Wisdom Wednesday

The idea of body wisdom is taking on a broader rather than literal meaning. So I'm thinking of renaming my Wednesday posts as simply Wisdom Wednesday. What do you think? Email and let me know.

This week my flash of inspiration came from a Tuesday experience. After a tough start to the day, my dear friend Sanae suggested I leave the office and come in fresh. As I was heading out, I ran into a co-worker who was having a similar experience with the same difficult person. So we trotted off for a visit to our local City Girl Cafe.

Inside, I ran into a friend from a former freelance gig, and her current writing partner. It was an instant party! And the perfect salve to work-related frustrations. Within moments, the angst had vanished, replaced by renewed enthusiasm for the openness to life that's a prerequisite for any creative endeavor.

It's just like meditation. We only have to start over. Sometimes it takes a little walk to switch gears. And sometimes that little walk puts us in the path of a gift from the universe. Diana and I had an quick email connection just the day before -- so how synchronicitous was our running into each other the following morning? And who doesn't love reconnecting with old friends and meeting interesting new people? Not to mention, being joyously catapulted out of self-absorbed frustration with the way things are.

Check out one of Ameena's projects, 100% Human and be 100% inspired.

Looking for more creative inspiration? Chris Dunmire's Creativity Portal is a virtual grab bag.

And don't forget my book Magic Medicine: Rx for Creativity for inspiring stories from my art making journeys, and how you can turn personal experiences into sacred works of art.

May your day be filled with Magic Medicine!

Magic Medicine Monday

My Magic Medicine Monday came a day early this week, in the form of SwapORamaRama. I was in DIY workshop room where attendees could alter their clothing and/or make accessories. There were outposts for decorating shoes and handbags with everything from buttons to glitter, sewing on felted pieces to customize clothes, quick crocheting a long scarf from t-shirts and crazy yarns, making a book bag from jeans and a tee shirt, unknitting found sweaters to reknit into shawls -- and my Magic Medicine table where found objects were transformed into accessories and art.

It was a great day of creativity, and I had the opportunity to make things at some of the other tables, which was soooo satisfying. This dynamic of being in a big group where everyone is making things is extraordinary. Usually when I am presenting workshops, I'm too involved in assisting everyone in their creations. But I made a conscious effort to simply introduce the materials and basic premise, and then step away -- which gave me the time and energy to explore a little on my own. There were only 2 people who were not able to just jump in and get into the groove . Normally I would have exerted a ton of energy to get them going, exhausting myself in the process. But in my quest to do less these days, I just allowed them to have their own experience, which gave me space to have mine.

So maybe this is the week to explore fiber arts -- especially if you've never gone there before. As I was telling someone yesterday, you can often use skills and methods from one discipline and reinvent them for another. For instance the idea of sewing with copper wire, using holes already existing in found metals, where you can't just stick a needle through the material.

Knitting help has tutorials for basic crochet. You can find oversized needles at Michael's and other craft stores. Email me and I'll put you in touch with Quincy Colman for instructions on how to make the fabulous multi-material scarf she's wearing in the pic above.

And for more inspiration, take a look at multi-media artist Blanka Amezkua's Bronx Blue Bedroom Project.

May your day be filled with Magic Medicine.

lazy laundry day

I slept in this morning, for the first time in ages. It's a beautiful Spring day out there, and though I'm sad to have missed the early morning of it, apparently I desperately needed the sleep.
The laundry is started, I've had breakfast and a couple cups of coffee, dashed off my workshop titles for upcoming Omega residency, and haven't yet decided on the trajectory of the day.
But in reflecting on the past week, I offer this: how is the universe supporting you in ways you might not realize?
For instance, I recently decided to leave the permalance position that's been keeping me financially solvent for the last 6 years. I was set to give my notice in about 2 weeks. On Friday of this week it was announced that Aveda was closing it's New York creative department. And I realized I would actually benefit from holding out almost an additional month, knowing there was a definitive beginning, middle and end.
It's a win win situation for me. An extra month of income and security. But for many of my co-workers, it's frightening. And because I was having a different experience, I was able to help lighten their mood, by encouraging them to see this as an opportunity.
I admit that's not easy to do. But I know it's possible. And one of the most inspiring instances I've witnessed, was the transformation of a dear friend and neighbor who lost her husband unexpectedly just two years ago. They were on vacation; he had a massive heart attack just days after his 50-something birthday.
Yet in the months that followed, my friend opened herself to the newness of her experience and invited in the change that would follow. She was open to dating within a year, and found a fantastic companion after honoring the mourning process and embracing the difficult moments that would often take her by surprise. Not to mention the difficulty of establishing new intimacies after years of solid marriage.
Today, not 3 years after the death of her husband, she's embarking on yet another adventure to help others who find themselves in the throes of grief. She's going back to school to obtain her life coaching certificate with an emphasis on the grieving process and transpersonal psychology.
So as this spring day reaches out its warmth, take a moment to think about the opportunties being presented to you that may be wrapped in difficulty. Strip away the layers, see what lies beneath. And treasure the gift.
See if you can make a little momento of it for yourself from odds and ends in your junk drawer. Write a one line poem. Or scribble it out in crayons.
However you choose to express it,
May your days be filled with Magic Medicine.

