Creativity+

Music - Comfort Me, Peter Hurford and Robert Herrick

2011-07-23T14:52:00.001-05:00

This is one of the most moving choral works that my choir, the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral sings. My father is dying, and needs this kind of comfort.
Comfort me Music by Peter Hurford (b. 1930) Words by Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
(You can click on the folder or the title to get to the music file, then download it, and click on the downloaded file to listen. It's much better if you have the words in front of you.)

In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart, and sick in head,
And with doubts discomforted,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drown'd in sleep,
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the artless doctor sees
No one hope, but of his fees,
And his skill runs on the lees,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When his potion and his pill,
Has, or none, or little skill,
Meet for nothing but to kill,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the passing-bell doth toll,
And the furies in a shoal
Come to fright a parting soul,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the tapers now burn blue,
And the comforters are few,
And that number more than true,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the priest his last hath pray'd,
And I nod to what is said,
'Cause my speech is now decay'd,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When, God knows, I'm tost about
Either with despair, or doubt;
Yet, before the glass be out,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the tempter me pursu'th
With the sins of all my youth,
And half damns me with untruth,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the flames and hellish cries
Fright mine ears, and fright mine eyes,
And all terrors me surprise,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the Judgment is reveal'd,
And that open'd which was seal'd;
When to Thee I have appeal'd,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

Robert Herrick

Food: Pancakes

2011-07-20T07:38:00.001-05:00

Pancakes
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

I put massive amounts of blueberries in these pancakes, perhaps 20 to 25 each. They were mouth watering.
What else can I say?

Photography: Sunset in Utah

2011-07-18T10:17:00.002-05:00

Sunset
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

The original post of this photo has been seen over 150,000 times, has be "favorited" over 1,000 times on flickr, and if you search "Google images" it is consistently in the top 20 photos if you search for "sunset", out of over 44 MILLION sunset photos.
Most of my photos are only modestly popular, but I have 50 in the top 20 of the 500 photos featured each day in the flickr "EXPLORE" pages.
I'm very happy to announce that I will soon be one of 11 official volunteer photographers at the Missouri Botanical Garden, which is only 2.5 miles away from our home in South St. Louis. I'm very excited about that prospect.
Photography has been one of my main joys ever since late 2004, when I bought my first 3 megapixel Fujifilm digital camera.
With digital, I now could take a zillion photos. Before, I could not afford that much film and developing. Now, I can take all I want, don't have to develop them, and can do my own "darkroom" work with Photoshop CS5. I LOVE it!

Amy, Me & Natalie

2011-07-15T20:53:00.004-05:00

Just as a point of reference, that's me at the age of 36, after being married nine years. That's Amy on the left, looking somewhat less than happy. Trust me, she is much happier most of the time.

Happy 25th birthday, Amy

Family - Amy, 2010 - Today is her 25th Birthday.

2011-07-15T20:50:00.002-05:00

My younger daughter, Amy Michelle turned 25 today. I'm sure she has no idea how very much I care for her and love her. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. Holding this precious gift from God in my arms. She has grown to be a beautiful young woman, with a voice that could make angels jealous. She's studying operatic singing at Michigan State, where she's in graduate school. She now teaches young singers how to develop THEIR instruments.

I'm sure all fathers are proud of their daughters. But she could not possibly know how proud I am of her, and how very much I love her.

Some things can only be secrets between me and God.

Humor, Editorial: St. Louis, Cars, and Stop-Lights

2011-07-15T08:51:00.003-05:00

Galaxy 500 convertible - twilight
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

I have lived in Saint Louis for over 25 years now, and there are still things that puzzle me. Take auto traffic: In Chicago, they drive too fast. In Memphis, people brake the instant they see a yellow traffic light.
In St. Louis, there are two habits which seem to me to verge on being anywhere from highly contradictory to insane.
First, there's the St. Louis interpretation of an Amber or Yellow light. You've all seen it. It means "gee, I think the Red light is coming next, and I sure don't want to have to stop, so I had better see if I can put this accelerator right through the floorboard". I'm sure this has happened to you: You have just embarrassingly sneaked through a Yellow light that had turned to Red in the middle of the intersection. Interestingly enough, not one but two cars have followed you across the intersection. My embarrassment turns to amazement.
Secondly, I would put a St. Louis second up against a New York minute anytime. A St. Louis second is the time it takes from the traffic light to turn Green until a car one, two, or even three vehicles behind HONKS its horn, boisterously urging people to obey and respect that Green Light.
OK, here's where I have the problem. I expect that practically everyone in St. Louis recognizes these two behaviors: 1) the Yellow sneak-through, and 2) the instant, urgent honk by people in line upon the light turning Green. How can anyone in their right mind not grasp that these are antithetical behaviors? St. Louisans, get a grip. You can either ignore the signals to stop at an intersection, or dart out immediately upon a green light. Not both. Why is the guy waiting before cautiously moving on a Green light? Because he values his life, that's why (plus he's waiting for the Yellow and Red light ignorers to get out of the way).
People, people. You've got to change one behavior or the other. It just doesn't make sense.

Family - My Daughter Natalie

2011-07-13T12:58:00.003-05:00

Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

I have the most amazing and fabulous older daugher. She was selected out of all the employees at Boeing to go to the "International Space University", in Graz, Austria for 10 weeks, to share in coursework with people from many, many nations. The link is to her blog, where she is posting her adventure in Austria. Whenever I hear this song by Paul Simon I think of her:

I believe a light that shines on you will shine on you forever
And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed
I'm gonna stand guard like a postcard of a Golden Retriever
And never leave 'til I leave you with a sweet dream in your head
[Chorus:]
I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign
So you'll always know
As long as one and one is two
There could never be a father
Who loved his daughter more than I love you

How Many Psychologists ??

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

How many Psychologists does it take to change a light-bulb? Only one, but the light-bulb has to want to change.

How many Choir Directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
No one knows, because no one watches them long enough to find out.

My first DVD movie is complete!

2011-07-09T18:25:00.007-05:00

I have recently complete a project of my first full-length feature film. It is a tranquil, gentle view of some of my best photos from the last 5 years. I'm particularly proud of the sound track. But before I sell it in quantity, I still need to get permission from the composers, performers and recording companies. I will be hiring and agent to do that. Here's a photo of the DVD cover I made in Photoshop:

Here's a 30-second preview:

Spirituality: Strength, Courage, and Faith

2011-07-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

On a garden fountain today I saw a quotation. I added just four words at the beginning to make it a sentence:

What is required is "Strength, Courage, and Faith in the Creator of the Universe"

Source unknown - I searched the internet for the exact wording.

Salad, anyone?

2011-07-08T08:15:00.000-05:00

Salad with home grown Vegetables., originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton.

This salad was made with two types of lettuce, roasted red pepper that I made fresh, peas straight from the garden, spinach, some broken tostada shells, and blueberries. A small dab of cottage cheese added some protein and milk products group.

Question absolutes. . .Thank extravagantly

2011-07-07T19:47:00.002-05:00

Flower Face
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

I've asked you to question everything, so when you hear a quotation, test it for truth. . Many absolutes are not and cannot be true.
Take the old adage:
Pride goeth before a fall". Well, I don't quite agree. Here's my version:

"Excessive or unrealistic pride can hurt you; appropriate pride in your accomplishments brings Joy and Satisfaction especially when shared with someone you love." tkh
OR
"It's OK to want to be admired, we all need admiration and appreciation as much as we need breakfast." tkh
That's why it's a Wonderful thing to write thank you notes, and praise other people. Those things express Thankfulness, Appreciation, or Admiration to someone else.
Practice writing a "Thank You" note daily.
Make as long a list as you can . . .
- thank your grocer
- your dentist
- your water company
- your sister
- your mom
- your priest, rabbi, imam, or pastor
. . .the list can be a hundred or more!
Have FUN making the list!

