The transition from dream state to awake state was so natural  – the only marker was a slight difference in presence that I felt upon waking.

The momentum of the dream continued as  I remembered that I was reaching for something before I woke up.

It was a purple sphere about the size of a soft ball (it was a symbol for the earth) and I knew that if I touched it – it would open up like a flower!

This dream left me in a state of great happiness …

I got out of bed – I knew exactly what  the day would bring – a chance at winning a large sum of money.  I had entered a sweepstakes drawing back in March of 2010. I won’t go into the details of this, because the lesson I learned at the end of the day was priceless, more than if I had won the $100,000 grand prize.

Nearly all of humanity lives with this dilemma – If you don’t get what you want – you suffer  – And even when you do get what you want – you still suffer – because you can’t hold on to it.

The importance of the lessons we learn, and the journey in and of itself is the greatest reward in any endeavor. Disappointment,  dissatisfaction, or worse, comes when you miss this point.

The dream I had woke me up to the most important thing I was to learn – I was already happy when I woke up that morning! and at the end of that day – I went to sleep just as happy…

All of my training, arts, disciplines and spiritual paths – all of my teachings, coaching, hypnotherapy and the mentoring I do – make me whole and congruent – What a powerful thing to bring along the journey towards any goal in my life!

The true art of happiness is understanding that we can be happy now – it does not take any future outcome to make us happy – and yet that happiness lives inside of us – and we must protect it – and cultivate the conditions around us and within us for sustaining it.

The Drawing above is titled “Within – Reach” and is from the Series of artwork  titled “Creating Out of Boxes” – a work in progress …  as I progress in my work …

I live near the southern tip of California, and it can be hot at least 4 months out of the year. I live in a chaparral, low-line forest, at the bottom of a mountain in a small canyon verging on grassland that was once prairie land. The trees here reflect the dry climate, growing mostly underground with large tap roots in order to find the resources of water available deep in the ground below.  One of the most beloved chaparral trees in these forests is the Manzanita tree; it’s fire red bark is smooth, and the lime green leaves turn on edge as they follow the sun. The seed’s of the Manzanita crack open and germinate only when there is a great force of heat, like fire or lightening strikes. Many of the plants in this magical environment are on a burn cycle of between 25 – 100 years. After a fire, these beautiful plants, trees, and flowers rise up out of the ashes and display themselves fully, like out of a ’seemingly’ long sleep…

The picture above is a drawing – Graphite on Board and is from my series of Art titled “Creating out of boxes” and it is called “Out of dreams”

Creativity implies using the imagination. That means going outside the boundaries of what we already know, and sometimes these imaginings take time to come into being.

I have for the last 5 or more years had an idea for a series of images involving boxes and people. I made numerous small sketches, and put these away (in a box), only to look upon them on occasion, and put them away again and again, until it was time, for them to come out of the box.

The time is right for these drawings to finally come into being. So what am I waiting for? Here is the first piece – affectionately named ” Hesitation.”

The above drawing was a work in progress over a five year period. It was a meditation with no immediate goal to finish it. It was more than a creative process it turned into a healing for me.

I was inspired to create this piece by my work teaching meditation in the Central Juvenile Justice Prison in downtown Los Angeles. Once  a week for over two and a half years I worked in the various holding chambers for youth from ages 8 to 17. There wasn’t a place in that institution I had not visited or taught in. The stories I could tell would disarm the prejudices you might have about these young people. I remember going into the institution with energy and compassion and driving away from it with tears streaming down my face.

This drawing was a way for me to pour my frustration, anger, and hopelessness into the drawing, so that I could continue working in these institutions with energy, determination, awareness and compassion.

Bleak as it may seem, this drawing has some light streaming in from the back ground, a turning of events. There is a dragonfly at the bottom right, which is the symbol of courage and fearlessness.

I met a boy who was only eight years old at one of my classes at the Juvenile prison. He had been bounced around in the foster care system, and was used by the older boys, because of his age, to run illegal errands. There was no other place for him in the system so he was put into juvenile prison. I met him in the “CD” unit which was for the youngest boys, and is a protection unit. It was furnished like a school classroom, and it was where I taught meditation. I was particularly drawn to this young boy as he was clearly soaking up the guided relaxations and meditations I was teaching that day, and seemed to be enjoying the class more than the others. He was glued to me, and was constantly asking questions about meditation. He was beaming, serene and peaceful, when I left.

