Gathering Creative Treasure

Autumn Treasure - Tim Packer Dear <> Gathering Creative Treasure For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also - Matthew 6.21 The clonk of a conker on my head this afternoon, shaken by a conker hunting squirrel from a tree alerted me that Autumn is indeed here. Like my branch-hopping friend, I too sense the need to gather the resources that will keep my home, heart and hearth warm this coming winter. Hidden Treasure It is in men as in soils where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of, and in your nature, there lies hidden rich mines of thought and purpose awaiting your development - Jonathan Swift The prickly, protective conker shells prised away and discarded by my squirrel friend act as a great metaphor for the defenses, strategies and identities our creativity can become buried beneath.  Life can sometimes appear so prickly, frightening and threatening to our vulnerable creative selves that we bury our treasures - sometimes for a lifetime.  I regularly hear tales of people slowly recovering in later life from the words of teachers or parents they received in childhood about their singing voices.  They experience untold delight when discovering that their voice can be a vessel of vitality. All that glitters is not gold Buried underneath the negative feelings (or simply ignorant or misleading) interpretations of others, the glistening veins of our talents, dreams and aspirations must be actively sought to be found. Like miners we will dig for these secret lodes of riches.  We will pick out the nuggets of self we find hidden below our surface lives.  We will haul these treasures to light, clean them off and claim then. Each bit of authenticity we are able to own constitutes a part of our vein of gold.  Once uncovered the original self is vital and vibrant - not at all the colourless, lacklustre depressive so many of us have felt ourselves become! - Julia Cameron - The Vein of Gold Reclaiming our authentic selves often requires a process of both release and discovery. As we dig through the layers of life's identity parade we have to release that which no longer serves us in order to reach deeper realms. This requires willingness to discard false reflections, constricting stories and seductive offers that might lead us to trade our true gold for glitter. We need to sharpen our discernment and become vitally connected to our instincts and intuitions in order to sense what needs to be yielded to the fire to both kindle and purify our hearts desires. Simple Steps Yield Bounty It's often the tiny steps that define the big moments of our dreams - Chris Burkemann During October I am taking part in #CreativeSprint - a daily prompt to creative action. As sages have told us throughout time, all creative journeys begin with daily, committed actions which develop our trust in our inner resources. Through small steps we build resilient practices which sustain us through life's ups and downs and enable us to master our greatest dreams. Enlivening Creativity with a Light Touch It is through creating, not possessing that life is revealed - Vida D Scudder  Creativity is a fluid, dynamic process that connects us with the quick of life in ourselves and every living thing. Whilst it may yield beautiful outcomes, projects and products - it quickly, if freed will flow on to the next adventure. The joy of discovering our inner treasure is not dependent on externals such as hitting the jackpot/ our desired weight/ bank balance or getting hitched. It arises in all the beautiful moments where we feel truly alive - moments of every hue and shade, every shape and size. This is the true abundance we see in nature's bountiful diversity - reminding us that the treasure is there to be perceived rather than possessed. A light touch enables us to discover life's treasures and experience the delight creative encounters can bestow. Autumnal Singing Events Celebrating Black History Month- This month's choir sessions will celebrate the immense wealth of musical treasure in Afro-Caribbean Traditions with South African freedom songs, Gospel and Spirituals. Do check the Choir Corner below for a group near you. We'll also be celebrating Black History Month with our special guests on the next episode of Inside Story on Croydon Radio - tune in on October 14th 11am-1pm *NEW CHOIR* - Crystal Palace Transition Town- Celebrating Planet and People in Song - starting from Nov 2nd at the newly opened beautiful Paxton Centre, we'll be warbling and wassailing the winter nights in preparation for festive fun around Crystal Palace Triangle. All voices welcome. Wishing you a beautiful October www.therosewindow.org Twitter: @katierosewindow Facebook: www.facebook.com/therosewindow

Dreaming and Singing a More Peaceful World

Dear Friend
 

The BFG - Roald Dahl - highly recommended film to restore a sense of magic and innocence.

Dreaming and singing a more peaceful world
Dreams is full of mystery and magic . . . . Do not try to understand them. - The BFG, Roald Dahl
Many great leaders such as Ghandi or Martin Luther King were lead by a dream that did not seem possible in day-to-day reality. The strength of their passion, inspiration and commitment to follow through on their dreams allowed them to make a huge contribution to the world we now live in. When we follow the creative callings of our dreams they become real - so we too can sing, speak, write, dance a more peaceful world this September. Seeing The BFG was a magical treat during my summer Staycation, so in tribute to his gentle giant wisdom I will let his words, dreamt by Roald Dahl, lead the way.

Peace One Day
Human beans is the only animals that is killing their own kind - The BFG
World Peace Day on 21st September offers a chance to reflect on the world we live in and how we can play our part in making it more peaceful. One Day One Choir is a global movement of choirs, where any group can dedicate a concert, event, gathering or rehearsal to peace. There are a multitude of ways small and large in which people are daily making a difference to each other. Those in the Transition Town Network lovingly tending our community gardens and a hairdresser giving free haircuts to the homeless are just two examples I've been touched by recently. I dream of a world where we put the caring, positive aspects of our humanity centre stage and stop feeding and financing the warlike shadows.

Letting Go of Being Right
Meanings is not important, said the BFG. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.
Dreams often look upside down from the way of the world. It can seem crazy to dream of peace in a wartorn world. Sometimes we have to let go of our logical minds in order to create something different. Sometimes we have to be brave enough to let go of the fear of being labelled crazy to share our dreams. Sometimes we have to let go of our need to be right to see that others are just doing their best. Sometimes we have let go of our attachment to identities, interpretations, words and meanings in order to reach new levels of understanding. This letting go makes space for something magical to happen.
 

Singing for Peace
So the music is saying something to them. It is sending a message. I do not think the human beans is knowing what that message is, but they is loving it just the same. - The BFG
Music is one of many artforms that can inspire us to think, feel and act differently. When we sing, every cell in our body begins to vibrate to a new tune. The power of singing to reclaim a sense of peaceful power is testified to by the stories of members of Rainbows Across Borders LGBT Asylum Seekers Choir who I recently interviewed and wrote about on Inside Story Radio Show and The Croydon Citizen. Singers who have experienced persecution in their countries of origin said that singing gives them the confidence to have a voice, to become leaders, to cope with challenging situations and to enjoy 'strutting their stuff', as they did with 3000 supporters at Croydon's first PrideFest. The dreams and campaigns of so many LGBT rights activists made it possible for us to walk the streets, whistling, waving flags and singing 'We Shall Overcome.' For many, this freedom of expression is not yet possible, which is why we must keep singing and dreaming a more peaceful world for everyone.


Peaceful Singing Events for September
This autumn I invite you to join me at the following peaceful events:
Sing for Water - choirs across the UK join together in song for WaterAid at the Thames Festival on September 11th.
Shakespeare's 400th Anniversary - At the invitation of by Raficq Abdulla, author of Reflecting Mercury, Dreaming Shakespeare's Sonnets I will be performing arrangements of Shakespeare's sonnets and songs with acapella group Anima on 16th Sept.
Creative Croydon Choirs - Caterham Community Choir restarts on 6th Sept, Croydon Community Choir restarts on 12th Sept and Croydon Carers Choir continues fortnightly from 21st September.
Heart of the City - delighted to have been invited to guest lead this wonderful choir at St Botolph's Bishopgate from September 22nd
Dream Choir - a play day of song and improvisation in the magical ambience of St Mary Abchurch on 24th September

Wishing you a powerfully peaceful September :)

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At Croydon PrideFest with Catherine Pestano, Anne Crump & Gill Manly