I'm starting to use GOOGLE TASKS

2011-06-24T09:19:00.002-05:00

I have several separate lists which are helping me organize.
- PROJECTS (which I break down into parts (bite-sized 45 minute) I can put on my DAILY list.
- QUICKIES = short & fun or easy (things that take 15 minutes or less)
- DAILY – for things I want to do each and every day.
- TODAY – a few of the DAILY things, QUICKIES and pieces of PROJECTS that I can accomplish successfully today.
- THANK YOU NOTES ( pick one every day or so and add to the TODAY list
- BREAKS = short 15 minute things to relax, recharge, and refresh
Every hour, I set a timer for 45 minutes for an accomplishment, followed by 15 minutes for a BREAK – I just look at my break list if I run out of ideas for breaks.
Some TODAY items only take 10 or 15 minutes, and I mark down an estimated time. If my estimate is wrong, I'll be able to estimate more closely next time.
The picture is my BREAKS list so far.
Now, I don’t do this slavishly or even completely successfully each day, but I’m trying to shape my life better as I go along. Progress, not perfection is my goal.

See more progress on: be more organized

Are there always exceptions to any rule?

2011-06-23T10:16:00.001-05:00

Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton

Rule # 1:
There are exceptions to any rule.
Many of us have heard that expression or statement. Can that statement be trusted to be true? If I can find a statement that contains no exceptions or alternatives or possible deviations, then I have disproved the rule, right? If that rule is true, then it should always be true that there are exceptions to every rule. What If I were to come up with an exception to the rule that "any rule has exceptions."?

Try this one: Rule # 2 :

The only rule to which there are no exceptions is the rule that there always are exceptions to a rule.

So obviously, Rule # 1 cannot be true. A more likely truth is something less absolute, because there are few absolutes in life. So here's a more accurate and true version of Rule #1:

Rule # 3:
There are sometimes exceptions to rules.
This seems more accurate, and allows for some "wiggle room" as well as reflecting some wisdom that has been passed down to us.

Moral of the story: Absolutes in statements and generalizations rarely are true. What we think and say shapes the way we see the world. It might be wise to pay attention to any absolute statements we say, and to temper them somewhat. Many a statement that is mostly true looses it's "truth" when stated as an absolute.

The Formula for Joy

2010-07-29T15:37:00.004-05:00

This is the formula for Joy that I came up with in the early stages of what turned out to be my longest manic episode. I was "up" for 4 and 1/2 months. It was very difficult on those who loved me. But of course I didn't think there was anything wrong with me. In fact, I thought that I had reached a new plane of human existence.
So one day in the shower, I came up with my version of the formula for JOY. I figured if the relationship of matter and energy could be expressed as simply and elegantly as E-MC2, then there should be a way to make JOY a part of every day. Here it is:

self-knowledge (knowing) and
Centering on the Eternal (being) and
Doing what you love to do (doing)

Divided by Zero (nothing should divide us - acceptance)

What was funny to me about the formula is that in math, you can never divide by nothing or Zero. But in my formula it simply means that whether it is acceptance of self, life,pain, differences, those are all things that keep us from happiness.

The other notes on the image include:

Life is not linear
My two BIG goals were flexibility and strength
And "Life's a Party!!!

Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART 1

2010-07-24T16:25:00.003-05:00

Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton

This is an excerpt from a book I am currently writing the working title of which (for today, it keeps changing)is Joy, Creativity, and Fulfillment Subtitled: The possibility of transforming our lives. I am qualified to write this because my life has been such a mess that transformation is the only way out. I'm not an expert in transformation, but I know that I cannot change, but only transformed, by a Power much higher than myself, and in connection with a group of other people who share similar goals of transformation (not change). I am a work in progress, and I'm guessing you are too, so we have a LOT in common. And though I'm sharing things that I have realized, experienced, or discovered, those of you who know me know that indeed, I have only taken as yet very minute steps in a process I intend to continue my remaining life on Earth. Your transformation and mine can really only take place in a community. A committed group supporting each other as allies in the quest. Friends and Lovers, and Allies who accept

the possibility of enough self-awareness to give up the denial of our faults,
the possibility of enough Love for forgiveness of the evil we have done,
the possibility of restoration to a state of Pure Love,
and the Joy of becoming more like our Father in Heaven.

MULTITASKING

Multitasking as it is generally practiced is highly overrated, not just in my opinion, but substantiated in several scientific studies. Before you click on the links at the bottom that are just footnotes for that statement, though, I'd like to share my insight and experience of multi-tasking: What is possible, what is not. The next excerpt (post to this blog) is about what are effective ways to multitask and stay on top of having several things you are trying to accomplish in a given day. If you want the "executive summary", you will have to wait several days, and keep coming back to visit.

First, let me give an example: You probably have seen on some TV show a person who can spin 30, 40 or even more plates at a time on top of long, flexible rods. How does he do it? By alternately going to the two that need the most care to keep spinning and spinning TWO of them. The fact that God, or evolution, if you prefer, gave us two arms is a hint. We have two ears and only one mouth, suggesting that we should listen twice as much as we talk. In a similar way, our brains are wired to be able to work with two things since cave man days. One hand to hold the stone, the other to chip it into an hoe or arrow head. So, generally for manual tasks, there is typically one thing we can accomplish at a time. Unless you can ride a unicycle and twirl a baton at the same time, which only comes with extensive, deliberate practice. (I may expand on this in another post). Notice too, that when both hands are involved, one hand is often the active hand and the other the proverbial "helping hand". Usually we utilize our primary hand, depending on whether you are right or left handed, to do the task that requires the most skill. Think about what your other hand does when doing a few tasks today, and just notice and be aware of how this works.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. In fact, the only rule to which there are no exceptions is the rule that there always are exceptions to a rule. . . ;-) I thought that up myself just now.

For now, until tomorrow or my next post, try to think of and write down some of the exceptions that come to your mind. Let's compare notes tommorrow, and all comments and suggestions are welcome.

Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART2

2010-07-24T16:15:00.002-05:00

A Really Strange Looking Seahorse
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

Here is what has worked for me:
1) a primarily physical task that is semi autonomous, such as knitting or crocheting, can be successfully combined with a visual event such as watching TV.

2) A primarily physical thing, like walking and running can be combined with music, even if the music has words, because there are no meanings going on with running or walking, so the mind can be available to listen and enjoy the lyrics of a song.

3) On the other hand, if you are walking in a park with headphones on or using a cell phone, you are indeed missing out on the joy of listening to the twittering of birds (my favorite kind of twittering. . .no offense to the web tool). You also miss the sound of the wind in the trees, and quite possibly the sense of the breeze in your face, and are less likely to spot that delicate flower beside the path. So if you are out in nature. . .my preference and suggestion is to not overload your capacity to be present with either headphones or a cell phone.

4) When I'm working on a project on a computer, or reading, and there is something involving my thought and meaning generators (like while I'm writing this) what I have found to work is listening to music without words. Why? We are meaning generators, and words are the crucible in which meanings are carried. No iron worker making some serious molten iron would ever thing of carrying a bowl of soup in addition to the vessel of molten iron he's transporting. It can be done of course, but you may spill one or the other, with serious consequences. You may have noticed in life that each and every choice has a consequence.

