Tag Archives: creativity

kindness is … responding to suffering

Posted in creativity, from my heart, kindness by

bracelets iwd 2014 web

A JOYOUS International Women’s Day to all Creative GIRLS!

My heart is bursting with joy and gratitude tonight and–on this the eve of International Women’s Day (IWD)–I must write to share a little story about kindness and how kindness changes the world. (Please know that while this story is something I was a small part of, this story is NOT about me: this story is about the power of community responding to suffering.)

International Women’s Day is March 8th every year — a day to celebrate and honor the gifts and talents of every girl and woman around the world. I was blessed to be part of a local gathering organized by the Place for Women to Gather (where I sometimes offer some special playshops for girls and women), in Raleigh.

Last year the Sisters at The Place invited me to come up with a creativity project that we could breathe collective creative love and kindness to during the IWD occasion. I had a few ideas but nothing that had especially called me. One night I was watching NOVA’s documentary A Walk to Beautiful. It was a very emotional program describing the shunning of women in Ethiopia; women who suffered a traumatic injury during childbirth, called a fistula.

The program described  a transformative organization called Abraham’s Oasis and Grace Village, where women are taken, given a corrective operation, and then taken on a spiritual journey of healing.

My breathe was stolen. I couldn’t sleep that night. I kept thinking about the women enduring unfathomable loss and ostracism.  I didn’t know how or what could be possibly done to support them, and I didn’t have any money to contribute to their healing.

A few days passed and I remembered the Sisters’ request for a proposal of a creativity project, and remarkably a lightbulb went off. I thought about different simple things we could do and make that could honor the women, and how we could send our love over the ocean through a small, inexpensive–but thoughtful love-infused–gift to lift and raise them in their power.

I visited NOVA’s web site and researched the healers in the film. I was able to locate Ruth Kennedy and get in touch with her to investigate if a kindness creativity project would have any value to the women. This delightful woman guided me to determine our gift and Blessing Bead Bracelets were to be made.

Blessing Beads are what we call paper beads that we’ve made with our hands and with an intention in our heart. Last month the Sacred Kindness Circle made beads that contributed to a growing bead pool.

I got in touch with many friends, put out a notice to my neighbors (some I know and some are new friends) about our intentions and needs for bead donations.

We collected THOUSANDS of beads.

Today, during the IWD event, we strung the beads on stretchy thread, making a simple yet powerful bracelet. Each bracelet was garnished with a personal message from the maker, saying “Gobez” meaning strong and brave one on one side, and makers wrote personal messages in English on the back side.

We made 90 bracelets, meaning that the 65 women who are about to graduate from Grace Village support program will receive a beautiful blessing bracelet on her graduation day. (We also have a few bracelets to gift to a local organization InterACT of Wake County–caring for women recovering from domestic violence).

These bracelets were completely co-created by women and girls across my community who saw an opportunity to reduce another woman’s suffering. This experience has completely flooded my heart, and blown my mind.

When my daughters and I returned from the event today and we gathered all the bracelets made by IWD women and girls: I was overcome with emotion–especially as I thought of all the women and girls who contributed so many different things to the pile of kindness. I’ve been touched by kindness before, but something about this experience literally flooded my being–like a love tsunami, washing over me. I was moved to tears for quite some time, as I allowed the love and collective kindness to permeate my being.

We don’t need money to make a difference. We don’t need anything except to feel compassion and be led to action–from our self and then to expect the same from others.

Through television, I experienced a disturbing situation. I googled. I reacted. I expressed my concern to friends and neighbors …. arranged all the supplies and created a sacred space for creating, and LOOK WHAT LOVE and CREATIVE KINDNESS has done!!!!

blessing bracelets iwd 2014 web

Now, to pack these beautiful blessings up and to get them to the post office destined to celebrate and honor some courageous women in Ethiopia!

