I am currently in that mysterious space between starting a large sketch for my new painting… and waiting for stretcher bars to arrive (which, at this point, feel like they are traveling here by foot from another century). It is very hot. The kind of hot that doesn’t just sit outside politely—it follows you around, sits on your shoulders, and occasionally drains your will to exist. Add the monsoon to the mix, and you have a climate that feels like a spiritual test I did not consciously sign up for. Thankfully, sketching is easy for me. One of the few activities where I don’t feel like I’m negotiating with the weather. In this sketch, the child evokes so much. She is beautiful—quietly so. The kind of beauty that must have caught the attention of the artist immediately. I find myself wondering… when was this? The 17th, 18th, 19th century? I used to copy many drawings by François Boucher. She reminds me of those models—young, ordinary, and yet somehow timeless. But then the mind wanders… What happened to her? Did she have a good life? Or did she become just another silent figure in the background of history… possibly mistreated, possibly forgotten?

Very eye-opening stuff.

"No matter how you choose to express your creativity - whether it's through writing, gardening or something else - you shouldn't be afraid to be bad at it. That's because according to actor Ethan Hawke, creativity isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. In his TED Talk, he urges us all to identify what we love to do, and use that passion to express our true selves. 'Most of us really want to offer the world something of quality, something that the world will consider good or important,' he says. 'That's really the enemy, because it's not up to us whether what we do is any good.'" Ethan Hawke has always been my favorite actor since I am a child. I believe "Explorers" was the first movie I saw him in. "Dead Poet Society" is still one of my all-time favorite movies. And of course, if you know me you know that "Reality Bites" was my life through high school. A few years ago one of my teenage dreams came true when I got to meet him ( a few times). He is one of the nicest and coolest "celebrities" I've ever met in person. To me Ethan was always a true artist. For a long time he didn't get the credit he was due, I've been so blessed to see the formation of his career and everything he has done for the last 40 years and he is still inspiring me! Is there anything that you are holding back on because your not sure if your any good? Here's the link to the interview: https://www.ted.com/talks/ethan_hawke_give_yourself_permission_to_be_creative?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Here is another post about a mystical, magical connection I have with Ethan: https://www.skool.com/highvibetribe/welcome-to-the-other-side-of-the-looking-glass?p=19c9d031 The Man in the Arena: https://www.skool.com/highvibetribe/the-man-in-the-arena?p=976c39b4

The Bhagavad Gita uses a beautiful analogy in Chapter 15—a banyan tree. It asks us to imagine a tree standing beside a pond, reflected in the water. “The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.” (BG. 15.1) In simple terms, it is saying that this material world is like a reflection of the spiritual world. Everything we see here exists in its true form in the spiritual dimension. But—and here’s the twist—what is high in the spiritual world appears reversed here, almost upside down. Now, you may be thinking, “I’ve never seen a tree growing upside down!” And you’d be right—at least not in real life. But you have seen it in a reflection. When a tree stands by water, its image appears with the roots up and branches down. Nature is quietly teaching philosophy… we just don’t always notice. In the same way, this material world is described as a reflection of the real, spiritual reality. But here’s the important detail: this reflection is standing on desire, just like a reflected tree stands on water. No water, no reflection. No desire, no material entanglement. Desire is what keeps this reflected world “appearing real” to us. If one wants to understand this world—and eventually move beyond its limitations—one has to study this “tree” carefully. Not by climbing it (good luck with that), but by understanding its nature. Then, gradually, one can loosen one's attachment to it. This reflected tree is not random—it is an exact, though distorted, replica. Everything exists in the spiritual world in its pure and original form. The material world is simply a perverted reflection—same variety, but not quite the same quality. Like a photocopy of a photocopy… still recognizable, but a bit faded. So, who are we in all this? We can say we are consciousness. But more personally, we are individuals—with relationships, personality, and feelings. These don’t disappear in the spiritual world; they actually exist there in their most perfect and beautiful form, without confusion or imperfection.

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