The Next Project

You may be wondering what Rodney has been up to in the last while. It's called "H2Oohhh" and it's a fascinating collection of humans interacting with water. Much of it takes place underwater. Very surreal, graceful, and flowing (but in reality, a lot of sputtering, coughing, and gasping they say!)

The mission of H2Oohhh is to gather people around breathtaking imagery, inspire changes that preserve our local fresh water supply, and create synergy to provide global access to clean water.

We're launching the project in March to coincide with World Water Day on the 22nd. 20% of all of our proceeds are going to provide clean drinking water for people who have none through WaterCan and Samaritan's Purse Canada.

Join us on our facebook page to stay connected and learn more!

Happy??

I was listening to the radio the other day and the question was asked are you truly happy? Can Money buy happiness? These questions really got me thinking. Part of the program was discussing a study in which over half of us answered that we would rather have money and prestige than have true happiness. WOW!!

As I think about my own thoughts on money I must admit that I often equate money with happiness; mostly I suppose because as an artist I’ve been conditioned to believe that escaping poverty is simply a dream that will never come to pass and if I could only pay all my bills and have the cash to buy some cool stuff I would in fact be happy. A few years ago I spent a lot of time photographing homeless people in Winnipeg through a local mission; I would do a formal portrait of them and interview them about their dreams and ambitions. One day I met a lady who had the kind of smile that could light up a room, when asked what her dreams were in life she said “I don’t know that I have many dreams in life, I guess it would be really nice to walk into a store someday and buy something that’s brand new, something that nobody has ever owned before, that would be a dream I guess.” Talking to these people, many of whom found happiness and pleasure in the most simple of things made me wonder why I hadn’t made the time to be happy in everyday life.

This week I’ve asked myself the question again and have come up with the answers all over again, but this time I feel as though I really am happy in life, I have family that loves me and I can love, I have friends who support me, I have work that I enjoy and I have peace with God. Don’t get me wrong, I am still looking forward to being able to pay all of my bills every month and have money left over, I’m looking forward to buying an old Saab or Volvo convertible as a date car for Sonya and I or me and by kids; but I don’t measure happiness by what I have as much as how I am living.

Where are you on the happiness scale, I hope you are well.

Blessings,

Rodney

Lately

Sorry we haven't been very active on this blog. Rod has been focusing on his next project and I have been focusing on marketing our studio. I have been reading some fascinating things about the sacredness and symbolism of our bodies. I hope to speak and write on these subjects over the next year.

If you're visiting for the first time, please feel free to learn more about the project by clicking on some of our past posts (see sidebar) or viewing our website, www.justasiam.ca.

Have a great summer!

News

People are still asking if they can be part of the project. The answer is yes! We are making time available for this on Saturday, July 17th from 11:00 to 1:00 at the studio. Please go to www.justasiam.ca for more info and to sign up. Sorry for the late notice. If this time doesn't work, please contact the studio and ask to be put on "the list" (see contact page on website).

Did you notice something new on our blog? You can now buy the book online! Come to the studio or visit McNally Robinson if you live in Winnipeg though (available in Saskatoon as well).

Mirror, Mirror on the wall….

One of my favourite movies for my kids to watch while I’m working in the background or watching with them is Shrek. I think that there are many reasons that I like it so much but one of them may be that sometimes I feel as though I look like Shrek and act like Donkey, quite the combination I must admit.

In one of the scenes a magic mirror is found and brought to the king, he asks the question “Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the greatest king of all?? (Or something like that.)” The Mirror who is painfully honest and a bit of a smarty-pants tells the king that he really isn’t a king after all as he has no queen.

I think I often look into the mirror expecting it to be somewhat magical and tell me something that is not true when reality often is what I’m faced with. I spent the first twenty some years hating my body and wishing it was something else, Bigger, Stronger, better looking, more defined muscles and the list goes on; now as a much more matured person (and 50 pounds heavier) I am finally at a place where I really appreciate what I had.

I’m on a journey to better health and that includes running several times a week which ironically is morphing me back slowly to the body that I had many years ago which I am thankful for; although I still wish I could completely be satisfied with who I am and how I look. Life is a journey and I’m finding that it’s a lot more fun while I’m running.

Blessings,

Rodney

What to do??

I was watching TV yesterday and saw that this weeks lotto jackpot is 50 million with around 50 additional prizes of 1 million each up for grabs and I started thinking… What would I do with 1 million (Let’s dream small right.)