5) Pay attention to what works in movies. Generally songs with words occur at the beginning or at the end of a movie, while we are simply viewing images of introduction, or lists of credits to which few are paying attention. In places in the movie where there is dialogue, there is supportive music without words that heightens and intensifies the mood, the tension, or the resolution, of the scene. When we see the montage of someone driving down the road on a road trip, just enjoying the scenery, that's another time when a song with words might be worth considering. Smart and effective. . .that's why they do it that way.

6) An exception to the music without words combined with visual images that I have noticed is this: In my most recent DVD entitled "Wide Nature", which is a compilation of 500 or so of my best nature and landscape photographs from the last 5 years, I wanted the music, quite naturally to play only a supporting role to my primary goal of providing an exciting yet relaxing visual feast. So most of my soundtrack is so-called New Age piano, light jazz, or other wordless music, that I chose to enhance the particular part of the movie. Here's the interesting thing I found: I could use some haunting music by with a Latin text without interference. Why? Precisely because there are no meanings associated with an unknown language. . .they are just interesting sounds. If you happen to know Latin, you get the added reward to some exquisite, spiritual words. . . or you can simply look inside the DVD jacket, and read them in 20 seconds with a minimal interuption, while conveying the meaning in one short burst.
Here's a link to just a tiny portion of the video several iterations before the final form, just for a tiny nibble.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4271109806/

Oooops, it's time for an ad or SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION - Copies of the DVD are available for purchase.

Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART 3

2010-07-24T16:12:00.002-05:00

Thunder Cloud at Sunset
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

Some things that quite definitely DON'T work:
1) doing something physical, like driving a car, that requires focus, awareness, and attention to present surroundings, cannot be combined safely with texting or even making a cell phone call. Our cave-man brains never had to deal with anything remotely like that, and unlike us, cave menwould have been self-aware enough to know better, because survival was at stake. You don't try to hunt and carve a weapon and beat a drum at the same time. An exception might be a cave woman nursing her child while grinding corn or spinning yarn. Well, folks, survival IS at stake for yourself and for others on the road when you take this dangerous, foolish action. However this is not a diatribe on the subject of safety, but rather on the subject of what is possible and less than possible to do at the same time.

2) Trying to do three things is out of the question. I saw a woman some time ago, walking with her beautiful three year-old in a park. She was holding her child by the hand with one hand and talking on a cell phone with the other. I could see how unfortunate it was and felt a deep sadness. The woman was not be present to and missed for all time the experience and JOY in the "here and now" of the beautiful park and the precious, unrecoverable time with her infant. Her mind, focus, and attention were clearly on other events in another place, and she was possibly talking about something that had happened or some upcoming event. Clearly not in the present. And as any wise person knows, the present is all that actually IS, the "Eternal Now" as Paul Tillich calls it. The future and the past are only the electro-chemical firing of memory cells in our minds. They are only thoughts and no longer ARE or have any being. If I want a wonderful life, I'm aware that I must live as much in the NOW as possible.

3) One final example that saddened me much during the 30-day rail trip that Grace and I took in September of 2008,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/sets/72157607786497748/
was that people on the train under 30 almost without fail had they nose in the screen of a laptop, a portable electronic game or portable movie DVD player. I never saw any of them just looking out the window at the beautiful scenery, which would only pass by them likely just ONCE in their lives. Anything and everything that they were doing on the electronic visual gadgets could be done anywhere and anytime else. The choice not to be present to, well, the present saddened me. It made me think how far technology has taken us from our present reality. Even as I write this, I'm aware of the need for me to go take a walk and just be present to my surroundings and not to a rectangular flat screen.

4) The final thing that so doesn't work and irritates me severely is the combination of trying to converse with someone while a Television is on. Does that bother you, too? It makes me feel quite unimportant and second rate, for someone to divide their attention from our conversation and friendship in that way. It's even worse when someone is actively flipping channels. My best defense at those times is to simply say, "I'm sorry, but I have a great deal of difficulty concentrating on what you are saying when there is a TV on. And I would love to just be able to enjoy your company". That's a non-threatening way to deal with it directly. Another trick I've found is to find a way to distance from the problem. I generally suggest something like: "Let's go on the back porch to talk about this, it's so pleasant outside right now". If the weather is inclement, a simple move to the dining room or TV-less room of any sort will do.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
We are at most able to do things two at a time, some combinations more effectively than others. Some of the things that work are a combination of visual and auditory, or visual and manual, or manual and auditory. The most efficient combination of visual and auditory is where only one or the other contains words and therefore meaning. Our minds were only designed for one meaning at a time.
Another consideration is about being present to the moment. It often saddens me to see a whole generation of people under 30 for whom the concept and the experience of being with nature without an electrical gizmo of some sort along. Nature, time with friends and lovers is a moment to being as completely present as is possible for us in our present state of mental and spiritual development.

FUN ideas, Joyful Inspiration

2010-07-12T13:56:00.001-05:00

Pretty in Pink
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

There will be a Chapter of quotations in my book. Many of the quotations will be my original thoughts and of course copyrighted as per world copyright law.

Yet my thoughts are a gift to me from a Loving God who created me and my mind, gave me life, my family, a wonderful community of Christians her in St. Louis: Christ Church Cathedral, and many more other gifts than you would care to read about.

Therefore, since my very thoughts are a Gift from my Father, in order to be more like Him, I must also learn to give and share. Therefore I hereby announce my written permission to utilize anything on my "Quotations from Timothy Keith Hamilton" blog, with no additional permission needed. My only request is that if you print or quote one of my quotations, please give me the gift of attribution. Like this: "Quote from Timothy Keith Hamilton".

I will be having several links on my blog to the 4 or 5 best websites that I have discovered. That way, If you need a quotation for a sermon, an article, or just a blog post, you can have "one-stop shopping" by coming to my blog.

Primarily, though, the reason I have the links is so I can research the quotation I have created, and make sure it has not already been said better. I expect that will often be the case. If if I find something that has been said better, I will post it with a credit to the author, even in the case of Mr. Anonymous, who is the most prodigious of them all. Mr. Anonymous is the collective wisdom of humans whose source is unknown, however, the excellence of the thought is such that it is remembered, repeated, and passed on. I probably won't be remembered past the point in time where the people I have known and my grand-children (if any) pass on. My hope is, though, that I may make a contribution that at the very least will become part of Mr. Anonymous.

If you would like to keep informed as to what I'm up to. . . your best bet is to follow me on Twitter: @creativityPlus

Twitter is the hub, and focal point of my on-line publications. I solemnly promise not to overwhelm you with tweets. . .you can expect only two per day, and of course you can simply ignore them anyway if you have something else going on. The link to the Quotations blog is: http://tkhquotes.blogspot.com/

Nature or Nurture?

2010-07-11T16:54:00.005-05:00

Iona Rose - great niece
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

Most of us have noted that we choose individuals who have complimentary personality traits as our lovers and partners. We now know that many "psychological" traits, such as depression and bi-polar have deeper electro-chemical-biological roots in our physical brains. Ergo, much of who we are is due to genes, and physical results of those genes. In the debate over "nurture or nature", I lean strongly towards nature. My daughters both grew up to be very much like me, even though there was a ten year period wherein I did not see or communicate with them in any way.

2010-07-08T06:34:00.000-05:00

10 Easy Steps for Becoming a Radical Homemaker

photo courtesy of Creativity+ Timothy K. Hamilton Copyrighted 2010

These are also ways that each of us can take responsibility of our demand for oil, and could help prevent another oil spill catastrophe.

