain isn't capable of remembering but during those years we were free and wild. At about the age of four, we were being domesticated, given societal expectations and suddenly there were things that we had to remember. I think I would enjoy being a three-year-old again (potty-trained, of course.)

I'm Beth Winter and I hope you join us for the discussion of Osho's teachings at this New World Creative Union Facebook Event. All are welcome to participate and I am sure that the many teachings and viewpoints will spark some lively discussions. Thank you.

NWCU Sunday Book Talk 06.01.13 - Phoenix Rising

Phoenix Rising
No-Eyes' Vision of the Changes to Come
by Mary Summer Rain

"There are those who are skeptics. There are those who are doubters. And there are those who prefer to don rose-colored glasses. To these ones, I have no words for they have made their choice, though the signs have been many.

Yet there are those who wonder. There are those who have gentle stirrings. And there are those who have stepped upon the beautiful threshold of awareness--all on the verge of perceiving that which is there to see. To these ones, I say, open your exquisite senses. Look with fine clarity into that which is beyond and beneath, within and without. In these coming and critical times, listen to and heed the directives of your spirits that retain the high wisdom you are just now perceiving."

From this author note, the reader turns the page and becomes an active participant in the lessons offered from No-Eyes, Medicine Woman of the Chippewa Nation to her student, Summer (the author, Mary Summer Rain). The book is written in dialogue and dialect that the reader must become accustomed to but once the voices become familiar, the records of these predictions both intrigue and entrance the reader.

No-Eyes teaches that the Earth Mother will give birth to the Great Phoenix and the birth will be painful, rending and destructive yet in the end, the inhabitants of the earth will learn to live in the Earthways of the Indian people without a need for government or wars or taxation. All people will be equal but reaching that point will take an extreme toll on life as we know it.

I admit that this book was emotionally stressful to experience. No-Eyes predicted disaster after disaster and sadly, each felt familiar to me as if we are living in the time of the birth of the Phoenix. She predicted economic failures with jobs being relocated to other countries, natural disasters like unprecedented flooding and extreme storms, an increase in transportation accidents, freak deaths, increased homicide and suicide rates, diseases, arms escalation, discord between nations, undeclared wars, and government secrecy.

Her vision revealed a break in the separation of church and state with religious factions becoming more influential in political decisions. People would see evidence of paranormal and alien intelligence and question the government's stance in suppression of such evidence.

She predicted two major nuclear meltdowns with catastrophic pollution of land and waterways. The Earth Mother would reject the radioactive waste that we have carelessly buried under her skin, forcing it to seep through the surface, exposing the living to the burning poisons.

Then comes the time of civil unrest. Three laws will be passed without input from the people. An uncontrollably large number of people will refuse to pay taxes to the government, more than the enforcement personnel can handle. The draft will be reinstated and people will move to protect their young men from senseless risk and death. Government agencies will begin fighting within themselves to the point that there won't be an effective government.

Yet, after this very difficult birthing process, the phoenix will fly free. There will not be minorities and there will not be leaders. Man will return to the ways of the Indians, using only what they must use from the land and offering gratitude in return. Life will become simple and prayers will be offered because they are felt, not expected. The Indian Nation will rise through widespread adaptation of its ways of natural living and the deep human philosophy.

If asked what touched me most deeply in this book, I would answer that I am incredibly grateful for free will because as long as we cherish that gift, the future can be bright and that in accepting my spirit, I will know peace.

I'm Beth Winter and I thank you for joining us on this month's Book Talk. We will have discussion on the event page and invite you to join us.

#BookTalk @NWCreativeUnion ~ #TheCelestineProphecy

The Celestine Prophecy ~ An Adventure

James Redfield

1993

I came to this book early on in my own adventures with energy. It was about 14 years ago, and my father recommended I read it.  I did…enjoying the tale…but obviously not quite ready to receive the message.

When it came up in conversation on The Creative Nexus over on BTR, my eye was immediately drawn to the book on my shelf.  How it had made its way to my shelf…I’m not entirely sure.  A year after moving, there are still boxes of books waiting for their rotation on my shelves. (Limited space…TONS of books) Perhaps…it was awakening me to the first insight…there are no coincidences.

