Gratitude Reaps Rewards

According to Psychology Today's Attitude of Gratitude Editorial, we reap what we sow. What are you reaping? By the grace of God I am reaping wonderful things. At least that's the way I see it. God has given me a tremendous gift of gratitude. I get excited when someone offers help, says a kind word, or in some way does something that brings joy to my heart.

So, why isn't everyone grateful? What has life done that we can't share an inkling of joy with others? Semi-quoting Paul's words, if anyone has a right to complain, I do. [Paul said, "brag." You can read why someday in my book, Living in Technicolor.] But after the pain, after the abuse, the loss, the hardship -- whatever that may be -- shouldn't we rejoice that we're still alive. If we aren't well, shouldn't we rejoice that we had a chance to glimpse the wonders of the world around us? That we have a God that loves us? [We really do. Email me if you don't know the love of Jesus Christ.]

Next time someone comes to you with dirt on their hands, smile. Be grateful that you have someone who is with you. Smiling is a small gift we can give back, but it's one that usually comes back to us again. A SMILE says that we're grateful the person we smiled at is in our lives.

When my son was young I told him to make a list of one hundred good things he could think of in his life. He had a hard time getting to ten but it got easier over time. I did it, too. Then we went over the list one by one. I still do this inventory periodically. It helps build my attitude of gratitude. As we age, we get to have more and more things to brag about [or reasons to be grateful]. It's all in what we focus on.

We can only share what we have learned and hope that some of it rubs off on others someday. Then reflect the gratitude we have inside -- starting with a smile.

Grateful you had the time to read this.

See the Way an Artist Sees Part 3

It's so long since I've written this blog that I wonder if y'all are still reading. Lots has happened between the last time I wrote this particular blog and now. For continual updates check out Pola Muzyka's Window.

If you're still with me, you will benefit. I promise. Not only will you learn the right way to draw, but you will have a better understanding of art and artistic abilities for all your endeavors. In other words, you'll have a greater sense of creativity. Last year my first novel, Escape the Hezbollah, was published and garnered the CSP Book of the Year Award 2010 for Fiction. That's what seeing like an artist can do. My ability to see things that others can't helped me also create a world in words. LOL Don't judge me by this blog. I'm trying to get some info to you quickly so I can get back to work on my third novel.

Shifting your brain thoughts and perceptions from left to right can be tough. First, you need to prepare yourself and want to make that shift. I really mean it is tough. Some of you might get dizzy, some might get nervous, frustrated, etc. It's all in your thought process shifting gear. Believe me when I say that if you can get past the nervousness or queasy feelings, you are well on your way to a peaceful state of blissfully seeing the way an artist sees. So, let's take it slow.

Please, spend some time going over and over the exercises. This might seem mundane to your left brain but if we can get your left and right brain in sync, you will be so much better off -- particularly if you seek to create some type of masterpiece. Exercise for today: using an 8X10 sheet of paper, draw a simple profile on the right side if you are right handed and left side of the paper if you are left handed. Now, on the other side of the paper try to mimic that profile exactly. When you have successfully mimicked the profile, you will have created a vase face. Now, connect the vase on the top and bottoms and shade it in. Stare at your perfect vase face to switch over from vase to face and back again. Experiment with your drawing to make different face shapes including monsters, animals, and designs. Then do the shift. When this shift is easy, you're ready for the next step.

See the Way an Artist Sees-Lesson#1 Part 2

REMINDER: Homework from lesson 1 was to draw someone doing something. This is an important part of completing the course successfully. Set your drawing aside in a safe place. We'll be referring back to it in the final lessons.

Seeing is about identifying, comprehending, and recognizing the subtle differences in the depth and perception of an object. The object being whatever your eyes behold. Look up and straight ahead... count to five slowly. Now close your eyes. What did you see? What did you really see? Write it down without looking up again. What you wrote comes from the left hemisphere of your brain. What I'm teaching you now will help you understand how to use the right hemisphere of your brain.

