TGIF 8: This Week under1000skies

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s what’s happening ¤ under1000skies ¤

This week we featured a beautiful photo from Alisa Reagan, two photos from Niki Flow and one photo from an unknown photographer.

 

We also shared the letter we include with our artist packs:

 

T.G.I.F. – What It Really Means

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Happy Friday!  Today’s TGIF is a video shared on KindSpring.org yesterday by Rajni.  It’s a spoken-word piece by Curly Street Media called “Love.”   This short and beautiful video was a gift to me yesterday.  May it be so for you too.  TGIF:  “Love” – This Gift Is Forever

“Love liberates.  It doesn’t just hold.  That’s ego. Love liberates.”

“Right may not be expedient.  It may not be profitable.  But it will satisfy your soul.”

Love by CurlyStreetMedia on Vimeo

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

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Photo © Alisa Reagan 2016.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission. Thank you! ♥   Quote submitted by Rajni. Thank you! ♥

 Journey Notes

The theme for the month of January is “journey.”  If you have a favorite quote or poem about “journey,” or the journey of life,  please leave a comment!  Also, we don’t do fund raising.  Our only source of revenue is donations and the sale of Elanthian Love Songs – A Bard’s Tale by Sara Michele O’Sullivan (Niki Flow).  Starting in 2017, 100 percent of the profits from the sale of this book go to buying artist packs.  If you would like to contribute photos, artwork, writing or to be one of our volunteers, please contact us at the email address at the bottom of our About Us page or leave a comment below.

May you find joy every day on your journey,

♡. under1000skies
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.4

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

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Today we’re featuring a sketch from Niki Flow’s #the1000dayproject on Instagram (which is accompanied by a one-minute recording there)..  Niki was invited to this project while listening to an interview on Awakin.org with Elle Luna (author of The Crossroads of Should and Must).  Every day for the past 69 days she has used a post-it note and a sharpie to do broad sketches, inspired by a story Elle told during the interview about designing for IDEO.  Today, inspired by her friend MJ’s poetry contribution yesterday, Niki decided to begin to show her poetry to a  wider audience.  As we announced last February, 2016, profits from  Elanthian Love Songs – A Bard’s Tale go to funding packs for under1000skies.   When we published it was 50 percent until we paid our artist, the fabulous Stephanie Pui-Mun Law (Shadowscapes.com) and our editor.  At the end of 2016 we did so and now we can contribute 100 percent of the profits from the sale of Elanthian Love Songs to funding artist packs.   This is part 1 of one of the poems in Elanthian Love Songs.  Parts 2 until the end will be recorded one minute at a time (the limit on Instagram) and will be illustrated there every day with Niki’s post-it sketches.   The plain text of this part of the poem is below since the type is small.  Please pass this on and let others know to support our only way to raise funds.  We don’t do fund raisers or solicit funds of any kind.  This is in line with the gift economy and Nipon Mehta’s beautiful economic vision called “Gifivism.”  Thanks so much for supporting under1000skies.

PALE CRAB BALL

(Part 1)

A long time ago, or perhaps yesterday,

I heard a sad story of lovers betrayed.

‘Twas a pity.

The story begins a short distance from here

In the time of full moon, in the Spring of the year

near our city.

For during that time you can hear a strange call,

“Come one come all to the pale crab ball!”

near the river!

“Tis a day to be merry, to dance and to sing

“So come little crabs, let your pincers ring loudly

with rhythm!”

With eyestalks that wiggled, inside eyeballs jiggled

On quick little legs, they skittered and zigged

by the dozens.

And with them came one, a shy pale-crab lass,

Shell polished and sparkling, to this her first dance

with her cousins.

Now off to the side, a band was beginning

With reed pipes and grass lutes, and shells for a’pinging.

The dance started.

The pale crabs all rose up on multiple legs

And gracefully spun with each other and swayed,

so lighthearted.

(To be continued – here – tomorrow and ongoing.  There are approximately 7 more minutes to go (49-50 stanzas or so.  )

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 Journey Notes

The theme for the month of January is “journey.”  If you have a favorite quote or poem about “journey,” or the journey of life,  please leave a comment!