Since my first reading, my exploration of our energy has evolved along with the study in our world. As the theories of quantum physics gain popularity, a resurgence of interest in this fictional tale is to be expected.  But in all honesty…the story may well be the oldest in our history. It is the story of oneness, of cooperation, of doing to others, of shedding the dogma and quite simply waking up to the miracles we are.

Through Nine Key Insights (and a wonderful adventure through Peru) James Redfield shares this fictional tale…that carries great weight in the hearts and minds of those waking bodies.

A brief breaking down is provided here, but there’s sure to be some fascinating conversation happening over on the Facebook event…and you’re all invited to join! We'll be getting underway Sunday, November 18th...and we'll be chatting all day long! 

The Nine Insights of The Celestine Prophecy

(Provided by Tripod.com)

1 – A critical Mass: A new spiritual awakening is occurring in human culture, an awakening brought about by a critical mass of individuals who experience their lives as a journey in which we are all led forward by mysterious coincidences.

Questions to consider: Am I aware of the coincidences that happen in my life? Are any of these, or several of these, interesting enough to develop a paper about?

2- The longer now: This awakening represents the creation of a new, more complete world view, which replaces a five-hundred-year-old preoccupation with secular survival and comfort. While this technological preoccupation was an important step, our awakening to life coincidences is opening us up to the real purpose of human life on this planet and the real nature of our universe.

Questions to consider: Do you have one or several preoccupations that have affected your life (addiction, resistance to authority, emotional dramas, fear, conformity, family entanglements, etc.) Consider writing a paper which describes these preoccupations and how you want to get past them. Describe where you want to be in six months, in a year, the people you admire, and the things you want your life to include.

 3 – A matter of energy: We now experience that we live not in a material universe but in a universe of dynamic energy. Everything is a field of energy that we can sense and intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our energy by focusing our attention in the desired direction, influencing other energy systems and increasing the pace of coincidences in our lives.

Questions to consider: Have you ever given or received energy from nature, other people, playing sports, being a member of a community or activity? Have you ever seen an energy field? Or, have you ever felt the energy between your hands or someone else’s hands and yours?

 4- The struggle for power: Too often humans cut themselves off form the greater source of this energy and so feel weak and insecure. To gain energy we tend to manipulate or force others to give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened and often fight back. Competition for scarce human energy is the cause of all conflict between people.

Questions to consider: Have you ever stolen someone’s energy? Have you ever had your energy stolen? What has the book taught you about this?

 5- The message of the Mystics: Insecurity and violence end when we experience an inner connection with divine energy, a connection described by the mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness—buoyancy—and the constant sensation of love are measures of this connection. If these measures are present, the connection is real. If not, it is only pretended.

Questions to consider: "On the highest peak of the mountain, he suddenly feels at one with everything—as if the world, the sun, and the sky were all part of his own body."

Have you ever had an experience similar to this? This insight describes what is practiced by those who study Eastern philosophy via Zen meditation, hatha yoga, martial arts, acupuncture, and other healing disciplines. It is really about a breaking down the barrier of the mind/body separation.

 6—Clearing the past: By understanding the more we stay connected, the more we are acutely aware of those times when we lose connection. In these times, we can see our own particular way of stealing energy from others. Once our manipulations are brought to personal awareness, our connection becomes more constant and then we can discover our own growth path in life, and our spiritual mission, the personal way we can contribute to the world.

Questions to consider: How does your control drama hold you back from achieving the goals you have set for yourself? What does your control drama say about you?

 7—Engaging the flow: Knowing our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward our destinies. First we have a question, then dreams, day dreams, and intuitions lead us toward the answers, which usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being.

Questions to consider: After examining your dreams, what are they telling you? Consider writing a paper which analyzes one or more of your dreams. 

  

8—The interpersonal ethic: We can increase the frequency of guiding coincidences by uplifting every person that comes into our lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner connection in romantic relationships. Uplifting each other is especially effective in groups where each member can feel the energy of all the others. With children it is extremely important to their early security and growth.

Questions to consider: How are romantic relationships interfering with your growth? Have you ever successfully developed a platonic relationship? What is your relationship like with small children?