Commit to hanging your laundry out to dry.
Dedicate a portion of your lawn to a vegetable garden.
Get to know your neighbors. Cooperate to save money and resources.
Go to your local farmers' market each week before you head to the
grocery store.
Do some spring cleaning to identify everything in your home that you absolutely don’t need. Donate to help others save money and resources.
Make a commitment to start carrying your own reusable bags and use them on all your shopping trips.
Choose one local food item to learn how to preserve for yourself for the winter.
Get your family to spend more evenings at home, preferably with the TV off.
Cook for your family.
Focus on enjoying what you have and who are with. Stop fixating on what you think you may need, or how things could be better "if only."

This post appeared in the weekly Ezine from the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri

My New Spiritual Name

2010-06-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

I started walking around my neighborhood a week ago and introducing myself as Mr. Happy. I did this for several reasons

It almost always makes other people (and me) laugh, which releases enrorphins and endorphins in turn make you feel better. Laughter is, indeed the very best medicine, as our shared wisdom tells us.
I live in a rough neighborhood, and I don't really want people to look up my name, and find my phone number and address
It's just plain FUN

So when I arrived at the Psychiatric ward at Barnes Hospital, still in a very "Mr. Happy" mood, I keept introducing myself as "Mr. Happy. This brings me to yet another reason for using the name:

Names have POWER. They inform us as to who we are and intend to become.
For example, my brother's name is "David Joel" David means Beloved. Joel means "Gift of God". So his name means "Beloved Gift of God". Very intentionally, my parents gave him a wonderful name
There are traditions in many cultures where upon reaching manhood or passing a rite in a religion, the person is given a new name, which again encapsulates and prophesies about whom they are and whom they intend to or may become

This morning I decided on (for now, I can always change my mind as I change): Joyce J. F. Happy.

Let me expand: Joyce Joyce FUN, Happy.
Explanation: If you say Joyce a 2nd time you are "re-Joycing". . . the rest is self-explanatory. Rejoicing in God leads to FUN and Happiness.

Worm Jerky - Bridging Earthworms, God, and our Inadequate Language.

2010-06-24T10:56:00.001-05:00

Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton - Creativity+

Subtitle: How to write about worm poop and God in the same blog post. ;-)

You can start calling me "Life Saver" if you like, but this story Isn't about me. It's about being a "good neighbor", about earthworms, and ultimately about God, and the inadequacy of our language with regards to the sexuality of God.
I don't know if you've ever seen them. . .but on hot days in my neighborhood, the sidewalk is often littered with the dried up remains of the bodies of one of Nature's finest inventions: The Earthworm. Grace and I have jokingly called their carcasses "Worm Jerky"
Ecologically, "worm jerky" is a very sad, instructional and didactic example of what our current way of paving over and cementing the urban landscape has done to some of the most essential creatures to life on earth. Hear a snippet of Joni Mitchel "they've paved paradise, put in a parking lot". Earthworms have FAR predated us, and have the amazing capacity to squeeze, extrude, and wiggle their way into the topsoil eating dirt. Now I'm not recommending eating dirt, nor am I suggesting that we defecate outdoors, just to be entirely clear. Yet the ability to squeeze out of or rather through tight situations is decidedly to be admired. That's in fact what the worms do, and amazingly, their process of going where no man has gone before, eating and pooping does significantly more good for the Earth, than our process of doing the same.
To continue our story. . . When I was returning home from a walk, I spied an earthworm crossing the sidewalk, trying to find some nice cool, loose, damp soil to tunnel into. Since I supposedly am a higher life form (certainly debatable, and often worth questioning), I was able to recognize both the futility of his effort and the unlikeliness that he would find "greener grass" on the other side. So I decided to save his LIFE. Now, that neither makes me a saint nor a hero, because:
1) I learned so much about how earthworms are able to squeeze through tight spots because I had to change my grasp several times due to his ability to reshape his body. Shape-shifting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapeshifting is a technique we usually attribute to Demons, Wizards, and RPG heroes. And here I was, watching the process before my very eyes. (tag: noticing and awareness)
2) I had so much FUN dropping him in my Square foot Garden (SFG)   If you are not familiar with this urban gardening concept, I found it to be transfomational in the art of gardening in small places, with maximum yield, and continuous harvesting. The photo is of my SFG, not perhaps in it's prime, but nonetheless a visual example. Once I dropped him in, he was not able to tunnel into the ground down to the wet underworld he knows so well and calls home. It's a sort of homeless home, because earthworms don't nest, or have a place to go home to at night, (kinda like Jesus, eh?) but their home is an extended "neighborhood", where they live, and dine, copulate, eliminate, and make a difference. The Earth is their home. They pass through it silently, unnoticed, under-appreciated, working day and night, eating constantly, but leaving the Earth better wherever they go, just by eating, slithering, and pooping. Once again, don't try this at home, we humans get arrested for similar behavior.
3) It was actually a selfish act. There is rarely, if ever, an activity we do that is NOT self-serving. Put more graciously, the good we do in life always makes us feel better and gives us more JOY. So ultimately it is self rewarding. I wonder who planned it that way?
4) I learned an important lesson about "being in the 'hood" (link will come later to that post). If I choose too, I could wander around my neighborhood, taking it in (ingesting the sights, sounds and experience), keep moving, and find ways that making wherever I am a better place (without pooping or getting arrested).

But to finish our story, I found that I needed to moisten the soil in order for the worm to well, "worm" his way down into my fine, high quality, composted soil where he will be eternally grateful for saving his life. . NOT.
The hose was not connected, and I fruitlessly tried to carry hand-loads of water from the backyard faucet to give him a cool shower. Didn't work. Undaunted, your (by now, I hope) hero, (me, in case you forgot) found a water-pistol in his bag of goodies that he had just brought from a Drug Store, the name of which, Wallgreens, will go unmentioned. . . oops, too late. Now, they don't call me Creativity+ for no good reason. So applying my creative abilities, I designed a water transportation system consisting of filling up the water pistol and then walking to the garden to give my squirmy new friend the first shower he probably had in his life. Or at least his first water-pistol fight.   It was decidedly one-sided, as he was neither capable of carrying a weapon or using one.   After I wet the ground though, he-and-she (earthworms are hermaphorditic) slowly found his-and-her way home. If you ever need to relax and slow down, take five minutes and watch one of these amazing creatures dive into Mother Earth, to do their thing. One final thought (Good God, I hope not):
about the inadequacy of the English language. The earthworm gave me another
5) insight into God as well as the inadequacy of our language.   Hermaphrodism is the word that comes closest in our language to describe the He and She, Father and Mother aspect of God. However inadequately. We truly need to invent a word that accurately describes God's dual nature. My thought is that Jesus used the word Father during his time on this 3rd planet from an unremarkable star because He lived in a paternalistic, sexist, male dominated society. And thus using a female reference (2,000 years ago in Palestine) to God would have made it sound like God was powerless, incapable of ownership, dependent on someone else for livelihood, and weak in general. Jesus was too smart to say: Dear Mom, who art in heaven. . at least two millenia ago. The general underdog nature of women in the ancient world may have been the primary reason that God became a man, and not a woman. If it had worked out in the vast scheme of things for Jesus to have come to earth in present-day America, perhaps we would be worshiping Josephine. And our prayer could well be "Our Mother, who art in Heaven".
So if someone wants to get busy and change our perception of God, we had better come up with a new word that embraces all there is about being a man AND a woman, intertwined and complete, because neither sex alone embraces all there is to being either Human or God. So I'm working and generating and creating a new non-gender dependent word that we can use to re-translate the Bible, to rework our thinking, and to greatly improve our accuracy of the word HIM when we refer to god. And I'm asking you to remember that Jesus could just as easily been incarnate as a woman, were it not for our massive underestimation of women.
I'm toying with words like: Hirm (combining Him and Her), Se (combining She and He). . but maybe you could help. For now, I'm stuck with "Our Loving Parent, Who art in Heaven" as a fresh start towards un-genderizing God. I think She would appreciate the change in our interpretation.
After all, our language is the entire source of all our meaning, and where our language and words fail us, we fail to have meanings that are accurate, useful, and True.

