Gems 4.149

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Gems 4.149

This is a gorgeous flower photo, but I didn’t know what kind of flower it was until I did a little research. I found this wonderful poet just today searching for quotes about anemone, which I’m forever confusing with anemones — same word, but the flower is pluralized without the “s” and the marine creature with it. Did you know that? I learned that today too!

It’s a delight to learn new things, and to find new poets, too, and learn their stories:

Elaine Goodale Eastman (1863–1953) and Dora Read Goodale (1866–1953) were American poets and sisters from Massachusetts. They published their first poetry as children still living at home, and were included in Edmund Clarence Stedman’s classic An American Anthology (1900).

Elaine Goodale taught at the Indian Department of Hampton Institute, started a day school on a Dakota reservation in 1886, and was appointed as Superintendent of Indian Education for the Two Dakotas by 1890. She married Dr. Charles Eastman (also known as Ohiyesa), a Santee Sioux who was the first Native American to graduate from medical school and become a physician. They lived with their growing family in the West for several years. Goodale collaborated with him in writing about his childhood and Sioux culture; his nine books were popular and made him a featured speaker on a public lecture circuit. She also continued her own writing, publishing her last book of poetry in 1930, and a biography and last novel in 1935.

Source, Wikipedia, The Goodale Sisters

Elaine Goodale Eastman and her family sound really fascinating. Imagine publishing your first book of poetry as a child. I didn’t publish my first book of poetry until I was a grandmother!

under1000skies.org / under1000skies.com

Speaking of, you can find Elanthian Love Songs – A Bard’s Tale on Amazon. As always, 100 percent of the profits go to under1000skies website fund (coming soon). We purchased the names “under1000skies.org” and “under1000skies.com.” The dot-org will be for this site and the dot-com for our stationary store. You can read more here: About Us.

Faux Pas!

We’ve stopped sending out artist kits for now because we’re looking into ways to combine volunteers with homeless artists for the day to take for camera-phone shots — much cheaper than mailing film and developing photos. We only ever got one roll of film back (from our friend John O.) and I lost it! It was just after Ben disappeared. Not an excuse, but perhaps a reason. I still have hope it will turn up, but that was not a great start. Thankfully, John was very understanding and cool about it.

Cheap/Bulk Camera Phones?

I still love the idea of artist packs, so we’ll work on putting together a waterproof sketchbook with the notebook to include instead of a camera. Meanwhile, if you have any ideas about how to find cheap camera phones, please let me know.

Thank you again so much Richard, Photo Sociology, for allowing us to use another one of your gorgeous macro photos today.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.148

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.148

I have loved snapping photos, as most of us do, all my life. When I was a little girl, I was given a Kodak Pocket Instamatic. It was tiny and came with little decorative stickers. I loved that little camera. I used it so much the trigger mechanism broke. I sent it to the company and said I would pay whatever it cost to fix it. I sent them all the money I had at the time (one dollar and some coins). I even wrote a contract and signed it promising to pay the rest over the course of my life. They sent me back a brand new camera. There was no note in the package, so I can only hope their accountants won’t discover the error 40 years later and decide it’s time I paid this bill.

In high school, I joined a photography club. I think it turned out to be me (a freshman) and three sophomore boys. To raise money for our club, I came up with the idea of “putting a hit” on a subject. Say you wanted a candid shot of the cute high school quarterback. You filled out a contract, and one of our “shooters” would do the rest. I was a big fan of spy novels and action movies, so it seemed like a great idea — at the time. It was successful, too, until the principal got wind of it.

When I began to follow Richard’s blog, I noticed he was posting assignments from photography school. When I hear the words “Photography School” I feel the way I imagine Harry felt when he heard “Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.” I wrote Richard a note asking a lot of questions about how to improve my own photography. He wrote back generously and at length with some great advice. I was touched and very grateful.

Not so long ago, Richard did a series of photos of the homeless people he met in London. “Homeless People Are Only Invisible If We Choose to Ignore Them.” I felt intimately connected to every single soul because of the compassionate and respectful way Richard treated his subjects. He took the time to ask questions and get permission to take the photos. He learned a little about their lives.

