Friday, October 5, 2012

The Art of Communication

"Peace & Love"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe 9/12

I posted this mandala several weeks ago on my facebook fan page, Zephyr Artful Healing, but liked it so much that I am posting it here again.  Its triad of symbols hold the images of many different images that speak to people in different ways. 
 
While creating it, I saw angels appearing in the motifs and then focused upon enhancing that quality.  Viewed from the opposite direction, I saw the angels as doves with wings outstretched.  Other people see the same motif as owls.  When this was pointed out to me, I then also saw them as the head of a fox.   Each of these has a different symbolic meaning.  The symbolism that is dominant in your vision communicates to you a message you are seeking...or needing.  When we communicate words to others, however, it is important that our words are received with clarity. 
 
If we are not clear in the way that we communicate, including being aware of the body language, facial expressions and the tone of our voice, our words and the intent of why we are saying them can me misinterpreted.  Even a word as basic as love can mean different things to different people.  The experiences and "teachers" in our lives have assisted in building the architecture that is the foundation for our comprehension of vocabulary.  Not all of our lives are built upon the same foundation. Even close friends and family members can misinterpret our words when they are experiencing sadness, disappointment or pain in their lives. 
 
Today, as much as you are capable, practice the art of compassionate communication.  Be open to the awareness of how you speak and project your words and of how they are being received.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Seeing the Sacred

"Seeing the Sacred"
Digital Mandala created by Kate Jobe 10/4/12
Source Photo by Warren Nistad


I posted an image of this digital mandala this morning on my facebook fan page, Zephyr Artful Healing and then decided to re-post it here with additional commentary.  The original photograph, taken by Warren Nistad, and the digital image that evolved from it generated thoughts for me on many levels.

Among these thoughts, and in the forefront, is the gratitude I feel for warren's generosity in allowing me to access his photographs for source images to create my form of art.  He captures a facet of the universe and I continue with this process, seeking a small facet of it that I can expand upon and honor; seeking what I perceive as a symbolic essence that lives within the plant/flower/leaf he has photographed. 

The irony, and beauty of this, is that Warren and I have never met each other in person, but we share a mutual focus upon Universal Healing.  I have had the privilege of working with his photographs to create art for about two years now.  During this time, I have observed his compositions evolving and changing, just as my digital mandalas have evolved and changed in their own way. The one thing I find as a constant with Warren's visual interpretation of nature is that he has the capability to capture sacredness and to convey the love and respect he has for the world around him. 

Thank you, Warren, for collaborating with me to share artful healing.  It is an honor and a privilege.


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Power of Silence

"Lighting the Path"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe 10/3/12
Source Photo by Warren Nistad

I am amazed that i have not posted an entry on this blog for two and a half months. Time moves rapidly and it feels like so much less time has passed...and in such a relatively short time, I feel that massive shifts have occurred in my life...things I cannot outline or define...nor would it honor them to do so...but things I can feel and perceive and some...some shifts are tangible and palpable.  They can't be touched...or measured...but their presence is perceived as a radiance I can sense. Cherish the moments that exist with undefinable beauty and joy. Cherish the moments that cannot be defined as words but exist as exquisite energy that surrounds you and permeates your cells.  Cherish them.  Smile and breath them deeply into the molecules of your existence. Sometimes words are not necessary.
 
 


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Putting Out Fires

" The Dragon's Breath"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe

Artfulness extends into everything in life...regardless of your profession.  All things can be approached from an artful perspective.  Art is a dominant factor in my life.  I am also a conflict mediator. Mediating conflict can be challenging, but is also intriguing when the participants begin to see beyond the limitations of their behaviors and open to change.  I compare this pivotal moment to the moment when the web that has created the drama of their enmeshment begins to unravel. 
 
More often than not, the obvious ramifications of the statements they are making have become obscure to them.  The actions of others involved within the conflict are perceived as personal affronts toward each other and, in adapting this perception, they are blind to the root cause of the other's behaviors.  When you are blind and deaf to the truth, fear...evolving into inflamed anger... becomes dominant.
 