I was told later that he was put in my class because he attempted suicide the day before. His story and others create the light emerging out of the darkness that is in the background of this image, that came later in my process.

§ § §

The title of this piece is taken from Dante’s inferno, “In the middle of my journey I came upon a dark forest.” It is a drawing -  pencil on paper  22″ x 30.”

There are signed prints online available 13″ x 19″ that can be purchased on line by requesting it in the description box – even though it is not shown in the on line store. You can shorten the title in the description box.

click for expanded view

Art makes visible everything, anything, dreamed, imagined, possible, real.

The image here describes a modern day interpretation of Dante’s inferno, Canto 3, “Give up hope all ye who enter.” When I began this piece it was titled “Buried in the sand” and it is still the subtitle of the piece.

It is pencil on paper and 22″ x 30.” The image here does not give justice to the detail that is in the original. The landscape is cracked and dry and unstable above ground where the man is, the world underneath where his head is buried is filled with horrific detail.

About a decade ago I had devoted a lot of time to working in our prison systems, mostly with youth at risk and young adults. I taught specific meditation techniques, and integrated Aikido non-violence principles to  help them cope in their environment and situation. From this work came a drawing that will be on the next blog post. It was my meditation during that time. I pored all my frustration, anger, and fear into that drawing so that I could continue working within these institutions and be effective, compassionate and loving. It was the reason I did not burn out, and It took five years to complete it.

The artwork depicted here has a similar story and process. Just a few weeks ago I finished this piece. Here is a detail of the piece..

click for expanded view

Fine art prints for sale online – this piece will be available in December, along with several other new works.

We all have profoundly powerful inner resources. However, sometimes we do not realize them fully until we are challenged.

Where I live is a tree called Manzanita, beautiful red smooth bark and oval shaped lime green leaves. It’s seeds can only be opened up by fire or a lightning strike to the ground, only then is it possible for a tree to be created. Poet Gary Snyder talks about the speed and agility in the flanks of the deer, as a direct result of the wolf that preys upon him.

Art and the creative process is sometimes like this – the most beautiful things blossom and come out of the most challenging circumstances. My art often depicts people in the context of overcoming great odds, calling forth their inner most resources to do this. In my creative coaching and hypnotherapy work I help people access their inner most capacity for  healing, change and growth.

There is a story told of a great Tea master in Japan, who had been challenged to a duel by a Samurai warrior, who too was a master, in swordsmanship.

In these times it was not hard to insult a Samurai, a simple brush by shoulder or a bump in passing would be viewed as disrespect, and would be cause to challenge someone to a duel.

The tea master had only one week to the duel, and he was not up to the challenge, knowing nothing of the art of sword. He sought out a teacher going to the finest school of sword in the province. Telling of his predicament he convinced the teacher to help him. Day and night they worked hard and long fencing. Even though the tea master gave his all in the training it was of no use, he was just not a swordsman. The tea master new he was doomed and in a final plea said to the teacher, what am I to do now. I cannot win this man in sword, and I will lose my life.

The teacher looked resigned, and then said to him, you are the greatest tea master in the land,  are you not. There is no match for you when you are serving tea. The Master of Tea said, yes. The teacher then said, tomorrow morning I want you to go to the duel and present yourself to this Samurai, look him straight in the eyes like you are about to serve him tea, with the all the confidence of your craft. That is the only way you have to match him.

The Tea Master did just as the teacher said, and to his surprise the Samurai bowed deeply and said, I have met my match, and left.

Life’s challenges can be met creatively and we can rise to greater levels of awareness and potential.

The above image is part of a triptych, oil painting 6″ x 6″ each, titled “Hijab.”

Prints of my art are available on this Blog. Original artwork for sale, contact Michele at mbm@fivechanges.org or by cell (310) 339-3531

To express fully, to translate an idea, to express creatively, to unlock potential, to heal the past, to unlearn limiting beliefs and change unwanted behaviors, all with the power of the imagination. Imagine that!

This will be the the context for the “Art and Soul” weekend at Manzanita Village Retreat Center in Southern California. and the evening and daylong workshops in the Santa Monica and the Los Angeles area. Participants will individually and as a group explore their creativity through the means of the  visual arts, and through learning meditation skills, guided imagery and with the aid of process work that comes from Hypnosis and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programing) remove any blocks and open to a more creative, free expression.

