Petal to the Medal

Strength in winning, from seed to flower, the cycle of existence persists. Survival of the fittest? Or survival of those that don’t die…but weren’t necessarily fit.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

The Soup

My favorite metaphor for the current world transition, first pointed out to me by Norie Huddle (Butterfly, 1990), is that of a butterfly in metamorphosis.
It goes like this: A caterpillar crunches its way through its ecosystem, cutting a swath of destruction by eating as much as hundreds of times its weight in a day, until it is too bloated to continue and hangs itself up, its skin then hardening  into a chrysalis.
Inside this chrysalis, deep in the caterpillar’s body, tiny things biologists call ‘imaginal disks’ begin to form. Not recognizing the newcomers, the caterpillar’s immune system snuffs them as they arise. But they keep coming faster and faster, then linking up with each other.
Eventually the caterpillar’s immune system fails from the stress and the disks become imaginal cells that build the butterfly by feeding on the soupy meltdown of the caterpillar’s body.
It took a long time for biologists to understand the reason for the  immune system attack on the incipient butterfly cells, but eventually they discovered that the butterfly has its own unique genome, carried by the caterpillar, inherited from long ago in evolution, yet not part of it as such (Margulis & Sagan, Acquiring Genomes 2002).
If we see ourselves as imaginal discs working to build the butterfly of a better world, we will understand that we are launching a new ‘genome’ of values and practices to replace that of the current unsustainable system. We will also see how important it is to link with each other in the effort, to recognize how many different kinds of imaginal cells it will take to build a butterfly with all its capabilities and colors.
– Elisabet Sahtouris, Ph.D., evolution biologist, lecturer and author of EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Wish Grantor

At the age of 12 in 1985 I wrote: If I had a wish grantor I would wish to be the smartest person in the world. My five reasons are 1) I would make a solution to get rid of pollution 2) I would stop nuclear waste 3) I would help people that are starving 4) I would clean all the cities with my super-duper robots and 5) I would make a space ship that could fly to any planet. What is your wish and why?

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Humble

One of those events in life that makes you think twice and choose a new path. Hold your children when they cry, teach them to be present and explain why.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Wishing

Creating ease in life generates well being. The concept of “pain” limits the feeling to exactly that. If the concept changes to a passing “sensation” going from moment to moment the limitation is lifted. There would be less suffering with minimal awareness of afflictive emotions.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Ethereal

Pertaining to the air or the sky, blending pixels upon which to fly.

Some believe their life is a dream, wading through reality’s beam.

Mixed Media copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Creation

Blindfolded to the future we all stand on a barren desert with a silence so loud it’s deafening. Humming nature---enveloped by the sea, life is teeming.

Oil Painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

June Flower

Delicate texture of petals reminds me of life’s fragility. Similar to a flower one moment we are alive and blooming, whereas the next moment, however inconvenient it may be, we’ve been plucked for an inescapable end. Enjoy your choices for at any moment you could be picked to join the universal bouquet.

Gauche copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Deep

Sometimes riding the wave isn’t enough, other times you have to dig deep. Whatever happens try not to get thrown over the falls.

Oil Painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett

 

Fresh

Aroma of rain filtered with earth equals life.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Colors

The chaos of life contained in shades of experience. Rich hues mingle, absorbed in their own vibrancy, perhaps finding a complimentary dance partner. Possessing a unique resonance, the vortex of sound is often times seen in colors.

Lithograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Trees of Life

The direction taken depends wholly on the question: What kind of tree is your life? Is it full of sunshine, fish, clouds, or chili peppers? How quickly too the path may change. Roots firm in the ground, a trunk holding the body of life, limbs stretching for the stars.

Lithograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett

Life

Fast swimmers have the advantage---sparking life within an egg simply based on speed.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Musical Life

Beats, lights, and epiphanies...ah the nightlife.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Full Circle

“Cause just like a tree planted by the river of water, That bringeth forth fruits in due season,

Every thing in life got its purpose, find its reason in every season, forever year.”

                                                                            We’ll Be Forever Loving Jah ~ Bob Marley

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Swirl if in Doubt

Sadness, anger, misunderstanding, frustration, tears, hurt, heartbreak, pain, crying, hearing, wishing, wanting, knowing...everything will be ok. Everything is ok right now. Let it out, scream at the top of your breath, breathe, relax, accept, release, grow.

Pen & glitter on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

My Greatest Creation

Life is the spark of infinite potential, knowing we know nothing. Hesitant to add to the burgeoning population the conversation had been beaten to death, “should we have a baby?” With no logical reason to procreate I was resigned to childhood dreams of being a mommy. After all, I heard only complaints from parents about their children, why should I be bothered? Since giving birth to my son last year I have to admit my world is a billion times more rich than I ever could’ve imagined. I re-learned how to feel again, I mean really feel the weight of existence for all it’s worth. The joy of experiencing a new life is positively immeasurable and I would recommend it to all those that love to laugh.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Images Breathe Life

Quite a few years back I attended a class on how to journal. It was more about letting go and releasing your creativity, whatever that may be. Allowing art to happen is a majority of the challenge, we all have the ability, we just have to let it flow.

Mixed media copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Once upon a time we were young. (new video)

Life continues...unfolding effortlessly.