Monthly Archives: April 2021

Fully Human

Watch me paint “Miracle of Life” in 2 minutes (time lapse)

The inspiration behind this art is the alarming trend toward genetically modified humans (GMHs), which has been going on for much longer than most people seem to realize. GMHs are among us in larger and larger numbers. The question we must ask is, “Will there come a day when we will have no choice?”

Will all food be genetically modified, and all humans modified as well? Do we have biological freedom? Do we have the right to remain fully human?

I wrote this book “Project Willow” in 2014 (trailer below). I’ve shared with you several times when I have created something futuristic, usually by accident. My vision into the future is seldom far ahead, but within ten years of mirroring in real life. 

Project Willow trailer (above) – no need to read the fictional book. This short video is all you need to see to understand what I’m trying to share in this blog post.

When I wrote this, I felt overwhelming sorrow for these (imagined, yet perceived) nearly-AI beings who grieve their losses and yearn to be fully human. For, while it may seem like utopia to remove all of the unpleasantness of what makes us human, when we alter what God has created, we also remove the unique design that makes us who we are. Do we not have value?

You might recall what I wrote in my recent post “Are we free“, in which I talked about social engineering and the theft of a treasure that few seem to understand the precious irreplaceable value of (our creative, intellectual, and spiritual freedom to live an authentic and organic life that is not covertly or overtly manipulated by profit or power driven entities). In that post, I specified some ways that we are manipulated on a mass scale toward contrived conversations, thoughts, and decisions that are not organic, but “rigged” by powerful people, corporations and governments. Much of this mass manipulation and control relies on artificial intelligence.

It is this part of my blog post that I want to remind you of:

“We secure what they intend to steal when we value our treasure. They won’t know what our future thoughts and creations will be if we raise our spiritual and intellectual selves to new heights. They and their AI machines will never be able to successfully predict who we are because they have underestimated us. They have evaluated us on predictive programming alone, not by spiritual wisdom, discernment, and evidence of the human spirit.”

– “Are we Free?” by Natalie Buske Thomas

When our genetic code is altered, this is what we stand to lose: “spiritual wisdom, discernment, and evidence of the human spirit.” We stand to lose that which AI cannot currently understand and replicate, which is why they must destroy it. This is merely logical and linear in thinking. It is an objective conclusion based on the trajectory of their social initiatives, based on the language found in publications produced by world organizations such as the UN.

When people adopt the manipulative propaganda phrases of entities meant to silence the masses, such as “conspiracy theorist”, we hurt only ourselves, and aid those who wish to enslave us, profit from our labor, and see us not as individuals, but as property. We are either “assets” (to keep alive and steer toward actions that benefit them), or “liabilities” (to remove, and to prevent from being born in the first place). This is a sinister view of the world governments, but when you pay attention to their meetings such as in Davos, and their “scientific” experiments and agendas, they tell us from their own lips what their intentions for mankind are. 

Furthermore, if studying what is being done to our food source and to animals, and realizing that the same is being done to people, their plots are quite easy to deduce. It requires no imagination, only listening, reading, and making logical conclusions. Often, no conclusions are even necessary, as their arrogance leads them to brag openly about their agendas. Why would we listen to known liars, and call our fellow humans “conspiracy theorists”, refusing to hear our pleas? To be honest, this is so stupid, it’s baffling. We are smarter than this, surely!

My role over ten years ago, and in the years since, has been to share what I could see and what I learned (read medical journals about the progression of human cloning and DNA modification, for example). But we are past all of that. The things I saw are now transparent for anyone who chooses to look. We must focus not solely on the shock and reveal of uncovered evil, corruption, and horrific worldwide intentions to conquer humanity, but on what we can do about it.

The answer lies in our free will as human beings, granted to us by God. This gift cannot be stolen from us by world governments. They can only get it when we surrender it to them. If they manage to trick enough of us into giving away our humanity, they can then eliminate the remaining populace. Much of that would likely be done simply by allowing the converted State-aligned masses to remove the non-conformers themselves (the issue that divides us could be anything; related to social “crimes”, health related freedoms, climate change initiatives- any excuse to control the populace by restricting the freedoms of those who do not conform). 