TAGS: humor, story, life, death, garden,hot,dry,salvation,ecology,urban,sidewalk,cement,pavement,worm,earthworm,soil,enrichment, meaning, language,sexism,theology,paternalistic,ancient,God
Filed under: Theology, Musings, Editorial, Humor, God

Sky Dancing - My goal for Today

2010-06-23T11:07:00.003-05:00

Sky Dancing
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton.

My goals for today are:
1)    do something good, no, wonderful for myself.
2)    Do something marvelous and kind for my wife.
3)    Do something that's good for my house
4)    Do at least one thing that's Godly for my Church
5)    Do something good for my neighborhood
That's as far as I think I can get today.

I will write an entry as to what I have accomplished at the end of the day, and post it here. So come back if you'd care to see how I did with my goals, and what precisely my actions were.

Tomorrow, I'll explain why I've chosen the “order of business” for my daily activities. The underlying reason for my ordering and choices.

3 year-old in South St. Louis dies of gunshot.

2010-06-19T21:26:00.003-05:00

I live in a very racially diverse area of St. Louis. My neighborhood is one of the top 15 (I have read) places in the USA where people from other countries are re-located to get a good start.

My neighborhood is a mix of African America, Serbian, Bosnian, Russian, Vietnamese, and more recently, Sudanese refugees who have the enormous good fortune to be allowed into a country with as much wealth and opportunity for a better life. People around the world know this. That's WHY we have so many who want to become Americans.

I love my neighborhood, and the diversity it contains.

Today, though, a particularly gruesome and in fact deadly event occurred. You can read the details for yourself by following the link, if you wish.
A three-year old shot himself to death. Here's how close he was to our home, 1/5 of a mile according to Google maps.

Why did this horrible thing happen? Well, let's work backwards and see:
1) Brandon Tate pulled the trigger.
2) Brandon got the gun
3) His mother left the gun within reach of a 3-year old
4) His mother bought the gun because she lives in a dangerous, drug-infested neighborhood.
5) We live in a dangerous, drug-infested neighborhood because people use drugs.
6) People use drugs to escape the horrible, depressing reality of their lives.
7) People sell drugs because they can make a TON of money more than they can working at a fast food restaurant.
8) People want to make more money than they can at a fast food restaurant in order to survive and feed their families.
9) People in my neighborhood often can't get a job because they don't have a decent education, which means they either have to work at menial, low paying jobs, starve, work the welfare system, or constantly look for work and be told they don't have enough education - or whatever excuse companies can use.
9a) alternately they can sell drugs, without much education, with no resume or hiring process, and drive around in great cars.
10) African Americans and others in poor South St. Louis areas don't get a decent education for many reasons, but one of them in my mind is the lack of equality.

We pay lip service to Equality in this country all the time. "All men are created equal" "Equal Rights Amendment", and many more examples too numerous for you to care to read.

In reality, people in poor neighborhoods don't have anything resembling equal opportunity.

Tune in tomorrow or the next visit to read about the lack of equality, it's roots, how embedded it is, and some thoughts about how to at least move in the direction of fulfilling our true values as Americans.

Antique Very Green Ford Model A

2008-07-30T20:06:00.002-05:00

Antique Very Green Ford Model A
Originally uploaded by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton.

I'm hoping to get back to making this more than just a photo blog. But so many other things beckon.

Teton Fire

2008-06-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

Teton Fire
Originally uploaded by James Neeley.

James Neely is one of the premier landscape and nature photographers on flickr, the photo sharing site. Visit his photostream to see some amazing photos, best seen as a slide show !! A real treat

Strike!!!

2008-01-10T13:45:00.002-06:00

Strike!!!
Originally uploaded by !!WaynePhotoGuy.

I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm trying to get myself back in gear.
Wayne is one of the most amazing photographers at flickr, and this is such an awesome shot that I was inspired to blog it.

One Tree Hill

2007-02-08T09:18:00.001-06:00

One Tree Hill
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

It is important to remember that photography is an image, period. The only rules I know of is that it is two-dimensional. Other than that, it can be black & white or have exagertated colors. A photo can be distored by the use of a wide-angle lens or in software. This image is no more "fake" because it is a composite than an image straight out of a digital camera.

Colored Snow

2007-02-03T19:25:00.001-06:00

Colored Snow
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

Well, it took a lot of time to put the food coloring on this snow, but I liked the effect.
Just kidding, all manipulation, of course.

The Infant

2007-01-12T12:46:00.001-06:00

The Infant
Originally uploaded by nailbender.

Duncan (aka Nailbender) is without doubt one of my favorite photographers, period. His love of light and darkness, ability to compose and communicate are world-class. He's very selective about what he uploads - only the best. So click on the photo and see what other gems are in store for you !

collared light

2007-01-12T12:39:00.001-06:00

collared light
Originally uploaded by mimbrava.

Mim is one of the most popular (and with good reason) photographers at flickr. She's going to be displaying this and another photo at an Audubon Society Exhibition in Atlanta on January 18th...
Here are more details:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/347690331/

Another perfect moment ...

2007-01-12T12:27:00.001-06:00

Another perfect moment ...
Originally uploaded by Azorina.

Here's another fabulous photo from Gilda Pontes. . Check out her other photos!

Pretty leaf...

2007-01-12T12:25:00.001-06:00

Pretty leaf...
Originally uploaded by Azorina.

Azorina lives in the Azores, way out in the Atlantic ocean near Africa. As a flickr photographer, she is able to get a world-wide view for her marvelous work, and share in enjoying the work of others.

Click on the photo to see it larger, and to visit more of here photos.

Flickr

2007-01-12T12:22:00.001-06:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Photo - Gold

2006-07-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

Gold
Originally uploaded by pixx0ne.

This is an excellent example of highlighting a photo via the use of color and Black & White contrast. The "busy" background recedes in importance, leaving the main subject without competition.
Visit more of pixx0ne's photos by clicking on the photo or his name.

Photo - one of mine

2006-07-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Salt
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

I recently had over 200 photos in the top 500 each day, also called "EXPLORE" on flickr. The algorhythm keeps changing, so it's different all the time.
Here's a link so you can see the current top-viewed and most favorite of my photos:

Dominant Green Sunflower

2006-07-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

Girasoli dominante verde
Originally uploaded by dinogen.

This shot is what photography is all about. Evoking a mood, a feeling, a presence and whisking us away to another place, another time, or another dimension.

Check out more photos from "dinogen" by clicking on the photo.