To put out these fires and reach the point where new growth can begin, I focus upon teaching them communication skills.  Trust and love are often held prisoners by specters of the past.  Many times, I incorporate associative art techniques to assist in the removal of the veiled webs that have encased them.  These same techniques can unleash and tame memories frozen in time that have now morphed into massive and intolerable beasts that gnash at the dynamics of their lives. 
 
We talk.  We create.  Walls begin to crumble.  Tears may flow.  Webs woven from pain unravel.  Seeds of love and trust take root.  New growth begins.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Emergence (Part 4 of 4)

"Tatanka's Realm"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe  7/2012

Mid-June of this year was the scheduled time of my first Trauma Informed Care co-facilitation, which was several hours from home. Shortly after getting my car's oil changed and other general maintenance work done in preparation for the drive, I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right with the car.  I had another mechanic double check it.  He gave my car a positive diagnosis for my road trip.  Thirty miles out of town, en route to my destination, the car broke down near an exit ramp in a rural area. 

The next two hours I sat at a table located in the corner of a convenience store that was about a half mile away and made numerous car and work related calls.  I then looked for something else to do until the tow truck came.   The store was lacking in stimulating reading material, but it did have popcorn and I could watch the sun beginning to set from the window near the table.  I had one of the decks of cards with me that I use to do intuitive card readings and did a small reading for myself to ask what I needed to know about the outcome of the day.  All of the cards were auspicious and fortuitous. It seemed to relate to more than the car, but then in life, most events relate to more than what seems obvious.   

After considering all my options, purchasing another car was the most sensible financial choice.   A friend referred me to a car dealer who suggested that rather than buying a used car, as I have always done, I purchase a 2012 model. I was somewhat hesitant that the payment might not work with my expenses. He detailed its qualities and benefits which were impressive and then said it was a no brainer.  I wondered if I should believe him. "No Brainer," along with "It's Not Rocket Science," are two of my least favorite statements. He was right. The car was a good choice and although I was being cautious, I was also being resistant.

During the test drive I changed my mind about Teddy Graybill, the salesman.  I have never really felt at ease with driving vehicles with which I am not familiar.  That evening proved to be no exception.  Within a couple of minutes I drove through a stop sign and almost drove through a red light. He didn't flinch and told me that in Costa Rica taxi drivers often speed through stop signs and consider them a "Mere Suggestion."  I wondered if perhaps I had been a Costa Rican cab driver in a past life, of if this should be my next career.  "I've got your back, Kate," he said.  I decided I could forgive the rocket science comment. Somebody needed to have my back, and his too, if he was brave enough to ride with me that evening. 

I now own the car, a a snow white Kia Forte which I love.  Driving it makes me feel happy and prosperous. Opening to this shift in thinking has given me the impetus to jump start the professional goals that I am seeking to achieve. The payment is reasonable, my auto insurance went down, my fuel expenses have decreased considerably, I have a ten year warranty and three years of free oil changes.  Throughout the process of purchasing the car, Teddy Graybill responded as a supportive friend and for that I am appreciative.   He and Lake Manawa Kia are among my gratitudes for this month.

Previous cars that I have owned have been named "Little Latin Lapis Lupe Lu"(an inexpensive little blue car that had to have a lively name for me to appreciate it); ''Beverly Hornet' (It screeched like a bad opera singer); "Xena Warrior Princess Jobe" (she was tough and reliable, regardless of what happened to her); "Stella" (bright red and sassy) and "Raziel"(named after a powerful Archangel that provided protection and wisdom).  Naming this car "Snow White" would have been, as they say, a no brainer, but the name doesn't have substance and I did not want to manifest having to cook and clean house for seven men, regardless of their height.  "Tatanka' is the name I have given to my snow white Kia.  Tatanka is the Native American word for buffalo.  Buffalo is symbolic of manifesting abundance through right action and White Buffalo is sacred. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Emergence (Part 3 of 4)

" Luna Awakening"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe 6/2012

"Authenticity" revealed itself to me as my word for this year. it proved to be the essence of what I had stifled within my cocoon. Authenticity has proven to be a powerful word. Since January, it has guided me through many levels of awareness and release.  In February I experienced an illness that prevented me from working for three weeks.  I rarely get sick, go to the doctor or take medications.  Missing so much work was unnerving. As I released resistance to this reality, I experienced a calming perception that financial resources to supplement income I would have earned at this time would somehow manifest.  They did, and in ways I would not have anticipated.  My house became my cocoon.  With the inability to do little more than sleep and occasionally watch television or listen to music, I had been provided the opportunity for a spiritual  sabbatical.  After the first week, I decided to utilize this possibility.

