My 2011

It's new year eve again. Let's see how this year has been:
.
It started off with a memorable birthday. I received an unique birthday gift:
.

My birthday campaign achieved the fund-raising target for Charity:Water. Huge appreciation to everyone who donated or helped in any other ways.
.
The interesting medical cases series continues:
.
Interesting ECG (6), (7)
Interesting Chest Xray (7), (8), (9

Darren's Magic Love Story

Have been busy for the past many months for my wedding preparation - and it's finally over! The theme is of course, magic! It was a night with mobile, close-up, stage & mentalism magic - along with clips of our sweet moments. I'd like to thank everyone who's involved, especially my family, "brothers", all magicians, and not to forget the great photo- & videographers. Because of you all, it was

Excellent Card Manipulation Magic

.Performance by Yu Ho Jin, a Korean magician. I must say that this is one of the best card magic acts that I've seen, the elegance and creativity is truly outstanding. .Enjoy the show!

Love the Gift!

Received my wedding gift - a Nespresso coffee machine from my department colleagues. It's just a perfect gift to a coffee-lovers like us. Happy & thanks to them! ;)..Nespresso commercial starring George Clooney.

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome & Uremic Optic Neuropathy

Remember one of my posts showing a picture of "purple colour urine"?

.

It was a rare and very interesting case, and hence I took the time to write it up as case report and glad that it was accepted as publication in latest issue of NDT Plus. The other case that I encountered in Taiping, a young man with bilateral uremic optic neuropathy - is published in the same issue.

.

These are the links

How do you like the new me?

I'm on a roll with redesign. Blogger is too. I love the new templates. The one I've chosen for the time being is bit like Tumblr, very visual. And that works for me right now.
I'm in the throes of the final week of my first semester as a grad student, and if I'm honest, I have to say: the semester isn't ending a moment too soon. Being a student is exhausting. Not perhaps in the ways you might think, though.
It's not the work, but the navel gazing that gets to me. Bring on the books. And the art works in progress. But all the considering, and reconsidering, and wondering why, etc. etc. All the writing about it. That's what tires me out. It's a bit like being on a merry go round for me. Too many words.
I'm a "first thought, best thought" kind of girl. And I like shorter vs. longer sentences. I like fragments. And big words don't really wow me. As I tweeted recently "pedagogy" and "pithy" are two of my least favorite words. Add to that list "praxis".
Don't get me wrong. I like thinking. And I like thinking on a certain level. But what really excites me is communicating. And understanding. And that means easy to understand. Maybe it's my ingrained advertising ethos. Keep it simple.
I'm not big on hidden messages. It's elitist. It's tricky. Sometimes I suppose, it's sacred. And that's something I do like - or that resonates, if I'm using more academic language.
So, for all of you who have been hoping for grad school blow by blows, I'm sorry. I just don't have the words. But pictures! I've got pictures.
This is what my semester at Goddard looks like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21863196@N07/collections/72157628030828275/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21863196@N07/collections/72157627861054569/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21863196@N07/collections/72157627736579723/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21863196@N07/collections/72157627583956651/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21863196@N07/collections/72157627376096833/

The Storm has Come

Much warning has been given regarding the "Storm" in the country. For relevant articles you can read on a few of the following:1. "The Storm is coming..."2. "Storm is coming" for medical profession3. The Standard of Medical education4. The Impending DisasterWith the reference to articles above, I think "storm" is the common word now to be used to describe this disaster. Perhaps the incidences

How to choose your Specialty?

(From doctorshangout) .Quite true..and absolutely hilarious! ;).

Help Cambodia

A physician friend of mine has sent me this email. With his permission, I'd like to share this out hoping to gather more help."Dear everyone,We had planned months ago to go to Cambodia on Nov 6-10, to visit the temples in Angkor. Today, we found out that there has been flooding since August 2011. This made us hesitate slightly, but we've now decided to go ahead anyway. Instead of seeing Angkor

Testing Testing

I'm working on updating all my websites and it's a big ball of wax. So will be using this blog to test a few things out.

If you can't see the slide show because you are on a Mac or iPad, go here

SGH Museum

Made a short visit to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) Museum, which is just conveniently located in the Outram Campus. .This is an interesting timeline tracing back to SGH's very beginning in 1821 when it first started as a wooden shed, and went through many milestones and defining moments as she develops into a premier hospital..Top left: A stethoscope donated by late Dr Tay CH in 1950s. Dr Tay

Driving Dutchess ArtEast

I spent most of the weekend driving around Dutchess County visiting artists on the Dutchess ArtEast Tour who had visited me the the weekend before. It was a whirlwind.

I was on a schedule, packing too many people into too short a time. But. I was driving with top down, heat on, hat, gloves and a scarf. The sun was in and out. Leaves were golden, falling. I drove by rushing streams and crumbling farms. Tiny box houses and mansions. Mini malls and country stores.

I am always happiest in a car, happier still when driving. (When I was a baby, my father took me on drives around Manhattan when I cried. The movement soothes me still.)  I often get my best ideas while driving. Insights into the work I’m doing or where I am going with it wash over me.

