An artist driven by inspiration fueled by passion and skill

The artisan soul is not about rebellion, it is about resonance.  - Erwin Raphael McManus
Who is an artist? Anyone who has a soul.  -  Erwin Raphael McManus
 

This weekend we are truly blessed with Martin Bläse's visit.   Martin is a third generation silversmith and Gong Master (one who makes gongs).  His unique creations are built from inspiration and tuned to perfection.  To take a circular disk of metal and hammer it 80,000 times is a meditation inspired from the soul and driven by a deep spiritual connection.  He not only visualises but hears the final product with each tap of his hammer to shape  gongs, bowls, tingshas and other sacred sound instruments from a variety of metals including bronze, titanium, nickel silver, etc.

Most gong makers are craftsmen. Those highly skilled with their hands to reproduce quality instruments consistently.  Artists are skilled, spirit -guided creators constantly evolving and pushing new boundaries in his case through sound.  The gongs above were made especially for his trip to Hong Kong and will be on display for the next few weeks. They are all for sale. The Gong Beyond Gongs is the first of its kind and at 55" is a whopper.  As Yogi Bhajan says, 

“The gong is the sound of Creativity itself.  One who plays the gong plays the Universe.”

It's sonorous, resonant bass transports you to the source of creation.  The others, you need to experience them for yourself. 

The knower of the mystery of sound, knows the universe. - Hazrat Inayat Khan

The Friday concert is fully booked however there are a few places left in the weekend workshop to learn about the metals, their characteristics and how and why they heal.  Participants will also play with Martin on Sunday for a special 2 hr sound circle open to friends and family from 1500-1700.   I invite you to learn from a true Gong Master, an inspired artist of metal whose craft is sound.

To create is to reflect the image of God. To create is an act of worship. -  Erwin Raphael McManus

Passion and Purpose

The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough. Rabindranath Tadore

Last week I celebrated a significant birthday and reaffirmed the next chapter of my life is one filled with passion and purpose. My intention is to make the rest of my days count.

The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. Mark Twain

I believe I know why.
The beginning of a new year also provides an opportunity for personal growth. To remember that

Your past is a life lesson, not a life sentence.

2+0+1+9 added together and then added together again achieves the single digit 3. According to astrostyle.com three is the vibration of creative self-expression emanating joy, optimism, social engagement and communication. Universally, we are being offered energy infusing creativity, fun and connection into all that we do in a newfound sense of purpose and power to inspire and uplift others.

This week I invite you to consider your purpose, to consider your life journey and embrace the energies of the new universal year to fuel your passion to embody your dreams. After all, your inner

Power is the ability to achieve purpose. Martin Luther King

We Are Stardust

We and the cosmos are one. The cosmos is a vast body of which we are parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great gleaming nerve centre from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power of that?  DH Lawrence.

Another 12 months has whizzed by, another birthday draws near, another holiday season. The older we are the more we realise that we are  not in control. Every breath we take, every dawn and dusk is part of a much larger plan, the roller coaster of life and the universe.  Oftentimes we believe the world revolves around us when in actual fact  “We are the cosmos made conscious and life is the means by which the universe understands itself.”  Brian Cox

Science has shown  “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”  Carl Sagan

And that all these particles, atoms, molecules and cells that create our body are magically in sync.
“Our biological rhythms are the symphony of the cosmos, music embedded deep within us to which we dance, even when we can't name the tune.” Deepak Chopra . 

Swiss mathematician Hans Cousto calculated the frequencies of the planets in 1980 and the frequencies are now embedded into sacred instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, and tuning forks that can be used to rebalance and harmonise mind, body and soul.  I leave you with this poem.

“CIRCLES OF LIFE
Everything
Turns,
Rotates,
Spins,
Circles,
Loops,
Pulsates,
Resonates,
And
Repeats.

Circles
Of life,
Born from
Pulses
Of light,
Vibrate
To
Breathe,
While
Spiraling
Outwards
For
Infinity
Through
The lens
Of time,
And into
A sea
Of stars
And
Lucid
Dreams.

Poetry by Suzy Kassem” 
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem