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mindfulness

Hidden or unused

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A lot is going on in this planetrails timelapse from last night. Planes taking off, landing, crossing here and there, a few satellites moving against the steady paths of the stars. And amongst it all are dim trails. Just traces. By smaller planes, traveling along a route to less visited places. Maybe it’s a leisurely flight.

Even though at first glance they look the same, there seems to be a huge difference beetween the hidden path and the unused. I think that’s by design.

In your journeys do you travel the well trodden paths? Do you look for the abandoned tread?Or do you seek the more mysterious hidden way?

Take a different path today. How did it make you feel? How did your feet find it?

Reflection

A lot is happening in this image and in it I have a little foreknowledge; I know how this scene unfolded. Near the beginning a couple planes take off together, maybe fighter planes. And they wander around together creating a faint trail. I’m fascinated while hiking with faint traces; old unused trails, faint animal paths. And I reflected on how some of these paths may be well used but just camouflaged, hidden from plain view. Where do these paths lead? What is there meaning? Will this trail evolve into a well used path or will the well-used paths fall into disuse and forgetfulness. What stories were told along these paths? and how can I add a few words to the journey?

Trends

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It’s so tempting to follow someone’s process aiming for their success. Every one has their own path, their own skills, their unique view of the world. Instead of going for sharper, supersaturated and brighter, I went the other way with this photo. A simpler view of the world.

Create something simple today.

Reflection

While coding my final project for Creative Coding class, I reflected on how easy it is with the internets and all the social media to copy someone else; trying for their success. But it seems that with unique skills and points of view, we have our own ideas to add to the universe. Unique ideas, wholly our own, a glimpse at an adjacent possible that no one else notices. How important is that? Hugely. For this piece of art, I took an amazing sunrise. It didn’t need any more saturation or boosting of color. It was as vibrant as it could be. And then I went simpler with it by using the low-poly generator that I built to bust it up into its tiny areas of color. And it’s spectacular still.

The Trails

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I can see why the ancients believed the stars guide destiny. Night after night the lights in the firmament of night follow their course, sure of their path. We are more like the wandering planets picking our way along a starry path sometimes so certain of our course; other times hopelessly lost.

It’s ok to be wandering.

Reflection

Night after night, the stars follow their paths but we don’t do that. With our metacognition and mindfulness, we can choose a more wandering path. I have a distinctly different style of gameplay than my son. His is fast and designed to win. I wander around the board looking to fulfill quests and find new treasures. I think it’s OK to choose to wander or play fast and furious. But we should do so without judgment.

Support

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This fence has seen some weather; high winds, hail, snow and countless sunny days. And it’s needed help from time to time. Times like these we should stand by for folks. Just be there for someone; just in case.

Reflection

When I took the picture of this fencepost being supported by another it seemed a good metaphor for the times. We should stand by folks. Maybe not to support but to offer a place to lean when needed. To just be there, just in case.

Stars upon stars

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We are made of starstuff.
I cannot dream without the motes of night
They are engines of creation
Stars upon stars
Their twinkling inspires
What do they whisper?
A colorful band of adventurers on my journey
Pointing all the ways
Such perfect companions

Sit quiet with the stars tonight.

Reflection

A friend of mine husband died this week. I wrote this for her so she would find some peace maybe. I hope it worked.
 
#mindfulness #contemplation

Flow

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Every airport has a pattern; a way of entering the area to land on a certain runway. And when the airport becomes busy, everything works well. Sometimes for me, routines like this help bring intense times of heightened awareness or flow. It’s something I have to cultivate. I have to be ready.

What routines do you have in place today to encourage flow? Are you ready?

This has become a series caller Planetrails. This pic is a timelapse of the air traffic over Denver November 5, 2020.

Reflection

I’ve been taking a series of photos I call “Planetrails.” Sometimes over DIA, the patterns are apparent. I got to wondering how the patterns in my life really get me in flow sometimes. And I wondered if instead of disruption to create flow whether flow is an offshoot of a working pattern. I’m not in favor of doing something the same way over and over expecting a different outcome. I was more thinking of using my workflow in more intense ways to achieve flow. Can I take what I know and make it better. This goes back to a thought I have often while coding where I spend time looking for answers and clues in Google when I have the skills myself to get it done. It’s a matter of confidence and shirking the “imposter syndrome.”
 
#impostersyndrome #mindfulness #flow

Imagine Differently

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We know that these hills are connected to the Earth but for just a second imagine that they are floating mountains. What are the implications? Everything we think we know would be wrong? Something incredible is possible? Certainly the laws of physics would have to work differently. It becomes a fun and freeing imagining.

Imagine floating mountains today. What does that mean for your creativity?

Reflection

This post was really designed to explore the floating appearance of the mountains in the clouds; how things are not always as they appear. Or in a more fantastic sense, wouldn’t it be neat if these mountains were really floating. I’m not sure we spend enough time in this daydream “what if” mode. I find it energizing and I probably should visit more often.

#mindfulness #neuralplasticity #adjacentpossible

Noting the Small

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When sitting under these trees I was amazed at their fractal nature; from the big to small. Trees to sky. I always have been. I follow the branches out to the smallest leaves. My dad used to ask if I could see the ants. I wish I could for then my explorations could go farther. I’m content to notice the slight quaking of the wind and hearing a slight swoosh of wind.

Today, be still for a moment or two and Listen for the smallest things.

Reflection

Something Annie said during class; about tiny noticing, brought me to this. I think in nature, we are often caught looking at the forest and forgetting the differences in the trees…especially using senses beyond sight. I remember places by the way they sound and smell more than the way they look.

#mindfulness #nature

Around the Bend

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Every trail is an adventure. You can walk 100 steps and the whole world will change, scenes drift, colors shift. Nature affects us in profound ways. The aura of a forest can brighten moods, calm a stressed twenty first century mind. This path is centering.

What’s around that bend? Tell me about the paths you choose this weekend.

Reflection

I have an idea of a series called 100 Steps; to get people to realize that they don’t have to travel far distances for true beauty in nature. A journey of 100 steps can bring you to the perfect place you never knew was so close.

#mindfulness #nature #embodiedcognition

Clearing

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The Sun hit the horizon again from our vantage this morning. It has been rising over Crescent Mountain for about a month now. It now has a clear shot to the winter solstice.

The road will be bumpy but it smooths out. Do you feel it? It’s time to get creating.

Reflection

I like watching changes in nature. Where the Sun will rise, the seasons, the differences in the skies. It helps me remember that time flows and I don’t have unlimited time. I need to keep creating.

#mindfulness #nature #metta #creativity

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