Getting to see other artists’ work, their studios, their homes, too, is an augury in itself. It’s different from going to galleries and museums. The difference perhaps between seeing a diorama at the Met, and walking the woods. One sees not just the work but the subtext of it. The potter’s wheel, the view out the window, the close quarters or expansive spaces. We take in their worlds, somewhat unconsciously, perhaps, in a glimpse. We even perhaps retrace the steps of their lives, walking with them through the universe, as we turn up their driveways, and walk in the doors of their private spaces.

We connect not just in conversation, but in similarities seen at the edges: found bird nests and childrens’ toys, dragonflies, petals and pods, placed just so on a windowsill or in a sacred corner. We see it, too in the work. Not always literally, but in the shadows and gestures.

I gave myself these days off from photosnapping and took it all in without document. For a virtual glimpse, you can still visit dutchessarteast.com and click around the websites. Then, put the weekends on your calendar for next year. And keep your eyes out for any opportunities to visit artist studios wherever you live.

May your days be filled with the Magic Medicine of long country drives into the at once unknown and familiar.

Great Technology - VeinViewer

."VeinViewer uses near-infrared light to locate subcutaneous vasculature and projects its image in real time. It is clinically proven to reduce the nunber of attempts to start an IV by 50%, reduce the time to start an IV by 50%, and double patient satisfaction scores."..The product was designed for healthcare workers especially those working in pediatrics, oncology, emergency & vein clinics.I'm

Physician Nexus Network

"Based in Silicon Valley, Physician Nexus network is the fastest growing social network dedicated exclusively to physicians.This global communications platform was developed with a vision to transform the field of medicine, allowing physicians to connect with each other in ways that were not possible before."I would like to encourage all physicians to join this network.And I'd like to thank the

Can You Smell the Impending Disaster?

Though I'm currently out of the system, I do still pay attention to the healthcare news in my home country. I must say that I'm quite concerned, and this worry started long ago but analysing from the current situation, it is apparently not showing any good changes, and I think many of you will agree with me that, we're foreseeing more problems to emerge along the way.Perhaps I'll just share this

Packet

In the throes of packet production again. Those 3 weeks keep sneaking up on me. Yet, it’s a good span of time. Long enough to follow a thread. Not too long if you drop one. It seems to keep one honest. And engaged.

Interesting how each one is a different experience too. This time it’s been 3 or 4 days in the making, little bits at a time. What with getting ready for the Open Studio Tour this weekend, it’s a lot to juggle.

But I managed to get to a project that’s been on my mind since returning from the residency in July. That is, to tie the gold threads around something larger than one of the small fetishes that I’ve been collecting for years.

On my way to pick up signs for the upcoming Open Studio Tour, I drove one of my favorite roads in the county, Strever Farm Road in Pine Plains. It’s just always stunning, ever season of the year, every time I drive it.

The roots of these giant shade trees are fascinating and beautiful to me. More sacred knottings to come.

And by the way, if you’re interested in a visual look at what I send off in my packets each 3 weeks, just visit my Flickr site. Haven’t figured out yet, how to share the written contents of the packets. But I’m on it. 

Baby steps, as always. 

May your days be filled with the Magic Medicine of time to reflect, and time to do, and time to just be. 

You're invited!

On October 15 and 16, my studio and home are open to all, in the 2011 ArtEast Open Studio Tour.

If the weather's good and I can wrangle a few fire tenders, I will have a bonfire going. And makings for s'mores of course, along with wine, cheese, apples and cider.

It's the perfect time of year to visit my Sacred Art Burial Ground. My Lint Paintings are in the laundry room. ORBS are of course in attendance!

Just a short drive away, you can enjoy the best croissants outside of France (I'm not kidding!), at the Mountain Cow Cafe in Pine Plains, where photographs by my husband Larry Illges, and more work of mine are on view. 

Other artists on the tour are close by. There's a nature sanctuary right down the street for lovely walks and hiking. Wild Hive Bakery is not too far away. And there are quite a few great restaurants a stones throw away. 

And the Sheep and Wool festival is going on at Rhinebeck Fair Grounds. 

You could really make a beautiful day of it. 

For more info

http://www.dutchessarteast.com/2011/03/hello-world/

I am #9 on the Northeast Artists drop down menu, where you'll also find my phone number, address and all the particulars

http://www.dutchessarteast.com/artists-north/riva-weinstein/

I hope to see you! 

Why date a doctor?

.Saw this in facebook which was circulated around..Some are bitter facts and some will just make you smile. ;).

Grad School Report Card and True Tales of the Unemployed.

I originally wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, but never managed to post it. So as usual, I am playing catch up. But still worth sharing. More soon. In the meantime...

The due date for my 2^nd packet suddenly snuck up and took me by surprise. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I spent a 40 hour week pulling together what is essentially a progress report on my reading, art making, film viewing, gallery and museum going?

