art nurture
  • Home
    • about
    • kind words
    • contact
    • blog
  • Join Art School
  • my book
    • the simple guide bonuses
  • Work with Court
    • Book your FREE Creativity Call with Court
    • Join Art School
    • 1-on-1 Creativity Cultivation Sessions
    • 1-on-1 Visual Arts Mentorship
    • book club >
      • Log In to Book Club
  • FREE Creativity Call

Ponder the Moon

7/20/2011

0 Comments

 
I read this story in "The Spirit of Silence: Making Space for Creativity" by John Lane. A Japanese Buddhist monk named Ryokan lived in a cave. Already someone who makes time and space for silence. One evening he was spending time with a friend and said he would go out and get some more to drink and eat. About three hours passed by and the friend who had become worried went out to look for him. He found him not far from his home, sitting under a tree and staring up at the sky. 'How beautiful is the moon!?', he declared with a childlike smile of wonder on his face. He asked his friend to come and join him to enjoy the beauty of the moon.

This is not necessarily a situation that occurs in our modern life. Usually if someone goes out to get reinforcements they get held up by the traffic from an accident from other people who were driving too fast they were not distracted by natural beauty. Or we simply rush past it all in an effort to quickly complete the task. 

 Silence is something I definitely need to make time for in my life. I need to sometimes turn off the music and the computer and sit with whatever my thoughts may be. Or simply just be. I hope that I will never lose my sense of joy at a beautiful sky or the ability to pause and look up at it as it changes colors. I suppose we must nourish this sense of wonder and this spirit of silence, so that we do not lose our sensitivity to all that is around us. Here are some shots from around my studio as the sky transitioned from day to night, often referred to as a sun set, though, I guess it is really the earth turning.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Art Nurture Book 


    Get The Book! 

    Art Nurture: The Simple Guide to Cultivating your Creativity

    Get to know me


    Court McCracken,
    Creativity Cultivator

    Picture

    To receive more Art Nurture goodness, join the Art Nurture newsletter!

    * indicates required


    Kind Words

    "Court has a knack for supporting others in tuning into the artist within..." 
    -Rebecca Stares

    read more kind words

    Resources


    Court's Reading List


    Most Popular


    The Top 17 Reasons Why The World Needs You to be an Artist


    Want to get creative? Laugh a little bit more!


    Three Simple Ways to Live a Life of 
    Daily Inspiration


    Reason #1 Why the World Needs You 
    to be an Artist


    My 8 Step Process for Moving Through Creative Anxiety

Work with Court
My Book
Court's Reading List
Free
About Court & Art Nurture
"If preparing to work with Court you should know that you will be challenged to be your best self and you will be given tools for how to do so. 

You may also find yourself realizing dreams and vocations that may have been easier in the short term to keep hidden, but overall will allow you to embrace this creative part of yourself and live more fully."   -Faith Josephs 
Receive your FREE Art Nurture Audiobook here
  • Home
    • about
    • kind words
    • contact
    • blog
  • Join Art School
  • my book
    • the simple guide bonuses
  • Work with Court
    • Book your FREE Creativity Call with Court
    • Join Art School
    • 1-on-1 Creativity Cultivation Sessions
    • 1-on-1 Visual Arts Mentorship
    • book club >
      • Log In to Book Club
  • FREE Creativity Call