Art by Zaza Wouters
“Sometimes we are on the verge of blossoming into a thousand flowers. But we don’t. We are waiting. We are thinking, ”Maybe tomorrow. I’m quite busy right now doing the same unsatisfying things I have been doing for years. Yep, pretty busy.” Or maybe we are afraid of what will happen if we open up. We are afraid to leave a bad situation because we’ve forgotten what a good one even looks like for us. We’ve gotten so used to a life surrounded by unhappiness that we’ve convinced ourselves it’s normal. After all, everyone else’s life looks like this, too. Somewhere along the way we stopped believing in our own strength and beauty. We think we’ve lost it, or maybe it was never really there. And worst of all, we’ve let someone else define who we are for us. We’ve lost who we are so we’ll believe whatever anyone else tells us, even if it makes us smaller…angrier. There are not enough voices telling us the truth. There are not enough voices to get through the mist that has gathered around our belief in ourselves. Right now, let me be that voice. Right now, let me tell you: You are Strong. You are Beautiful. You are Capable. You are Worthy. You have made mistakes. You have lashed out. You have hidden your dreams, your light, and your power. These things are true. These are things you have done. They are not you. You are your dreams. You are your light. You are your power. You are a miracle waiting to happen. You are a blessing waiting to be bestowed. You are an example of truth waiting to be spoken. You are a thousand blossoms waiting to explode into colour, fragrance, delight and joy. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Yes, you have been buried. Like all good seeds. It’s time to live. It’s time to open to the world, to the sun and to yourself. You are on the verge Of something Astounding ~ Bloom.” ~Aaron Paquette, First Nations Metis artist, author and speaker
Art by Duy Huynh
“If all over the world the woman is allowed freedom to grow to her potential, there will be many, many women enlightened; many, many women mystics, poets, painters. And they will enhance not only the woman’s part of the world – because the world is one – they will enhance the whole world. They will give man also new dimensions because their ways of seeing things are different. Man looks at things in one way; the woman looks from a different perspective. Life will become richer. It is for the betterment of both man and woman that the woman should be given every freedom and equal opportunity for her individuality. Then there will be a sense of humor. And the woman can laugh more gracefully than man, she has every potential for it – but it is repressed, condemned, criticized. She has lived a life of such misery that you cannot hope that she will show some sense of humor. But the day is not far away…then the whole earth will be full of laughter. Instead of talks about war, instead of politicians giving speeches all around the world, instead of the sermons of stupid priests who know nothing, it will be far better that every man and every woman is able to see the hilarious side of life and to enjoy it.” ~Osho, The New Dawn
“For me, compassion is the most important factor in our lives. It is the first step. If we take this first step courageously, without fear, then all of our decisions and subsequent actions and their results will have a special beauty, spontaneity and power. Human calculations may be wrong, but actions born of true compassion can never be wrong because compassion is the law of nature, the power of God, the heart of creation. If we tune the individual mind with compassion, then we, as individuals, are no longer really performing actions, but are merely allowing creation to act through us. And this is the power of compassion. In truth, the spiritual path both begins and ends with compassion.” ~ Amma
“When we serve nature, nature will serve us. When we protect animals and plants, they will protect us as well.” ~Amma
Art by Alisha Murray
The Hopi Elders Speak~ “We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour. And there are things to be considered: Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water? Know your garden. It is time to speak your Truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” ~The Elders Oraibi Arizona Hopi Nation
“Do not cringe and make yourself small if you are called the black sheep, the maverick, the lone wolf. Those with slow seeing say a nonconformist is a blight on society. But it has been proven over the centuries, that being different means standing at the edge, means one is practically guaranteed to make an original contribution, a useful and stunning contribution to her culture. When seeking guidance, don’t ever listen to the tiny-hearted. Be kind to them, heap them with blessings, cajole them, but do not follow their advice. If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, rebellious, you’re on the right track. Wild Woman is close by. If you have never been called these things, there is yet time. Practice your Wild Woman.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Art by Andy Reed
“An economy where advertisers thrive while journalists and artists struggle reflects the values of a society more interested in deception and manipulation than in truth and beauty.” ~Jaron Lanier
“The spirit of her invincible heart guided her through the shadows. ~ Gabriel Garcia
“We are all part of the same thing, the singularity and inherent oneness of existence. Until we truly get that, we are not making real progress. There is a lot of misery being generated by the intention of a select minority on this planet enabled by the masses of under-informed. Most days, the urgency of our times inspires me to maintain a sense of peace in a world run by sociopaths gone utterly mad. I have a hard time believing that we are destined to go out this way, like a stupid rampaging beast, smashing to bits anything and everything in our path as we careen over the cliff. Another world is possible in every instant. The power to share, to contribute, to change is abundant and always around us.” ~Garrison Buxton
Garrison and his wife Alison are the Street Art duo Buxtonia. Creators of the Ad Hoc gallery which gave many a street artist their first show while creating a sense of connectedness between Street Artists, Graff writers, photographers, screen printers, and social activists who all responded to the high vibrational pull Alison and Garrison created. The duo now travels around the world collaborating with street artists and creating awesome pieces like the one featured in this post. Love them!
Under The Blue Door 