“But the tender grace of a day that is dead will never come back to me.” ~ Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), poet

There are several definitions of grace. According to Merriam-Webster, the four most common definitions are: 1) unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification, 2) disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency, 3) an ease and suppleness of movement or bearing and 4) a short prayer at a meal asking a blessing or giving thanks.

The definition I will be concentrating on in this article is: “grace is any genuine act of love, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and favor to benefit or serve another for no other reason except to extend goodwill – especially when unexpected or unmerited.” It is an unconditional love that is given in unlimited supply that cannot ever be lost or taken away. It is a benevolent force that is available all the time for anyone who desires to experience its presence.

To live in grace asks us to appreciate ourselves and others unconditionally and to act accordingly with kindness and compassion. When I was a young girl, my grandfather used to say to me, “I could care less if my granddaughter grows up to be nice. What I care about is that she grows up to be kind.” He believed that niceness was a social condition of behaving certain ways in public that pleased others. Anyone can falsely behave ‘nice’ – however, kindness is an act that cannot be imitated. He would tell me that at the root of kindness was grace, “which always cares about the worthiness of other people and honoring them through compassion and forgiveness.”

As humans, we long to be esteemed and valued for who we are. Unfortunately, we’re recognized more for what we accomplish than we are for what we contribute that makes a difference or, for what it has taken us to make our contributions. To make matters worse, we tend to place a lot of set rules and regulations, but then judge ourselves and others very harshly for not living up to our expectations. Instead of extending grace to ourselves and others, we end up retaliating and/or attacking because we feel wronged or suffering.

When we appreciate the grace that is extended to us by others or that we extend to others, we move from harsh judgment to diminishing and absolving personal guilt and shame from the inside-out. We place our hearts and focus on enhancing our own worth and others’ worthiness. Grace affects our heart and sense of self worth. For example, when you are angry with someone, watch them relax and open more in an un-coerced response when you show them compassion and kindness instead of arrogance or retaliation. Grace applied thoughtfully contributes to the quality of another person becoming more of who they are. It moves our heart to receptivity and uplifts us with something good that just happened. For a moment, it brings us closer to the divine. When we are appreciating grace in our lives, the moment of closeness takes us deeper into our heart and soul. From here, we know grace as a gift that invites a positive response to:

• Accepting that humans are imperfect, flawed, insecure and vulnerable.
• Knowing we have the capacity to achieve an altruistic expression based on love for humanity.
• Living authentically with profound courage and vision.
• Teaching and inspiring through wisdom and insights.

“Grace isn’t an act of giving; it is an opening in receiving. For in the moment that you receive grace, you are standing in the omnipresence.” Genece Hamby

In receiving grace, we then find it in our hearts to extend grace as the gift given to another which opens their receptivity to goodwill. Opening to grace is the answer to emptiness, discouragement, disillusionment, hopelessness and helplessness. Acts of grace can restore our strength and the goodwill can uplift us from despair and destitution. In the presence and deeper appreciation of grace, it extends itself to heal, warm, and comfort us in love and through the stillness of our heart. From out of our hearts, into the hearts of mankind.

“It is good for us to think that no grace or blessing is truly ours till we are aware that God has blessed some one else with it through us.” ~ Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), American Episcopal Minister

When you reach the heart of life, you will find beauty in everything.” Kahlil Gibran

“At the heart of life, I find a quiet place that reaches deep and wide in beauty, a softer, kinder inspiration appreciating delicate intricacies witnessed in everything. It is an open crevice yielding and moving within my soul in gracious manner. ” Genece Hamby

Of late, I am preparing for winter in my soul. Even though it is the early part of autumn, it’s a time where I begin the journey inward. Autumn dresses me in rich color and captivates my attention to the detail of beauty that shapes the season. When the leaves fall, that’s when I know it’s almost time — time to relax into the deepening of winter.

Winter means a quiet time of daily contemplation, a digging deeper into the state of joy, and a lot of time spent moved by the stirring art that will rise up and through me. I look forward to the season of winter as well, especially the cold mornings that sharply bite at my awareness.

Winter is when I write more — it’s when I play with words as companions to the deeper feelings that dance together seeking outer expression. I write in the mornings and create seasonal rituals with tea or coffee, hot oatmeal and my cat curled up warmed by my body heat (more like–I’m warmed by hers). I’m drawn to contemplative and meaningful converation with friends, preferably over a glass of wine and a roaring fire (have to fantasize this since I don’t even have a fireplace). This is the time of year where I miss the community where I used to live on a small island in the Pacific Northwest.

For now, I’ll reap the harvest autumn’s palette, allowing the bolder brush strokes to give way to an exciting expression of life’s coloring book.

My current works of digital paintings can always be seen at my art blog http://shibuistudio.wordpress.com — it’s where you can see what I’ve been painting and my inspirations.

