wiltOn a hot and humid Sunday afternoon in Chicago two weeks ago, there was a loud explosion behind our apartment building. BOOM! and the electricity went off. My husband and I laughed and joked about the air conditioners in the city – that they had finally done it; maxed out the ComEd power grid. For weeks it’s been in the high 80s and 90s, day after day, but we are environmental types, and refuse to buy an air conditioner. We don’t even have a fan. I work at home, so the first week of this hot summer was rough, but I acclimated well. As July wore on, we watched more and more AC units pop up in our neighbor’s windows, until everyone was running a unit at night, which makes for a noisy atmosphere when you’re sleeping with the windows open. Between the heat, some intense business shifts and self-imposed deadlines, I had been draining myself of energy. When the electricity went out, I thought, “Perfect. Now I’m literally powerless.”

The transformer which kaboomed that Sunday blew itself clear off its pole. It took 36 hours to install new poles, new transformers (2 this time) and new lines to the buildings affected in our block. Meanwhile the contents of our fridge died a slow death, despite the bags of ice we set in there. But the evenings were nice; we slept in the lakefront breezes in the living room, camped out on the floor. And it was quiet – no AC units buzzing away. Tuesday morning about 1am, the power came back on. I got back to work in the morning, but it was like walking in deep mud; everything was a struggle. Something was draining me, sucking my power. I ignored it and kept pushing forward.

Thursday night I opened our electric bill. Typically we average about 120 kwh a month, thanks to an older refrigerator. I gasped; the bill said 577 kwh for July! What the WHAT? I went down to the basement and our electric meter was spinning like crazy. Another 220 kwh had racked up since the actual reading on Monday (and the electric was out until Tuesday!) I went to bed irritated [click to continue…]

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spiralBarbara Marx Hubbard describes evolution as a spiral: an ever-expanding coil of progression. Each level of our cyclical path does not return us to the same point where we began, but loops us into the next phase of development. I like this image, and it mimics the spiral pattern found in living matter. As Nobel Prize-winner Sir Laurence Bragg said, “We are all made of right-handed corkscrews.”

The ever-expanding spiral of evolution has some interesting qualities. Many people like to use the phrase, “History repeats itself,” which is not literally true of course, but we do recognize similarities between historical events. Unfortunately the human condition allows for a good amount spiritual, behavioral and political amnesia. Lessons have been learned in a very hard way, repeatedly, for centuries, but we do seem to be wising up to the cyclical aspect of our evolution. Most of us can sense the urgency in the air right now. As with any evolution, it comes down to a version of survival of the fittest; change or become extinct.

When it comes to personal evolution, you can sometimes sense the end of one phase and the beginning of a new one. The spiral image works well when applied to the path of our lives. If we’re paying attention, and not bogged down by the confusion and frustration of a new phase (change does not come easily at times), we can see the spiral pattern at work. Often when we are beginning that next new ring of the spiral, we are reminded of the moments and [click to continue…]

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I’m very excited to reveal my latest group of paintings! This series contains paintings created with intention. I often talk about the power of intention on this site, and am thrilled to reveal the inspiration behind these abstract paintings. Each piece is made with a unique purpose in mind, expressing an intention for change and a vision of hope for the future. These visions are infused with love and light to create shifts in energy toward a positive outcome.

The Vision Series: Intentions to heal the Gulf of Mexico focuses on our recovery from the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf. The recovery process is difficult, but our intentions to clean and restore our environment are heartfelt and widespread. By documenting the phases of this disaster, we honor the affected subjects and remember their plight, which is ultimately our own.

Intentions of love and healing assist all living things by adding purposeful energy to the collective [click to continue…]

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Meditation and creativity

by Sandra Walter July 19, 2010

My relationship with meditation has been a lengthy affair. I’ve experimented with styles, read books about different methods, and listened to guided recordings. Recently I had a revelation that has (finally) made meditation part of my daily routine.
When I look back at the intensely creative times of my life; when ideas, synchronicities and opportunities met [...]

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This Saturday: Worldwide Intention for the Gulf

by Sandra Walter July 15, 2010

It appears we are making progress in the Gulf of Mexico. The baby step of cap-testing began this week. If it holds, and the relief well works, we are finally going to see the leak stopped. Next step: the massive cleanup and recovery of the Gulf.
The healing – and the political and global movement [...]

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The David Lynch Foundation: creating change

by Sandra Walter July 13, 2010

I have long admired the creative work of David Lynch. His films, paintings and installations resonate in a unique way with my creative soul. A few years ago I read his book, Catching the Big Fish; Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, in which he shares his method for attracting creative ideas. Through a collection of stories [...]

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Creating with Intention

by Sandra Walter July 8, 2010

I’m finishing up my Etsy shop makeover and am very excited to reveal the new look and content. The shop will focus on creating with intention, with the first series of paintings infused with visualizations for healing the Gulf oil spill. This is the first time I’ve shared the direct intentions behind my paintings. As [...]

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Linchpin Magazine is now available!

by Sandra Walter July 5, 2010

An international event occurred on June 14, 2010. All over the world, people who identified with Seth Godin’s latest book Linchpin gathered to exchange ideas, contacts, and business dreams. Linchpin Magazine is the post-event guide to what happened at these meetings, as well as a listing of the fascinating projects people are undertaking. My recap [...]

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Your creative contribution changes everything

by Sandra Walter July 1, 2010

If you’re making art, you’re making a contribution to change the future.
Your creative activity fuels the collective global consciousness. No act of creation goes unnoticed. Whether it’s a sculpture made in your quiet studio or a monologue rehearsed to an empty theater, your expression activates the law of attraction. Like attracts like. Your art [...]

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Hands Across the Sand recap

by Sandra Walter June 28, 2010

What a successful event! Thousands of people all around the globe joined hands on Saturday in the sand. Whether your beach was loaded with people (1500 in New Jersey! Thousands along the Florida coastline! Europe! Africa!) or if you had a small band of folks along your riverside, Hands Across the Sand sent a message [...]

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