Never ever forget the power you (yes YOU) have to make a difference in the world. You can and DO make a difference. Feel, investigate and respond. That’s it! The secret to deep joy in life is reducing someone’s suffering.

in profound gratitude
♥ becky jaine ♥

you are your own shine

Posted in art, from the heart, poetry by

creativegirl2014

your own shine
don’t strive to be
better than
prettier than
funnier than
happier than
smarter than
brighter than
thinner than
sexier than
more popular than
anyone

always remember
(remind yourself, remind yourself and remind yourself when reminding others)
you are your own
being
presence
force
love
choices
thoughts
intelligence
intention
beauty
passion
power
making

you are already enough.
you are your own shine.

shine on
ɛïɜ becky jaine ɛïɜ

bravely be the change

Posted in playshops for girls by

‘We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.’
Albert Einstein

Dear Creatives,
Ahhh a new year! I can’t help but dream new ideas and intentions for 2014, especially relating to my commitment to creative empowerment.

I’ve been thinking about my intentions behind Creative GIRL and how I can truly make a difference, especially during uncertain times where creativity and arts are threatened in our culture for far too many reasons to go into now.

How can I somehow contribute to solutions, by using my energy and time to fuel our girls’ passions for creativity: both through creative actions and creative thinking? I don’t want to contribute in any way to the problems of our society, instead I hope to somehow play a small and humble part of healing. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna use my creative heart and try.

A bit more about Creative GIRL
Creative GIRL programs intend to nurture and inspire girls’ creativity through exploration of the arts (art, music, writing, expression), and intentional acts of kindness and creativity within our immediate community, here in little ole Raleigh/Wake Forest.

During our playshops we learn and share in a special talking circle, and we have a “no down talk” rule meaning no one should say negative things about themselves or others or our creations. Every girl is encouraged to learn and be inspired by other girls’ actions and creations. Nothing is considered copying … just inspiration. It’s a special time to be ourselves and play and be creative!

Money Schmoney
I’ve thought a lot about money and how to charge and receive and make a living for my offerings.  I recently read an amazing book called Sacred Economics by Yale scholar Charles Eisenstein (book is available for free online). His work has inspired me to act differently about how I offer my programs–and to offer them as a gift to the girls and women I am inspired by. In the spirit of what Charles calls “The Gift Economy.” I’m sharing what it costs me personally for each girl to attend the program (costs of supplies and facility rental). This cost does not include my time or at all, only the bare costs. In addition to paying this, I am asking families to gift additional funds, as their budgets allow to pay for my time and support my work and help me support my own family.

Times are challenging and many families are stressed over money. Because I’m the chief monkey in charge, creating the Creative GIRL Empire (tongue in cheek) I get to make all the big decisions about how to operate this sacred business. Woohoo! I NEVER want a girl’s participation to cause money stress. It’s important that every girl who likes the program is never denied due to money.

That being said, I am asking those who can afford to, to support me and my work financially.

Creative GIRL local playshops are especially created for the girls in my community. I trust in my community and the families of the girls I serve to sustain me and the Creative GIRL program: as we give so shall we receive. I believe this. The January 1-day programs hard cost is about $25 for supplies and facility rental per girl per day. If your daughter would like to attend, I invite you to pay what you can, considering how much it costs me (both in supplies and all my planning and time with your daughter). Compensate me based on the value this program brings to your daughter, within your financial picture.

I create Creative GIRL programs as a gift to our girls, and in the spirit of giving, I relinquish control of what I may receive in return.

I believe with all my heart that we need to do all we can to promote and nurture our girls’ love and belief in their own creativity, their creative actions AND creative thinking. Change starts within, yes Gandhi said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We need to do things differently and I accept responsibility and know that I need to do things differently–more creatively. Our world needs creative girls!!!

in gratitude,
becky
ps We still have openings in the upcoming CG playshops 🙂 Contact me to register.

Monday January 20th 10 am to 5 pm—blankets for every girl AND for Project Linus, a non-profit organization gifting blankets to children and adults in need of some warm fuzzy love. We’ll also be doing some painting, have hot chocolate and make some scarves (some for the girls AND some to gift).

Tuesday January 21st 10 am to 5 pm—the art of handmade books for every girl AND for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham. We’ll learn about handmade books, several different styles and make a special art-journal themed “All about ME” (that’s your creative girl, not me. Hahaha) and we’ll have hot cocoa.