Procovery - 14 months later - Mental Health

2006-06-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

I became a Procovery facilitator for Procovery:http://www.procovery.com for 14 months now. It’s the best facilitated peer circle format I’ve yet seen. It works for circles that include:

- other facilitators
- health care providers
- family members and support people
- People with any mental disorer
In fact, the process, which is quite defined, can be used with any group of people who have a disease or disorder from which they cannot “recover”. . .that is, go back to their former state of being.
Procovery is forward looking. . you accept the present, that the past is behind you, and move forward towards hope, satisfaction, and fullfillment. In addition to mental illness, the Procovery model can be used with
- people with Diabetes
- people who have the illness of Alcoholism
- people who are Homeless.
and so forth.
I have started two groups so far, one in a Residential Care Facility (RCF) for people who happen to be mentally disordered. The other one is in my home. I’m committed to starting at least 2 more groups or circles before the end of July. One at my church, where they have several programs for the homeless, and one in a church or facility nearby, so that healthcare providers can refer people who are comming out of hospital or residential facilities can have a place to continue their Procovery
I also have a BLOG that I contribute to 3-5 times a week related to hope, support, and inspiration for people who are PROCOVERING.
“Procovery – and Friends” http://www.shcrt.blogspot.com

So CHEER me . . . I am DOING it!!!!

See more progress on: Facilitate groups for people with a Mental Disorder

e37 race in santa cruz

2006-06-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

e37 race in santa cruz
Originally uploaded by lawatt.

I'm so proud of my FAVORITES list:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/favorites/

Lawatt is a photographer I just recently ran across (there are always surprises on flickr). One of her favorite subjects is sailing.
This photo displays an almost perfect point of view, diagonal leading into the frame, and a fabulous range of blue hues.

Visit Lawatt by clicking on the photo or her name.

Tom's Sunflowers 2

2006-06-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

Tom's Sunflowers 2
Originally uploaded by Mr. Greenjeans.

You don't always get to see a sunflower so close up that it could be mistaken for a pineapple.
That's what photography is supposed to do, in my book: expand our vision of the world through the eyes of someone who is REALLY looking.
Check out the other photos of "Mr. Greenjeans by clicking on the photo or on his name.

Finances, Saving Money - Part 1 - Breakfast

2006-06-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

With your budget, there are only two variables: inflow and outflow. If you spend more than your income, it's called poverty or possibly bankruptcy.
There are several ways to help get to a positive cash flow - Increase your income, and/or decrease your expenses.

Here are three things I have done for several years that save money, and help stem the spending, so I can balance my budget:

1) Cook your own breakfast. Whether you eat cereal, or eggs and hash browns, making it yourself can save TONS of money in a year.
Let's see: 1/2 of a 3 egg omelet and a hash brown patty = ONE Quarter !! (eggs are about a dime each, I get hash browns for about 10 cents each) Time, you say? Well it takes me 10 minutes to make my own pretty good breakfast. It would probably take me just as long to drive to a fast-food restaurant and go through the drive-through. And the cost at a fast food? Well, what do YOU spend. . .$1.25, $2.00, or what? Let's say that you spend TWO DOLLARS a day (just on weekdays). That comes to $1.75 saved for 10 minutes effort, or an hourly wage of $10.50.

Or, to put it another way, if you save $1.75 (or whatever you spend) 5 days each week, that's $455.00 per year. Enough to buy an IPod, or a pretty good digital camera, or make one month's rent. . .

Stay tuned for the second and third easy idea. . .

I think.... therefore I am!

2006-06-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

I think.... therefore I am!
Originally uploaded by FlowrBx.

I have seen lots of photos of gorillas. What makes this exceptional is that it is truly creative. The angle and height of the camera, the pose of the subject, the tight "crop" all make this photo interesting and captivating. For more photos by "FlowrBx", just click on the photo.

kephren stare

2006-06-11T18:58:00.000-05:00

kephren stare
Originally uploaded by Djuliet.

This is one of the best portraits I've seen in awhile. Intense, direct, and moody.
Very eloquent. Click on the pic to see more by Djuliet

AT-AT (4483)

2006-05-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

AT-AT (4483)
Originally uploaded by spud murphy.

Some photos astonish us because they are so unexpected. Here, the artist has taken a shot of a "LEGO" star wars (both registered tm), from a great perspective. This makes for a delightful visual joke, that is told with clarity and wit.

6607 - vietnam - White h'mong tribe girl

2006-05-18T07:29:00.000-05:00

6607 - vietnam - White h'mong tribe girl
Originally uploaded by loupiote.

Tristan travels the world extensively. . he's masterful with travel photography and portraits, as this photo demonstrates. Just click on the photo to visit his other photos at Flickr.com

Fuzzy Sprout

2006-05-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

Fuzzy Sprout
Originally uploaded by Clearly Ambiguous.

The humor in the screen name "clearly ambiguous" is just a start with this photographer. This photo is an example of how he can see the unusual and make it special. Click on the photo to see it larger. For the best results, click on the magnifying glass above the photo (at Flickr) and see it full-sized. Amazing!!!

Soft

2006-05-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

Soft
Originally uploaded by Photonut (Mr. Dave).

Mr. Dave has a stunning collection of photos, many of which involve the repetition of the same subject in a patterned way.
Visit his photos by clicking on this one.

Silver Beard

2006-05-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

Silver Beard
Originally uploaded by memaxmarz.

Janis has made a wonderful collection of portraits. Just click on this one to see more.
The look of intensity on this man's face is priceless.

Tmeless Beauty

2006-05-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

DSC_2026
Originally uploaded by Mario EA - fotosmontt.com.

Mario is from Chile, South America, and does almost exclusively photos of female face and form.
Some of his photos have recently been included in tha book "Digital Art Photography for Dummies" (pub. 2006), as were a couple of mine.

I hope you take the time to enjoy his work!

Enjoy...

2006-05-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Enjoy...
Originally uploaded by luisa_m_c_m_cruz.

Ahh.. . Springtime. This photo by Luisa Cruz is practically perfect. I love the red streak of flowers near the horizon. Don't you?

Night Of The Iguana

2006-05-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

Night Of The Iguana
Originally uploaded by nailbender.

This is from one of my friends at Flickr. Nailbender is a master of light, contrast, and shadow. . . just to name a few.

End of the day or Dawn?

2006-01-03T17:37:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by tejana.

Tejana's name means "Texan" in Spanish. She has an eye for beauty and composition that's quite excellent. Take this photo, for example. . the soft orange glow in the water and the black portions of the composition balance the rest of the sky perfectly. To see more of "tejana"'s (pronounced teyhahnah) photos, click on the photo.

To Your New Year!!

2005-12-31T08:43:00.000-06:00

The Bridge - and a poem
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

This day is a bridge
To the next year.
Each night is a bridge
To the next day.
As we travel, there is no future.
Just the present - with
A roadmap of possibilities.
The past no longer exists
Except in our memories.
Looking with regret
in the rear view mirror
Only keeps our attention away
From the JOY of watching the
Scenery go by.
Looking back keeps us from going
Forward, safely, and with focus.
Let us cross each bridge with
Fortitude, awareness, and gratitude.
That we have bridges yet to cross,
And a path still ahead.

Timothy K. Hamilton
copyright 2005

This is the day, see it shine

2005-12-28T04:17:00.000-06:00

This is the day, see it shine
Originally uploaded by neloqua.

Neloqua quotes the Moody Blues:
"This is the day,
Just see it shine
When all that I have lived for
Becomes mine
This is the moment
This is the hour
When I can open up,
Tomorrow
like a flower
And put my hand to
Everything I plan to
Fulfill my grand desire
See all my stars align
This is the moment
So double the odds
This day or never
I'll sit forever
with the gods
When I look back
I will recall
Moment for moment
This was the moment
The greatest moment of them all..."

"This is the Moment"
Moody Blues

One of the truly best photographers at flickr. . keep an eye on her and her career!

Try Jon Fobes. . . you won't regret it!

2005-12-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

ORCHID SPOTS
Originally uploaded by jon fobes.