Work Rules

After the "My boss & I" article, i saw this at another corner in SCN. Very funny as well! It's called the "Work Rules":1. SicknessThis is not allowed under any circumstances. We will no longer accept your MC as proof of illness. If you can walk to your doctor, you can certainly come to work.2. Death, other than your ownYou must arrange to attend all funerals very late in the day after your work

Thinking of being an Obstetrician?

I just realized that one of my posts: A Perfect Surgery HO was used in efenem's blog, without me knowing it. Then I saw one interesting post of him, so I suppose i can just do the same. HA. (efenem, i'm just kiddin. But i really quite like your this post=D)So You want to be an Obstetrician? Here's his thoughts on O&G:1. The most tensed medical specialty everywhere in the world; it involves

Body Wisdom Wednesday: The Art of Eating

I was having lunch yesterday and my lunch companion had recently sworn off meat and dairy. Which didn't make it difficult to find a good lunch spot, but did spark an interesting conversation. The whole meat issue has moved from a question of karma and health, to one of ecology, energy and environment. Haitian's are starving. And they are not the only ones. The prices of staple grains like wheat and corn have risen so sharply that the poorest of the poor can't afford to eat. The reasons range from environmental to financial.
Here in America, in Manhattan, at a lovely Carribbean restaurant in Soho, my friend and I had the horror of being able to lunch on meals as lovely as they were delicious, and talk about our personal food issues. Foods we were trying to give up. Dairy for her. Sugar for me.
And both of us being relatively conscious, sensitive human beings, we were quite aware of how lucky we are, and how obsessed we are as Americans about food. We have the luxury of trying to "get off" of certain foods, for health and political reasons. We get to pick and choose what foods we want to eat, what diets we want to go on, while less fortunate others eat mud cakes with sugar.
Yesterday was Earth Day; most of us are thinking about the environment if not doing anything about it. The food issue goes right to the belly of some fundamental issues: water, farming, energy. Personally, I'm going to be thinking more about the choices I'm making on a daily basis, as they relate to a bigger world picture than my weight and appearance.
I could have included a lot more links for this post, but encourage you to simply keep your eyes and ears open to the issue. Being aware and conscious is always the first step to change. Even if you're still eating steak every night.
I haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma yet, but it's been highly recommended by many friends. I have read this article by Michael Pollan, from the Sunday Times, back in January, and it's as good a place as any to start.
Though I don't have any particular art-making references to make in relation to food and world hunger, it's worth mentioning that art has always been inspired by both joy and sadness, war and peace, abundance and lack.
So while you enjoy the plenty that we're fortunate to have, take a moment to think of those who don't. I often begin a meal with this take on a Buddhist prayer: May all beings be safe, may all beings be happy, may all beings have enough food to eat and a safe place to sleep.
May all your days be filled with Magic Medicine, and compassion for all beings everywhere.

Mad Referrals

No the referrals are not mad, but they are highly likely to cause instant madness.Referrals are very common in medical practice, and I would say that the case referring itself is definitely an art, same goes for accepting a referral, but the latter can sometimes be a pain. As turning down a referral is a showing of disrespect, but having to see those unnecessary ones, especially during a busy

This week Sunday is Laundry Day!