 9—The emerging culture: As we all evolve towards the best completion of our spiritual missions, the technological means of survival will be fully automated as humans focus instead on synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into ever-higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence with the afterlife dimension, ending the cycle of birth and death.

Questions to consider: What can you do to increase the quality of living in the next millennium?

NWCU Book Talk ~ Jonathan Livingston Seagull 04.11.12

Jonathan Livingston Seagull 

by Richard Bach



"The only true law is that which leads to freedom," Jonathan said. "There is no other."

Jonathan Livingston Seagull took flight in 1970 during the age of Enlightenment. Richard David Bach is the author of the best-sellers Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah and others. Some reports claim that while he was walking on the beach, he heard a voice that told him not only to write this story but also provided the plot summary. Mr. Bach was alone and from all other indications, had not been guided to write anything by audible prompting in his life other than this book. Madness or Enlightenment? Inspiration comes from many sources and does it matter if the end result is the same? Though the voice will forever remain a mystery, the story shared with Mr. Bach is one that fascinates readers and carries a strong underlying metaphor that guides toward Enlightenment. 

“To fly as fast as thought, to anywhere that is,” he said, “you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived ...”

A young seagull, fascinated by the potential of flight, pushes the known limits of gulls and rejects the status quo, teaching himself more about the wonders of flight every day until one day, he is rejected by the flock and becomes an Outcast. The flock expectations were that gulls were to fly for food, not for any other purpose. Jonathan pushed the boundaries and even as an Outcast, found great pleasure in following his own pursuits. How does this approach to learning and living affect us as humans? Imagine what you can do if you push against your own boundaries and leave yourself open to possibilities. What might you learn?

Jonathan achieves a higher reality, one that he initially perceives as heaven but quickly learns that this level is another proving ground, another opportunity to learn. He seeks the wisest gull, Chiang,  to guide him and learns that the greatest teachers let us discover through our own commitment to learning.

"We can start working with time if you wish," Chiang said, "till you can fly the past and the future. And then you will be ready to begin the most difficult, the most powerful, the most fun of all. You will be ready to begin to fly up and know the meaning of kindness and of love."

In reading this quote, I lock on the concept of flying the past and the future. In this sense, it reminds me that yesterday, today and tomorrow are all parts of one, the self, and that accepting all parts of the whole is a major step in knowing kindness and love.

"Do you want to fly so much that you will forgive the Flock, and learn, and go back to them one day and work to help them know?"

Once Johnathan learned great truths, he returns to the flock of his previous existence. Personally, I find this the most difficult decision in the story. Most of us would avoid going where we are not accepted, where we are not wanted, where we were scorned, yet Jonathon returned to the possibility that there were other gulls like him who sought freedom and truth, faced the most uncomfortable scrutiny and appeared, offering  guidance to gulls who wanted to understand the higher truths, that the search might cast them as Outlaws but also that the word Outlaws is plural. There are others who seek the same. Love, respect, forgiveness and freedom transcend all laws and in their absence, there will be no higher truths.

"Don't be harsh on them, Fletcher Seagull. In casting you out, the other gulls have only hurt themselves and one day they will know this and one day they will see what you see. Forgive them and help them understand."

Each chapter rests upon the refusal to accept negative emotions, the acceptance of forgiveness and that greater truths will not be understood until we are willing to forgive the wrongs that are done to us.  Bitterness is a limitation and blocks the way to freedom.

Near the end of the book, Jonathan realized that his student was ready to be the teacher and that he had more to learn As he turned the teaching over to his student so he himself could search for an even greater level of existence, he begged that he be remembered for the humble gull that he was, not a god but as a gull who was free.

"One school is finished and the time has come for another to begin."

There is a wealth of knowledge in this book that contains less than 10,000 words, spent 38 weeks topping the best seller list and has over a million copies in print. Rather than try to cover it all here, I will leave some for the Book Talk discussion. Please join us at the Book Talk event (follow link) and share your thoughts on this small yet powerful novella.

If you haven't read the book or want to read it again, this free PDF Jonathan Livingston Seagull is available. It only took me 16 minutes to read. Do you have 16 minutes to spare?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to our discussion. See you at the event!

