“..There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky;
there is one spectacle grander than the sky,
that is the interior of the soul…”
―- Les Misérables
“…It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humourless little prig. Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me. When it comes to dying even. Nothing ponderous, or portentous, or emphatic. No rhetoric, no tremolos, no self conscious persona putting on its celebrated imitation of Christ or Little Nell. And of course, no theology, no metaphysics.
Just the fact of dying and the fact of the clear light. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling, on tiptoes and no luggage, not even a sponge bag, completely unencumbered…”
–- Aldous Huxley
“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans;
in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.”
— Kahlil Gibran
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Rumi
“…Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.
All things break. And all things can be mended.
Not with time, as they say, but with intention.
So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.
The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you…”
— L. R. Knost
“…Many people seem to think it foolish, even superstitious,
to believe that the world could still change for the better.
And it is true that in winter it is sometimes so bitingly cold that one is tempted to say, ‘What do I care if there is a summer; its warmth is no help to me now.’
Yes, evil often seems to surpass good.
But then, in spite of us, and without our permission,
there comes at last an end to the bitter frosts.
One morning the wind turns, and there is a thaw.
And so I must still have hope…”
— Vincent van Gogh
Clearly, I am going to use this brick stencil A LOT. It is just so effective and provides the perfect background for so many things. It also saves me a lot of time because normally I would be faffing about looking for a suitably patterned paper to use as a background, or mixing up (and wasting) lots of different colours of paint. Plus, the best thing about using this stencil is that the less precise you are, the more it looks like real bricks. Yay!
I wasn’t sure what phrase or words to put on the sign, but kept coming back to “Choose your own Adventure”. It just seemed right. It almost looks like she is encouraging people to climb through the hole in the wall and find out what lies beyond.
I’m not quite convinced about her hand – I generally do cartoony-type hands (quite often with only four fingers) so I was going out on a limb trying to do a more realistic one. But, hey, it’s not too bad. I hope. Try not to focus on it – Look away now! 🙂
Thanks, as always, for popping in x