The deception is brainwashing the masses to believe that the issues themselves are what’s driving the control, instead of what is really driving this oppressive march; powerful world governments and their partnering tech/corporations/edu/health/media. The sleight-of-hand triggering issues can be invented, yanked when they lose performance value, and re-invented at any time. They can be manufactured based on reality, they can use real events and exploit them in a misleading direction, or they can make drama out of thin air. Their art of deception has the talent of Hollywood at their fingertips, to include video trickery, masks, illusions, and actors. Can we trust what we see? 

Would it even matter if what they present is true, if their reason for presenting these issues and reporting on these events has a propaganda motive? In my opinion, not really. Bickering over which events are real and which ones are fake is yet another distraction. The point isn’t the initial lie, but how they use the lie (or the truth, doesn’t matter) to distort and manipulate our thinking. They take unrelated events and push them into a relationship they want the masses to believe. Even if the propagandized reports make us feel justifiably angry, we must remember that they are steering our response to such events away from logical paths that lead to lasting positive change, and toward impulsive reactions that lead right into their next plans, legislation, or control.

In this way, the new class of GMHs would overtake the old human populace with little resistance, and not much need for government intervention. They only need to restrict and squeeze our ability to travel, work, associate, and obtain food and services. The rest would be made possible by our own citizens and local agencies turning on us. It doesn’t even matter which “side” people choose… those who always align with the State may still be caught up at the wrong place at the wrong time and corralled with the non-conformers regardless.

I will repeat what I said before:

“Will you join me in my personal challenge? I am making a conscious effort to be aware of when I edit my words or when I alter my creative vision to conform with arbitrary or manipulative standards, or when I cave to the fear that the mob will retaliate against me. I will honor my God given purpose and I will not edit myself from view. I will not comply. I will do my part to restore intellectual and spiritual freedom to humanity. I will fight! Will you join me in this effort?”

– “Are we Free?” by Natalie Buske Thomas

Take this simple stand further. In what other ways should we not comply? What can we hold on to, that would make a difference? Artificial intelligence analyzes us and predicts our moves. Make yourself unpredictable. Be aware of steered conversations and thoughts and refuse to let these things control you. Do the opposite of what is pushed on you. Go outside. Get at least 15 minutes of sun a day. Rid your body of as many chemicals as you can. Eat real foods. Drink mostly water. Seek genuine, authentic, communications. Let yourself feel your emotions. Cry. Laugh until you cry. Do not allow mass hypnosis that desensitizes you to the pain of other human beings. Feel their pain!

Do you remember a children’s book called “A Wrinkle in Time”? A truly scary part in that book was when Meg was fighting for control of her mind. She realizes that IT is not good, but evil. The way to defeat IT is in knowing that IT feeds off hate, and the way to save herself and her family is to make the conscious, full spirited choice to love. She pours out love with everything her spirit has to give, and she breaks free of IT, helps others to break free as well. Here is a page that gives a summary: “Meg broke IT’s control“.

I can’t help but be aware that IT is also an umbrella term for computing, “information technology”. AI definitely relates to IT. I feel that the current battle for our minds is very much as described in “A Wrinkle in Time”, and the answer is as the author so wisely shared with us: love. The defense to hate is love. The way to break free from control is love. The path to survive and thrive during these troubled times is through love.

When lies, fraud, corruption, manipulation, and contrived tragedies drag your spirit down, fight! Choose calm, peace, stillness, nature, friendships, hobbies, and spiritual meditation. Do not let yourself choose “sides” in manufactured or exploited hate dramas. IT/AI doesn’t care which side we choose, only that we play the game… only that we choose their false dichotomy that there are only two positions from which to choose, and both of those positions are seeded by hate, as its aim is to divide and destroy.

Choose not to play IT’s game. Live your life. Cherish your humanity. Reject their new model for what we should be. Should we be angry every minute, always hopped up with “social justice” that emboldens us to hate our own people, perpetually wronged and hostile? This is a plan outlined in actual handbooks for how to overtake and control a native population to “organize” communities and change them to suit the objectives of the conquering parties or nations. This plan is pure evil, as it is operates on hate. It is fueled by the hatred that is aroused in the populace, as they learn to blame all of their trials on each other.

