What 40 paintings in 40 days teach me

Its common to hear of multi-day challenges to get fitter, healthier and move toward more conscious living. yet, how often do we hear of 40 days of painting as a way to live more consciously and connect to the Earth? This is a spontaneous activity that engages my body-mind-spirit.  Here are 7 powerful lessons this painting experience teaches me:

1.  Life shifts based on our priorities

Priorities define our character and evolution. As we shift from thinking to feeling our way through life, our focus changes to be in greater harmony with true self. The strong desire to paint prompts me to rearrange life to fit it in. As a mum of two kids, juggling family and other responsibilities amidst Covid-19 related changes in lifestyle, the painting emerges as a tool to expand consciousness. We each have 24 hours in a day and use time based on what matters.  Something mysterious calls me to paint more frequently as if I am decoding my life and the rhythm of my breath on a whole new level.  

2. We get out of life what we put into it

The more we feel grateful for what is unfolding in our lives, the more reasons arise to feel grateful. Engaging the right brain more often not only helps bring left-brain dominant logic into balance,  but also helps unlock secrets about ourselves we are taught to overlook. As I paint, I am feeling shifts and in my vibration because I am validating what is important to me. I feel uplifted, fulfilled, energized. Being true to myself facilitates revelations and electricity flows more freely through my body.

3.  How we view our experiences is a choice

Not knowing the nature of each painting emerging through my sketches and brushes excites me. Its as if I am receiving transmissions from my higher self or the best version of being.  Deeper, more restful sleep happens, vivid dreaming and life-related insights coming to me at an accelerated rate.

4. The film Julie & Julia (2009) has a lasting impact

The film Julie & Julia (2009/ Meryl Streep, Amy Adams), the modern day protagonist learns much about herself as she cooks 524 recipes in 365 days. Based on two true stories,  the film intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both 'at the end of their rope.' (at a crossroads in their lives). They both discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. I am painting my way to non-verbal and other revelations about creating and contributing to a new reality. 

5. Setting time aside for personal care is essential

We often hear how important it is to regularly take time out for ourselves and personal care, yet do not always consistently stick to a plan. Although I engage in daily yoga and other practices, no activity positively impacts my life like the painting. Until engaging in this activity, I did not anticipate that it would renew me.

6. Energetic aspects of me are activating

As I consistently engage in intuitive painting, I am awakening dormant parts of energetic self, activating bio-circuitry and translating what I detect in multi-sensory perception.  For as long as I can recall, I have sensed sacred geometry first and not known what to do with this information. It dawns that the paintings are a kind of communication, a code or language that remind me of authentic crop circles.

7. Love is the absence of fear

Breathwork and intuitive painting are both tools which shift our focus back to unity and interconnectedness.  When focused on the external world, we forget who we are and grow susceptible to emotions and fear. We are taught to seek experiences, states of mind, and other things. breathwork and creative expression like painting remind us everything we seek is already within us. The mind cannot grasp this yet the heart feels it. Creating mandalas, sacred geometry and geometric paintings, induces trance-like states that enable me to feel in harmony with the oneness of universe.The rhythm of the breath naturally shifts to echo who I AM. Love is teh absence of fear.

Interview with Vishnu of Vishnu's Virtues

In the process of reflecting on why we do the things we do, its helpful to draw our attention to underlying principles that drive us. Self-respect, dignity and honour sit at the top of my list. Yet, I was not always so clear. We are often reminded life's apparent obstacles are the Path to getting to know ourselves better and seeing with more clarity.    

As part of awakening to elements of a more authentic life, and shifting to walk the talk, universal principles often guide me.  Synchronicity led me to meet Vishnu of Vishnu's Virtues. His popular self-help blog and books help people who have had difficult relationships heal their break-up and find love again.  I appreciate that he speaks from direct experience and is speaking his truth from the heart.  During this interview, I invite taking a closer look at messages about harmony or disharmony in our own lives:

Thank you so much for this interview opportunity. I am looking forward to it!