For quite a while now I’ve been dreaming of the day when I can go to sleep without wondering if I’m going to loose my studio and home next month or the month after that so I guess I would start by paying off all of my debt, then put a little bit away for old age. Now comes the good stuff; I’ve also spent a lot of time in the past few months dreaming of being able to build and fund an orphanage in India, a school in Nepal and funding a local guy who does work with inner city at risk youth. As I thought about these things I was amazed by how little money they all require although after doing all of them my million would actually be a much smaller number.

I have to admit I would spend some of the money on other things as well, My studio still needs some roofing work done and In the neighbourhood we live in a garage would be a real asset and of course I would claim back the insurance money from My classic truck that was torched last year (Again, a garage would have been helpful) which went to pay for the first book we published (Just As I Am) and buy a used convertible “Date car” for me and Sonya or the kids.

I’ve been reading a book on living the life of your dreams and one of the suggestions is to live like you are there already; so I’m planning on doing that. I have no money to support anything but I can take more of my time and support charities and causes within my community more than I am currently doing, that is step one, step two is if any of you have a million and are wondering what to do with it, feel free to steal a few of the items on my list starting with India, Nepal, or the youth worker, feel free to contact me for more info on these things.

We have all been blessed with so much, lets all start living like it and we can change the world, one million at a time.

Rodney

On the radio!

Listen here for Sonya's radio interview today, talking about the project in relation to some current events.

Coming Together

Everything is settling into place, and we're so excited for what you are all going to experience this Wednesday. So many positive stories. A chance to challenge our thinking. A message of beauty, hope, truth, and love (my new mantra).

So, come out. Tell your friends. It starts at 7:30 (doors open at 7:00) at the Gas Station Theatre on River and Osborne (next to Subway). Tickets $10 at the door.

I'll close with another story from one of our readers:

I love looking through Just As I Am again and again.

It's so refreshing to be able to look at photography of people that hasn't been airbrushed, and where the people haven't been chosen for their "beauty". The amazing thing is, that every person in the book is incredibly beautiful: how does our culture fail to recognize that? I love that I can look through the book and see people of different ages and genders, and see the aesthetic in each and every person.

It's been eye-opening to see how the removal of clothing seems to create a window through which to see the spirit of each person. While clothing can be used as a means of expression, I think nudity somehow expresses who that person is on a different level.

I think it must have taken a lot of courage for each person to step in front of the camera, and I hope that their courage will teach others to accept themselves. This book has created a chance for me to discuss with my children how they are perfect exactly the way they are. They are still at the age where they recognize that. Hopefully that doesn't change.

I've found this book to be inspiring, and I love the purpose behind it. It's a message worth spreading.

Tracey

207

Some of you may know that on May 1^st I went out and bought a pair of running shoes with the intention of doing something good for my body.

Just over 10 years ago I went for my last run; I needed to because I was applying for a job that had a physical requirement so I trained for two weeks and did my testing….and never ran again. It wasn’t always this way, in high school I was one of the best in the city in my age group in distance running; I was lean and loved to run. Now in my mid to late thirties and 60 or so pounds heavier than in high school I felt the need to start running again.

I actually starting running for two reasons, one was that in the last year I was feeling my weight run away from me; I had put on about 20 pounds in just over twelve months and it wasn’t looking or feeling good. The second reason was that my wife was starting to get concerned with my overall health, and I was finding myself hiding health concerns from her (Always a bad sign).

My goal as of May 1^st was to lose 10 pounds in the month of may but I changed that goal after talking to a doctor friend who suggested that a healthy level of weight loss was 1.5 pounds per week or 6-7 pounds a month. As of June 1^st I now weigh 207 lbs and my waist looks and feels better as well as the side benefits of my skin looking great and heart liking me a lot more.

My first run was a killer, I think I let my left lung on the sidewalk at the 1 km mark but continued on for another 1.5 kms. Now a month later I can run 4.5 km in about 22.5 mins and I have a goal to get that time down to 20 mins.

I have learned many great lessons in the running process; put one foot in front of the other, put the other foot back in front of the first, now repeat the last two movements again, and again, and again. If Oprah and I can do it, you can too.

Have a great day.

Rodney

June 9th - "On the Couch" with Just As I Am

As Rodney and I have been on this "Just As I Am" journey, we've done a lot of thinking and growing and learning. It's like our project has been a catalyst for us to put our focus on the human body and how it relates to our personhood--our whole being. We've seen people experience healing on very deep levels, people completely shift the way they see themselves, people change how they view others. It has exceeded our expectations. Rodney simply responded to a need for art that celebrates the beauty and dignity of who we are as people, with the hope that he could also help some of his clients who struggled with body image (sorry for the over-used term). It has done so much more.

On the 9th, we would like to share with a wider audience some of what we've learned from this project. We would love for more people to benefit from the message and the art in our book. (And to find more homes for the stacks of books in our studio!) And we think that hearing stories from people who have experienced transformation through the project will inspire and encourage people. We've planned the evening to feel like a talk show, complete with guest appearances by a musician and a comedian. It should be a fun night.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, June 9th
7:30-9:30 (doors open 7:00)
Gas Station Theatre (River near Osborne beside Subway)

A talk-show style event. Come be part of our live audience as we tape our version of Oprah/Ellen/The Hour...

Find out why 80+ Winnipeggers bared all for an art project and how it is changing lives and challenging perspectives.

Hear the story of why the project began, what it has led to, and where it's going.

Plus, expect some other guests providing entertainment and their own commentary on the potentials and effects of this project.

Tickets $10 at the door. Call 221-8413 (10-5) to reserve and make sure.

Rodney the Dreamer

John Lennon once wrote a rather well known song the chorus of which went something like this:

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope some day you will join us…”

I feel very much like John; except for the problem of have a kajillion dollars to deal with and of course the dead thing. I too am a dreamer, I dream of a day when we all can look in the mirror and like what we see. I dream of the day when we can look at each other and instead of judging them, lusting after them or being suspicious of them we can simply look and wonder what their story is. I dream of being a lover and forgiver. I dream of a world where homelessness and addictions are a thing of the past. I dream of a world where we can all love and honour each other even when we disagree with each other… I dream of a world where I can eat Chocolate, drink Pepsi and still have a perfectly chiselled body.

If you are a little like me and have such dreams please join me in doing a few little things to change the world that we live in; you might want to start by buying our book ‘Just As I Am’, help someone who needs help, simply smile at someone, tell someone they are beautiful, tell someone something you love about them, Buy the book ‘Just As I Am’ as a gift for someone (That always makes me smile), look in the mirror and tell yourself you are special, and/or live life to the fullest.

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you will join us

And the world will be as one.

Rodney

Stories from our Readers #1

When I saw you last week, Sonya, and you had your book, I was instantly compelled to buy it. I'm not sure why, but I am sure it wasn't the reason that I'm GLAD I bought it. I probably acted impulsively in purchasing the book to support you and Rodney, or maybe to have as a "coffee table book" of art. I had no idea what I was in for.

I have been VERY insecure about my body since I can remember being tall enough to look in my bedroom mirror on top of my dresser. I've always been "too skinny" or "too fat" but no happy medium. When I first opened the book last night (finally) I didn't read the forward or the journal entries--I just looked at the pictures and very few of the "Who am I?" answers below them. I'll admit it: I was judging, not admiring. I wasn't offended, but I wasn't connected either.

After flipping through the book, I put it down on the nightstand, shut off the light in my room and and rested my head on my pillow feeling no more secure, special or beautiful than I did any other day in my life. When I closed my eyes I was instantly overcome with a feeling of curiosity. "Why? Why was the "Just as I am" project created? Why would these people do this? Why would the women, some of whom I knew quite well, pose for these pictures?"

I turned the light back on and decided to take my time, start with page one and simply read. I read the journal entry, I read the testimonials of the participants and I read about your purpose. Once I had read all of that, I knew exactly WHY these pieces of art were created and so beautifully honoured. I honestly couldn't wait to slowly look at each picture and the answers to "Who am I?" below them.

I cried myself to sleep last night and not because I was sad--I felt a freedom I've never felt in my entire life. When I woke up this morning, undressed and walked by a mirror to head into the shower, I did something I haven't ever done in my life. I stopped, looked at myself, smiled and told myself I was beautiful.

Your work on this project will change lives time and again. You should be VERY proud of how you have chosen to work with our Creator's bodies and works of art.

This morning I wrapped the book up in the nicest wrapping paper I could find to give to a very close friend of mine. This is not a coffee table book. This is a gift meant to be given.

Much love and thanks,
Heather

"The Book"

I hadn't checked my email all day. Between being with my kids and doing a business lunch, I just hadn't got there. Just before supper, I decided to pop down to my little basement office (which I can no longer call a dungeon as I now have some bright orange, green, and pink fabric up to hide the storage shelving) and check my email.

Much to my delight, I found one with the subject line "The book" from a wonderful business acquaintance of mine. She had just bought the book after a business event, so I was curious what she said about it. She proceeded to tell me quite a powerful story.