We all face hardships and injustice in life. Our response to financial devastation, persecution, criminal victimization, generational disadvantage, and righteous anger about these unjust situations can never be hate. Hate feeds more of the same, building upon the wrongs until malice reaches a tipping point. When hate becomes a collective fiery inferno, hate has won.

Extinguish the flames of hatred by contributing the opposite of what is expected of us. Do not respond in a predictable way to the baited, contrived, steered arguments and violent dramas. Think logically. What percentage of violent, unjust acts occur daily compared to the percentage of acts that are not dramatic… these are peaceful everyday human moments that we could choose to focus on and celebrate?

Know your rights and do nothing that violates them. Shut off the noise. Block IT with your mind by thinking upon good things, as the character Meg did in “A Wrinkle in Time”. Bake cookies for your favorite people, or for just yourself- you should be your most favorite person. On the other side of that, watch your sugar intake and your overall health. Focus on physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual fitness. Be the healthiest you can be, even if your health is severely weakened. Aim for the most comfort and optimize your human condition.

Think lovingly. Be loving. Act in love. Go in love. Let your spirit feel the restful space of love. You know all of this intuitively. I share nothing new. But it always helps when a friend says what’s on our hearts so that we know we are not alone. You are not alone.

New Painting – Deer

Enter the serenity of this peaceful scene; overcast skies, green foliage, and a wild creature peering through a clearing in the woods. Is it early morning or is the evening dusk settling in? Can you almost smell the fresh dewy air and hear the rustle of the leaves?

Watch me paint “Deer” in 2 minutes (time lapse)

Another painting done for the 2021 collection “50 Oil Paintings Inspired by Nature“. This brings me one painting closer to my lifetime goal of 1k finished paintings!

I’m starting a new painting today that is quite a departure from animal art, but still loosely fits into the theme of “inspired by nature”. I hope to have the new one ready to share on Sunday. Tomorrow this blog will resume the series “Stories that Inspire my Art” which will run through the summer (on the days when I don’t have a new painting to share).

“Let my People Go”

As happens occasionally, I have again painted “into the future”. This art is from nearly ten years ago. I painted it in response to government tyranny, relating to injustice I was personally facing. But, when viewed in light of 2020 and continuing to this date, some will likely assume other motivations and inspirations for why I painted this art “Let my People Go”, depicting New York City’s Statue of Liberty raising a staff like Moses to part the waves.

Are the people coming or going? The ambiguous figures make their intentions of arrival or departure unclear, made even more obscure by the grainy footage of the painting session (it was filmed with my an old camcorder, before I got an HD camera). The inadvertent vintage nature suits the art.

Art, once shared, doesn’t belong to me. I follow what it feels like I should paint. Sometimes I paint when I’m upset and those emotions provide empathy to others who are facing hardships. Our troubles don’t need to be from the same issue or from the same time period to cross over into shared human experience.

When my art becomes historically timely, it’s unnerving, yet inspiring as well. We are all connected to each other and are connected to our past and future selves as well. No generation stands alone.

Are we free?

I’d like you to please pay attention to the above video of “Dove in a Forest“, one of my older paintings when I was first starting out as a career artist. I had my old camcorder then that was not HD, and this isn’t the most flattering footage, but it was nonetheless what I had chosen to share. I found this original video when sorting through my files. It was later replaced with a different video that I will share in a few minutes. I will explain why it was altered and potentially forever gone.

When I posed the question in the blog title “are we free”, many current situations probably came to your mind. However, I’d like you to think further back in time, and think smaller. Let’s contemplate how our creativity, independent voices, expressions, communications, and connections have been corralled, limited, and controlled in subtle ways that have happened over time, with many people not realizing it, and perhaps even denying the reality of. For it is there that it began, and why so many do not even recognize our present slavery.

One must understand the value of something before its loss is grieved. When a treasure is stolen, but the victim has no awareness of its loss or value, the victim is twice wronged. Firstly, the victim has been manipulated by the thief to believe that he has nothing of value to be stolen. Secondly, the thief has stolen it brazenly, without the victim even realizing the crime. But one day, the victim may understand this robbery has hurt him in ways he wasn’t aware of, and an otherwise organic path toward spiritual and intellectual growth has been trampled.