I'm a day late and more than a dollar short, but creatively inebriated thanks to a wonderful art & yoga retreat workshop with the multi-talented trio: Sabrina Ward Harrison, Stacey Ward Kelly and Carey Ward Kelly. Sabrina's journals and her new True Living Project inspire artists and non-artists alike to express and share their feelings openly without fear in visual collage journals. Stacey is a photographer and teacher who empowers others to embrace their creativity in a multitude of ways. Carey is a Kundalini yoga teacher who infuses body/breath centered teachings with the widsom of Andean Shamanism.
The workshop space was amazing: The Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY is on the National Historic Register. Home to Dia, the town itself delightful, filled with galleries and antique shops.
I found some lovely balls of vintage fabric strips that were used to make rag rugs back in the 30's according to the sales. They are a worn and wonderful reminder of the beauty of the old, the recycled, the reused, and taking refuge in making things that machines can't.
They got me to thinking about the Russian ladies who used to sit in Central Park knitting sweaters for the Perry Ellis collection back in the late 80's early 90's.
Today, as I try to catch up with the laundry I didn't get done yesterday and squeeze in a bit of knitting between loads, I treasure the escape of yesterday, into the arms of a day immersed in art where the outside world was just a fantasy, sunfilled and sparkling, a collage of memory, desire and joy.
May all your days be filled with Magic Medicine!

Doctor & Patient 2

Continue from the previous post..An obese patient came to clinic.Patient: "Doc, i think i'm seriously overweight. What should i do?"Doc: "Oh you just simply need to exercise more."Patient: "Then what kinda exercise should i do?"Doc: " Very easy, it's mainly neck exercise. You turn your head to left, then to right. That's all."Patient: "Huh? Then how many times should i do it in a day?"Doc: "Hmm..

My Love with Cards

Even since i was bitten by the magic bug, cards have become something indispensable in my life. Though I know that magic is not entirely about cards, well I can perform other things too, but cards have been most of my interest, kinda like my "specialty" in magic.





Card collection is definitely one of the best things in life.

And there's something I came to understand only after learning

The 3 Characteristics of Life

Sharon Salzberg will be teaching this workshop at the New York Insight Medition Center. It's a great opportunity with one of America's best loved Buddhist teachers. Click on the flyer above for all the info. And if you can help out by flyering, you can attend the workshop for free. Send me an email and I will forward it to Sharon's assistant, Ambika.

Interesting Chest Xray

Spot diagnosis:
a. Something's definitely abnormal but dunno where.
b. He might have swallowed a ball.
c. Why-heart-so-big-one syndrome
d. None of the above=p

This is a 10 year-old boy presented with chest pain, associated with worsening severe breathlessness for 2 days, with history of URTI symptoms about 2 weeks ago. He was in respiratory distress and was nearly intubated. ECHO showed

It's Body Wisdom Day

My physical therapy sessions are over, but Body Wisdom is an every day practice. Earlier in the week I came across this article in the NYT Real Estate section, but if you ask me, it should be filed under creative inspiration.
It reminds me of the gentle admonition Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Owen Butler gave in a workshop I attended many years ago. Don't tell me you don't have time to write the novel you've always dreamed of writing, he told us (and I paraphase). He wrote They Whisper on his train commute to and from a high level executive management job. At the same time, his wife at the time was literally going mad.
I don't know about you, but my excuses for not having enough time -- to write, to make art, to dream -- shrink in importance when held up to that light.
On another body wisdom note, I took Monday night off from karate, because I felt very weary. Weary to the bone. Usually, the whole thing about karate is pushing through, but as I've been writing about lately, easing up is often a better choice.
It's not a bad idea when feeling uninspired either. Our brains need a rest. From the computer, from daily problem solving, from trying too hard all 'round. What small thing can you do today, to give both sides of your brain a rest? Rest builds creative strength, and you'll function more creatively tomorrow.
For more inspiration, visit Creativity Portal.
May your day be filled with Magic Medicine.

Monday is Magic Medicine/Make Something Day

I was talking with my art coach, Brainard Carey, this weekend about why some people think they're not creative at all. And why even those of us who fully acknowlege and embrace our creativity, may still have deep set insecurities about expressing ourselves in areas we're not so accomplished.
Later in the day I was visiting my neighbor Claudia, who was showing me the most amazing embroidered tanka-like fabric creations, and she insisted that she couldn't draw at all. But put a needle, thread and scissors in her hands, and she's a magician! Claudia grew up a folk singer. She's a dancer and a magnificent cook with a successful Hudson Valley catering business.
We've all got issues. We've all got fears. But what are we confident about? What feels easy, and unthreatening? How about starting there? And celebrating ourselves for what we can do!
For some ideas about what you can make today, no matter how insecure you may or may not feel about your creativity, read excerpts from my book online. Better yet, buy it now and recieve a free e-book that tells how anyone can get their art into a major museum like the Whitney. Even if you have no desire to do anything more with your creative expressions than enjoy the process, Brainard's e-book is pure inspiration. And proof that artists neither have to starve or be miserable. A new chapter is added each week. And did I mention it's free?
And don't forget to write and tell me what you're making today! Even if it's dinner! Creativity is a way of thinking and being. The more you do it, the more creative you get.
May your day be filled with Magic Medicine!