Please share what you do and what brought you to this point in your life...

I was born in the East and grew up in the West between two cultures. Like many “good kids” with immigrant parents, I followed the path that was designed for me and that society told me to follow. I finished my law degree, got a job in the legal field, got married and bought a house.

That is a common story. Many parents model a certain life and we are taught to find our place in their existing paradigm.  As restlessness arises, we are invited to ask why.  Tell us what prompted you to break away, and to embark on another Path.

 If I had followed the path that had been promised to me, then everything should have worked out and I should have lived happily ever after. That quite didn’t happen and instead, everything fell apart. When life falls apart, we can fall apart or we can start a blog... 

Funny. This reminds me of the film Julie & Julia with actresses Amy Adams and Meryle Streep.  The is based on Julie Powell's autobiographical book: 524 Recipes: 365 Days.  The protagonist decides to spice up her life by blogging on cooking her way through a Jullia Child cookbook.  By listening to her heart, the blogger develops quite a following.

Share insight into pivotal events that shake you up, cause you to face fears. How do such experiences prompt us to make lasting life change? 

Without question, my divorce was one of the most life-changing, pivotal and sacred moments in my life. As Debbie Ford has said, “ Divorce becomes a holy moment when you choose to use it as a catalyst for having an extraordinary life.” For me, I think divorce was a wake up call to thoroughly examine every part of my life and recreate my life from the ground up. I started making life choices and career choices more consciously.

That sounds tough, and yet, adversity also often makes us stronger.  Beautiful flowers are known to grow out of the mud. How about painting us a picture: feel the way through the difficulty... 

This may sound a bit gruesome, but it feels like being a lonely ghost in a cemetery at night. Imagine a ghost who didn’t’ know how he got there and didn’t know where all the other ghosts were. So you’re lonely, it’s dark and it feels like death all around you!

This reminds me of that classic 1965 film The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.  Unsure if you know it? Anyway, during the film,  Mother Superior (and later 'Maria') says, "When the Lord Closes a Door, somewhere he Opens a Window..." The divine message here is to simply trust in what is coming. Can you relate to that?

Definitely! The good part about darkness is that you know it won’t be night time forever. The day will surely come and the sun will rise again. 

Hallelujah! How did you find the Path back to yourself and what matters?

I found my way back to myself by forgetting about the outside world and focusing on my inner world. I found my way back to myself by getting clear on what I wanted out of life, determining what I valued and remembering the feelings that I wanted to have in my life on a daily basis. I thought about the life I wanted ahead of time before going about creating it. Often we do  the opposite.

That's a great lesson and invite for everyone.  I mean, how many people are really clear on their purpose, their priorities and actually live by them consisently?

Not yet eveyone...

Exactly! Sometimes it takes adversity to shake us up and wake us up. (See also my Interview with Kerrie Atherton about Stories of Hope)

What does happiness mean and feel like in your personal life? What are some practical things people can do to experience more personal happiness?

My biggest suggestion is to figure out what makes you happy and do that ahead of time. One way to be happy is to live in alignment with who you are.

Excellent point! How would you suggest our readers uncover this?  

One way to know who you are is to do the internal work of asking yourself who you are, why you’re here and what you want. A simple way to tap into this is to figure out what brings you happiness on a daily basis. Pay attention to which experiences and conditions evoke joy in you.

The simplicity of paying closer attention really resonates. We can only answer our own questions by being honest with ourselves.  What other guidance can you offer here?

I also invite people to reflect on what they gravitate towards. That offers many clues to who you are and what brings you purpose.  

So true! We each give ourselves little messages about changing purpose but we do not always choose to listen...

Where do the Soul and soulful living come into this? How does soul healing affect relationships? 

When your external circumstances fall apart, you are invited to align more with your soul. When you become more aligned with your soul, you can live your life more fully.  Most of us live the life we think we want without making any connection to what our soul desires. 

So, if I get what you are saying, waking up leads us to ask more conscious questions.  

Yes. We see more clearly and hear what we may have already been saying but we were not ready to hear it until now.

