Could It Be a Better World?

     There is a new phenomenon going on that the world has never seen before. I feel it most intensely when I travel to third-world countries. It’s about world-wide communication. It’s also about sharing information with your neighbors, as well as about keeping in touch with family and friends. I’m talking about the internet, digital technology, cell phones, and i-pads.

     Every place I travel, even in remote spots, there seems to be internet and technology. This means that everyone world over has access to the same information. Unfortunately it is also the same popular culture. I like to call it “anywhere Earth” when I see the same shops or restaurants like 7-eleven or Starbucks or McDonalds. However, I think the most significant impact will come not from the adults like me who now have access to information. I think it is going to come in the future, from the next generations of the world population.

     The phenomenon I notice is that teenagers, everywhere, are growing up with the same cultural values. In the past, regions of the world varied so much that people are different even if they come across the same information. Clothing, traditions, education were different in every region of the world. Now, the generations coming up all want the same clothing. They listen to the same world music. They cultivate the same values towards one another. This has got to be significant as these youth age and begin to take leadership roles in their various countries. We will see what happens. What do you think? Will it be for the better?

Follow Your Joy Into Balance

Living a good life is very much about health. It’s about eating right and about exercise and fitness. And yet, there is really so much more to a healthy life; it’s about our activities, what we do with our lives on a daily basis, and about the people we have in our lives. Paying attention to all these things is what allows a balance in life. Some of the daily activities that make up the bulk of our lives are some kind of engaging work, family and social connections, active entertainment, healthy eating and exercise, spirituality, the arts, and travel. We need all these elements in our lives and for the best quality in life we need them in balance. That doesn’t mean that we spend the same amount of time in each area, but that we don’t allow any one area to be overwhelmingly dominant of our time and efforts.

     I struggle, like all of us, to find that balance. Whenever I focus too much on any one area, I begin to feel the unbalance. Whenever I neglect any one area, I feel unbalanced. For many years, as I wanted to be a professional artist, I focused almost all of my time solely on art: making art, looking at art, studying art and artists. I learned a lot about art, yes, but also about myself since art is a foray into self. I did many other things, such as travel through various areas of Asia. I studied lots of interesting topics, such as history of plants and world religions.

     But art by necessity is a solitary occupation, and I focused on art to the exclusion of allowing people into my life. And any activities I did, I only wanted them to be connected to art. I did travel paintings. I would hike, but only far enough in to paint a scene. I neglected exercise to better spend my time on studying art. “Unbalanced” rang high.

     Now I’m spending more time at tai chi and meditation. I’m running again and exercising. I’m connecting more with family and rejuvenating old friendships. While studying art, I learned the importance of following my joy. And this is something I can recommend for everyone. Follow your joy into a balanced life.

O, Sweet Nature in Balance

The topic of this blog has always been about nature. I feel strong connections to nature and seek out ways to bring it into my life. I do botanical illustration, as well as other art. For the last couple of years, the art has been the biggest focus, if not sole focus of my life. Well, that kind of singular focus leads to an unbalanced way of living. So now I am trying to get back to a balanced life. One which involves many different kinds of activities and people. Work, travel, the arts (music, poetry, art, dance), relationships, exercise, eating well, and nature. Those are all the things that will help to create a sense of balance and fullness of life. Joy, friendship, love, play, accomplishments of many kinds are all a part of it. To all my faithful followers who have been reading O, Sweet Nature for the art tips, this blog will expand out to other topics that I hope you will enjoy as well. I like things small, compact, organized (and natural) and so I will be writing about how to live simply. A simple, balanced, life. That's the goal.