Apparently not. Three weeks slip by in a millisecond. While you are just back from a beach vacation that started with driving rain and ended with food poisoning, but was sunny, warm and relaxing in the middle. And by some kind of miracle, you take a curious peak at your due dates before dashing out the door for another week long journey away from home and studio, into the city and every night booked for business and/or pleasure.

So while the last packet was a full time, 40+ hour job, this packet is both more intense and more relaxed. I’m compiling the last 3 weeks of art work, reading, reflections and more – in a single day. But because this isn’t my maiden voyage into packet work, I’m less stressed about it. And actually finding myself more at ease with looking back over the last 3 weeks from the vantage point of this particular moment in time.

The thing is, I really love this. I love the reading. I love the ideas that percolate because of the reading. I love having the opportunity to focus on my art in a more concentrated way. It’s still hard getting into my studio to do the real work. Still, I am making leaps and bounds.

In every arena apparently, too. I revamped my online advertising portfolio and moved it over to cargocollective.com/rivaweinstein. Within a week I have an interview. Please let it not be with a gaggle of 20-something product development girls who don’t know what they are looking at when I hand them my portfolio. Or a 30-something marketing diva who dramatically throws my resume across the room because she doesn’t really need to look at it. Or a creative recruiter who is looking for a unicorn. True tales.

Which brings me round full circle back to grad school. I’m waiting for someone to ask in an interview how I expect to work and go to school at the same time. And I can’t wait for the question. I can’t wait to say that I don’t know anyone who hasn’t worked full time while completing their graduate degree. It’s usually a matter of necessity. Education is expensive.

And expansive.  

The Power of Human Touch

From TED: Modern medicine is in danger of losing a powerful, old-fashioned tool: human touch. Physician and writer Abraham Verghese describes our strange new world where patients are merely data points, and calls for a return to the traditional one-on-one physical exam.This is definitely worth spreading and I strongly think all doctors should see this. Came across this from MMR.

Induction Ceremony of Academicians

Flew back to attend the Induction Ceremony by Academy of Medicine on 22nd Sept. It was incorporated with the 9th Scientific Meeting 2011 with the theme of "Equity in Healthcare Unites the Nation", covering aspects such as concept of 1 Care, future needs of human resources and healthcare burden of chronic medical diseases. This year the 11th Tunku Abdul Rahman lecture was delivered by Tan Sri

New Work Life

.Moved to a new place - for my subspecialization journey in Renal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital. Still adjusting to the new environment though, but the anxiety was much lessen by having a group of helpful colleagues here. Will update again soon! (hopefully).

The Psychology of Magic (Guest Article)

...........Magic has enchanted us since the beginning of recorded time. Even skeptics will sometimes allow themselves to believe in magic. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that there is some facet in all of us which still longs for the wonderment of childhood. All magic relies upon a marriage between perception and misdirection – in truth magic takes place within ourselves, which all

Charity: Water is 5 Years Old!

.Charity water hits the 5th year anniversary!.Please watch it - and you can help by donating, starting a campaign or simply sharing the link!
.

Woodlanders

Another watershed experience.

Not just the cleansing rains, but the time out of time, the making, the meaning.

From dream circles to gyro tonics, lure making to pine needle weaving, image making with rust, and rustic making with power tools - Woodlanders, like a dream, seems to disappear into the mists all too quickly. One isn't quite sure of the sequence. And every Woodlander will have different interpretations, different memories, different longings.

There is instant community of newcomers and old timers alike. Food is shared along with stories. There are no assignments. No one needs to be told. Things fall into place as if carefully orchestrated.


Behind the scenes, Dan Mack our gentle giant of a magician is gently casting his spells of wonder. Then stepping back while we each in turn take a lead.





But, we Woodlanders follow like children falling in step behind the Pied Piper, in search of a 400 year old tree, which remains unfound until fall when the bare trees will reveal its location for next year's pilgrimage.An ephemeral, metaphysical and literal bridge was created from the forest floor and helping hands in search of another tree. This one found! A story told so well I felt I'd been there myself, though I was off driving  in search of Black Dirt.

For me, the most magical moments are often around a campfire. And this one was particularly noteworthy for its flame was a counterpoint to the slide show projected on a tent enclosure hung on its sides. We weren't telling ghost stories but art stories.

For more about Woodlanders a virtual visit to rustic making and other artists and makers, visit Dan Mack online. And watch for ORBS with his Anima in another post soon!

May all your days be filled with the Magic Medicine of wonder and surprise, dreams that imitate life, and life that imitates dreams.

New Book Arrival

Fresh from Amazon.com. One of the must-have references for renal medicine..And brain cells-consuming as well..

On the other hand...

I’ve always said that the art I hate the most changes me the most. And that can be said for life experiences too. In fact, the Dalai Lama tweeted something to that effect earlier this week.

I wrote last week about how uncomfortable I was with the grad school residency. So when the Survey Monkey evaluation link came, I dug right in, held nothing back. I tried to be constructive. Worried I be labeled difficult.