Being present is so important. What are the most significant relationship lessons you have learned?

I give myself permission to ask: what does my soul want? I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is that when relationships fall apart, you invite yourself to go within. Your greatest soul realization and discoveries are waiting for you when your heart breaks. 

That moment when we allow ourselves to feel the pain of a broken heart is also the moment we let light in, that is, hear and consciously feel the light of our own innate understanding. Its like a wake up call that we exist to love and feel.

Thsi said, many people feel discouraged about their relationships or lack of them. Please share some advice with our readers to guide positive life change. 

Without question, the most important thing you can do for your relationship is improve the relationship you have with yourself.  Only then, can you make headway when actively working on relationships with others.

Please be more specific...

 Improving the relationship you have with yourself requires self-acceptance, self-compassion and improving your own self-worth. I believe that if you improve this relationship then all other relationships around you will improve. I truly believe that the relationship you have with yourself is the one that’s going to manifest around you. The way you treat yourself is likely how you will treat others. Improve the way you treat yourself and I promise that you will treat others better and be in relationship with someone who treats you better.

Thanks for drawing attention to the mirror principle. The external reality we each experience is indeed a mirror of the inner not vice versa. Growing conscious of this makes it less likely to be affected by external conditions. It also implies we are ready to take increasing personal responsibility for how we think and feel. Is that not so?

Agree very much.

You have written books on relationships. Which tips or techniques make a relationship last?  Which strategies or views can you suggest to help people pinpoint what really matters in their partnerships? 

I believe that the skill that makes a relationship last is how you create the relationship you have with yourself. We tend to treat others the same way we treat ourselves. So if you want to improve your relationship with others, watch how you’re talking to, treating and feeling about yourself. The way you treat and speak about yourself is what you’re likely doing to others. A couple ways to make relationships last is to speak more to each other about what you both want from the relationship and work on forgiving each other more quickly. I’ve discovered that we tend to imagine what we want without expressing out loud to each other! Also, grudges and resentments never lead to a healthy relationship so the sooner you speak about it, forgive it and come to terms with something, the stronger you can make your relationship.

If you had to identify the role of faith  and trust in your life, what role do each play? 

When I went through my divorce, I stopped believing in God and inquired if God was listening. I even wrote a book about it, Is God Listening? https://www.vishnusvirtues.com/books/is-god-listening/  My understanding about God, the universe and forces beyond is that we aren’t listening.

We aren’t trusting what we’re hearing from God, the universe or ourselves.

And if we sense God, the universe, ourselves, are all one in the same, and we ignore one, we do not hear any and do not feel heard either. Its all a  pointer to what or whom is not listening?

Definitely. If things are not working, we must ask the question, 'not working for whom or according to whom?' (which brings us face to face with beliefs and conditioning). 

Would you say then that unhappiness suggests we are not listening to the part of ourselves that knows what is best for us?

You could put it that way. I know I learn to trust myself more and realize the forces outside of us have their own intelligence. I stop making demands on it to make my life a certain way. I trust that the universe knows what’s best. I do my part but surrender to the universe to do it’s part.

Absolutely! Letting go and surrender are valuable lessons. 

In addition, if you’re looking for a partner, take action to find a partner and trust you’ll find one but don’t push or control the universe to do it faster or force it to produce someone who isn’t right for you. Trust that the universe knows best.  

Love yourself like you wish to be treated is a great take away. Setting an example is attracting what is best.

What do you value highly or believe in with all your heart? How does this energy or life force help make things happen?

I know that the universe is working on my behalf to help me discover who I am and help me live in alignment with it. I believe that we have to force things to happen less and let life guide us more. As smart as we think we are, the universe knows best. I’ve stopped making wishes for my birthday of things that I want and instead ask for guidance and wisdom to trust the universe to lead the way. It’s a cosmic dance and we each need to lead and follow. If we lead and follow, we are tripping the universe up!

People often speak about what they want yet do not seem to have in their lives. What from your experience, causes people to discover the truth behind their relationships and patterns?