Light Moment

I was covering my friend in the casualty during weekends..in the morning there was this Bangladeshi construction worker wheel-chaired in, accompanied by his employer, alleged left foot hit by a heavy metal piece. The foot was pretty swollen, so an Xray was ordered.X-ray came back normal, the employer asked, "How?" and i said,"No fracture seen."He gave a brief smile of relief, then turned to the

Hooray for Laundry Day!

Saturday means I'm home for the weekend after working in NYC all week. I'm happy to be doing laundry because I'm happy to be home. The crocuses and blue bells are up, doing their stationery dance in the lawn. Music to my eyes!
Is it possible not to be inspired by Spring? Even if you're city bound, the trees are beginning to bloom, the birds are all a'twitter and the bulbs are bursting up.
This is creativity at its finest. A full array of possibilities, from the well-manicured, fastidiously planned parks and planters of the city, to the haphazard wild woods, where no one's planned a thing; a bird or a small animal pooped a seed they ate, and something sprung up out it!
How's that for an image of how creativity can manifest? Now, I'm not suggesting we revert back to our 3 year old fascination with elimination. But, then again, what if we thought of everything we ingest, in all our senses, as absolutely needing a way out, of cleansing our bodies each and every day. Without needing to hold onto it in any way. A daily occurance. A naturally occurring need, so spontaneous we barely give it thought.
That's Magic Medicine! For more creative inspiration, you can download or buy my book, here. And visit modernsacred.com.

Semi-mad Call

Post-on call today..super exhausted as usual, guess i'm gonna write somethin on "Post-call syndrome" someday hehe. Yesterday's call was indeed a mad one..because of Hosp Ipoh was out of ventilators, they sent one ventilated baby to us plus bonus a set of 30 weeker twins in-utero transfer. So of corz, they became ventilated twins post-delivery. Just when we were busy handling the three, labour

Small Steps New Habits

I've gotten into a new routine in the morning. I turn on my computer the moment I get out of bed, and sit down to write with a cup of coffee. It's nice to compose with a still foggy mind. I record dreams, impressions, agitations.
I love seeing how the issues I'm dealing with in waking life show up in dreamtime. Of course sometimes it's almost indecipherable, but this morning's dreamings were thinly veiled. I am in the middle of reading How One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, PhD.
It's an easy read, and filled with inspiring examples of how the tiniest step can start us on our way to making changes that seem otherwise insurmountable.
It reminds me of the way we learn things in our karate school. Especially as white belts, we are shown and encouraged to break movements down into their smaller components. But Kaizen is about micromovement really.
One of the main tenants of Maurer's book is that our minds love simple questions. So I ask you this: what tiny step towards reading this book can you take today?

Try this.

Form is important to me in karate and yoga. But when it comes to art making, I throw away the rules and regulations, dive in and get my hands dirty. Why?
Most of us have too much baggage around creativity. And holding ourselves up to too high standards keeps us from the joy of expressing ourselves.
As my messy art making approach has made its way into my more physical formal practices, you know what's happened? I've gotten better without working so hard.
It's the art of doing less. Right up there with my work less, make more mantra.
In yoga and karate, I have to constantly remind myself to back up and back off. When I'm making things however, I don't push so hard. I switch gears, start other projects, even walk away - right in the middle of things. If I drop a bead one too many times, for instance, I figure it doesn't want to be there. I don't force it.
In a meeting the other day I surprised even myself by solving a challenge that everyone else in the room was convinced was unsurpassable. I wasn't really paying attention and was completely uninvested in the outcome. I just blurted out something that was obvious to me, and the whole issue was put to bed.
So what would happen if you didn't try so hard? Can you try it and see.
My yoga teachers at Om would ask "Can you do less?"

