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.

 

Gems 3.75

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

Gems 3.75 Cord X TNH Freedom

Photo by Cord X., San Antonio, Texas

About the Photographer

We’re really grateful for a new creative connection today.  Today’s beautiful photo is by Cord X.  Cord, “originally from Wisconsin, sometimes poet,” is a homeless creative living in San Antonio, Texas.  This is his first photography submission but we sincerely hope it will not be his last.

Journey Notes

Special thanks to Cord X. for today’s photo and to “cyctw” 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 3.74

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

Long Pin I Have Enough

Photos by Niki Flow.  Edited using PicMonkey “Long Pin” template.  Still learning! =)

I HAVE ENOUGH

I have enough sunshine, but I love the rain.
I have enough comfort, made sweeter by pain.
I have enough love, but I have room for more.
I have enough safety, and freedom from war.

I have enough room in my heart for more friends.
I have enough faith that our love never ends.
I have enough starlight and lovely blue skies.
I have enough wisdom to know I’m not wise.

I live in abundance,
but there is one thing, I find,
That is precious, and fleeting,
and running out: Time.

Niki Flow

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 3.73

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

Blue Jay James Wright WavingatYou

Photo by WallpaperSafari.com

Journey Notes

Special thanks to WavingatYou for today’s quote.  The theme for July is “freedom.”  If you have a favorite quote about freedom, or any other uplifting subject, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions! 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 3.72

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

Life Freedom Choice Kevyn Aucoin Gems 372

Journey Notes

The theme for July is “freedom.”   If you have a favorite quote about freedom, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions! 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 3.71

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

freedom

Photo “One Day a Year” by Niki Flow

Journey Notes

The theme for July is “freedom.”   If you have a favorite quote about freedom, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions! 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 3.69

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

Freedom Randolph

Photos “Dragon Creek” and “Partly Blue Skies” by Niki Flow

 

About A. Philip Randolph

Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, the American labor movement, and socialist political parties.

He organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first predominantly African-American labor union. In the early Civil Rights Movement and the Labor Movement, Randolph was a voice that would not be silenced. His continuous agitation with the support of fellow labor rights activists against unfair labor practices in relation to people of color eventually led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, banning discrimination in the defense industries during World War II. The group then successfully pressured President Harry S. Truman to issue Executive Order 9981 in 1948, ending segregation in the armed services.

In 1963, Randolph was the head of the March on Washington, which was organized by Bayard Rustin, at which Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. Randolph inspired the “Freedom Budget”, sometimes called the “Randolph Freedom budget”, which aimed to deal with the economic problems facing the black community, it was published by the Randolph Institute in January 1967 as “A Freedom Budget for All Americans”.

from Wikipedia, “A Philip Randolph”

 

Journey Notes

The theme for July is “freedom.”   Special thanks to Rajni for today’s quote.  If you have a favorite quote about freedom, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions! 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 3.66

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

Integrity by John Olander

About John Olander

John Olander

John Olander, known to his friends as “Johnny O” is a self-employed change-maker currently living in Denver Colorado. He has been “on a camping trip” for over ten years and understands life on the streets better than most. Yet this hardship has not made John bitter, only better. Nearly every day when he is not engaged in a search for food or shelter, John is helping others on the street. Johnny O and I became friends about a year ago when he became one of the first supporters of under1000skies. He is very dear to us all here, and we look forward to more creative content from Johnny in the years to come.

clu

 

 

May you find joy every day,

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

Advertisements

Occasionally, some of your visitors ma

JULY 2017 GALLERY SHOW

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Welcome to our third ¤ Gallery Show ¤

 

Edited with PicMonkey

Created using a PicMonkey template.  Artist unknown.

Thank you so much to all the contributing artists and creatives who have helped under1000skies every day since we began in 2015.