I think the biggest lesson that people can take away from relationships is when relationships go wrong.

It also appears helpful to ask who is judging the relationship as good or bad for us in the first place (or which ideas we have adopted in relation to this).

You can get super curious about yourself, your patterns and who you are. The problem is that  many people do not self-reflect and thus do not learn from their mistakes. In fact, most of the time, we think the other person is wrong, blame or we are fault-less. Relationships are our greatest learning experiences but we seldom self-reflect, learn or grow from them as much as we can. You can choose to grow from experiences.

Self-reflect more is another great take away. As the saying goes, 'what we dislike in others is what we have not accepted about ourselves.' Facing our shadow is what we exist to do and love. 

What would you say is your reason for being? Which event (s) caused you to feel this way?

My reason for being is to be a bridge to help people grow from who they are today to become the people they are capable of being. My divorce certainly caused me to feel this way. I broke away from a predestined life and welcomed in a life that was entirely new and unfamiliar. I’ve had plenty of growth and self-awareness in the process. I’ve gained experience and heart wisdom and want to be a catalyst for others who find themselves in the throw of heartbreak realize that their best life is on the other side of a broken heart. 

Tell us about practices or teachings that shape your life-view. 

My biggest lesson about my breakup and divorce is that the past doesn’t have to equal the future. All readings and teachings that have helped me live in the present moment have helped shape my view.

Who are your inspirational mentors? How have they empowered you to shift how your see yourself?

I would consider Eckhart Tolle, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Pema Chodron as my teachers who helped me see that this is the only moment we have. As Nancy Levin says, “honor the space between no longer and not yet”. I think this quote really encapsulates that it’s about the journey, not about the destination. There is so much growth, understanding and wisdom to be collected along the way. I am now aware that you do not have to be a prisoner of the past. They remind me that you can’t have spring until you first have winter : ) There’s a place for every season. 

Our audience benefits from this: Universal principles speak when we are ready to hear them.

You write about love, heartbreak, letting love back in and the power of grief and heartbreak. What are some key observations you make about yourself as well as people/ clients you have encountered?

I would say that the key observations I’ve made it we can’t start fresh until we let go of the old. I’ve realized that it takes work, not time, to let go of the past and grieve. We have to actively work on letting go of the past. The one thing that our past is good for is to help us make some observations about ourselves. We have to use past relationships as a learning classroom and discover truths about ourselves. Each relationship helps us become the better version of ourselves so we are continually growing. Don’t think of soulmates when it comes to relationships. Think of relationships as classrooms. We have many teachers. 

Indeed.  When open-minded, everyone and everything is a teacher, as are we for ourselves. As Lao Tzu says, when the student is ready, the teacher appears...  Please share any universal messages that stand out which would help us all in our day-to-day living. 

Our purpose in the world is to become un-ravelled and discover who we truly are beyond everything else.

How do relationships fit into this universal wisdom?

Relationships and breakups help us discover who we are beyond it all. Use your rock bottom moments in life to get a deeper understanding about yourself. When your external world crumbles, you have an invitation to go within and see what needs improvement, healing or awareness. Use the lessons of life to help you discover who you are spiritually.

Remember, there is nothing to fear about change. Change is a teacher. Change happens to let go of what doesn’t serve us and welcome in those things that do. You don’t have to hold onto the present for dear life. There is life after relationships ending, careers ending, and familiar circumstances ending. Every ending has a new beginning.

Share anything else you feel you would like our readers to know.

Thank you for such a comprehensive interview and questions. It was so in-depth and based on the things that I’m exploring.

Where can people find you?

I would invite my readers to follow me on journey at www.vishnusvirtues.com and to pick up my new book, The Sacred Art of Letting Go, on sale at the Amazon store.