Meditation does not require physical energy. For the next two weeks, between sleeping blissfully,  I meditated daily and gained a deeper understanding of the changes I needed to make to attain the retrieval of my spirit of passion. When we ask for answers and then truly listen, we can hear what we are seeking.  

When I returned to work I was informed that I had been selected to participate in a new MTSN Trainer of Trainers program for Trauma Informed Care.  It has has proved to be completely aligned with my alliance to the calling of Authenticity.  Involvement in this extensive training has been stimulating, intriguing, unnerving and challenging. As I researched the material, many questions arose from within me.   Among them were ones regarding my relationship with my Shadow Mission; a sometimes uncomfortable but empowering process. The compassion, patience and support of the program trainers provided a safe environment for growth and change that allowed me to begin to relax and experience deeper gratitude for this opportunity.  Many facets of myself and my life presented themselves to me for contemplation. Determined to move beyond the confines of any self imposed walls of doubt, I immersed myself in their truth and embraced their lessons. 

During a training in June, I felt an energy shift occurring within me.  I shifted my focus from the presenter and intuitively "listened" to what I was feeling. 

The cocoon that had been tightly wrapped around me was breaking apart.  I closed my eyes to view this symbolic dream from a sensory level of vision and saw threads of the chrysalis drop away. An immense and  beautiful luminous green silk moth emerged from my heart, rose above me and stationed itself behind me with the tips of its wings cresting above my head like a crown.  

Contentment and joy rushed through me. 
I had returned to myself. 



Monday, July 2, 2012

Emergence (Part 2 of 4)


"Truth Beyond Assumption"
Mixed Media Mask by Kate Jobe 1/2011

Each new year I pick a word or phrase that is to be my intent for the coming year.  I meditate upon this intent and trust what comes to me.  I then create some form of art that assists in grounding the energy of these words.  "Truth Beyond Assumption." was revealed to me as my intent for 2011.  The mask I created to reflect its expression to me included symbolic components of  two of my mandalas: "Datura Moons"; & "Diversity"; Peregrine Falcon and a tiny crystal ball.  I hung the mask in a location where I could see it every day and felt strength and appreciation each time I looked at it.  It is difficult to pinpoint when the inception for a paradigm shift actually begins. That spring I began feeling the perceptible impetus to make changes in my life. I made the definitive statement to myself that, up to this moment,  I had lived my life one way and now, for the remainder of my life, I was going to live it another way. Case closed. Every cell of my body heard the power of this truth and responded with gratitude. 

I read the book, Women, Food & God and was impacted by its message.  Among other things, it spoke of how so many women are at war with food and their bodies. Shortly after that I joined Weight Watchers and from that moment on, I realized that I truly was shifting my paradigm regarding my attitude about food and my perception of myself. I attribute part of this shift to Noreen, my meeting leader.  Her spirit of motivation and support was a catalyst that further activated the momentum of my intent. 

Making peace with food released a huge weight from my energy.  Not only did I shift my physical weight, but also the heaviness I had been carrying regarding the pressure I had put upon myself to manifest the weight and proportions of my much younger body.  As I dropped assumptions about myself and owned my truth, I realized that trying to be the person I was a number of years ago meant continuing to own the dramas and energy of that person.  My intent was not to remain stagnant, but to transform and expand beyond who I was into a higher level of energy. In the following year I joyfully released 70 pounds from my body. 