Jon is a very active member of Flicker, and has started at least SIX groups. He also is incredibly active at leaving detailed, helpful and encouraging comments. I hope he's semi-retired, otherwise he's gonna loose his job!!
=^D
Start with his "visitors start here" set, and you will find he's a mater of flower and wildlife photography. Just click on his name or the flower!

on fire

2005-12-24T10:53:00.000-06:00

on fire
Originally uploaded by Franco Matteelli.

With a name like Franco Matteelli, I'll only give you ONE guess as to nationality. Franco doesn't upload as many photos as most at flickr, but those he uploads are wonderful!!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Chanukah!

2005-12-22T10:55:00.000-06:00

Real Tree, Real Snow
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

This is a real tree with real snow photographed by me (creativity+) at the Botanical Garden. I wish you all the happiest of holidays, and especially the gifs of Joy, Peace, and Happiness!

Warmly,
Tim

Simplify my life - One car instead of Two

2005-12-20T10:22:00.000-06:00

We just found out that our 11-year-old 1995 Saturn needs about $1700 worth of work on the clutch. So we checked the “Blue Book” value: $200 trade in, $500 to sell it ourselves, $1000 if it was being sold by a dealer. It is costing us $600 per year for liability insurance, as well. Obviously, it makes no sense to have it fixed. Here are the possibilities:

Give the car to a charity soon
Keep it, only do oil changes, and when it dies, it dies.
Drive it down to New Orleans and give it to a family there, and take the train back.

Anyway you look at it, by NOT having a car, We would save at least $2000 in three years. I would have to bicycle and walk more (which would benefit my fitness goal) or take the bus. On days when I need a car, I can drive my wife to work (50 minutes round trip twice), and have a car for Doctor visits, etc.
Simplify, Save Money (Financial Independence), and Fitness, all in ONE simple stroke!!! Amazing!

triple icicle

2005-12-19T09:11:00.000-06:00

triple icicle
Originally uploaded by SophieMuc.

Sophie is an elegant artist. Plain and simple. Like this photo. A simple, direct design, combined with two colors and white.
click on her name to see more of her photos!

Konica Minolta 5d

2005-12-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

Konica Minolta 5d
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

I'm sooooo excited!!!! In a few days I will receive in the mail my FIRST digital SLR!!
I really did some digging around to keep it near $900.
OK, so it's the very cheapest SLR on the market, but I'm still going from 4megapixels to 6megapixels. It has anti-shake. I won'd be able to do much good macro photography for awhile, but later I should be able to get a 1:1 ratio macro lens of good quality.
So now I have:
Auto-focus,
Anti shake, and I only need
Auto-compose to be a great photographer!!

hot pink zinnia

2005-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

hot pink zinnia
Originally uploaded by mimbrava.

Mim does some amazing things with her Canon PowerShot S2 IS. It has a 12x optical zoom so it has the range from 36mm to 432mm as well as excellent macro capability. Here's a sample of her exquisite flower macros. To see more, click on her name, for a real treasure-trove of great photos!

Macro Latte

2005-12-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

Macro Latte
Originally uploaded by ~Kenny.

Cat photos are a dime a dozen. Once in a while, though one comes a long that stands out from the rest in composition, character, and quality. This is one of those. . .

Sperm whale diving

2005-12-13T09:09:00.000-06:00

Sperm whale diving
Originally uploaded by Emma Devine.

I couldn't resist showing you this fabulous photo. Sometimes we amateurs can do amazing captures!! Emma caught the action and excitement as well as the lovelyness of the rich blues in this great photo. . . Visit more of her whale photos by clicking on this one.

sawtell

2005-12-13T08:38:00.000-06:00

sawtell
Originally uploaded by omnia.

Omnia has FIFTEEN testimonials on flickr.com, all well-deserved. I always want to see her photos much larger, but I understand her wanting to protect them from "internet robbery".
It's well worth checking out her collection!

Chicken Lover takes time off...

2005-12-12T10:44:00.000-06:00

Chicken Lover takes time off...
Originally uploaded by ahmedzahid.

What a joyful face! A moment captured and shared. . and when it's done well, as it is here, that's what photography is all about!

Las Lanzas - The Boats

2005-12-10T02:26:00.000-06:00

Las Lanzas
Originally uploaded by Poldavo (Alex).

Alex lives in Madrid, Spain. One of the wonderful things about sharing photos on flickr is getting to travel through another photographer's eyes.

To My Mom & My Husband

2005-12-07T07:16:00.000-06:00

To My Mom & My Husband
Originally uploaded by !efatima.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has blocked flickr.com from the country once again. They consider some of the "art" on flickr to be pornography. Actually, almost all the nude photography that is pornographic gets "censored" right a flickr. Efatima, and many other friends have a difficult time uploading beautiful photos like this.
It seems like a perfect case of "straining out the gnat, and swallowing the camel". Or even better, blocking the camel because he has a gnat on him.

Open Wide

2005-12-06T12:58:00.000-06:00

Open Wide
Originally uploaded by hazey_.

An exceptionally strong image, very simple, to the point, and focused. The colors are analogous (closely related), and lips have a powerful emotional appeal. Great job!!

Transformation -- Three good things to report on Volunteering!!!

2005-12-05T03:01:00.000-06:00

1) I’ve started a PROCOVERY circle for people who have a mental disorder at the Applegate Residential Care Facility. We’ve had 3 weekly meetings so far, and people seem to be getting a lot out of it.

2) The Craft Alliance (and organization that has a gallery and teaches art courses) is using me as a photographer for their gallery shows and for student artwork.

3) I’ve done a photoshoot for my Episcopal Cathedral with 8 “models” posing in an elegant banquet room around a fancy dinner table. My first time managing so many people. I probably will put up some photos on my flickr.com account (Creativity+ is my name on flickr).

See more progress on: Volunteer

Reflections - Kananaskis

2005-12-04T15:53:00.000-06:00

Reflections - Kananaskis
Originally uploaded by Jeannot7.

For more information about this lovely photo and location, simply click on the photo. Jean has been one of my most consitent visitors at flickr. We have a mutual admiration club.

Individuality

2005-12-04T15:51:00.000-06:00

Individuality
Originally uploaded by MikeParker.

The poster speaks for itself.

Wonderful creativity. . . diversity and acceptance are the only way we can survive (and learn to laugh and dance together) on this planet.

CoNTraST

2005-12-04T15:49:00.000-06:00

CoNTraST
Originally uploaded by ~%<CrAzY(",)GliTteR(",)BuG>%~.

The photographer says: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever; Its loveliness increases. It will never pass into nothingness . . ."

Oh what a view..Torres del Paine Hike January2005

2005-12-04T15:46:00.000-06:00

Oh what a view..Torres del Paine Hike January2005
Originally uploaded by Cane Sugar.

Just an amazing photo! Sorry no larger size is available - but you might ask the photographer. . .

Self Actualization -- 43things has been a Joy and an Inspiration.

2005-11-14T03:07:00.000-06:00

I’m finding that just by expressing myself carefully, and then crafting that expression further, I’m helping myself to clarify and hone my goals, aspiration, hopes, and values.
In addition, when I comment on a “plea for help”, I’m finding that I often have something that al least “feels” like it’s worthwhile to say.
All of this is focusing my attention towards goal-setting, accomplishment, values clarification, etc.

See more progress on: self-actualize

Maybe. . .

2005-11-13T15:07:00.000-06:00

Maybe. . .
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

A motivational poster I made with "flickr toys"
http://flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/
from a photo of a campfire.

Let me know what you think about the words and their impact on you.

