The Awareness of Happiness.
1/1/14
Happy New Year!
“The Awareness of Happiness as Choice” was going to be the title of this blog post but I changed my mind as I first want to better define what I mean. I believe it is important to define who I am in relationship to understanding awareness, choice and happiness as words that I am applying everyday. This is a theory based on my own personal experiences and also something that one can only do from with in on his or her own. I have discovered that this blog is an ever changing and evolving body of work. It serves as a place for me to express myself about the things that I love and am passionate about. It is a categorized growing archive, and an open community for anyone who wishes to share and contribute. As an artist, I share my work, projects, collaborations and the process of how I create art. As an art educator and a professor I share my research, course projects and views on art education. I have come to realize that I have been with holding here. There has been a key missing element over the last five years of consciously blogging on this platform. I have a deep interest and connection to the development of human awareness, spirituality, wellness and behavior. I am also passionate about helping others become self aware, self actualized, and confident to apply their authenticity into the world. I have posted a few things from time to time, but not to the extent of which that I live my day to day life. So, it is time to do this here on a regular basis. Will I loose the audience I have cultivated over the last five years? I’m not worried about that anymore as my higher self knows that authenticity is about being truthful with one’s self. If we are withholding, I believe that we train our universe not to trust us, and that leads to only more experiences of dis-trust in ourselves.
I have learned that everything we want to be, do or have is directly connected to what feeling it will give us. That’s right, the feeling. Not what we “think” will happen to us once we obtain any “thing.” The feeling itself is a natural one, it is our happiness. In 2014, become aware of how you feel in relationship to the things you are aspiring to. Be aware that you can cultivate this inner feeling BEFORE that “thing” comes to be, in fact, this is precisely the way I believe things manifest. Much more to come on this.
2014!
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This is sweet! Spot on with the idea of self talk.
This post is spot on with what I took from your class. Driving home every Tuesday night, as tired as I would be, I would feel a jolt of energy thinking about personal goals and how exciting a future of opportunity is. Thank you for sharing your lust for life. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Thanks so much Sarah! The constant and repetitive “feeling” of a future of opportunity is always exciting, and feels great! This is exactly what my intentions were to instill into our class. All we need to do is remind ourselves once or twice a day and over time this becomes second nature, just like creating any other habit.
I can’t agree more with you about how our awareness effects everything connected to ourselves. I was also inspired from the idea that helping people get what they want actually is a good way of helping yourself understand how things work.
Artist’s works are just like artists themselves, I can feel your energy from your works, Ryan! And thank you, I learned a lot from you!)
MengXing! Thanks so much!
Ryan! I am really looking forward to this… my art making process is much larger than I thought. In fact, I realize more now than ever that my life is my process and I am my body of work. Each time I make more room for my well being, I make more art. The more art I make, the better my well being. In doing this, the rituals or habits I develop, the spiritual experiences… they are all becoming apart of my art making process, as well as my lifestyle. As a result, there has been more of me present in my work… and now that I choose to share my art work willingly and freely numerous ways I see my work has more meaning to more people. All this makes me happy. I have seen the positive effects all around me, even in those closest to me. I do believe “things”… really good things have been a byproduct of this. Good luck to you!
A wise friend once told me if you are doing what you aspire to do than you are already it 🙂 Best advice I ever got. I think the blog is a great idea but especially now. People are so wrapped up in what they think will make them happy because they want to be perceived as one way or another. That’s why reality tv and Facebook are so big. Sometimes we get sidetracked from the original goal. Interestingly enough if we believe in ourselves and not concern ourselves as much with how we are perceived ( be it money fame fortune or twitter followers ) then we have already achieved the goal or the happiness. I love you honey and think the blog is a fantastic idea. You are a true soul my friend.
YES! professor…
I find this to be a brilliant start to your year and I am totally supportive of your prospects. Having a clear connection to one’s inner voice is a huge step in being happy. I have been ignoring mine for a while now, which is something that I am not exactly proud to say. But I have been listening to it more which is why I have a good feeling about this year. I will keep you posted on that as well. I am happy to mention that there will be more art coming from me. I have a few clients that asked of my services which I will try my best to take full advantage of.
Lets make 2014 a year of internal as well as external growth professor!
You & i share a concern, that of ‘how to nurture consciousness’. So it made me smile, reading this … There’s an honesty & vulnerability in the post that I really appreciate – your voice is very true.
One thing i appreciate about you as a teacher is that you never come off as ‘lecture’ or ‘being right’ or ‘only way’ or something. That’s an important quality for these conversations.
I very much appreciate the honesty question, ‘am i going to lose audience’? I’ve had that concern myself. When I put the information out there with no expectation of result, the universe tends to turn on a gigantic sign that says ‘you’re doing it right’. How that sign shows up varies, but its usually super-obvious!!
How I’ve worked with the fear of alienating people has been – I make no rush, no fuss. Just introduce one idea at a time like i’m talking about the weather. Add it in to the mix. The people who are interested make themselves available for those conversations. The people who aren’t, take from the other content available.
I move around through many small-to-large communities & cliques, and different ‘seeds’ I put out there get different responses from each place.
Its like being in an ongoing cocktail party (do people still do those? I kind of miss them!) where I’m moving from little group to little group having conversations based on what they’re up for. Online stuff – people have gotten really good at ‘skim and pass’ when stuff doesn’t work for them. but if 2/3 of the time they’re into your stuff, they’ll stick around / come back!
I couldn’t agree with you more, Ryan. Especially the part about connecting to the “feeling” about how something will make us feel once we’ve accomplished it. You have been so open and honest about sharing so much with our group as I’m sure you do with all of your students. You’ve taught us to be able to be honest with ourselves about how to achieve happiness in the work we are doing and connecting with the purpose for which we are trying to convey that work. I personally have been able to have a much more clear vision of my purpose for creating work and the feeling I achieve due to that process. Having a spiritual self-awareness is so integral for success in anything you do in life. I feel very fortunate that I can take that feeling and create a visual expression of it through art. Hope this new year brings health and happiness to all of you.
Such great energy here, thanks so much for your feedback everyone!
I love the post. Inner wisdom is our way back to soul guided destinations. if we worship the outer we will not be able to accomplish our path here on earth, which is to follow the soul work