So, it’s interesting to note, that despite this being a break week before the first semester officially starts, I’ve been positively possessed. I’m keeping notes on everything! Every movie I see, every show, and every thought connected to art. Now I see why student work always seems so self-conscious and self absorbed. It is. And I am.

I’m hoping this will wear off a bit and I will find a groove that works for me. Right now it’s a little too much wear and tear on the soul. I’m introspective enough as it is. I don’t need further prodding. So discovering and experimenting with how to be gentle with myself is going to be key.

It’s going to be a busy couple of months. I am in two shows this month; one at the 14th Colony in Millerton, the other at the Emporium in Red Hook. I have ArtEast coming up with an opening in September at the Wassaic Project's Luther Barn and the open studio tour in October.

All the while I will be doing my grad school work, sending off packets to my advisor every 3 weeks for feedback. It’s about a 25 hour a week commitment and since I’m not working right now, that seems easily doable. But also in the mix at the moment is a full time opportunity that’s popped up and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for it. While it will make time all the more precious, I’ve been out of work for a year. Federal loans for graduate school are 7.5 percent these days. No bargain really. So work would be more than welcome. And it seems to me that working while going to grad school is more norm than not. So I say bring it on. And think quietly to myself: be careful what you wish for.

I am apparently in a jaded stage. Not so much prone to inspiration as to judgment and even disappointment.

I went to the Wassaic Project yesterday, expecting (oh how I need to stop being so expectant) to be somewhat blown away. So much press. And chatter. I was hot, tired and hungry. So either very open to impression or too far gone to recognize it. Most of what I saw was a big yawn. For me.

So what?, I kept saying to myself.

Cheerios? Really? Or are they Fruit Loops? Well, maybe. Hmmm. Now, after a day of pondering it, I kind of love it. Looks like crochet.

Earlier in the day I’d had a conversation while hanging work in Millerton, about Henry Klimowicz’s work being in the portopotty. The artist I was speaking with thought it was disrespectful. I thought it was fantastic. It wasn’t like they put Henry’s work there. He installed it. If only all portopottys had Klimowicz growing from the walls.

The other work I really loved was also seemingly growing from the walls.

Because I operate from a place of feeling (and am so tired of thinking and talking in general) I’m not going to go all critical on the work. I’m just going to post here, what I saw and thought enough of to take a photo or a video clip.

Enjoy the virtual visit.

 

May the Magic Medicine of feeling, doing, thinking and being find their perfect expression and balance in your everyday experiences.

New Books for PACES

"Pacing the PACES""The Medical Short Case".Good news for MRCP taker!.Dr. Lim TT (or Wuchereria on his blog) with his co-authors has come out with 2 books to aid the preparation for PACES examination. The books are now available in discounted rates for a limited time..Anyone interested can have a look at his website..

A Progressive Education

My dear friend and sister artist Ann Haaland over at Paint Box Girl has encouraged me to write about my newest adventure.

I’ve just returned from my first intensive residency at Goddard College where I am pursuing an MFA-IA. The IA stands for Interdisciplinary Arts. Because I like to keep things short and sweet, I’ll leave it to you to look that up or see where it comes up again for you through the magic of synchronicity.

Not to be overly dramatic, but to be honest, the residency was a nightmare for me. A shamanic dismemberment in which at times I felt possessed by a disembodied chaotic spirit taking over my very soul.

Not fun. And yet. Of course. Completely. Changed me.

And so, I have started again a practice that’s fallen by the wayside for the last few years. Head stands. What else is one to do when one’s world is turned upside down?

I have never been so happy to be home. This is something I say every time I drive up to the house, from even a short jaunt to the city. (And by city I mean the only one there is. New York City. A conversation for another time if you think that statement overblown.)

I expected to be stimulated, but not so over stimulated. I hoped to be inspired. But instead, I encountered minutia, navel gazing and a particular strain of verbal diarrhea, the likes of which I have never experienced before. If that seems unkind, I won’t apologize for it. People don’t recognize themselves in novels; they are not likely to recognize themselves here.

I have spent half a life time listening to blow-hards in meetings. One can’t get up and walk out. But after the oceans of nausea, and the hours it took me to rebalance after a particulary gruelling session, I finally learned a powerful lesson in self preservation. I can walk out. At any time. On anything I like. On any part of life.

That may sound simple to you. That may sound ridiculous. That may sound impossible even. But believe me when I tell you, it was and is, one of the most powerful bits of medicine I have ever swallowed.

I have always believed that one of the most important things in life is to show up. And that is still a cornerstone. But walking out? It’s a new touchstone.

There are so many details of this journey, I might share with you. (There were some wonderful, exalted moments. And I did connect with some amazing souls with whom I feel blessed to be on this adventure.)

But let me leave you with this thought. When you fill in all the blanks, and the details, and all the nooks and crannies, you leave room for nothing, for no one. There is nothing to be interested in if you tell too much. I can’t site you any experts on this, except my own direct experience.

May the Magic Medicine of the upside down and backwards shake your world up now and then. And leave you plenty of room to fill in your own blanks.