♡. under1000skies
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

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TGIF 6: Big News under1000skies

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s what’s happening this week on ¤ under1000skies ¤

This week we featured three photos from Alisa Reagan

and one from Niki Flow

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Thank you for donating your beautiful photos! ♡

 

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NEWS

We have purchased under1000skies.com and under1000skies.org!

During 2017, we will be working to build both websites and have them up and running as soon as possible.  As you may have read, thanks to Bay Area Web Designers, we received a free year of hosting for our Domestic Violence advocacy and survivor site, Moonsongs.net which will go live by the end of March.  This will be a sister site to under100oskies.org.  Very often, women and children who are victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes become homeless.

 

 

One of our photographers and volunteer coordinator, Niki Flow, spent years with her youngest son homeless.  Niki lost her home and the contents of her home due to DV and stalking.   Most of that time, she and her son did not spend on the street but in DV shelters, with friends and family.  Domestic violence was also the cause of the death of her youngest son, Samuel Christopher.  Since then, Niki and her two older sons, Benjamin and Joseph, have been passionate about helping those who are homeless and who have been through trauma become — not just survivors — but a strong, connected tribe of thrivers.

 

under1000skies-org-mousepad

We’ll be using the Under1000skies.com site for our new store (coming soon!), and 100 percent of the profits from our products sold there will go to buy artist packs.  We’ll be selling things like cards, stationary and mouse pads using Niki Flow’s heart-people drawings, like the one above.  The under1000skies.org site is where we’ll have our artist gallery and daily photos.

 

 

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TGIF:  What It Really Means

T.his G.orgeous (Planner) I.s F.ree!

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This weeks TGIF is a cool #freebiefriday thanks to Liz Stevens Art.  She tweeted this today:

Thanks to for this gorgeous FREE printable planner that I’ve been using for 3 years

The Handmade Home 2017 Planner

I can’t wait to print this and start using it. Such a beautiful gift to the world! *cheering wildly* Thanks so much Ashley and Liz!! ♥

 

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What Do You Find Joyful? Beautiful?

The theme for the month of December is “joy.”  If you have a favorite quote about “joy,”  please leave a comment!  As always, we would love to feature your creative visions.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day.

♡. under1000skies

Gems 2.74

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

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Photo by Niki Flow.  I took this photo on a recent walk. I stood under this beautiful tree and took a quick photo looking straight up.  I didn’t see the heart until I opened it in psp9. Do you see it? =) ♥.

For the Believer

“When people say they can’t see the good coming from the pain, my answer is that it’s not our job to know. It’s God’s. It’s just our job to trust, whether we see it or not, that He brings beauty from the ashes.” -Sara Frankl, Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts

“If this is my life, if this is where I am, then this is where God is, too.” -Sara Frankl, Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts

 

For the Skeptic

These two quotes are really helpful — if you believe in God.  If not, there is still scientific evidence that shifting focus can reduce pain.  This is true physically of course as many Lamaze moms know, but it’s also true for emotional pain as well.

I’ve been in both places — believing in a benign being and believing spirituality is a hoax and a crutch.  In both cases, I found ways to choose joy. I hope you can today too.

Here are a couple of quotes about choices we make in life from a scientist and a skeptic.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”  -Albert Einstein

“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”  -Orson Welles

What Do You Find Joyful? Beautiful?

The theme for the month of December is “joy.”  I chose “joy” to honor my sister-in-law Joy  Archer was killed in 1984 after graduating second in her class from MIT.  Our annual Running-for-Joy 5k/1mile walk/run takes place on her birthday December 26th to celebrate her life.  This is held where you are and all are welcome.  We donate to Kiva.org in Joy’s honor but that’s completely optional.  We’ve had several remote participants over the years who run/walk on Joy’s birthday to remember the amazing life she lived in only 23 short years.

If you have a favorite quote about “joy,”  please leave a comment!  As always, we would love to feature your creative visions.  When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day under1000skies.   ♡.

 

Gems 2.70

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

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Photo “When Pigs Fly” by Niki Flow.  Special thanks to Holly Newt for the inspiration.

