For artists who love to explore Spirit, and spiritual people who love to explore art Note: If you can't read this page properly, click here. Dear %$firstname$%, How many creative artworks do you work on at a time? This is an interesting question. Naturally, most artists have a number of pieces in stages of unfinishedness. But in terms of active work, how many pieces do you keep your attention on? I seem to work in twos. In the back of my mind I think of them as twins. Forevermore when I see one of them, I know that the other was part of its making. They feed each other - inform each other, like counterbalanced weights, or an oblong balloon where you squeeze one end and the other inflates, then squeeze the other end and the one inflates. Here are two canvases on my pouring table: "Rhiannon" in blue, and "Perfect Imperfection" in the foreground. (They are perpendicular to each other; both have vertical markings.) I go back and forth between them, building layers. Sometimes one of the twins succeeds and the other does not. But other times both are winners, and when that happens I've usually reached a new stage in my artwork. Today's I Listen to Spirit blog is on a subject that most of us have known all too well: "Dealing With Heartache." May you find such words of hope and comfort whenever you may need them. Dear Guides, How do we help ourselves deal with longstanding feelings of sadness, heartache or betrayal? Why do we tend to hold on to these and is there any value in doing so? Click here for the guides' answer - Excerpted from Minda Bernstein's channeling on 8.14.2010. This painting seems to relate to the concept of "two" above - the pain feeds the joy, and the joy informs the pain. The tears become the smile. In closing, perhaps you might enjoy this short yet insightful video and web article by Laura Hollick of Soul Art Studio: Do you call yourself an artist? With love, Julie Julie Bernstein Engelmann Email: julie@julieengelmann.com P.S. We hope you will post your comments on the blog. Or just email me! P.P.S. You are welcome to share this Beauty & Spirit Note with friends! P.P.P.S. Friends, you can sign up yourself at any of the sites below. Welcome to the Beauty & Spirit Note! Sign up & click to past issues. Julie's artist site: www.JulieEngelmann.com Minda Bernstein's channeling site: I Listen to Spirit Frank Butterfield co-produced with Julie: A Communion of Light: Creating Money The Beauty & Spirit email list is housed securely on the email server of my husband Chip Engelmann's site, www.ChipEFT.com, using his autoresponder program. © 2010 Julie Bernstein Engelmann