Beth





  

NWCU Book Talk - 21.10.12

Kahlil Gibran

Welcome to NWCU's Book Talk. Today's book is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, a book that has not only inspired writers, philosophers and song writers but whose quotes are as well known as cherished proverbs.

Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet was published in 1923, a collection of twenty-six prose poems that made him one of the world's best selling poets. The book is delivered as sermons yet doesn't follow any specific religious bent. It is easily understood and accessible by everyone. 

Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, lived in exile in the fictional city of Orphalese for twelve years. On the day that his ship arrived to transport him from exile, the citizenry of Orphalese gathered in hopes that Almustafa would offer them guidance and inspiration.

Presented as a question and answer testimony moderated by the seeress Almitra, Almustafa responds using allusions to nature and everyday activities to show the citizens the interrelated elements of life, condemning conventions and offering wisdom without the formality of religion or laws.

I won't summarize all twenty-six questions in this post. Rather than decipher every aspect of the book, I look forward to discussing the elements opening at Book Talk (click link to participate in the Facebook Event) I will touch on a couple that I feel an intense kinship with in the following paragraphs.

On Love

" Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love. And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.  And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. And when is wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, Though is voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste to the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning."

Love must be welcomed and believed even knowing that it might shatter dreams, may crown and crucify simultaneously, grows and must be held back. Love is all encompassing in both the laughter and weeping. People should let love direct their course and in so doing, be in the heart of God. In order for love to be self-sufficient, not giving or taking, balance is required.

On Children

"And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children. And she said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. you may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams."

Parents may forget that their children are individuals with thoughts of their own. A father often prides himself with "my son" to follow in "my footsteps" and mothers may make beauty queens of their little girls in an attempt to live through them. Both are impossible. Children should be loved, nourished, and encouraged to develop as individuals.

I've only lightly touched on two of the twenty-six chapters in The Prophet. The chapters cover  love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.

Meet me at the NWCU Book Talk event, or leave your thoughts/comment on this post. I will be moderating both and hope to have consuming discussions on the precepts of this book.

Thank you,
Beth

NWCU Book Talk - Zen in the Art of Archery 07.10.12

Welcome to NWCU Book Talk. I'm Beth Winter and I'll be moderating this edition of Book Talk. The book that we chose to discuss today is Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. Contrary to what the title implies, this book does not require an understanding of archery, instead readers should think of archery or flower arranging as a metaphor for anything that you do in life.

The Artless Art

"In a short, pithy narrative, he brings the heart of Zen to perfect clarity--intuition, imitation, practice, practice, practice, then, boom, wondrous spontaneity fusing self and art, mind, body, and spirit. Herrigel writes with an attention to subtle profundity and relates it with a simple artistry that itself carries the signature of Zen." --Brian Bruya

In 1948, when Eugen Herrigel published Zen in the Art of Archery, he chronicled his experiences in Japan learning under the guidance of a Zen Master. Many books exist with a focus on the meditation and practice elements of Zen but this book takes a different approach. Herrigel shared his experiences through the ritualized arts of discipline and beauty.

"The right art," cried the Master, "is purposeless, aimless! The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed in the one and the further the other will recede. What stands in your way is that you have a much too willful will. You think that what you do not do yourself does not happen.” ? Eugen Herrigel

We have all heard of that state of being known as "being in the zone," a time when creativity flows freely, without forethought or intent, when the art and artist become one. We practice our crafts, study and practice. We know the right place to insert commas, the proper exposure for light conditions or the optimum brushstroke to create a certain effect. Likewise, we can place ourselves in position to create. We can pick up our cameras and wander through the woods or prepare our supplies and line them carefully in front of us. But none of the equipment, supplies or settings will allow our art to exist to its fullest unless we find that zone.

As Herrigel describes through his experiences, the philosophy of Zen is the mastery of an art to the degree that it can be done without conscious thought.

