Carol Wiebe

Eruptions. We all have them. The question is, after the lava has flowed and a few people have been burned, what do we do? Eruption Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying cla

This is from a beautiful little children’s book,  Grateful: A Song Of Giving Thanks, by John Bucchinno. I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ve got a warm place to sleep, Some nights I lie awake counting gifts, Instead of counting sheep. If you lie awake tonight, may you count your gifts and blessings, even if it keeps you up for hours! The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of the stone upon h

I am learning Lightroom to organize my photos. I am using, and learning, Pages to create the templates for my eBooks  and Keynote to prepare presentations, along with Photoshop Elements. Soon, I hope to design a website, with iWeb. It is taking shape in my mind. You can do some very neat stuff with computers even if you cannot navigate anywhere close to the borders of Geekdom. I am also writing a magazine article, and finishing up 3 paper quilts and 6 art journals (#7 was rec

Elena Ray calls her daily work grace, because it keeps her “centered for the purpose she serves.” Her work is a grace to others as well ~ certainly to me. Her exploration of sacred symbolism is created with an elegant hand, and her intelligence is ample. She may be somewhat apostate when she makes a statement such as: The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon, though the elegant hand and the intelligence that animates it may actually be as important as the moon; and in

I have been thinking about the subject of original work, and accessing one’s own ideas. In A high calling, I spoke of  Jenny Bowker’s delight when she helps an artist who wants to do original work, but is somehow unable to access her own ideas. I went on a little web rampage to see how other artists speak about “originality.” Kate Franzman, who is a New Media Project Administrator at Indianapolis Museum of Art, writes that originality is overrated and she is not afraid to adm

My son and I had a conversation yesterday about making plans. January is a month where plan making is a traditional, often dreaded, ritual. We have a special name for January plans, and it is very solemn. Be it resolved that I lose “x” pounds. Be it resolved that I become completely organized and efficient. Be it resolved that I find a mate/dump a mate/get a date. You know what I’m talking about. Those fairy tales we make up and dub “resolutions” but which seldom end up helpi

People often talk of the blues when they are feeling down. So I picked a vibrant, exultant color that I think represents feeling up: yellow. I really like what Tammy had to say on her website: “No resolutions this year, but journaling on things I am grateful for, things I am claiming, and things I would like to accomplish.” Tammy says her word for the year is “sacred.” I joyfully concur. 1–I want to teach classes about art and creativity, which have been part of my life for d