Genece Hamby, contemporary artist

quietly i faced the dream
that tortured me for years
and found that it wasn’t
a frightening monster
or deadly foe
turns out it was always
a true blue friend
offering me prosperity
and the peace that comes
with living in harmony
of its yearnings
 

monsters that kept me trapped
at the gate of success
are now wandering away
they’ve let go of the opening
one less soul they feed on

I feel like I’ve abandoned this blog. It’s not been my intention. However, I’m not always sure what to write about since I’m not “issue” driven or for that matter, driven to make this known blog. For the most part, my life is much less about all of that and more about finding the spaces of quiet between the chaotic world.

For a lot of my friends, finding spaces of quiet happens through meditation. However, it doesn’t happen in meditation for me. Sure, I receive a lot of benefit when I do meditate in keeping me calm and connected. It’s just that I don’t particularly find the crevice of my expression during meditation. Instead, small openings to the deep place of stillness births from painting and writing poetry. That’s where and when I express the rhythmic connections that dance inside me.

Lately, the dance inside has become like a beautiful waltz. Working a farmer’s market has brought something different than showcasing and selling my art online. It’s a richer connection with people. It’s personal and delicious. There’s nothing quite like looking into the eyes of people who love and purchase my work. It brings a deeper confidence as an artist when I see their enthursiasm and feel their heart in the present moment. I find myself gazing back at them, wanting to know them and their talents. It’s joyful when I talk to them about who they are and what they love.

Perhaps I can re-establish a connection to this blog, treating it more like a friend than a marketing tool that everywhere I read tells me it’s supposed to be. I don’t know about you, but I personally am tired of “marketing machines” and “driving traffic”. There’s nothing worst than being stuck in a traffic jam or in heavy traffic that doesn’t seem to be moving.

It was my hope that I would be able to make Sanctuary of Stillness my daily blog of writing, thoughts and images — of whatever inspires me for the day. However, it may take some discipline and work on my part to make this happen.

Between being my mother’s main caregiver, selling my art at a local farmer’s market, managing my art portfolios of online galleries that sell my art of digital paintings, paint daily, chores, and other online activities, life is pretty busy. The good thing is that I’ve set new priorities to help me take my work and life to a heightened level of joy and prosperity.

I’ve dropped out of a couple of groups I had belonged that were simply for fun. Instead, I’ve found groups and communities that help promote the works of artists and writers. I think with so many great places online to join, you have to get selective. To help me make the decision of what to cut and what to add, I looked at the amount of energy spent with the group and how productive or expansive it was moving me forward. I had to admit to myself that a few of the online groups/communities were like safe havens. Then, I realized that safe havens weren’t challenging me enough, they weren’t helping me grow in a way that I need.

I hope to settle in to an evolved way of being as an artist and poet. Hopefully, more time spent bringing richness to my blogs.

Hope you’ve had a lovely Wednesday!

Genece

This is the frist day of a new page for the Sanctuary of Stillness blog. Recently, I created two blogs specific to only my art. http://shibuistudio.wordpress.com will now be the showcase of my art that has an Asian influence or that captures the stillness, beauty and grace existing in all things. This blog is a photoblog so the emphasis is more on the painting versus on written content.

The other blog, http://digitalpaintinglessons.wordpress.com is a digital painting tutorial blog for individuals wanting to learn the techniques of digital painting. I offer beginning, intermediate and advanced lessons. Each week, I upload a new lesson in one of the three categories. The beauty is that a person can come back to the tutorial any time they want in order to learn the lesson.

What’s going to evolve with Sanctuary of Stillness? It will be a place for my thoughts, writings, poetry, haiku, other art, and more. It’s where I’ll focus more on written content even if I post art. By splitting up the blogs into three, each one can address a specific element of my work and making it easier for others to focus on what interests them most.

I haven’t painted in the Still Life collection for some time. Recently, I painted a couple of wine glasses filled with summer’s white wine by the glass. It was a fun painting project! The only thing missing was my own glass of wine.

Standing at the edge
of a blue sky that backs up
against the shoreline

she fishes for dreams,
beyond the ocean’s borders
where nothing exists

– genece hamby, contemporary artist & poet
http://www.shibuistudio.com

deserts upon high
add delightful aromas
of thick mountain pine

while…

adobe red clay
exposed to the Southwest heat
takes in searing sun

– genece hamby, contemporary artist & poet
http://www.shibuistudio.com

I sailed in.
The sun warmed the nape of my neck
and lit the sea and sky
that blended into a background
of high steep cliffs on three sides

closer to the shore
double strings of fish
strung by their gill
and a flotilla of pleasure boats
accompanied by leaping dolphins
added to the colorful landscape

looking up,
I saw the tip top ridge,
the sparkling white snow-like houses
preserved streets, squares and walls
entombed in the solidified ash,
the apex of volcanic memory
even stone staircases still intact

Later, I gazed at a starless daytime sky
and marveled at the unique ’scape’, the sea
Santorini rippling down my spine
here in this place of promise

And for now – it is all mine

– genece hamby, contemporary artist & poet
http://www.shibuistudio.com