Couch to 5K with Heiroglyphics

Free review copy provided by Zondervan

I've been reading Leeana Tankersley's new book, Found Art; Finding Beauty in Foreign Places. In it, the author describes the (sometimes uncomfortable) process of discovering her deepest self at the same time she discovers the country and culture of Bahrain, where she and her newlywed husband are stationed for Naval duty. Each chapter highlights an instance when Leeana must see, learn, adjust, contemplate, embrace or let go of a part of herself.

By the time their one-year tour of duty passes Leeana has gone through so many subtle transformations that returning to her hometown of San Diego is almost like arriving in a foreign country. America hasn't changed, but Leeana has. The journey through her habits and perspectives, her travels with the Lord, and her winnowing experiences overseas have honed her into a somewhat different person now.


I particularly connected with Leeana's encouragement to view all of life's circumstances in light of the grand artwork God has in mind. In her chapter entitled, "peace", she writes:

It's strange how often life requires something foreign to connect us with something that, in the end, was so close all along. Sometimes we need a change of scenery in order to see what is really there inside us- all the parts and pieces of ourselves that have somehow been lost but are in desperate need of finding again. (pgs. 143-144)

The collage above is my recent experience of "foreign things."

Two years ago, when a very dear friend confided in me that they no longer trusted the veracity of the Bible, I handled the conversation very well. On the surface.
These were common misgivings in one’s faith-journey, I knew. Nothing to get up in arms about. Nothing to sweat over. Right?
Internally however, I was a mess. I was sweating. And churning. I felt blindsided and scattered. I sensed the footing of our fellowship crumbling. I did not know how to behave with this new dynamic coloring everything between us. I wanted a passionate pursuing relationship with the Lord and I wanted a running mate. My friend wanted to be my running mate, but was running in another direction. We’d been transported to a completely foreign place. (Egyptian textile)
Two years later I'm still in the foreign land. Not feeling much more savvy about how to maneuver on these streets. Still with very little idea how to be comfortable in this place.
Like a 21st century American plopped in the middle of ancient Egypt, everything feels strange. I want to learn to thrive in this place, not just survive, but I feel as though all the instructions are written in heiroglyphics. If only I knew how to read them. (b/w girl and magnifying glass)

I'm also joining my soon-to-be-40-year-old husband for our first 5K this spring. This is new territory.
I've never liked running for the sake of running. Team sports, tennis, sprint running to perform a specific goal- I can handle that. Running just to feel my legs and lungs burn... nope, not interested.
But with the vigor of youth leaving us rapidly, we decided to buck up and work our bodies toward a common goal, however small. Enter the 5K.


I have to learn the runner's lingo as well as find something about running to enjoy so I can see this through to race day. Mostly training on the treadmill, I seem to go nowhere, I look at the bland vanilla walls of my basement, I plug away and try not to fall off convincing myself that this is fun. Or, if it can’t be fun, then at least it is something beneficial. The Apostle Paul’s words about buffeting my body get a lot of playtime when I’m working out.
The body hurts, blocking the time out of my day is sometimes costly, the other things I’ve had to let slide in order to make training more of a priority… are all factors that make me want to just quit. Trust me that there are many things I’d rather be doing than logging mileage on these Nikes. (treadmill)

But there’s a glimmer of hope: I am beginning to enjoy it. I have come to look forward to my treadmill time as undisturbed quiet time with God. I feel my flab jiggle and shake and it inspires me to push a little harder, run just a bit longer, knowing that in the end there will be the reward of better health and knowing I accomplished what I set out to do.

Spiritually, as I have engaged my friend over these last two years, I've felt the jiggle and bump of useless weight on my soul. The laurels I rested on, the spirituality I clung to, my misconceptions about how I fit into the universe (in the very center, thank you very much!) really only added more weight to lug along this journey into a foreign land. God's been speaking to me that the one who travels lightest travels farthest. Like the Hebrews in the wilderness, my needs are supplied daily by the Provider. I don't need to pack provisions. They'd be useless anyway. And, like the book of Hebrews promises, setting aside laziness- both physical and spiritual- and journeying with faith and patience results in my inheritance. Heb. 6:12 (medals)

These journeys have become a sanctuary of sorts. A place for me to meet with God and seek refuge. A place to gain the sustenance I need for one more step along the path. And who knows how long these paths will stretch.