  1. BEN ARCHER
  2. DR. RALPH BELL
  3. CONTESSA BROWN
  4. CREATIVE THEMES
  5. DAVID COLEMAN
  6. MIKE DOWNS
  7. NIKI FLOW
  8. FREE IMAGES.COM
  9. J.J. GARCIA
  10. JOHN HACK
  11. CHIP HALDANE
  12. AL HANDA & IVY
  13. NICOLE HUGUENIN
  14. JONATHAN KENDRICK
  15. STEPHANI PUI-MUN LAW
  16. M.J.
  17. STEVE MANN
  18. MARVEL COMICS
  19. CARLOS MENDEZ
  20. MELISSA M. MORRIS
  21. NOTHINGTOSEE MOVEALONGNOW
  22. CHRISTIAN NITU
  23. JOHN “JOHNNY O” OLANDER
  24. PHOTOS-PUBLIC-DOMAIN.COM
  25. PIXABAY PHOTOGRAPHY VOLUNTEERS
  26. JOE RALEY
  27. ALISA REAGAN
  28. THE REAGAN FAMILY
  29. PAUL ANTHONY SCHMITZ
  30. SHELTERING GRACE
  31. SHOWER-UP NASHVILLE
  32. SOLIVAN C. SZUPKA
  33. STOCKPHOTOS.COM
  34. WILD DREAM WALKS

 

2013

In 2013, under1000skies was just a site Niki Flow created for random poems, photos and sketches.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2014

She didn’t do much with it in 2014.  Then on November 14, 2014, Niki’s whole life changed.  She wrote a story about it here:  It Begins with Me.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2015

Year 1:  Gems 1.1 to 1.81.  It took almost a year to solidify a plan to keep the promise made in the November 14, 2014 blog.  On September 2, 2015, the first “light-filled gem” was published:  Gems 1.1

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2016

Year 2:  Gems 2.1 to 2.82  On March 2, 2016, Niki’s oldest son Ben Archer, disappeared.  Ben was one of the main contributing photographers and one of Niki’s staunchest supporters.   As of this writing (1 year, 3 months later) none of his family nor any of his friends have seen or heard from him since.  Many of the posts on under1000skies were about Ben that year, but the family decided to take most of those posts down.  They thought Ben might be embarrassed at all the fuss and would come home when it died down.  So we took down all the blogs, waited and never gave up hope.  We never will. Ben’s case is also now on the Federal Database here:   Ben Archer:  NamUs MP # 33696   All updates about Ben are being kept here:  Niki Flow.   In October of 2016 we started an Instgram Account for under1000skies and in November of 2016 we started a Twitter Account. We’re also on Tumbler, G+, Pinterest and Facebook.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2017

Year 3:  Gems 3.1 to 3.65 (so far).  In 2017 we began a brand new year with new photographers, artists and, for the first time, our first contribution from one of our homeless creatives, “Johnny O.”  We also began our first Spotlight Saturday and hope to continue these at least every other week in the years go come.  We also finally designed a signature logo and a website logo.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

clu

 

JULY – DECEMBER, 2017

There’s a lot more coming in the next six months of 2017.

Website and Stationary Story

We’ll be getting under1000.org up and running as well as our stationary store under1000skies.com.

On the Road under1000skies

On or about August 1, 2017 Niki Flow will be begin a USA tour which has three objectives:  (1) to meet volunteers and supporters of under1000skies around the United States; (2) to get the word out about under1000skies with road shows, poetry slams, music shows, and on-the-road gallery shows.  We’ll have a table set up with information about us as well as boxes of stationary, volunteer packets, and artist packs; and (3) to follow in the footsteps of Niki’s son, Ben Archer who was a traveling artist.  He visited 25 states in 2015 from one coast to the other and went to dozens of artist shows.  This is where Niki will set up her under1000skies table with the Gallery Show and Ben’s photo prominently displayed.  If anyone has seen Ben, it would be these creative folks he loved to spend so much time with.  If you would like Niki to stop in your city; if you’d like to support this road trip with materials, a bed for a night, supplies, a meal or even a few hours of company, please write to us at Gems@gmail.com.

 

thank you

To all our artists, photographers, writers and advocates, quote suppliers, cheerleaders and especially to our homeless creatives and those who love and support them too, with all our hearts, thank you.

With deep thanks and lots of love,

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

Gems 3.63

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

Gems 363 John Olander Boy Oh Boy

Poem “Boy Oh Boy” by Johnny O.  Photo “Some Kinda Blue Love Supreme” by Niki Flow

______________

About this poem/author