The Making of Bicycle Playing Cards

.Ever wonder how is the process of manufacturing playing cards like? The fine quality Bicycle decks, produced by US Playing Card company (USPS), are always cardicians' best partners. Over the years, its quality and art design excel in card industry consistently..Check out the amazing video how playing cards are made inside the USPS factory!.

Residency opportunity

Was quickly checking NYFA this moring, and came across this lovely opportunity.

http://www.willowsofwallkill.org/Home_Page.php

Taiping Memories

Remember this pic? Taken in '07, during 2nd month of my housemanship..Taiping lake - a signature place of Taiping. Really beautiful!.Department pic - dinner in Sentosa Villa..Dinner in Flamingo Hotel, after MRCP Preparation course & Mock exam '11..Department pic - for our dept website..The nurses that I've worked with even since I joined Taiping..clinic is never boring with them around!.Beautiful

The Artist's Life

The Artist's Life: Thomas Nozkowski from NYFA on Vimeo.

I am finding myself with fewer and fewer words these days. Oh, I can still chat up a good conversation, and in my coaching calls, probably talk more, and listen less than I might. But here, in the blogosphere, I'm finding my thoughts too numerous to express, and so am defaulting to links.
Here, one from NYFA's Artist Life series
http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_current_detail.asp?id=17&fid=1&curid=912

less talk more art

the re:institute.

can't talk. dreaming.

so no words today.
just links.
here.http://remodelista.com/posts/slow-design-katrin-arens
here.http://www.katrinarens-shop.com/index.php/welt-der-kleinen/vater-mutter-kind-34.html.

KIRTANARAMA Recap

       




It rained. We sang.

The sun came out. We sang.

Though we didn’t have many others chanting with us, KIRTANARAMA was an integral part of the Governor’s Island and FIGMENT experience for those walking by. People stopped, transfixed by our voices, our hearts and the harmonium.

One lovely young girl, maybe 10 years old, stopped and bowed to us with her hands at her heart before walking on. At one point we were the focus of an ersatz photo shoot, with shutters flying all around. A few brave souls climbed the hill by our side, to listen.

My heart goes out in gratitude to everyone who came to sing and drum, play guitar and violin. Robin Renee, Rick Jarow, Joelle Danant, Terrence Pompey, Sergei, George Jacobs, Devi Rose, Damodar Das, Satya Franche & Ma Kirtan, and Four Corners Chant. Many travelled far longer than expected. It was a leap of faith for all of us.

As always, FIGMENT can be a somewhat disorienting affair. There is a lot going on, spread far and wide on the island. So, it’s not always easy to find one’s destination. And while some of us made a bee line, guided mysteriously and invisibly to our spot, others wandered, misdirected by well intentioned volunteers who did their best to help, but only confused.

Although I requested a location under one of those magnificent English Plane trees, so plentiful on Governor’s Island, originally, we were sited out in the open expansive Parade grounds behind the Fort. Thankfully, relocating was easy enough - right along the path that runs around the whole island - and insured we'd be seen and heard by all who passed by.

My intention for KIRTANARAMA was a community global chant experience. It was a small community to be sure. But perhaps next year, with more help on all fronts, we can create an experience that will continue to grow and evolve.

For me, there really is nothing like being outdoors. Chanting under the trees, even in the soaking rain, was exhilarating. In the background everything from helicopters, techno sound installations and drive by disco bubble machines, to the twittering of birds and delighted children. If that sounds like a little bit of chaos, it was. But the moment the singing begins, that’s all there is.

I plan to turn the KIRTANARAMA banners into prayer beads. Will make a video montage of the chants. And thought I might do some paintings or drawings from the pics. Like all my projects, process is everything. More pics to come.

May your day be filled with the Magic Medicine of singing outdoors in the rain, and the sun, from your heart and soul.



Interesting Imaging (3)

.This patient came with an episode of seizure. He had similar episodes in the past and an intracranial intervention was done but he couldn't be sure what exactly it was..A junior doc found the brain scan strange-looking and interpreted as "?Star effect"..What do you think it is and, what intervention was most likely done?..

Today we sing!

Kirtanarama starts at FIGMENT on Governor’s Island with Robin Renee @ 1pm, Joelle Danant @2pm and Rick Jarow @ 3pm.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a day of sunshine and no rain. Weather, like everything, changes. The weekend forecast is thunderstorms. I am trying to hold neither too tightly nor too loosely to my desires for clear skies, with minimal downpours.

From the get go, KIRTANARAMA has been a “neither too loosely nor too tightly” project for me. I’m not a concert organizer, and never thought of it as such. My intention was to create a sudden community under the trees instead of starry skies, around the fire in our hearts and souls instead of a campfire.

I had a conversation with founder David Koren, early on at one of the FIGMENT meet and greets, about how one creates community and collaboration around art – around anything. One needs to create enough form, structure and definition to hold the idea, to create a sure container, and enough freedom and lack of confinement to leave people room to participate in their own way, to be a part of something larger.