Do you have a "travel memoir" to share? Interested in winning your own copy of Found Art?
Pop over to They Hang Like Paper Lanterns for details.

Art vs. Social Justice?

I was with Heather Goodman the day she walked through Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. She writes about it in The Curator, exploring the purpose of art, and whether pursuing creativity is a worthy pursuit in the face of social injustice. You can read her thoughts here.

Winner! SoulPerSuit Kit

Congratulations go out to Abby, winner of the SoulPerSuit artsy kit and CHOCOLATE!

We'll be sending your prize out to you directly. :)

The Decay of Passions

Webster's Dictionary defines "passion" as; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.

This week I've been pondering why it is that our passions often seem to suffer the decay of this fallen world. The things we are devoted to deep within our hearts are, many times, not the things we spend the bulk of our days engaged in.

What I'm not talking about are fads. Florescent socks, mullet haircuts, poodle skirts, catch phrases and Hollywood diets are fickle trends. They come and go as quickly as the sun rises and sets.

What I am thinking of are the gifts, talents and passions that our Creator has placed within us. The things that stir us up to heights, quicken our heart beats, occupy our thoughts all day, and come out of us like a native language. Writing, painting, composing music, contemplating, prayer, meditation...


Click here to read how Abby, at Credo ut Intelligam, stretches herself against her creative decay.

How have you seen your own passions suffer decay?

Creating Culture

"Like our first parents, we are to be creators and cultivators. Or to put it more poetically, we are artists and gardeners. The postures of the artist and the gardener have a lot in common. Both begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there."

I pulled this quote from a terrific article in Christianity Today by Andy Crouch: Creating Culture: Our best response to the world is to make something

You may remember that back on August 7 I posted an entry about Andy's new book. This article gives you a glimpse into his thinking. It feels long to read online, so I recommend printing it. I read it in the magazine's print version, which somehow felt more manageable. But it's worth savoring.

Made For More

Clearly, this is made for more.
So obviously wanting.
Blatantly vacant.
Open and receptive.
Ready to be filled- but with what?
It's beyond me what that something should be.

I never envisioned this would stump me.
The organic nature of creation being what it is, however, I'm caught without an answer.

Weeks at a time, I felt like banging my head against the wall or flinging it in the trash.
"Can't I just be done with it?! This is becoming painful."

Once or twice, I almost painted over it. A blank canvas would be relief.

At times it makes me want to scream.
Some days it's more like weeping.
Other days I live in longing.
Dissatisfied.


Gracious friends, though, saw potential
Turned my criticisms on their heads.
Where I saw desolation, they saw invitation.
Redemption.
"Fill me. Mold me. Use me." It said to them.
Well, I never heard it say that. Well, I just never did.

(Was it because I wasn't really listening? Was even interested in listening?)
Had I decided it was hopeless? Dismissed it as junked with nary a thought toward completeness?



And now, of course, I wonder what You might see when You look at these holes.

Clearly we were made for more.

My New Hero

I have a new hero. His name is Shadrack, and he's the guy in the yellow shirt. He lives on the left side of this structure. The room through the door on the right is where he holds school...for 91 kids (they usually meet under the tree). And after school, he tutors their parents. With zero supplies. No pencils, no paper. Only the dirt to write in. (The same supply Jesus used when he wrote His Complete Works.)

Shadrack is teaching these kids because his spiritual mentors unanimously agreed that he had the right attitude and education for the task. So in obedience to them he went to a place that requires machetes to make a road. A place where the entire community is--or should I say, was--illiterate. A place with no running water and little food. His ultimate goal: to plant a church.

So here's my question. How creative would you have to be to find ways to teach 91 kids at the same time with no supplies? No blackboard. No desks. No chairs. No bus service. (The kids who walk more than four miles show up a little late. Especially in the rainy season.)

Often when we think of creative people we think of visual artists, novelists, sculptors. We think these require the best of our imaginations.

Are you more creative than you thought?

