What are we Morphing into?

 

MORPHING
Meaning: “undergo or cause to undergo a gradual process of transformation.”

—————————————————

When a guest walks into my home one of the first things they notice is the art.

“Oh my! Did you paint THAT?!”

And I shake my head and say,“No, that’s not one of mine.”

They are looking at the painting above by Phil Doncon. Phil is one of my dearest friends, and he is a multi-award winning artist. He painted that sunset thinking of Greg as he lay dying. It means a lot to both of us and depicts a ‘sea of light’ – the one that I imagine Greg plunged into as he left this world.

So, I don’t mind, I really don’t. It’s my honour to have Phil’s beautiful work on my wall, reminding me of the love between us and the mystery of life and death.

At this point, my slightly embarrassed guest looks around, trying to get past that first awkward moment. The next words to come out of their mouth are usually,

“WOW! Did you paint THAT???!!!”

And now we stand in front of a painting of a figure hanging out of a broken cocoon with butterflies around him … and I say:

“Isn’t it AMAZING? And no, that’s not one of mine either.”

We are now looking at Huda Fauzen‘s painting, Metamorphosis. It is massive – nearly 2m in length – and it’s the centrepiece of my home. I bought it shortly after Greg died, and no painting has ever affected me the way that one has.

When my daughter Mary first saw it, she said something that touched my heart deeply:

“Mum, it’s like we’ve known this painting all our lives, even though we’re just meeting it now for the first time.” 

There is a mysterious, indefinable power to great art.

A beautiful story, an evocative poem, a play, a powerful photograph, a movie, a song, a painting – they can transport us in ways that transcend the mind and awaken the soul. What they awaken might be something familiar, yet buried so deep, that is is “forgotten” until we see it expressed in a work of art.

Huda Fauzen’s painting, Metamorphosis, is one such piece. It is a constant reminder to me that change can lead to growth and transformation. It involves sacrifice – the safety of a cocoon is sacrificed to the beauty of the butterfly. This process of change is probably painful.

But nothing good ever happens without something changing.

Right now, the world is going through changes of seismic proportions. Long-held assumptions are being questioned. Uncertainty is everywhere and voices that were silently and quietly enduring, are now roaring, with the deeply-held pain of generations.

“Some people say that ‘all lives matter.’ And of course, it’s true. But if a house is on fire, you don’t call the fire department and say, ‘all houses matter.’ You call the fire department to the specific house that needs urgent attention.” – John and Ocean Robbins

I don’t have answers on what to do right now. But a quick Google search gives a ton of advice on how to show your support for the worldwide movement of Black Lives Matter: how to educate, advocate, or inspire change. I also wrote about it here.

As a person of colour, as a member of the world-wide Baha’i community that has always stood for racial unity, as someone raised in an environment that always transcended prejudice, as a dark-skinned woman married to a white man, I’ve given myself a pretty good mark on these issues. But hang on … could there room for improvement in my own heart?

I’ve taken a good hard look at myself, and examined my own assumptions and beliefs, and the result isn’t pretty. So, this I know for sure: I can do better, and I will.

“Do the best that you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”– Maya Angelou

We are all morphing, all the time.

It’s up to us to choose what we are morphing into. Let’s use this unique point in human history to morph into the best version of ourselves.

With love,
Malini x

Malini Parker is an artist, writer and teacher.
From her home studio perched amongst the eucalypts,
she runs art classes in Perth, Western Australia
to help awaken creativity and amplify joy!
Find out more here:www.maliniparker.com

 

---

UPCOMING EVENTS

YES TO SUCCESS by Debra Poneman

I have just watched several free video trainings by Debra Poneman, whom I met three years ago in Santa Cruz. Debra is about to launch a worldwide online training of her programme, Yes to Success, that helped many of today’s thought leaders change their lives, and guide the likes of Deepak Chopra back in the eighties when he was working as a medical doctor with a dream of doing more for the world. He took her course (several times), and the rest is history!

When I met Debra, I was struck by three things – one was the radiance and joy that shines from her at every moment. The other was her sense of humour, that bubbled up into smiles and laughter in every conversation, and thirdly and most uniquely was that she was all Love. Love just poured out of Debra. It was genuine, heart-stirring, deep deep love that filled her up and spilled over everyone she encountered.

Debra is a wellspring of stories, and a gifted and masterful story-teller. But more than that, she is the real deal, and has helped thousands of people all over the world redefine success to include both inner and outer change, to a deep sense of well-being, wisdom, true happiness, wonder, and of course, giving. Debra is a worthy guide to true success in these times of change.

“True success needs to bring you deep inner joy and the satisfaction you feel when you’re living your purpose for being here on earth–and contributing to a world that works for everyone.” – Debra Poneman

You can watch her videos now and be quick, as they aren’t going to be up for very long: Debra Poneman’s Yes to Success free introductory videos. I loved the stories and the exercises she guides us through, and I have a great deal of love and respect for Debra. I hope you enjoy them!

---

FINDING YOUR WAY HOME – the Two Day Live Workshop in Perth

This winter in my Perth Hills studio, on July 25-26th, I am offering FINDING YOUR WAY HOME, a two day workshop that is designed to take us on a journey — from inner wobbly to inner strength — from chaos to calm — from overwhelm to finding our centre.

No matter what is happening in our lives, I believe that art can lead us back to the strongest part of ourselves. It has certainly done that for me.

If you are open to creating meaning and inner peace through art, then this two day workshop could be perfect for you. Through story, reflection, painting, a little yoga with the beautiful and gift yoga teacher, Chioni Hicks, a lot of chocolate, and a walk in the woods around my beautiful studio, you will soon find you have created NINE unique and beautiful pieces that speak to your own stories, and taken a journey to inner tranquility.

You can watch a short video, read the comments and the FAQs, see the student art and read more about it here:
FINDING YOUR WAY HOME on JULY 25-26th.

At the time of writing, I have just 2 spots left, and I’m offering $100 off for the Super Duper Early Birds for the next few days only. As a SPECIAL BONUS, you will also receive the E-COURSE of FINDING YOUR WAY HOME to keep forever! (value $147). BOOK HERE right now at the super duper early bird price.

And if you are experiencing financial difficulties and would like to pay in instalments, EMAIL ME.

“You probably will not know to what extent the experience of ‘Finding My Way Home’ has left imprints on my soul. I feel the learnings I gained will be far reaching and ongoing for a long time to come. Thank you always.”– Lynne Cartwright