The Healing Hearts

"Hospitals are like the Museum of Human Life. One can find birth, aging, illness, death, and all walks of life...During the process of serving the patients, a feeling of peace and of being needed emerges. The most valuable reward that I obtain is the beauty from the smiling faces of the patients. Thence, I learn and learn and learn to be grateful, appreciate and be satisfied with what I have and

Believe it (or not)

Some random things i came across recently which i find quite hard to believe but..well, they happened.1. The American "pregnant man", who was born a woman, but underwent transgender surgery and been on long term testosterone therapy, is currently expecting. The news has spawned much controversies socially and ethically. Looking at his classic pic, a bearded man with gravid uterus, what you think?

How to Make it Through a Monday

Ever since I started knitting 4 years ago, I always have a project. So I'm always making something! Most days I can carry it with me everywhere I go, and get in a few rows.
But knitting, at least for a novice like me, still requires following specific directions. Creativity to me, is in the opposite direction.
Today, I'm packing my travel watercolors--one of 50 gifts I've been buying myself this year to celebrate my milestone birthday. If you think you can't paint, especially with watercolors, I think you've got to run right out and buy yourself a set. (If you really can't see your way to that yet, try finger paints!)
And try this: forget about landscapes and still lifes. Just dip that brush in water, let your instinct guide you to color, and scribble and doodle your way around the page.
I promise you, it's delightful!
For more inspiration on painting, especially if you think you can't, check out Michelle Cassou and Stuart Cubley.
Have a colorful, creative day!

Dirty Laundry

Being creative and making things is also about manifesting our heart's greatest desires. And this week has been a great lesson in that for me.
I've been working in the beauty industry as a writer for over 20 years. Most recently at Aveda, a great company with an environmental mission and a very quirky corporate culture. I happen to work closely with someone who is classic.
Toxic people are all over and unavoidable. But the next time I meet someone and have the sense that they are crazy, believe me I'm going to run like hell in the other direction. No matter what it appears they may have to offer. It's like making a pact with the devil. Complete with soul searching and suffering.
The gift of my particular situation was that things came a crescendo this week, and I see it as the universe saying: Get on with it, girl! I am opening all the doors for you.
And so, instead of feeling full of fear, I am honestly excited about moving into this next phase of my life. Which means for me, more blogging, more art, more workshops. More life.
My mantra has always been work less, make more. And my sense of things is that work is about to become more play. So the mantra will hold up even stronger.
In the meantime, it's probably no accident that Tim Ferris's 4 Hour Workweek website came into my field of vision and experience this week. Jill Badonsky at The Muse is In, mentioned it in a free teleclass that inspired me like lightening.
So, I'm making big plans, taking small steps and hoping my dirty laundry may inspire you to do the same.

A Perfect Surgery HO

I finished my surgical posting 2 weeks ago..and i must say that it's the best posting ever. I've heard much of how nice it is and till I got there, it's still better than i expected. There, all MOs, specialists or even the head of dept will treat you like a friend! They respect your thoughts, concern about you/your life/family & everything..basically a very warm, supportive and motivating posting

Wednesday is Body Wisdom day

And that means insights inspired by the physical life. And sometimes the metaphysical.
Last week I had a psychic reading by an Omega freind who has an amazing gift for the world beyond the physical. It was really a treat to have this kind of experience with someone I know, love and trust. So when Kathy told me that my life force - which for most people shows up to her as gold cylinders - was flowers, well I was a beaming bouquet. And felt myself sprouting flowers out of the top of my head.
Which got me to thinking. What if we all thought of our walk through life, and our everyday encounters with others, as opportunities to strew flowers about? If we think of our actions as blossoms, isn't that just a beautiful image? Imagine yourself walking down the street with flowers bursting out everywhere you go. Flowers in your wake. Flowers at your fingertips. Flowers blooming with every touch and step, every smile, every moment.
Can you do anything but smile with an image like that in your mind?
Being creative is a way of thinking, not just doing.
Like Einstein said, and I paraphrase, but we can't expect to find new solutions if we keep seeing things with the same old eyes.

My Boss & I

I'm in charge of SCN now and Elaine has reminded me a few time that in the Sister's room, there's an interesting article. I finally saw it and found it REALLy funny, so just to share it here. It's called "My Boss & I":When I take a long time,I am slow;When my boss takes a long time,he's thorough.When I don't do it,I am lazy;When my boss doesn't do it,he's too busy.When I do something without