♥ Gems: A Thank-You Note ♥

Who Inspires You to Be Your Best Self?

Our homeless artists inspire me every day.  Johnny O has been on the street for 20 years, and he has never given up. He constantly focuses on helping others, on improving his life and on giving to the world with his uplifting and inspiring poetry.

Cord is a very gentle soul whose quiet presence and comments on Simbi made me feel so welcome there when I joined. He was homeless for a long time, but he keeps a gorgeous poetry blog that blew me away first time (and every time) I read it.  He’s so talented. He also takes some of the most stunning photos I’ve ever seen.

I was homeless as a teen in 1974 (a runaway for a week) and again in 1997 when I lost literally everything.  Both times, I met some really cool people who live in the cracks between everyone else’s reality. These are my people — the ones I feel most comfortable with.  I guess that’s because, in my own way, I live in the fringes too, made “homeless” in this world by my own demons. I live in shelter, in comfort, with abundance and with as much support as I could possibly need. Yet both these kind souls have never judged me and have been really supportive about under1000skies.

The irony of an agoraphobic trying to help the homeless is not lost on me. I hope some day it will be a really cool part of the story of how I overcame this thing; about how under1000skies thrived; and about how, together, we connected and helped homeless artists around the world.

Who inspires you to be your best self?

Posted on KindSpring here:   300 Days of Gratitude Day 13:  Who Inspires You to Be Your Best Self?  

300K+(VI) – 12: INSPIRATION

 

Gems 3.86

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

Gems 386 Adventure Helen Keller

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for August is “adventure.”  If you have a favorite quote about adventure or any other uplifting subject, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.85

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

Gems 385 Freedom Priceless Lech Walesa

Photo edited with PicMonkey.  Photographer unknown.

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for August is “adventure.”  If you have a favorite quote about adventure or any other uplifting subject, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.84

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

Freedom Courage Thucydides Gems 384 Niki Flow

Photo by Niki Flow

Journey Notes

Special thanks to “Leolady728” for today’s quote.  The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

Gems 3.83

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

Gems 383b Gloria Steinem

Photo by Niki Flow

Journey Notes

Special thanks to “RBP” for today’s quote.  The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.82

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

Gems 382 Freedom Moshe Dayan

Photo by Niki Flow

Journey Notes

Special thanks to  Kjoyw for today’s quote.  The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

 

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

Gems 3.81

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

Cord X Gems 381 b

Photo “Mexican Bird of Paradise” by Cord X

About the Photographer

Today’s beautiful photo is by Cord X.  Cord, “originally from Wisconsin, sometimes poet,” is a homeless creative living in San Antonio, Texas.

Journey Notes

Special thanks to Cord X. for today’s photo and to “TG” for today’s quote.  The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

 

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

Gems 3.80

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

Unfree World Camus Gems 380

Photo by Niki Flow

About Albert Camus

Albert Camus (1913-1960) was a French philosopher who, in 1957 at age 44, received the Nobel Prize for Literature — the second youngest ever to do so.  (The youngest was Rudyard Kipling at age 42.)  Camus’s “…views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism. He wrote in his essay The Rebel that his whole life was devoted to opposing the philosophy of nihilism while still delving deeply into individual freedom.”

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

 Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

 

Gems 3.78

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

Gems 378 Niki Flow Freedom Bobby McGee

Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson | Photo “SciFi Sky” by Niki Flow

 

ME AND BOBBY MCGEE
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train
And I’s feelin’ near as faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
It rode us all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
I was playin’ soft while Bobby sang the blues, yeah
Windshield wipers slappin’ time, I was holdin’ Bobby’s hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew
Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free, no no
And, feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues
You know, feelin’ good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGhee
From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun
There Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
Yeah, Bobby baby kept me from the cold
One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away
He’s lookin’ for that home, and I hope he finds it
But, I’d trade all of my tomorrows, for a single yesterday
To be holdin’ Bobby’s body next to mine
Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, that’s all that Bobby left me, yeah
But, feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues
Hey, feelin’ good was good enough for me, mm-hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGhee
La da da
La da da da
La da da da da da da da
La da da da da da da da
Bobby McGhee, yeah
La da da da da da da
La da da da da da da
La da da da da da da
Bobby McGhee, yeah
La da La la da da la da da la da da
La da da da da da da da da
Hey, my Bobby
Oh, my Bobby McGhee, yeah
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Hey, my Bobby
Oh, my Bobby McGhee, yeah
Well, I call him my lover, call him my man
I said, I call him my lover did the best I can, c’mon
Hey now, Bobby now
Hey now, Bobby McGhee, yeah
Woo
La da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la la
Hey, hey, hey Bobby McGhee, yeah
La da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGhee, yeah
Songwriters: Fred Foster / Fred L Foster / Kris Kristofferson
Me and Bobby McGee lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

 

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.76

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

Gems 376 Stephen King Shawshank Freedom

Photo edited using PicsArt #freetoedit – Photographer unknown

“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs are too sweet and wild.  So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.”  Stephen King, Rita Hayworth in the Shawshank Redemption

Journey Notes

Special thanks to JP for today’s quote.  The suggested theme for July is “freedom,”  but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know.  We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

 

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

under1000skies logo 1
A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.