“The season of failure is the best time
for sowing the seeds of success.”
Paramahansa Yogananda
Shine On
Category Archives: February
Uplifting Art
“The aim of art is to represent
not the outward appearance of things,
but their inward significance.”
Aristotle
Unicorn Chick by Eddie Fitch
Thanks to a Boston program that showcases homeless and disabled artists work, these artists work are helping them rebuild their lives. Their art speaks volumes about the artist and their work. Works of art that would normally go unnoticed without the help of a young woman, Liz Powers.
Since she was eighteen, Liz Powers has worked with homeless and disabled individuals in Boston. She began by creating and running art groups in local women’s shelters. While there, Liz was amazed by the talent around her, but noticed that much of the art would end up in the trash can or lost in the shelters’ closets. After observing the same problem at other local art programs, Liz and her brother Spencer created ArtLifting. Since its launch in December 2013, ArtLifting has also helped five formerly unhoused artists gain housing.
Her goal is create a profitable business not only for her organization, but for each and every artist that participates in the program. By selling these artists work, ArtLifting is providing homeless and disabled artists the opportunity to earn their own income. The organization is run just like an upscale art studio. Each artists earns 55% of the profit from each sale.
Why is this program so successful? Because by earning an income instead of a handout, the artists feel empowered and confident. This confidence has a domino effect on every aspect of their lives and helps them pursue dreams that previously seemed unreachable to them.
Liz’s ultimate goal is to give a homeless or disabled artist his or her first break. Because she believes most of these people have never had a break. While art can inspire each of us, Liz Powers and the artists she helps inspire us as well as their uplifting art.
Shine On
Peace Lily
“We look forward to the time
when the Power of Love
will replace the Love of Power.
Then will our world know
the blessings of peace.”
William Ewart Gladstone
when the Power of Love
will replace the Love of Power.
Then will our world know
the blessings of peace.”
William Ewart Gladstone
In a previous post, Frankenstein of Flora, I wrote about how much I love plants and especially enjoy rescuing them. In the past few months, I’ve added a variety of new plants to our home.
Recently, I rescued from Lowe’s Home Improvement a Spathiphyllum wallisii, commonly known as the Peace Lily. This half-dead plant was cast aside from all the other plants, droopy and in need of some TLC.
I quickly read up on this plant and was happy to learn it is one of the easiest and hardiest house plants. Peace Lilies not only brighten up a living space, but are also excellent at cleaning the air of the room they are in. In fact, a NASA Clean Air Study found that this beautiful and hardy plant cleans indoor air of certain environmental contaminants, including benzene and formaldehyde.
Several Peace Lily species are popular indoor houseplants. It lives best in shade and needs little sunlight to thrive, and is watered approximately once a week. The soil is best left moist but only needs watering if the soil is dry.
If you’re looking for a low maintenance, beautiful house plant, I highly recommend the Peace Lily.
Shine On
All You Have To Do Is Try
“Think of your dreams and ideas as
tiny miracle machines inside you
that no one can touch.”
William Kamkwamba
I just finished reading a young adult book that was the most amazing story I’ve read in a long, long time. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a biography told and written by William Kamkwamba and his life in the tiny nation of Malawi, Africa.
William’s book is a heartwarming story about his family and friends struggle to just survive in this starving nation. Through his passion to learn and love of science, he was able to build a windmill to supply energy for his families farm.
This book touched me in so many ways. How this thirteen year old boy was able to accomplish what he did in such a short time was a miracle in itself. How his family lived and survived without food, without all the modern convenience we as U.S. citizens take for granted daily. William’s family couldn’t afford the cost of an education for him and his six sisters, so William would walk to the library and read and teach himself about science.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind should be a must read for all students and people of every nation. So much can be learned by what William and his nation have to deal with daily. Even with all the obstacles in his way, he stayed focused on his goals and dreams. Thinking of his dreams and ideas as tiny miracle machines inside of him that no one could ever touch. Always believing that the more faith you put into your dreams, the bigger they get, until one day they’ll rise up and take you with them.
But there is one lesson that young William said would always stay with him and that was, “if you want to make it, all you have to do is try.”
Shine On
A Short Break
“A vacation is what you take
when you can no longer take
what you’ve been taking.”
Earl Wilson
In the middle of January, I stopped my daily posting on my blog. The reason was mostly to concentrate my time on other more physical aspects of my life. I have been posting daily for 380 days straight and sitting for hours at my laptop was not healthy for me.
Although I did find myself continuing to comment and like my fellow bloggers posts, I also found out how much I have missed my daily interactions with my fellow bloggers.
It’s becoming difficult to write on a daily basis and keep up with what I want to accomplish daily, so I will not be posting as often. I felt it was time for a much needed and enjoyed short break.
Shine On
Chronicles of a Blogaholic 