Social engineering is such a crime. It is an insidious technological form of mass manipulation that steals a treasure that most people aren’t aware of (our creative, intellectual, and spiritual freedom to live an authentic and organic life that is not covertly or overtly manipulated by profit or power driven entities), and don’t realize that this treasure has been stolen from us. It is theft nonetheless, and one day the impact of this spiritual and intellectual robbery will be greater understood.

This is a simplistic list, but quickly we can summarize how social engineering by governments partnering with tech companies and corporations target specific individuals and groups:

  • personalizing forms of censorship, covert or overt blacklists, throttling, blocks, algorithmic hiding of results/info, or deletions that apply to some persons or groups, but not to others; that apply to come topics, but not to others (controlling information)
  • corralling persons into groups that are meant to influence that individual, manipulating the natural path toward meeting people organically by showing certain people or groups while hiding or suppressing others (controlling association)
  • blocking some information while pushing others (propaganda and/or aggressive marketing)
  • skewing the frequency, rating, and feedback of communications to give a false impression of popularity or unpopularity (controlling perception)
  • engineering certain topics to appear to be “talked about by everyone” and thereby making that reality happen (steering conversation)

All of these things lead to people making choices in thought, word and deed that they may not have organically made. At a basic level, we may purchase something we normally wouldn’t have. That purchase may deny a worthy less politically connected competitor from our support. Or perhaps we wouldn’t have made any purchase at all if not steered toward doing do. In which case, the damage may be to our own bank accounts. 

Further, we can examine how a single purchase may alter our daily lives. A new appliance, for example, may change our routines, which may impact an entire household. This change may be positive, negative, or neutral, but if the decision for change was not organically chosen by us, it was not fully our choice. To the degree that we are manipulated into making choices we’d not have naturally done if all information was granted fair and equal access, we can’t accurately measure. 

The degree to which we are manipulated into changing our lives through purchases of services or products can vary widely. Someone who organically wouldn’t have chosen to subscribe to a streaming service, for example, may have otherwise found less captivating entertainment on television and perhaps would have spent his time unplugged. Maybe a book would have been read, or a journey to the backyard garden would have occurred. A conversation with a loved one, a decision to make dinner rather than order in, or any number of alternate paths could have been healthier and more spiritually beneficial than watching a screen.

In the case above, a single steered purchasing decision may have had a negative impact on the health, relationships, and spiritual and intellectual growth of an individual. That damage may be slight, but if time is treasure, every minute is precious. Add those minutes up, and the theft is greater than originally imagined. But, that’s still not where I’m headed with this post. 

It’s easy to see how physical decisions such as buying a product (the example of an appliance that changes a daily routine), or a service (the example of a streaming service that changes a lifestyle), can impact our lives. It’s also easy to see how censorship, throttling, banning, and secret tweaks to algorithms can change out lives; we have more or less visibility for work and relationships, we have more or less information in areas we wish to learn about, we are steered to think about policies and issues to vote in certain ways that will impact us globally, and much more. Yes, we can see all of that.

We can study this for years and still not get to the bottom of how insidious this evil is. We didn’t leap from a freer global society to one that is tightly controlled overnight. We didn’t go from the days of dial-up and civilian-run message boards to government/tech-allied moderated social media platforms overnight. None of this happened at warp speed, and much of it happened in subtle ways that most of us didn’t notice. That’s what I want to talk to you about today.

Compare this revised version of “Dove in a Forest” with the original version I shared with you at the top of this post.

Sometimes I created new versions of my videos because I have new software that will allow me to crop in tighter to the canvas. But often my revisions were not my choice. Social media platforms changed their time/size restrictions for uploading videos directly to their platforms, so I had to shorten my videos accordingly. Let’s play “spot the difference” briefly….

The revised video has me cut out of it entirely. You can no longer see my face. Now, truth be told I didn’t think unsmiling and rather unflattering footage of me was an asset, but at one time I was willing to share that vulnerable real side of me. That is the contemplative look I often have when I’m preparing to paint. I organically, originally allowed that to show.

It was that original video that led someone to request a print of “Dove in a Forest“. Something about this art really connected with them. Here’s a photo they shared with me of the framed print as displayed in their home.

What a humbling honor it is that my art is part of this family’s life! They are creating memories in this home, while something I’ve created quietly supports their laughter, tears and love as it rests on their furniture. For each blob of color is infused with a genuine desire for blessings and goodness, protection and prosperity.

But just think- what if this person had only seen the second video, the revised one? Would that magical connection to my painting have occurred? You can see that the second video has a different feel to it. It is shorter, faster, and less personal. The speed of it, just seconds faster, changes how it feels to view it. The music is different to accommodate the new speed, and possibly because I could no longer remember where I got that piece from. Music matters. A different composition changes the emotion.

For every compromise we make, a subtle shift occurs. Perhaps some of these changes are positive. It’s good to see clearer footage of my work, and shorter videos mean that more people have the attention span to watch them. However, are these changes meant for our own good? Just because we can make lemonade out of lemons, it does not mean that we would have chosen the lemons. How much do we value creative and intellectual freedom? And do we underestimate how easily we “the masses” are manipulated by emotion?

You may be aware that social media platforms, the entertainment industry, political parties, and nearly any organization or individual who market their policies, work, agenda, products or services rely heavily on market research. Short, clipped language is attention grabbing and addictive. Drama sells. They know what makes us tick. They study us. And we keep giving them more and more data to make their research increasingly more accurate and effective in manipulating us. 

With AI, they can dissect us at the speed of light. Knowledge is power- when they (entities in power over us) know us, they can control us. Our data is very valuable and as such, it is worth a lot of money. But it seems few of us understand this value, and how the theft of it hurts us. Even when we consent to the use of our data, entities are not honest about the extent in which our data is used to study us for the purpose of steering, manipulating, and controlling us. We are also kept in the dark about the compilation of our personality composite for government databases, shared with allied partners.

Anger is good for business. Short clipped messages seed miscommunication, misunderstandings, and misjudgments. When we are restricted in our language and limited in our sharing, we are less likely to contribute positive, thought provoking content that elevates and enlightens individuals. Rather, we unwittingly contribute to the fast paced culture of seed-feed-greed.

We seed the fertile fields of suspicion and malice when we short-sight our vision. We feed the masses when we contribute to the fast, chopping, clipped, and incomplete global conversation of hostility and fear. We satisfy greed of narcissists and dictators when we comply, when we willingly silence or cut short our creative voices.

Our data is valuable. What is meant to be extracted from us is the means to manipulate and control us: seed, feed, greed. But what if we rebel? What if we refuse to give them our anger? What if we become bored with drama? What if we reject steered conversations? What if we yawn and move on… to something fresh and new? What if we take back our power to think, speak, and create as we wish? What if we do not respond to the issues they push on us, but we listen to our inner voices and divine inspiration?

In this way, we protect our treasure. They are neither able to extract from us what they want, nor able to package it to push their agendas or grow their profit margins. We have rendered them impotent. We secure what they intend to steal when we value our treasure. They won’t know what our future thoughts and creations will be if we raise our spiritual and intellectual selves to new heights. They and their AI machines will never be able to successfully predict who we are because they have underestimated us. They have evaluated us on predictive programming alone, not by spiritual wisdom, discernment, and evidence of the human spirit.

Will you join me in my personal challenge? I am making a conscious effort to be aware of when I edit my words or when I alter my creative vision to conform with arbitrary or manipulative standards, or when I cave to the fear that the mob will retaliate against me. I will honor my God given purpose and I will not edit myself from view. I will not comply. I will do my part to restore intellectual and spiritual freedom to humanity. I will fight! Will you join me in this effort?

Older Work – Acrylic Painting

My daughter before her ballet recital, painted more than ten years ago… it is my one and only acrylic painting. I still had young children then and had frequent interruptions in painting. I complained about how fast the paint dries and my husband suggested I try oil painting. At a later time I did, and I’ve never stopped since. Even though my children aren’t little anymore, the family is active and almost more distracting. I appreciate how oils allow me to stop what I’m doing and go back to it hours or even days later. That’s really the only way an art vocation can work into the balance of my life.

But, beyond the practical nature of oils, I prefer them for many other reasons. I like the feel, glide, and ability to create texture, even light sculpting when the paint is especially thick. I also prefer the vibrant hues and reflective nature of oils. I like the connection to classical and renaissance art of old. I feel a part of something that pines for enlightenment, an affinity with those who paint to express the longing of the human spirit to be known, loved, and elevated to goodness.

I am happy though to have used acrylics for this painting of my daughter in her dance costume. The nature of the paints make this look almost vintage, and as the years pass, the memory of it feels longer and longer ago. She says this is her favorite painting I’ve done, and she adds “of course it’s of ME”, but she is drawn to the softer hues and subtle lines, so acrylic appeals to her also.

I don’t know if I’ll get back into acrylics ever, but I doubt it. I do prefer oils and they feel much more intuitive to how I paint. If you enjoy art but haven’t yet found your way, it’s possible that you haven’t hit upon the medium you’d be natural for. Maybe you prefer the more flowy style of inks and watercolors? Or you are choosing between acrylic and oil? Pencils? There are so many differences, and that’s without exploring styles of drawing, painting, and creating. So if you’ve become discouraged, perhaps you should try something new.

Note: There’s no video to watch me paint this. I wasn’t filming my sessions yet. Also, I could only find a low resolution photo of it after it was hung on the wall. I’ll keep digging for a higher resolution photo, but I may have to resort to taking a new photo of the original, which is still wrapped up after our move to Georgia. When I get my act together with this piece I’ll create an art page for it on this site.

Peace or Hate?

Why do people destroy what others create? First the painting, then the inspiration behind it and an update. Do you choose peace or hate?

Watch me paint this angel and dove in 2 minutes (time lapse)

“Bonaventure Cemetery was made famous when one of its sculptures, a statue known as ‘Bird Girl’, was featured as a book cover and in the movie ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’. The statue was such an attraction that it needed to be removed to preserve it from the many hands of tourists, and damage from vandals as well. It was relocated to the art museum (Telfair Museums’ Telfair Academy), where I was able to view it.
Angel statues in the historic Savannah cemeteries inspired me to paint an angel in a similar pose and style to the stone sculptures. My angel is in full color with a fantasy landscape as if giving life to what was cold and dead. As fall represents death yet contradicts itself in color, forecasting an impending stillness yet change, visiting the memorials felt much like the changing of seasons. There was peace and beauty yet bittersweet, as endings and loss permeate the grounds.”

– from the book “50 Oil Paintings Inspired by Savannah, Georgia” by artist Natalie Buske Thomas

Update to the above story…

When I wrote that description and gave mention to the angel statue needing to be moved so that it would not be destroyed by vandals, I had no way of knowing that I too would need to move my angel (from virtual- but nonetheless real- spaces) to protect her from being destroyed. Worse, I needed to move her to protect myself from being destroyed, attacked and “cancelled”. For what was meant to be a gift of peace to anyone and everyone who wished to view my oil paintings, became a target for acts of hate.

Sometimes I am attacked as a person. Sometimes it’s over something I’ve written, posted, or shared. Other times, the attacks are over a specific work. In this case, a mob took issue with the race of my angel. I make no apologies for painting a classical style angel, nor for painting figures who resemble people in my family. I will never accept guilt for things I am not guilty of. However, since it was clear that this mob had no intention of ending their hate campaign, I disabled all comments and moved my art away from platforms that give these despicable people access to me and my work.

Just like the original statue that inspired me to paint an outdoor-nature-scene angel featuring a bird, I had to “move” my angel to protect her from being destroyed. Why do people destroy things that others create? Why do they want to hurt artists and others who share words, music, or art? These things do no harm to anyone, even if the content feels hostile or unwelcome. The answer to disagreement is to create counter arguments, not destroy what others create.

I’ve many experiences with hate, and some of those involve legal crimes committed against me. For this and many other reasons I’m no longer active on social media. Because I removed myself from that world, my work is seen by only a few (for now; I expect that to change). As a blacklisted person I was censored on all major tech platforms anyway, and I’ve had to learn how to navigate these digital means of communication around the many blockades set before me. At this point, I have let go of these concerns. Whoever is meant to see my art will see it. It is more important that I refuse to let people destroy me.

For whatever we intend for peace, we must protect from those who wish to destroy it (us). It’s not enough to create and then cower as passive victims. Never let hyenas surround and attack you until you are destroyed. Be the lion who walks away from them all, with nothing but a few tears to his mane. We are at spiritual war with those who want to control expression; with those who have installed themselves as arbiters of what is acceptable, what is good, and what is evil. 

When we know the intentions of our hearts and we are not guilty, we must not act as if we are. When unjustly attacked, do not argue your case. Move your spirit and your work to a protected space. We validate the mob when we defend ourselves, as we validate that there is an argument to refute. Lies, smears, character defamation and slander/libel are not valid arguments. Do not consent to hate.

I used the word “peace” in my blog title instead of love. Often, we hear the false dichotomy of “love or hate”. This idea that we have only two choices is not true. There are other options we can choose. It’s unrealistic to expect us to love each other, if using a definition of love that requires too much of ourselves. The type of love for one’s enemy is more like “peace”. 

We must not choose bitterness, resentment, and a vengeful nature, as it will consume us as our enemies desire. But we are not forced into an illogical fallacy of love or hate. We may choose peace.

I choose peace for my enemies. It’s a type of love that I can offer authentically. Peace releases me from the anger, resentment and despondency that I may otherwise feel if I cannot let go and forgive. Loss of hope and loss of courage are what the enemy wants. 

Depression of spirit can destroy creation. And that is what the true end game is! Enemies seek to destroy not only what has been created, but the creators themselves, and ultimately the act of creation.

It’s difficult to understand this type of pettiness, evil and desire to control others, and perhaps it’s too horrible of a reality for some to believe. Therefore people hold fast to the idea that such evil and thirst for control does not exist. But if one believes in love, one must acknowledge hate and a raw malice that has no respect for human life, not even the helpless and vulnerable, not even children and babies. 

We hope for peace when we know war. Never deny the dangers of this world, but always stand firm in courage. Even the smallest acts of standing our ground lead to big movements, in which peace wins over hate. Let no one stop you from creating what is in your heart.

New Painting – Butterfly & Yellow Flowers

Watch me paint “Butterfly and Yellow Flowers” in 1 minute (time lapse)

It was a dreary rainy Saturday here in the Deep South (Georgia, USA). Even though the natural sunlight was very poor, I still managed to finish this painting. The art illustrates the mood of this day, and translates to life in general. Do whatever is in your heart even if conditions aren’t ideal. Keep going. Seek the light in the darkness. Work hard. Never give up. When it’s time to rest, our souls will know we’ve done all we were born to do.

New Painting – Bird in Forest

Watch me paint “Bird in Forest” in about 2 minutes (time lapse)

Sometimes I look at a photo or a real life object when I paint, other times I paint from my imagination and just let the art grow. This is one of the “from imagination” kind of paintings. I put music on and let the paints flow. As usual, we can apply this to our life. Some days, we schedule ourselves into a routine, and other days we let the minutes flow.

Try to “live by imagination” this weekend. Let the time flow. You may find yourself in a peaceful spiritual forest, restored and ready for the challenges of the week ahead.

New Painting – Strawberry Flower

Watch me paint “Strawberry Flower” in 2 minutes (time lapse)

Fresh food from nature, bright colors, and flowers in bloom- what a refreshing sight after a long winter! Make sure you have your sound on to hear a delightful rendition of “Summertime”. The dark days are soon behind us.

I’m painting again today. The blog series will return when my painting marathon ends. Until then, I’m posting a new painting every day!

New Painting – Wild One

Watch me paint “Raccoon” in under 2 minutes (time lapse)

I’m still on my painting marathon, but when I slow down again (with projects that require more layers) I’ll resume the blog series. For now, I’ll work full speed ahead and post each new painting the next morning. My lifetime goal of 1k is not only possible, but at this rate… INEVITABLE!

Enjoy your day, dear friends. Be unsinkable, unstoppable, and full of joy!