Out with the Old - Busch Stadium demolition

2005-11-11T18:02:00.000-06:00

Out with the Old - Busch Stadium demolition
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

I was very sad as they started the demolition of the Busch Stadium. Senseless, in my opinion. Here are some people looking at the demolition. Generations to come will miss the opportunity to see baseball in that wonderful stadium!!!

Farewell, old friend, after only 40 years.

Autumn candy

2005-11-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

Autumn candy
Originally uploaded by Pantalon.

Pantalon can be exquisitely subtle and sensuous. . see for yourself.

Water Colors

2005-11-07T17:32:00.000-06:00

Water Colors
Originally uploaded by Frederico Mendes.

Frederico Mendez is one of the most prolific and experimental photographers I know. He doesn't just post things he thinks will be popular, but shots he has deeply felt as well. He takes photographers on "photo-journeys" in Brazil and who knows where else. I'd love to learn more from him. . Check out his work by clicking on the photo.

This morning on the Danube!

2005-11-06T02:52:00.000-06:00

DSC8952
Originally uploaded by niklens.

This old, rusty ship has become a thing of beauty with the masterful eye of an artist/photographer. Noticing beauty is a special art. Capturing it well takes effort, talent, and skill. Sharing the beauty with others across the globe is nothing short of a miracle.

Eggs on his Face

2005-11-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

Eggs on his Face
Originally uploaded by Mr. Greenjeans.

Mr. Greenjeans is full of twists and unexpected turns. I'll bet you've never seen a photo like this before. . I'll bet he's the kind of guy who never makes a recipe the same way twice. So you had better enjoy it, 'cause you'll never taste it again!

Despite misgivings, Dorothy accepted the Nike contract.

2005-11-05T07:41:00.000-06:00

Despite misgivings, Dorothy accepted the Nike contract.
Originally uploaded by singingpixel.

Singinpixel is one of those free, uncharted spirits whose photography reflects the soul of a true artist. Creative, humorous, and delightful.

Look at Me

2005-11-03T12:03:00.000-06:00

Look at Me
Originally uploaded by julespics.

Jules does it again!! We would all love to have a phenomenal shot of a winged creature (of any kind) in our portfolio as exceptional as this one!

Towering Toadstools

2005-11-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

Towering Toadstools
Originally uploaded by Zsaj.

I don't know why I didn't blog this the FIRST time I saw it. One of the things that makes a photo great is that it gives us an unusual, fresh view of something we have all looked at a thousand times. This is the job of an artist: to make the world new and wonderful!

gladiators

2005-11-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

The light and dark are stark and very befitting the subject. Color would not do at all here. The shot has energy, waiting to explode. A beautiful capture!
gladiators Originally uploaded by Stijn Coppens.

storm break sunset

2005-10-29T09:09:00.000-05:00

Dean Forbes makes an unusual sunset statement. He catches the sun higher in the sky, and the sky is full of muted, subtle grays as well as color. It's tough nowadays to be creative with sunsets. He says: "It was still raining when I went outside to get this. I held an umbrella in one hand and the camera in the other."
storm break sunset Originally uploaded by Dean Forbes.

pink & green

2005-10-25T07:53:00.000-05:00

pink & green
Originally uploaded by Rosina.

This is a super macro (close-up) of a flower a lot like queen ann's lace. The subtle repetition of form, shape, and colors make this almost abstract, yet we relate to it readily. The ability to "see" such lovelyness and share is so well is a true gift...

N&W - 1135

2005-10-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

N&W - 1135
Originally uploaded by sahst23.

This is an image with amazing presence. It presents with full force the power and drama of a huge diesel-electric locomotive. The monocromatic range of color, and the deep tones add to the excitement.

Magical Monarch moment

2005-10-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

Magical Monarch moment
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

This is easily the best butterfly photo I've taken. I pressed the shutter 5 times (3 rapid shots each time) and magically ended up with this beauty. It's so wonderful to be able to share something only I saw with all of you. . .

More Clear Creek..

2005-10-16T18:15:00.000-05:00

More Clear Creek..
Originally uploaded by Mountain Mike.

Michals photos are remarkable in many ways. Here's an excellent example of his use of color, composition, framing, placement, and subject to make an outstanding shot.

Frieda (mother) and Fridolin (son)

2005-10-14T04:41:00.000-05:00

Frieda (mother) and Fridolin (son)
Originally uploaded by Linda6769.

Linda lives in a small town in Germany. She has a wide variety of photos, including sets about the sky, ponds and lakes, the sun, and mist and fog.
This is the kind of photo that keeps me taking pictures. It is like magic.

Linda Leben in einer kleinen Stadt in Deutschland. Sie hat eine Vielfalt der Fotos, einschließlich Sätze um den Himmel, die Teiche und die Seen, die Sonne, und Nebel. Dies ist die Art des Fotos, die mich behält, Bilder zu nehmen. Es ist wie Zauberei.

The pen is mighty

2005-10-13T10:17:00.000-05:00

Enough
Originally uploaded by angelocesare.

This photo comes from Angelo, from Milan, Italy. His photos are always crisp and compelling. It reminded me that I haven't exactly been writing a journal recently. But with wonderful photos like this at flickr.com, it's pretty addicting. . .
Questa foto viene da Angelo, da Milano, Italia. Le sue foto sono sempre croccanti ed obbligare. Me ha ricordato che non scrivo esattamente un diario recentemente. Ma con le foto meravigliose ama questo al flickr.com, è bello si assuefa. . .

A rose by any other name. . .

2005-10-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

A rose by any other name. . .
Originally uploaded by creativity+.

This is one of my better rose photos. I used an itty-bitty bit of a cross-hatching filter on it. Some people get tired of flowers and roses. Those same people would get tired of Heaven and opt for Hell.

"We do not remember days, we remember moments." Cesare Pavese.

Polar bear backstroke

2005-10-11T10:51:00.000-05:00

Polar bear backstroke
Originally uploaded by lil.

And speaking of relaxing, here's another one. If I keep posting these I'm going to need a nap!

Lazy Days

2005-10-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Sleepy (furry) Sunday - Jaromir & Galileo
Originally uploaded by Liisa.

I love this shot of two cats. It's hard to find an unusual one these days, but this is highly original.

Thanks Liisa, for all your fine photos!

Drop-Dead Gorgeous

2005-10-04T13:40:00.000-05:00

InsectEvolution
Originally uploaded by amsabri.

I don't have the slighest idea how she did this one, but I find it exquisite. Forms, shapes, colors, contrasts all feel just "right"!

My pick of the day!

Near Coal Bank Hill, Colorado

2005-10-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

Near Coal Bank Hill, Colorado
Originally uploaded by springgal.

New vistas, new horizons. That's what hope and possibility are about. This lovely photo reminds me to look far and see the horizon and the mountaintops.

Thanks, Judy!

evening rainbow

2005-10-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

evening rainbow
Originally uploaded by Stijn Coppens.

This photographer from Denmark is one of the best on Flickr, in my opinion. If you look closely, you can see part of the double rainbow. Click on the image to see larger versions.

Cat photos are a dime a dozen

2005-09-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Furry Friday!
Originally uploaded by Buntekuh.

But this one transcends catness and the ordinary. Just gaze into those eyes! An amazing picture!

forest edge

2005-09-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

forest edge
Originally uploaded by words fail.

Rick, a photo artist who goes by the name "words fail" had the vision to start a group where people could donate their photos in return for donations to the American Red Cross. All focused on the Katrina relief effort, of course.
Not only is he innovative and a self-starter, he's also a top-notch photographer, as you can see from this shot.