I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving week.  It was a nice break for us, but we’re very happy to be back to share lots of new Gems.

This month in December, our theme is joy and that includes anything that creates laughter as well.  There’s been a lot of sadness this year, and really tough major issues, for all of us.  Our hearts are pulled all over by our empathy, and every sadness hurts us as well. Laughter is healing.  We need more joy.

If you have any favorite quotes about joy, any photos that express joy in your life, any poems, artwork, or anything that you’ve created with joy or laughter, we’d love to feature your creativity in December.

May you find joy every day under 1000 skies.   ♡.

Gems 2.68

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

gems-2-68

Photo “Reach Up” by Niki Flow

#21 in the “Divine Feminine” series.  In October and November we’ll be featuring quotes about, for and by women.  Inspired by the Awakin.org call with Elle Lunaauthor The Crossroads of Should and Must. See also Aphrodite Emerges on Medium.com and “#the100dayproject” on Instagram.

Gems 2.66

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

gems-2-66

Photo “Solvitur ambulando – It is solved by walking” by Niki Flow. Inspired by Nicole Huguenin, Chief Dream Architect, Wild Dream Walks

#18* in the “Divine Feminine” series.  In October and November we’ll be featuring quotes about, for and by women.  Inspired by the Awakin.org call with Elle Lunaauthor The Crossroads of Should and Must. See also Aphrodite Emerges on Medium.com and “#the100dayproject” on Instagram. Nicole Huguenin is not only one of our Under1000Skies photo contributors, she is one of our city artist-pack distribution volunteers.  The first time I read “solvitur ambulando” was during our shared KindSpring.org challenge, “The 1st Annual KindSpring Eowyn Challenge” in September 2015.  The origin of the saying is lost in time, but if I had to guess, I would say it was first said by a Roman mother to her child who was too long indoors (or perhaps to all her family members).  “Solvitur ambulando!” (It solved her problem, too.)

 

 

TGIF | This Week Under1000Skies

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s what’s new ¤ under1000skies ¤

 

 

this-week-under1000skies

 

THIS WEEK ON UNDER1000SKIES

Every Friday from now on we’ll be highlighting the posts of the week.  This week’s Gems include:  Photo (“Florida Flowers”) from Mike Downs.  photo (“NYC Looking Up”) and an original poem (“My Wish for You Today”) from Niki Flow.  Painting (“Dark Phoenix“)  from Marvel Comics.  The quotes shared are part of the Divine Feminine Series, Nos. 15-18, and are from Frida Kahlo, Louise Hay, Emma Goldman and Melanie Koulouris.

Frida Kahlo de Rivera, born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits. Kahlo’s life began and ended in Mexico City, in her home, which is known as “La Casa Azul,” the Blue House.

Louise Lynn Hay is an American motivational author and the founder of Hay House, she has authored several New Thought self-help books, including the 1984 book, You Can Heal Your Life.

Emma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing, and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

Melanie Koulouris. (from her profile) “Wife to an amazing husband who is my soulmate. Stay home mom to my two beautiful babies, Olivia and Luca. Blogger, creative writer, and forever student of life. Writing has always been a passion of mine since I was very young. I have always considered myself a free spirit with a gypsy soul, surrendering to where ever life takes me. I am grateful to be able to share my quotes and sayings with you as well as others that bring me so much inspiration.”

 

TGIF:  What It Really Means

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Photographer unknown.  If you know the name, please let us know so we can credit this wonderful photo.  Thanks!

Every Friday we’ll also be adding something new:  a photo from “TGIF:  What It Really Means.”  This is a board on Pinterest and all are welcome to contribute.  The only criteria is that your description fits the acronym.

 

NEWS

We have a new page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/under1000skies/

And a new account on Twitter:   https://twitter.com/under1000skies

We just purchased the domain, “under1000skies.com” and will be working on getting the website up and running as soon as possible.

To that end, we’ve entered a contest on Instagram held by Bay Area Website Design.  If you share this image (below) and contact Bay Area Website Design, you are automatically entered into the contest.

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