I like the sound of that. And I’m an idealist. The reality isn’t so easy. People take convincing. And schedules aren’t as forgiving as one might wish. Everybody is busy. And our priorities are our own. So it’s even more of a surprise and delight when things eventually come together.

Project management isn’t really my forte. But I’m learning. Stretching out of comfort zones is good. Knowing what it takes to pull something like this together, gives me an even greater appreciation for those who organize and manage people and projects of all shapes and sizes.

And today, like every day, I am human. I have to keep reminding myself. It’s all about the process.

Not So Quick Catch Up

I’m not sure it’s possible to catch up these days. Sure we get caught up in all sorts of things. But the idea of being all caught up - everything in place, all sorted out, under control – seems impossible.
Is it just me? Or have you given up on the idea of ever clearing out your email inbox, too?

There is always too much to do. Everything happens at once. I sometimes stay at home rather than try to sort out which invitation to accept or event to attend. A friend and colleague calls it choice management vs. time management. But having too many choices is worse than not having enough, for me.

And that is what life has been like the last month or more. My last blog entry was about how I get so much done. I was feeling quite pleased with myself. The whirlwind can be quite compelling, seductive, self satisfying.

Then suddenly, it isn’t.

One longs for definitive beginnings, middles and ends. Before and after pictures of the bramble of blackberry and wild rose that is still a wild garden but a touch less unruly. The foresight to have protected the emerging romaine from midnight snacking deer. The endless question turning over and over in my head as I wheel another load : why did it take 20 years to figure out that the perfect place for all these leaves was the languishing perennial bed now flourishing with poison ivy and broom?

And so it goes. Results take time. And longer often, for someone like me, who has a hard time hiring others to do the work, partly for lack of resources, and partly from having grown up in a do-it-yourself home. Having to do things oneself, one’s own way, is both a blessing and curse, of course.

In some ways, it is the way of a child. The way we learn to walk, to talk. But it is also a mindful Buddist way, I realize as I write. The way of direct experience.

This is why it took 20 years to begin solving the problem of the perennial bed’s demise. This is the first time I’ve had enough time to actually be out in the yard for extended periods of time, and allow the answers to emerge like the small maple saplings that sprout up each spring. Suddenly, surprisingly it seems. But in truth, they’ve been taking root for a number of seasons, safe beneath the periwinkle, ivy and ferns.

And so, all these years of haphazard garden experiments, irregular attention and nature’s own spontaneous ways have been rooting. And may possibly leaf and bloom. The yard may yet be less an eyesore. I see small improvements. Progress becomes apparent in what’s missing. Like an ache that no longer exists, relieved at last, but difficult now to remember.

Which is not unlike the experience I had talking with D.W. Gibson for NOT WORKING, his oral history project. Here’s a quick overview of the project from DW’s interview request:

My end goal is to provide a book length oral history for this period of sustained and widespread unemployment. In 1972, Studs Terkel published WORKING, a book that captures the oral history of what people do all day and how they feel about what they do. NOT WORKING will provide the names an faces, the pulse of the Great American Recession.
I was definitely digging around in yet another old garden bed, full of poison ivy and rose thorns, when talking about how I lost my job last year. Recounting the actual events of the day, brought up unexpected anxiety and even some tears. But it also seemed like it happened so long ago, to a completely different person.

I have redefined myself in the last year. And continue to do so. I am experimenting and exploring new ways of being in the world. Stretching is good for body and being.

So is finding out we’ve inspired someone. I got a lovely note from Jim Caufield who attended my workshop Creativity: The Magic, Mystery and Mayhem, sponsored by the Orange County Arts Council at the Kurt Seligmann property in Sugar Loaf, NY back in March. He connected with the toilet paper tube rattles in my book Magic Medicine: Rx for Creativity. Here's how he made them into magical rattle wands.

Jim and his wife Mary are a part of the ever growing Woodlanders community. We’re meeting in Warwick, NY August 19 to 21st, 2011, as always, giftedly guided by Woodlander extraordinaire and founder Daniel Mack.

What else is new/s? KIRTANARAMA! My project for FIGMENT on Governor’s Island this year is a 3 day global chant experience. Come sing with us. Sara Neufeld wrote and YOGA CITY NYC published a lovely article here.

May the Magic Medicine of roses and thorns, poison ivy and peonies delight and surprise you in the gardens of your life.

Some Medical Jokes

Just came across an old book of mine, and found some good jokes worth sharing I think..#1Nurse: "Doctor, doctor - the man you just treated collapsed on the front step! What should I do?"Doctor: "Turn him around so it looks like he was just arriving!"#2A patient called his dentist to inquire about the price of extracting a tooth."250 dollars," The dentist said.The patient was shocked, "What? 250

Charity: Water

Water Changes Everything. from charity: water on Vimeo..Time flies! It's been almost 4 months since my birthday campaign for the Charity: Water. Just watched their latest video - the same message - to gather everyone's effort to bring safe and clean water to those who most need it.I just donated again. You? ;)

Reason behind the Kindness?