If I take my camera to the edge of the pond with the sole intent of taking pictures of the juvenile blue heron, I may well get pictures of the heron but will not have practiced my art. Imagine all that I bypassed by having a target as my primary goal. If I go to the pond without a focus, the pond, the life surrounding it, my finger on the shutter release and my entire being become art. I allow the target to be without conscious thought. One of the most frustrating things for me is to have someone say "take the shot already." They don't understand that the shot will occur when the shot occurs.
I didn't read this book until recently. I wish I had read it a long time ago. Shortly after reading it for the second time, I put the artless art into practice with my pre-dawn yoga exercise. For years, I practiced yoga to an audio recording that prompted me from pose to pose, reminding me of breath and stance. Then one morning, I assumed prayer position without audio prompting and allowed my body to breathe and assume the poses that it knew from years of practice. Timing was undefined. My body held poses and transitioned to the next of its own accord. I did not choose to stand in tree pose for five minutes and honestly cannot say how long I remained in any single pose. In the end, my yoga practice was a moving spiritual experience, one that taught me the truest meaning of centering and balance. The audio tape is now in the pile of items for the garage sale. I may give it away.

One of the most influential parts of the book for me is when Herrigel alters his practice to train himself to release the arrow smoothly with intent. He practiced a shortcut to achieving a goal and in forcing the result, he insulted his Zen master.

As I read, I associated the little conscious finger twitch that allowed the arrow to release with those times when for whatever reason, I cannot write freely and force my words, wedging them together in a futile attempt to write a poem. Most of those forced poems remain in draft form awaiting the day that they are meant to be. In comparison, I frequently wake with poetry half formed at my fingertips, allow them to flow and look at the end result with the wonder of "where did that come from?" It didn't come from conscious thought rather appeared when I wasn't trying. I do admit to trying to taunt my reluctant muse into action by attempting new forms. In the process of trying something new, my focus isn't on the poem but rather on the structure. This practice often bypasses any block that I experienced and allows me to do what I love.

In closing and before discussion begins, I thank you for your interest and patience with my rambling. Although the art practiced by Eugen Herrigel is Archery, it is metaphorical for any art. The lessons remain the same though the tools might differ.

"The man, the art, the work--it is all one.” Eugen Herrigel

• We will hold our discussion in comments either on this post or our Facebook Event Book Talk. I look forward to gaining more insight through your interpretations of Zen in the Art of Archery.
• We want your suggestions for books to be featured in future Book Talk events. Please feel free to share them as well.

Thank you.

NWCU Autumn Surprises

[Baut images: Amongst the Leaves]

Now that we are in the midst of seasonal change, so too, is the New World Creative Union! As you are well aware, Natasha and I are regularly encouraging everyone to explore new forms of artistic expression. If you are a writer, we say, "...try sketching, or drawing, or painting, to expand your artistic expression." In other words, just do something different, even if you may not particularly care for what you create at first. Just try something new! Think about this, is a person being 'truly' creative, when he or she is doing the same thing over and over again?

Therefore, heeding our own advice, we are exploring some new paths and forms of expression for the NWCU. Natasha and I have decided that these changes will start at the time of the Autumnal Equinox, which arrives this year on Saturday, September 22nd. Our NWCU kick-off will be Sunday, September 23rd.

The Autumnal Equinox, also known as Mabon or the Festival of the Harvest, indicates the year is winding down. Named after the Welsh God Mabon, the festival is basically one of celebrating the harvest and thanksgiving.

This year, our first year, has been a very interesting and exciting one, and we do indeed, have something to celebrate. Actually, it has been quite remarkable, and we do appreciate those of you who have been participating in our Wednesday Wake-Up Call activity, posting your work, as well as 'sharing' and 'promoting' the work of other artists; that's what the NWCU is all about.

So, here's a little peek ahead at 'some' of the things we have in store:

• Sunday, September 23rd: Group Event "NWCU Book Talk" 

on Eugen Herrigel's Zen and the Art of Archery.

Plenty of time to get and read the book. 
I think there's a pdf online, for your convenience.

Time 'to be announced' with group event post.

• Wednesday, September 26th: The popular Wednesday Wake-Up Call (WWUC) returns.

• Sunday, September 30th: NWCU Sunday Snapshot

A photo-prompt.

Stay tuned there's more to follow! A bigger surprise is in the offing too! 'Stay tuned.' Hmmm, now I wonder what that could mean?