Really appreciate that you focus on encouraging people to recognize the messages of love in their lives.  For Vishnu's latest Amazon book, The Sacred Art of Letting Go, visit his Amazon store here. Here are some links to offer more information:

Interview with Julia Pugateva

At this moment, I am pleased to share a dialogue I shared with Julia Pugateva, the owner of Julia's Organics.  She is known on Instagram for her mouth-watering food photos listed as Julia's Organic Garden and Kitchen.   I met her through a mutual friend and had the delight of a tour of her backyard garden as well as a glimpse of her recording snippets of master classes.

With her own natural beauty care products, a few of her own beehives, chickens and diverse fruits and veggies growing in an organized way, she certainly has a lot on the go.  You might catch her selling fresh produce or homemade saurkraut a local market, picking up containers people have discarded, offering classes in Endeavour Hills and her home.

How about you begin by sharing the basic idea of what you do.

I want people to get in touch with the Earth, be aware of where their food comes from, how its grown, how easy it is to grow food yourself, to make the most of what you have and the space you live in. We can all discover directly the impact of how we think and feel on health and well-being. I also wish people to discover aging is a state of mind and we can do a lot to look and feel younger and more energized.

What does organic gardening mean to you? 

Organic gardening is about getting back to basics, getting your hands dirty, making the best of local weather and resources, growing what you can where you are. 

What is your mission exactly?

-Grow & supply fresh, organic produce

- Provide exceptional organic skincare range at affordable price
- Encourage people to reduce our environmental footprint on the planet
- Run educational activities and give professional advice (master classes, cooking, gardening, lifestyle)
- Implement sustainable living whenever possible

When did you get started? And why do you continue?

I have been organic gardening since I was six years old.  When I go to large grocery chains to see what they have, they seem to be limited in what they offer. I also do not like that some items are transported long distances to get on the store shelves. I like to eat as local as possible, sell my products at markets and also do home delivery in my area.

What prompted you to devote more time to your passions for cooking, gardening, health and well-being?

I used to work in an accounting office. The money was good but I did not have much time with my children.  I started a youtube channel that shares advice and experience about subjects that are important to me.  The business grows based on where I put my energy and how much confidence and trust I have in myself.  After all, if I do not set an example; eat what I sell, use my products that I say boost health and well-being, how can I expect people to take me seriously?

Love that you practice what you preach.  Living in integrity, being true to yourself, is a powerful message that people feel. 

Your garden is so full of delicious things to eat.  Please share some details about what you grow.

I love gardening, during every season. I grow flowers, fruit trees, vegetables and herbs. This provides me with endless organics and food supplies throughout the year, gives me joy and happiness. In my garden, I have apples, plums, pears, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, mandarins among many other fruit and vegetables. Every day, I am picking seasonal vegetables and herbs. Many people forget what it tastes like to eat a fresh egg that was just laid. I also harvest honey and beeswax from my own beehives. I wish to live sustainably, not go to the shops so often.

Love more people are exploring what is required to be an apiarist. Its not for the faint at heart!

You may have heard people like Jim Davis say: "Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." Of course, many people know vegetables offer endless possibilities for the palette, taste great alone or mixed, and do not have to be in cake or bread.

And they are full of nutrition too!

Tell us what people may find unique about the garden you have at this stage.

As you look in my garden, you notice I use absolutely everything I can get my hands on to grow food and encourage sustainable living. I am not growing food in my old spa, but I have considered it.  I pick up items on the side of the road.  People also bring me things they no longer want or need.  I compost my own earth, grow fruit and vegetables in buckets, rectangular styrafoam containers, an old broken mini kids' wading pool, an old plastic car my kids used to drive when they were little, rubber boots, regular plant pots and even an old hen house. I am very practical.

Gee, you remind us that being resourceful is within reach with whatever we have.  It stands out you show that adults, like children, have freedom to be creative. Adults are so often defined by being serious, laughing less than children. We have  more fun by living more simply, laughing at ourselves.  It helps to let go of doing what we are taught and inventing new ways to live and learn.

Yes. And people often say to me they do not have space to grow anything. I remind people they can grow food in pots on a windowsill, that you can suspend plastic bottles as a mini salad garden from a fence.  We can make the most of our homes to pay more attention to the environment and how we can use what we have. The only limits are those we place on ourselves.