Specialist is giving bedside teaching to a group of medical students.At a patient's bedside,Specialist: "This patient has very interesting heart murmur. You all can take turn to listen to it," He then put his stethoscope diaphragm at the valve area, and passes the earpiece to one of the students.So the students took turn to listen to it. The last student, after listening, took out an alcohol swab

Running in Circles

A lot of people might be surprised to hear that my mantras include: do less, be a be student, what can you let go of? I do a lot. I'm juggling more projects, in more capacities than sometimes seems humanly possible.

Here's just a partial list. Project Managing a volunteer effort for Taproot Foundation. Submitting art and installation proposals for 3 upcoming shows. Planning Kirtanarama, 3 days of global chant at FIGMENT, on Governor's Island. Painting 3 rooms. Reclaiming old gardens. Planting a vegetable garden. Planning a workshop with Karuna project founder, Claudia Coenen. Preparing to start an MFA program. Working on redesign of two websites.

Each of these could qualify as a full time job. And while it often looks (and) feels like I'm spinning around in circles, a circle is a sacred space, a container, a basket.


So, how do I do it?

I give myself permission to do what I feel like first. And for only as much time as I feel like. The things I may need to do, but don't feel like doing, go to the bottom of my list. And when I do get to them, I give myself just 5 minutes to start. Then, I have a choice as to whether I want to continue or not. (Creativity Coach Marianne Mullen calls it choice management.)

Most often, the distastefulness of the task at hand is so diminished by the 5 minute marker, that I'm happy to continue and complete.  This works especially well for me with health insurance claims and other form filing minutae that make me slightly crazy. But it works for projects I'm passionate about too, that seem difficult to start for lack of time. Making art is great, creating proposals to make art, not so much.

If this all sounds counter productive to you, just give it a try when you are feeling less than inspired. See what works for you.

May your day be filled with the Magic Medicine of running, hopping, skipping and jumping in the sacred circles of your choosing.

Down Time

Today I am sharing a post from creativity coach Paula Chaffee Scardamalia's newsletter.

I met Paula at the Creativity Coaching Association Conference in Lake George this past October. I love the daily tarot readings she posts on Facebook. And her Divine Muse-ings Newsletter is a rich source of inspiration. And reflection...

Reclaiming Sacred Time for Rest and Renewal


This past weekend, I sat at lunch with some tarot friends and colleagues, listening to a discussion about the evergreen issue of overwhelm and time management.

One woman mentioned that she's developed a practice of taking one day a week to do nothing, not even get dressed or engage with other people if it doesn't suit her. She started it as a monthly renew and refresh day but became so enamored of it that she now does it weekly. Another woman at the table thought that was a great idea and perhaps she could try it once a month.

I found the conversation amusing and bemusing at the same time. Amusing because, of course, this isn't a new idea, it is the traditional religious idea of a Sabbath. Many different religious sects have a Sabbath, some in order to rest as the god or goddess did, and others in order to have time to pray or honor the appropriate deity.

I was bemused by our discussion because the real issue is not one of discovering or creating a time of rest, but how we lost it in the first place.

Very few of us practice a "Sabbat" of any kind nowadays, especially those of us who are creatives or creative entrepreneurs. Like moms, our work is never done. The fact that many of us work from home means that our work is never more than a few steps away, hanging over us like dire black birds, cawing to us of the work that MUST get done.

And just in case we don't hear them, then our cell phones and laptops are sure to relay the message, even when we manage to schedule time away for a vacation.

Of course, we also feel responsible about meeting everyone's needs, especially those of our clients, fans or supporters. So naturally we work through the weekend to meet a last-minute demand for a project or give up our quiet meditation time to take an early phone appointment.

And there goes our Sabbath, our sabbat, our time away for rest and renewal.

In Ciro Marchetti's deck, the Four of Swords speaks clearly to us about this issue. In a chapel-like space lit by a stained glass window with the Greek symbol, Chi Rho, the symbol for Christ, a man rests on four swords. A raven (death, the soul) flies over him with two poppies in its beak, one red (love, life) and one white (purity, rebirth). Notice that the Swords, the suit of the mind, thoughts and communication, point down.

This card implies a rest or retreat from the stresses of the mind. The worries and concerns, the swords, aren't gone, just at rest, like the man.

I think it's important to notice that this rest occurs in a sacred space. Sleep and rest aren't just biological needs but also sacred acts. When we sleep, we dream and within our dreams, we receive guidance and inspiration, insight and foresight. When we take time to meditate, to slow down and daydream or to let our minds wander, we restore and rebalance our emotional, mental, and spiritual energies as well as our physical ones.

Just as importantly, our creativity is restored.

Rest, retreat and renewal are not special treats that we can put off until we "have time." They are something that is intrinsically necessary to our well-being.

So how can you make time for rest and renewal, for your personal sabbat?

You can start in small ways. You can take an occasional nap. Or you can start your day off with 15 minutes of meditation, or journaling, or with just sipping a cup of tea and staring out the window.

Learn to take time away from your technology buddies, your cell phone and laptop. Turn off the TV and even your music.