I hope you will visit Richard’s wonderful blog, Photo Sociology. It is not just about photography, but about the life of a transparent, brave and beautiful soul whom I am happy and proud to know.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.147

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.147b

Photo by Orlando, Heidelberg, Pixabay

Special thanks to John Olander, one of our favorite featured artists, for sharing this wonderful song. I love the guitar rift intro especially and Eric Bibb’s smooth jazz voice. Thank you dear Johnny O.

Special thanks also to Richard Keys Photo Sociology, for offering his beautiful photos to be used any time we like for our daily quotes. You’ll be seeing some of Richard’s photos next week. Thanks so much Richard!

In the meantime, if you know any homeless artists who would like their poems, photos or art featured on under1000skies as well as our accounts on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, G+ and through our email list, please pass on our information. Thank you!

Have a great weekend.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.146

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.146b

Photo “Sunlit Forest Path” by 44833, Pixabay

I was devastated, as I am sure you were, to read about another shooting last night in California. My prayers and healing thoughts go out to the families who lost loved ones.

One of the antonyms to despair is comfort; another is encouragement. I hope this quote is one you find as comforting as I have. Joseph Campbell instructs us to follow our bliss. Bill Phillips, in his book Transformation, wrote an entire chapter about how finding our “why” is the keystone for everything we do.

What is your “why”?

May your heart find a way back to peace today.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.145

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Gems 4.145

Photo “Opotiki, North Island, New Zealand” by ReginasPhotos, Pixabay

I love this quote from The Results Book by Wally Minto. I found him by way of a beautiful soul, Heather Noёl, during her free 60-day eCourse, The Giving Game. If you want a huge shot of inspiration and light in your life on a daily basis for two months straight, I highly recommend her course. This quote spoke to my heart. Worry is natural when things go wrong. I have learned that worry only drains strength from my days and adds nothing.

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Jesus, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, New Testament

Painter unknown. One of my earlier graphics from Great Advice from Wise People Living and Otherwise, Pinterest

A Persian poet named Hafiz who lived in the 14th Century wrote about worry. You’ve probably seen many of his quotes on this site. He is one of the most quoted poets of the 21st Century. His writing is filled with love and light and understanding. Even though he lived so long ago, his wisdom always feels fresh, and it proves to me that our hearts are connected through space and time. Our human lives are so different now than they were 800 years ago, but we all share common emotions – love, fear, and worry. Wisdom can be found everywhere if we search for it.

“For I have learned that every heart will get
What it prays for
Most.”

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.144

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.144 (1)

Photo “Butterfly, Insect Macro” by Ronny Overhate, Pixabay

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.143

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photo by WikiImages, Pixabay

Nic Askew SOUL BIOGRAPHIES Nowhere

“This will take your undivided attention. Which is not an insignificant request…Warning. This is haunting. You might be haunted. It was filmed in front of an audience in the INNER VIEW METHOD.”

THE WHISPER AND THE ECHO

A man looked for meaning.
For his very place in life.

He searched high and low.

He’d often hear a whisper, calling
his name from the other side
of what seemed like a door.

A door that remained hidden
from his ability to see.

Frustrated, he’d knock on
everything that resembled
a door. Turning here,
and there. Turning
just about anywhere.

Then one day,
unannounced,
it opened.

And he realised that he’d been
knocking from the inside.
And that the whisper
had been an echo.

The echo of his own soul
reminding him that
he was already home.

-Nic Askew

I hope you have a moment to watch (full screen, with ear phones) this beautiful video, the latest of Nic Askew’s “Soul Biographies.” I have wanted to take Nic’s “Inner View Method” course since I first saw Amo La Vida with Julio Olalla. His incredibly beautiful method of interviewing is exactly the kind of biography I would love to offer for Volunteer Biographers. It’s a dream. Until then, Volunteer Biographers has three clients and we just assisted in the biography of a fourth client through transcription. Also, today I’m very happy to announce that one of our homeless artists (who has made incredible changes and is no longer homeless) will be our next Volunteer Biographer client. More on that in the months to come. Meanwhile, if you are a photographer or videographer, you might find Nic’s course as compelling as I do.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.142

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.142

Photo by Alex Sidlinskiy, Pixabay

If you know any homeless artists who would like their poems, photos or art featured on under1000skies as well as our accounts on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, G+ and through our email list, please pass on our information. Thank you! ♥.

Have a great weekend.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 4.141

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.141

Photo “Delicate Arch” by Skeeve, Pixabay

Gems 4.140

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

4.140

Photo by Pexels, Pixabay

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.