I am excited to hear more about your upcoming permaculture advice and cooking classes and other activities.  Where can people find out about these details?

Visit my website and keep tabs on my instagram messages. Among others, I am offering a classs on saurkraut making.  The probiotics are very good for the gut. My diet growing up included different kinds of saurkraut. I share related personal stories.

Personal touches clearly make your classes engaging. I love the samples I witness as you make cauliflour soup as well as traditional salad including saurkraut after a garden tour to collect the contents.  The honey dessert is a nice touch for those with a sweet tooth.

Yes. People forget the simple truth that nutritious food can be cooked quickly with what is seasonal, readily available and for an afforable price. I tell people this when I sell produce at local markets or online. I also share wholesome recipes on my site and blog as well as during cooking classes to help people help themselves and eat healthier.

What would you say is a bit unusual about what you grow?

I invite people to grow seasonally what helps maintain health and well being and encourages self-healing.  Growing and eating garlic and tumeric for instance, minimizes colds, especially during winter. I grow a south american fruit which research shows helps to heal Type II diabetes. Many fruits have anti-cancer properties as well and how different foods helps self-heal is part of what I teach. It is not only about how to grow sustainable produce, but also to be aware of the health benefits that are passed down from ancient cultures.

Love that what you are doing is also a way to empower people to take more responsibility for their own health, to care about where their food comes from.  Thus, when people buy from you or other organic farmers at markets, they can feel more connected to the Earth and what kinds of foods contribute to longevity, health and well-being.

Please offer advice about what people can do to naturally minimize pests in their garden beds.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper on leaves and soil in areas of leafy greens prone to insects or as a preventative.  Kale is an exception. Dilute some dishsoap or kids' shampoo with water and spray it on the leaves. I offer lots of other useful specifics during my garden tour.

Julia, you are a wealth of practical knowledge! Unsure if you know the film Julie & Julia (2009) with actresses Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. If not, I sense you would enjoy it. You have so much wisdom to offer, I sense you will eventually compile a garden tips book as well as a cook book people can make their way though. The humor of the film I recommend to you relates to a woman changing her life based on food and cooking her way through an inspirational cookbook.

Tell us about organic products you share other than those you grow.

I offer a shop on my website with products I recommend to compliment what you grow yourself. People can check out the online shop offerings.  They include items for; pantry, kitchen, beauty products, supplements, pet food, eco-cleaning products, eggs, fridge and other items. I highlight my own garden produce.

That is an impressive variety. Your shop includes items you produce as well as other organic products.  How do you choose?

I sell those things I recommend and use myself. People also put me onto different items and I test them out before adding them to my shop. My beauty products combine natural liquids, herbs, beeswax and extracts to promote youthfulness. Look at my skin--it glows. This speaks volumes.

Your blog reveals you know a lot about which berries, herbs and fruits are good for specific ailments. Your blog offers a great article on Buckthorn. How do you come to know these things?

I do research. I test things out. People share their stories with me. I know people who have healed themselves. I feel its important to share this kind of information.  Then, people feel more empowered and know they do not always need chemicals.

When you speak from the heart, it shows. I love those stories you share with me in-person and encourage you to share more on your blog.  Tell people why you choose to grow specific plants in you garden, and which ones promote specific kinds of healing. 

Great idea! I'll get to that soon. My next article is going to be how to fight pests organically.

Many people can certainly benefit from insights that would help them based on their soil, climate and other factors. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Let us know if you have any other special events you would like to draw reader attention toward.

An article is coming out soon in Bohemian Rhapsody Magazine. Look out for it. New videos will also soon be available on my website. Check back often to view new developments.

We certainly will!

Thank again and Spasibah! Julia for your inspiration in listening to your heart and showing people it is within reach for everyone to live in ways that promote simpler, healthier living. When we speak our truth, be accountable for how we feel and overall life situations, we each have the choice to take responsibility and decide where to focus our attention.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. -Luciano Pavarotti