Since the evolution of my skin challenge I had pursued many holistic methods for its healing and had achieved slow but progressive levels of success through their implementation.  More profoundly, and ironically, the imperfections of my skin assisted me to accept and love myself more completely.  An unexpected outcome of my commitments in 2011 was that my skin began to heal more noticably.  The mask of my skin was transforming and the fibers that comprised my cocoon were unraveling.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Emergence (Part 1 of 4)



"Cocooning the Light Within"
Digital Mandala by Kate Jobe 1/7/2012


The year 2000 was the year my life began shifting dramatically into a space that was not in alignment with who I knew myself to be...

The year 2000 was when I developed a challenging skin condition that not only created challenges within me regarding my personal perception of myself, but also created social challenges in regard to the way the outer world viewed me and related to me.

The year 2000 was when I began isolating myself within a cocoon that contained my previous overflowing passion for life.  This cocoon continued to weave its web around me for the next twelve years.  Unbeknowst to me, it was the beginning of twelve years of massive personal growth.  The next three posts focus upon this story.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

The Best Gifts of All

Gabby & Jesse
Photo by Alison Jobe

Without a doubt, the best gifts I have ever received are those of the births of each of my children and my grandchildren.  Each Christmas season, I am flooded with memories of the arrival of two of these gifts...my son, Jesse, whose birthday is December 26 and his daughter, Gabrielle, born on December 21.  Each birth was memorable in their own way and each of them has abundantly filled my life with unending gifts of love, joy and laughter.

The year that Jesse was born, I worked on Christmas Eve and then walked home wearing a full length fur coat I had purchased at a thrift store.  I loved its thick soft fur, but with my pregnant belly, must have resembled a brown bear padding through the snow.  The evening was magical.  Big white flakes of snow floated through the sky and glistened in the beams of the street lights.  A pervading aura of peacefulness permeated the atmosphere. 

A few blocks from my home I suddenly felt like I was merging with the earth.  It was awesome and perplexing at the same time.  My doctor had insisted that I would not deliver Jesse until the second week in January, but in typical fashion, Jesse was exhibiting his persistent tendency to do things his own way and was beginning his entry into my life.  From the moment that he arrived on the day after Christmas, Jesse has continued this behavior.  He marches to his own drum and has absolutely no qualms about wearing that badge proudly.   He stands strong in who he is and remains firm in his convictions and ideals.

Aside from the fact that he had a fascination with bigger than life professional wrestling personalities when he was younger, I would have never anticipated that he would pursue doing Strong Man competitions.  From the time that he started his weight lifting pursuits, he has focused intently upon all of its aspects.  Every day, with rare exception, he trains in his garage gym for several hours. Over several years progression of time, he has acquired many trophies and has qualified to go to the national Strong Man competitions in Las Vegas more than once.

Jesse's loyalties run deep.  He likes to put on a tough act, but his true spirit is very kind, generous and loving.  Regardless of where he is, including Strong Man competitions, he has never failed to hug me and tell me he loves me. He adores his wife and his daughter and is devoted to both of them.  They have a deeply bonded family life and are content to spend time with each other experiencing down to earth moments of daily life.

Jesse would frequently sit and talk to me from the time he was very small.  When he had not yet started kindergarten, he often asked me profoundly serious questions about the Universe and about peoples behaviors.  Now he talks less about these things, but we watch movies together on television and I try not to talk and ask questions during this time because it drives him nuts.  We have had alot of fun together and he delights in playing harmless tricks on me.  One of the funniest things he ever did occurred when he was helping me at my home one afternoon.  I was in the process of baking cinnamon rolls and he suddenly began wrapping duct tape around me and rapidly taped up my entire torso.  We were both laughing so hard he had to hold me up to keep me from falling over.

Gabby is very much like both of her parents.  She too, is strong willed. I was present at her birth and cut her cord.  She wouldn't let me (or almost everyone except her mother) touch her for months after that and I swear it is because she resented me for separating her cord from her mother.  She is a beautiful girl with huge blue eyes and waist length blond hair.  Gabby loves animals, is very intelligent, loves to read and is a talented artist.  She loves fashion and has a trendy sense of style.  Even though she is beautiful and very feminine, Gabby is incredibly strong and enjoys working out with Jesse and her mother in his gym. 

Thank you Jesse and Gabby for gifting me with your presence in my life.  I am rich with the gifts of your love for me.