Gems 4.80

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

rainer rilke surrender gems 4.78

"Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." -Rainer Rilke

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), better known as Rainer Maria Rilke was a Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist. He is “widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets”. He wrote both verse and highly-lyrical prose. Several critics have described Rilke’s work as inherently “mystical”

Happy Water Day/Day of Mercury/Anything-goes-day. Today is in praise of the mystical poets who were rudely criticized and misunderstood. Really? Who criticizes poetry? That’s like being critical of the cadence of a person’s breath or the rhythm of their gait. Oh, wait! I think I know who would do such a silly thing. Those without the ability in their souls to hear music or to, themselves, sing. We shall know them by their pointing fingers, then, and pity their deafness. Amen. /nf

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serving and connecting
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Gems 4.79

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

4.79 Ruskin Dawn Life Begins Sunset Life Ends

By: John Ruskin (1819-1900)

“The Two Paths” is a collection of five lectures delivered in 1858 and 1859 by John Ruskin on art and architecture. This is how the author himself presents the book: “The following addresses, though spoken at different times, are intentionally connected in subject; their aim being to set one or two main principles of art in simple light before the general student, and to indicate their practical bearing on modern design. The law which it has been my effort chiefly to illustrate is the dependence of all noble design, in any kind, on the sculpture or painting of Organic Form.” The most famous of these, the fifth lecture, is commonly known simply as “The Work of Iron”

Source: Loyal Books (f/k/a “Books Should Be Free”). Full (free) version of John Ruskin, The Two Paths ←is here.

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

Gems 4.78

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

Gems 4.78 Andre Gide Truth Seekers

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☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
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serving and connecting
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Gems 4.77

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

Photo by Niki Flow

News:  Rx-for-Healing - The Power of Color and Opposites - 8June2018 Update

Have a great weekend.

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

Gems 4.76

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

Graphic Art by Niki Flow – Picmonkey

Happy Thors Day.

News: New Gallery Show. Grateful for this trust. “Greatest Compliment”

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

Gems 4.75

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

Gems 4.75

Special thanks to Rajni for contributing this favorite quote.

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

Gems 4.74

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

“Annual Light” Copyright John Olander 2018. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Thank you! ♡ Photos “Moon Sky” and “Sky Amazing” by Niki Flow

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

Reverence – A Special Invitation

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡

You may know about or have been a part of our 2015-2016 “300 Days of Gratitude” Challenges on KindSpring.org. I wrote about our journey recently, and about our origin inspiration (Mike Albrough) here: 300+ -The Journey So Far

For the”300″ series, we did 17 consecutive 21-day challenges. It was great to be connected with friends, love ones and people from all over the world. So, I’m really happy to invite you to today to a brand new series as well as to a brand new challenge called “Reverence.”

“Reverence” begins on June 11th. It was written by KindSpring and “The Soul of WoMen.” Since this will be my first time with the challenge, I don’t know a lot about it except that it was really well received.

Here’s the link: https://www.kindspring.org/challenge/join/1661

Our new gratitude series, “300,000+ Days of Gratitude” began in December, 2017. “Reverence” is the 7th in the series. For the “300k+” series, we’re doing a challenge a month using the KindSpring templates as well as new and original content. We’re also continuing the weekly “Gratitude Journal” bonus challenges.

I hope to see you! (=

♡. Niki Flow

Photo by Niki Flow

300,000+ Days of Gratitude (vii) – Reverence
☼ Join us for 21 days of shared reverence! ☼

“Reverence” is a brand new challenge designed by KindSpring.org and The Soul of WoMen. Along with 21 daily emails, you’ll be invited to participate in 21 days of a bonus challenge called “Gratitude Journal.” At the start of each week will be a new topic for focusing our gratitude. The practice of recording gratitude, especially in a handwritten journal, has proven to reduce stress, boost resilience, and help us to recover from trauma. This daily, small commitment of time pays off in other big dividends as well. The more we practice, the better we become at noticing reasons for gratitude in our everyday lives. Our focus is sharpened and our clarity returns. Since what we focus on grows, when our attention is turned toward love and gratitude, both blossom in our lives.

☼ All welcome! ☼

“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.” -Henry David Thoreau

Gems 4.73

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

Poem “2nd Grade” John Olander. Photographer Unknown.

2^nd Grade

by John Olander

What was I thinking in the second grade?

How about the luminous face of my vibrant teacher?

She may have been a nun, but she still looked like she’d be a lot of fun.

But let’s not get carried away,

She did rap my knuckles with the ruler more than once,

And looked like she was enjoying it.

Just the same, what you are taught in the second grade is to love each other.

That comes long before bullying and ridicule, arrogant self-identity,

Followed by the beginning of separation and cliquish behavior.

Your drawing need not be perfect,

Your penmanship doesn’t matter.

Your Generosity permeates everything.

You still emulate everything that is good.

Your joy in life itself is both palpable and contagious.

It is only in becoming jaded and forgetting the joy

that is the giving of yourself that you begin to age.

♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
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serving and connecting
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.

Gems 4.72

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Niki Flow

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

820: nos corazon

you’re missing from me,
tu me manques, and I from you
equiponderant

ay, nos Corazon,
our beautiful Benjamin
rentrer à la maison

-nf

our heart / you're missing from me / (you're missing from me) and I from you /equiponderant / oh, our heart / our beautiful Benjamin / return home

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

Themes:

Dies Mercurrii

I beg your indulgence. Today’s poem is a rare self-insert, but I cannot silence my heart’s keening. Some nights are like this. Then, I surface. Hope returns.

Instead of monthly themes, we’ll be doing recurring weekly ones for the days when we don’t have any new creations to share from our homeless artists. Recurring daily themes are: Monday – (fun)day – humor; Tuesday – muse day (our biggest inspirations); Wednesday – dies Mercurii – Day of Mercury, mercurial day, water day (Japanese/Korean) “Water Star;” anything goes; Thursday – Thor, the gods, those we worship (God, god or otherwise); Friday – Frigg / Venus day, so LOVE; -or- TGIF what it really means. Or bag all that and insert your theme idea here:

→ _______________________________________ ←

♥.