This Page Is Intentionally Left Blank

From the world's most renown unreliable source, Wikipedia:

An intentionally blank page is a page that is devoid of content, and may be unexpected. Such pages may serve purposes ranging from place-holding to space-filling and content separation. Sometimes, these pages carry a notice such as, "This page is intentionally left blank." Such notices typically appear in printed works, such as legal documents, manuals and exam papers, in which the reader might otherwise suspect that the blank pages are due to a printing error and where missing pages might have serious consequences. The phrase is a self-refuting meta-reference, in that it falsifies itself by its very existence on the page in question.

An intentionally blank page is a brilliant metaphor.
What do you think of when you see them at the end of a book?

Rivers and Tides

Excellence in Creativity

Take some music, add four guys a bunch of treatmills and some innovative choreography. Voila! What do you have? Some serious creativity. If you haven't already, check this out. My favorite part is when they look like they're skating. Yours?

Imitation maybe a sincere form of flattery, but it sometimes just doesn't measure up. On the other hand, sometimes the imitation even includes some improvements.

Put It in Your Pocket

In the current issue of the 3.1.6 Journal, SoulPerSuit is featured in miniature.
Teeny.
Tiny.
Abbreviated.
Pocket-sized, if you will.
They say good things come in small packages, right?


Pocket SoulPerSuit is a one passage, one page interaction with the Scriptures. Much like a full-length SoulPerSuit, Pocket SoulPerSuit uses a passage of the Bible (in this case, nine verses from the book of Mark) and a handful of thought-provoking questions to allow you to explore yourself, your Lord, and your creative medium of choice: All against the backdrop of Scripture.

This is a wonderful spiritual "bridge" for the Holidays. Most Bible Studies and adult Sunday Schools don't reconvene until January. Many of us are eyeing 2008 as the year we want to delve deeper into the Scriptures. The next full-length SoulPerSuit session is a few months away. So here's your opportunity to take a spiritual step forward and bridge the gap between 2007 and 2008. Try the Pocket SoulPerSuit.

Click below to order your 3.1.6. subscription and get your hands on the Pocket SPS. You can choose either a paper copy or a pdf. file.

(And of course, it always thrills us to see what you create, so send me your Pocket SPS results at soulpererin at yahoo dot com, and I'll post a pocket-sized gallery here on SoulPerBlog to showcase your creations.)

Art Movies

I'm always interested in movies that deal with the subject of the arts and artists.
But you know, I don't get out much when it comes to movies.

I have added some creative movies to my Netflix queue, but I'd like a little help rounding it out. Have you got a recommendation?

Visual Artists:
Pollock- Jackson Pollock
The Agony and the Ecstasy- Michelangelo
Lust For Life- Vincent Van Gogh
Girl With a Pearl Earring- Jan Vermeer
Camille Claudel- Camille Claudel
Basquait- Jean Michel Basquait
Modigliani- Amedeo Modigliani

Composers/Musicians:
Amadeus- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Immortal Beloved- Beethoven
Magic Bow- Paganini
A Song to Remember- Frederic Chopin
Walk the Line- Johnny Cash

Writers:

The Hours- Virginia Woolf
Shadowlands- C.S. Lewis

Dancers:
Isadora- Isadora Duncan
The Hidden Soul of Harmony- Mark Morris
Le Mystere Babilee- Jean Babilee

Create Your Own

Today I want to introduce you to some sites where you can play and create online. Whether you're a kid or a grown-up or a grown-up with kids, you can engage in imaginative play alone or with somebody you love.

Remember Mr. Potatohead? Think same concept, different genre. View my quirky modern art and create your own at Mr. Picassohead.

Next, create your own band complete with sound. I will spare you the link to the one I made. It would annoy you as much as your music used to annoy your parents.

If you follow my blog you already know how to create your own Jackson Pollock and your own Mondrian.

But why not trying a shot at creating your own cartoon character.

Create your own D&D character (you don't have to play the game to have fun making up characters). Mine is Stoaga Fletcher, otherwise known as Stoaga the Shadowdancer, Lady Stoaga, Lady Fletcher, Lady Stoaga Fletcher the Shadowdancer, Lady Stoaga Fletcher the Powerful, or Stoaga Fletcher the Weaver.