This weekend is co-lead by Michele Benzamin-Miki and Tabitha Fronk,  both dedicated to the arts and creative expression with backgrounds in transformational and healing work; our combined tools are meditation, art therapy, hypnosis, NLP, and performance coaching.

For more information Michele can be reached directly at mbm@fivechanges.org or (310) 339-3531 for any questions.

The above image is titled “This” it is Sumie and Inks on watercolor paper. All of my original art is for sale by contacting me directly or through the galleries listed on this blog, and prints can be bought online by clicking on the image bar above the pages titled “Backbone” or “Piece of Mind Kids.”

This image is titled “Tree people” and is dedicated to  a very young girl living at the Santa Ysabel Reservation. I met her while teaching a combined martial arts, creative arts and meditation class.

I asked them to meditate on an object of their choice with their eyes open – looking at it for 5 minutes – a material object like a tennis shoe, tee shirt, flower, tree … then draw what was observed about that object, like what it is made up of for instance… they were estentially free to make up their own stories. Later we talked about our drawings.

She drew a tree in the center of the page, and had many lines radiating out from that tree, one to the sun and rain clouds, and one to the house she lives in, to the timber and wood from the trees, and connecting it to the forest and the many things living there, but the most beautiful part of her drawing were the people she drew as trees, and the trees as people, she made a clear distinction between the two. She talked about how everything is connected and how we can appreciate that, and that appreciation is felt, by many things other than humans.

This drawing is for you.

My memory of  this dream is still vivid, and it has created a whole series of images that I have been working with since 2005.

The dream -

I was in a vast dark space hanging from a thin silk thread, and I was a spider – luminous and white, long legged and light of body. I remember the ease in which my body ascended and descended the sliver of rope, and how comfortable I was just hanging there.  My mind was unencumbered by human thought, I was the spider. The dream was timeless.

Titled “Ascending” dry media on paper 28″x 48″

When I awoke from the dream I felt strangely free, like I had somehow shape shifted and left the world of human fear and concerns. I don’t recall how long that lasted.

I wanted to explore that dream further, through imagery, through my art. I replaced the spider with a human and the silk thread with a rope, and the dream space began to be filled with light and shadow and other happenings. I am still exploring the dream.

Title of 1st piece is “Stillness” 28′ x 48″ and the 2nd piece is “Birth Root” 30″ x38″ both Dry media on paper – all pieces are framed and showing currently at Grey McGear Gallery at the Bergamont Satation in Santa Monica California.

GREY McGEAR GALLERY. 2525 Michigan Ave
Building G-7 (Bergamot Station)
Santa Monica 90404
(310) 315-0925

Spiritual traditions world wide speak about longings – the longing to be one with the source of  love. Like a bamboo reed growing in a still pond that dreams of being a flute played in the hands of a virtuoso, the bamboo flute that longs to be a reed in a still pond, and like our own longing to connect to the source of our existence.

There is a clear connection for me between the creative process that makes art and the creative process that is love.

My late Japanese grandmother – Obaasan, Noe, saw that I had a passion for drawing. I was three perhaps four years old living in Japan, and we (my mother, father, sister and I) were staying with Obaasan.

I remember the many coloring books, and crayons she gave me. The many days spent coloring with her. One day in particular stands out above all the rest. I remember that day clearly – feeling this enormous frustration as she tried to keep me coloring within the lines.  It was quite an advanced coloring book with pages upon pages of Japanese letters and Kanji. I would naturally continue to spill out and color all over the whole book, and even onto the floor. She eventually replaced the book with these huge pieces of blank paper. I remember the enormous joy and freedom I felt when she did that. Eventually I got too expressive for these large sheets of paper on the floor, so she then began to tape the paper together all over the floor, and even onto the walls!

We were both set free that day. Free to love. Free to create!

Unconditional love frees us from the limitations of our conditioned love, informs us to be creative! Michele Benzamin-Miki

All things splendid have been achieved by those who dared to believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances. Bruce Barton

The image above is Dry Media 11×14 inches, titled ‘Longing,’ all works are for sale and prints are available. Contact me if you’re interested.
I can also be contacted for Creative Coaching and Hypnotherapy.