Let me explain a bit about the differences between the right and left hemisphere of the brain and why some people see the whole picture and others just figure things out by adding deduction and reason to what they academically learn, thus stifling their creative ability.

Your brain contains two halves connected by nerves crossing over onto the other side. In other words, the left hemisphere controls the right side of your body and the right hemisphere controls the left, which means that the right hand is controlled by the left side of your brain and vice-versa. In contrast, animals have symmetrical brains in function.

In humans the left side of the brain controls speech and language, thereby controlling the academic functions of our daily lives. The ability to use the left hemisphere of our brain is even forced on us by schools from the very onset of our academic education. We become dependent or enabled to use the left hemisphere of our brains on a continual basis. Your left brain system uses words, it analyses events and people, it uses symbols, reasoning ability, numerical understanding and comes to logical conclusions. It keeps time and links one idea or thought to another. It's also the side of your brain that causes the most anger, anxiety, and judgment. You see the advantage in developing the right side?

The right side of your brain controls your creative abilities, dreams, and perception of things. Your right brain system is aware of things now, seeing things, happenings and people in-depth without using words, it puts parts together to make them whole, and sees one thing in relation to another without needing words or symbols to put these things together. The right side of your brain is also non judgmental and non verbal. It never keeps track of time, is a visionary in nature, has foresight, and intuition and can be holistic, seeing the whole thing and conclusion without the details of how to get there. Therefore, the right side of the brain is the side we need to draw on in order to draw on.

Ok, now that I've totally baffled you, let me give you an exercise that will help you get closer to making the shift to the right hemisphere of your brain that is necessary to see the way an artist sees. Before you get worried, let me just say that your left brain will never give up it's use and it will even fight with you to give over it's function for whatever limited periods of time you use in making the shift.

Remember, that you can train your left hemisphere to see more creatively symbolic as well...but you must first learn to make the shift. Some artists who don't make the shift have trained their left hemisphere to paint, draw or whatever, but how much better off they will be when they see the whole all at once. So those of you who still want to use your left brain for art, reasoning, and creativity need to first make the shift, understand how it feels when you do, and then you may go back and forth as needed in your work or creative process.

Homework for the second part of lesson one is to remember and draw your childhood drawings. How did you draw a house? a person? an animal? a car? Do a sketch or painting now of what you did then. Till next week, let us see your homework on your comments or send them to me at: HOMEWORK and I'll post them for you.

See the Way an Artist Sees-Lesson#1

Over the years I have learned that what is called a 'natural' talent is just a way of seeing.

Let me explain...If we're raised with blinders on we are more comfortable seeing just what's ahead of us. That is exactly what happens. It's my contention that everyone can see the way an artist sees... Yes, some are born with the ability, but most of us are taught to see another way. That is an academic way...a way that gets us through life and life's ever increasing need to see solutions to problems. Unfortunately, if people only realized that by seeing properly, problems are more easily solved.

For example, if we use the left hemisphere of our brain without adding the right hemisphere, we see a chain of events that lead to a solution. However, the chain of events needs to have already happened. In other words, what went before needs to have already been solved. Well, that doesn't leave us any room for seeing the whole picture. We concentrate only on the chain and the solution that went before the problem we are facing now.

Now, what has this got to do with seeing the way an artist sees? Very simply, an artist sees the whole picture... not just two dimensional, but multi-faceted and even in depth. If, an academic person were to be able to see the way an artist sees...well, you get the picture...problems would be solved, inventions would be advancing more and more, and business would go much smoother.

There's too much to tackle in just one part of the first lesson so for homework I recommend that you see what you really are capable of doing by drawing your best rendition of someone doing something. Yes, I said your very best, because I can guarantee that you will be surprised to learn, even if you are an artist, unless you already see the way an artist sees, you have much more ahead.

Homework: #1. Draw someone doing something.