Finally, create your own psalm. For this you don't need a web site. Write down the hardest thing you've ever experienced. Then jot down how you felt (or feel). Then write a short prayer that ends with an expression of trust.

Give your left brain a break and tap into the creativity God made you to express.

[Photograph of The Guitar, 1918. Oil on canvas, by Juan Gris. In the public domain.]

What Are Your Faves?

Back in January when I was in Marfa, Texas, with a bunch of artsy types, several of my cohorts said I simply must read Twyla Tharp's bestseller, The Creative Habit. Tharp is an Emmy- and Tony-winning American dancer and choreographer (think "Hair," "White Nights," "Movin' Out"). When it comes to the subject of creativity, she's written a kickin' read. The layout is as creative as the prose.

Now, when it comes to creative writing, my fave is the 1983 edition of Writing the Natural Way.

If you want videos, the Catholic Communication Campaign's "Creativity: Touching the Divine" stands at the top of my list.

What is your favorite work(s) relating to art or creativity?

The Artist's Formative Stage

I think it was Picasso who said that everyone is an artist and the challenge as we grow is to keep from having it trained out of us.

When I was a kid, my mom taught me to make shavings from crayons. Then we'd press them with a hot iron between sheets of wax paper so they melted into a kaleidoscope of color. After that we'd cut out stained glass window frames and put the colored creation inside. Hanging in the window with the sun shining through, our homemade stained-glass windows took our breath away.

My kindergarten teacher taught me to make a turkey by tracing my hand. Did you do that too?

What are some of your first memories about creating something?

Great Resource for artists

One evening when my Oregonian mother was visiting me in Dallas, we stopped channel surfing when we saw a guy playing "the aquarium section" at a symphony performance. If you've seen Sandra Bullock's character in Miss Congeniality play the musical water glasses, you know the sort of "instrument" I'm talking about. (I have since learned that the musician, Jamey Turner, is called a "glass harpist.") Mom and I stopped and watched what turned out to be a great television program. It was the broadcast of a Catholic Communications production titled, "Creativity: Touching the Divine." We later tracked it down for purchase. Since then I have shown it every time I've taught Christian Journalism at Dallas Seminary (four or five years).

The fim explores "the universal virtue of creativity ranging from the fine arts to daily living." It was my first introduction to Frederick Hart, the sculptor responsible for the creation scene over the doors of the Washington National Cathedral, where I try to go once every holiday seaon. It also includes Madeleine L'Engle, whose book A Wrinkle in Time had a profound impact on my imagation in the sixth grade.

Have a look. If you love the marriage of faith and art, you'll find yourself savoring a feast.

Creativity Makes Us Human

Recently I've seen three very different movies whose underlying message is "creativity makes us human": Unleashed, Equilibrium, and The Shawshank Redemption.

Equilibrium is set in a future society run by a fascist government that has made all emotion illegal. In order to uphold this law, anything that evokes emotion is considered contraband. This includes all forms of individual expression such as music, art and literature. The greatest enforcer of the law becomes the savior of the resistance after encountering Mary. She questions the purpose of his existence and declares life without emotion "is just a clock... ticking".

In Unleashed a boy is raised as a dog. And not just any dog but a dog specifically trained to fight and kill. Like a dog, he does not question his owner or his purpose. He is obedient and appears to be without conscience - until he hears music. This, as well as the kindness of a stranger, awakens something in him. Suddenly he encounters his humanity and begins to desire it, especially through music and love.

My favorite example of the connection between humanity and creation is The Shawshank Redemption. The majority of this movie is set in Shawshank Prison in the 1940s. The existence of these men is brutal and base. This is sharply contrasted in several key scenes with some form of beauty: literature, opera, sculptures, financial savvy and Rita Hayworth! The narrator, Red, describes these moments as hope, being like free men, and "being the lords of all creation".

Creativity is a part of what every human is. It is a part of our nature. We are naturally creative! In these movies, it took an entire prison system and a dictator govenment. In the real world the prince of lies is our oppressor. He hates creativity above all things and seeks to destory it. One of his lies to us is that we are not creative. What a thief he is, stealing what is righfully ours.

Do you know of any other movies that express this same theme? Maybe even a novel? Let me know.