Then increase that 15 minutes to a half hour or more. Or make your weekend a time away from your weekly work. Like developing a muscle, carving out time for rest and renewal may become easier the more you do it. Then those flowers of love, life, and rebirth can be received.

Tired? Overwhelmed? Creatively depleted? Take some time for rest and renewal. After all, the sacred day of rest never left us. We left it. So what can you do today to return to a sacred time of rest and renewal?

© Copyright 2009, 2010, Paula Chaffee Scardamalia

Intuitive and creativity coach Paula Chaffee Scardamalia publishes Divine Muse-ings, a weekly ezine. If you want to connect with your Muse for an inspired, gutsy and productive life, sign up at: www.diviningthemuse.com

About Paula: As a creativity coach and intuitive, Paula Chaffee Scardamalia uses dreams, tarot, rituals, and journals to connect writers with the Muse, an unending source of inspiration and guidance and then helps them create a plan to move from Muse to manifestation, from dream to reality.

Great Creative Inspiration

Interesting CXR (9)

A man presented with acute onset of shortness of breath and clinical findings are of pneumothorax and an emergency chest tube insertion was done. However he remains in respiratory distress despite the procedure..What do you think he is not improving and what does the CXR actually show?.

Shaun McNiff on his painting and process

Interesting ECG (7)

(Click to enlarge).I have this interesting ECG sent to me by a postgraduate Medical Registrar from Kenya and we would like to share this for discussion..What do you think it is?

Art & Knowing

I just finished reading Pat B. Allen's guide to self knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through creativity aka Art is a Way of Knowing. Allen is an artist/art therapist who uses her personal journey as illumination and guide. It's not a new book, but stands the test of time, delving into archetypes and Jungian territory. If she'd written it now, instead of 15 years ago, it might have been a blog. Like this. Kind of.

Inspired to try one of the automatic drawing techniques she describes in the book, I dug out my oil pastels and scribbled away for a few hours last Sunday. The scribble technique is similar to some processes I described a few years ago here, from the Surrealist bag of tricks. In soufflage, one blows on paint to make it dribble, inspiring or revealing an image. Eclaboussure employs water or turpentine to create splatters and space. Automatic drawing and frottage attempt to get pencil to paper, away from our conscious mind's control.

I was anxious when I first sat down to draw. And as you know if you read this blog, drawing isn't my go to art. So it's bundled up with a bit of anxiety all it's own. The nice thing about oil pastels is they glide on the paper in a particularly yummy way. So it feels good, physically. Smooth. Delightful. And the colors are nice. Pretty. I like pretty.

After scribbling away for a while I held the paper up, and wasn't sure what I saw or didn't see. I started rubbing my fingers into the pastels. A little fiercely I have to say. The energy of the scribbles was chaotic, like my mind. And the energy of my rubbing was aggressive. But calming too. In the way a burst relieves pressure.

Suddenly I started to see things. It's like looking for faces in clouds. I began to outline in black. Struggled a bit with a half bird/half cat creature I couldn't quite make out. Set it aside, physically. But left it smouldering on my mind's back burner.

Meanwhile the next day, a friend posted on her blog about an online nixed media owl course she was diving into. And suddenly I knew that the creature trying to take form on the page was Owl. A little research into Owl medicine revealed that they are often thought to look like feathered felines. Owl symbolizes mystery, magic, the unknown and unseen.

Of course, Owl is popping up all over for me now. Surfing this morning, every other image seems to be my feathered friend with wide eyes and even wider wing span.

This bird energy is familiar to me, as I've been exploring the Axis Mundi archetype for a number of years. But the Owl energy is new. Intriguing.

I'm looking forward to more explorations in scribbling, and looking for images in clouds of color and line. It's my intention to create a workshop that explores this fascinating territory too. It so captures the process of creativity and really gets us out of the way of ourselves.

Try it. And see for yourself. You remember how to look for faces in clouds don't you?

May your day be filled with the Magic Medicine of seeing.

Interesting Imaging (2)

A man with unknown comorbid was brought in with unresponsiveness. No history could be obtained from patient or family. Some of his clinical signs (Panel A, B):
.


And the CT Brain is shown in Panel C.

.

Correlating the CT Brain findings with the clinical signs, what would you highly suspect? Please give the complete diagnosis.

.

Kirtanarama @ FIGMENT NYC 2011

I think of FIGMENT as NYC's tamed down, family version of Burning Man. The spirit of community and non-commodity is at its heart. And art is the headliner.
Last year I created ORBS for FIGMENT. This year I've put in two proposals. One for PICNIC!, a series of picnic blankets made from reclaimed plastic packaging. Another for KIRTANARAMA, a community kirtan event which I hope will become an annual FIGMENT event, like the Ecstatic Chant weekends at the Omega Institute.
To that end, I am putting out an open call to kirtan wallas - and chanters - everywhere who would like to participate and help bring this vision to life in the heart of Governor's Island, June 10 - 12, 2011
I will be creating an online sign up sheet shortly and a Facebook page for more info, but for now, reach out to me at kirtanarama@yahoo.com or leave a comment here.