I'm so grateful she took the time to share it, as it never ceases to touch my heart when I hear of how people are being positively affected by what we've all invested ourselves in (Rodney, the participants and I). If our book has made a difference in your life, please take a few minutes and share your story by commenting, or emailing me at sonya@evestudios.ca If you choose email, please also let me know if this story can be shared with others and how you would prefer to be credited (initials/first name/full name).

If you haven't purchased a book yet, you can go to http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/ or visit their store in Winnipeg. Soon we hope to have our shopping cart up and running as well.

Keep your head up kid

I recently spent 4 hours of my life watching a CBC movie “Keep your head up kid” the Don Cherry story. We all have highs and lows in life but I was struck by how low life got for Don. I’d always seen Don Cherry as a loudmouthed commentator with an eccentric style, I’d never seen who he really was.

As I watched I couldn’t help but think that we are all at a place in life that is very far from where we could be; some of us feel hopeless and others feel helpless. Don Cherry said that it was when he was at rock bottom he said a prayer and very clearly heard the voice of God giving him direction. Things quickly changed and now years later Don Cherry is recognised as one of the greatest Canadians in history.

If you are going through a tough time, “keep your heard up kid” there is a plan for your life and it’s a good one.

Have a great day.

Rodney

Just As I am has entered Alberta

There are now four books living in Alberta...

Gallery Exhibit Over

The exhibit has been taken down and packed up. We will continue to look for more ways to get the exhibit to other galleries. We are also looking at how to continue to offer people the experience and bring even more variety to the project. For now, we will be focusing on our studio for women, Eve Studios.

The book, which has been fourth on the Winnipeg bestsellers list for softcover non-fiction for the past two weeks, is available at McNally Robinson and Eve Studios for $42. We are working on making it available online as well.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the project in numerous ways.

Enjoy the warmer weather!

The Gallery is Still Open!

We keep running into people who think the gallery exhibition is over.

It's not.

It is open:
- Sat. 12-5
- Mon. 6-10
- Tues. 12-5

At the cre8ery, 125 adelaide, 2nd floor (across from Canadian Footwear).

Admission is $10 adults, $8 students (under 12 free) - cash only

Books are available here for $40 (plus GST) or 3/$100.

Body Image--Seeing Yourself with New Eyes

For starters, here is a little taste of opening night...

And now Sonya and I have a question to ask. How many women reading this have become so focused on certain parts of your bodies, that you have completely lost sight of your beauty? And men, have you forgotten that your true strength does not have anything to do with size?

Do you think of yourself as a:

- stubborn number on a weigh scale

- a collection of bulges, sags and dimples

- a lack of curves/muscles

- a size

You are not the sum of your parts. You are a whole person, uniquely and amazingly designed. Your body houses your spirit. It carries you through life. It expresses all of your emotions. It speaks your mind. It shows your love for others. It helps you transform the world.

Just As I Am is an art project currently showing at the cre8ery in the Exchange. It takes ordinary men and women of all shapes and sizes and shows the art in them.

Rodney had been at a loss for how to help our clients realize that they were not the only one with a certain body type. It wasn't until a friend of his challenged him with a story of his high school art class, that the idea came to him to create a gallery and book of images capturing the beauty and strength of real people.

This many-layered project touches on much more than body image, but it was one of the initial reasons the project came to be.

Here is what one of the participants had to say following opening night:

"I must say that I was struck nearly silent by the beautiful images hanging on those walls. Reading some of the descriptions that people wrote about themselves nearly brought me to tears in some cases. I noticed an energy in the room last night that was...what? Awe?....Reverence? Perhaps a mix of both, but it seemed almost like that hush that comes over you when you know you've entered a holy or sacred place. I believe that everyone that was there when I was there, was feeling the same things.

Rodney and Sonya, you have managed to do what should have been done a long time ago and that is to bring to light the beauty that is in every one of us. We are so bombarded with media images of thin, beautiful, "perfect" people that it's not hard to start comparing ourselves to the artificial photos we see, and soon enough we start to believe that because we don't look like them, we are ugly, fat, and not worthy of..well...anything.

I find it terribly sad that it has come to this, where we as humans have lost our ability to see our own greatness, our own beauty and our own perfection. Beauty is everywhere and your project has helped us to find that again. In the eyes of some of those photos I saw survival, healing, humour, and for some an awakening. It's like a weight has been lifted off of us. That weight of striving to be what society says is the perfect person. What we are discovering after this project, is that we are already perfect people. We are exactly what God meant us to be, in all our different sizes, colours, backgrounds and opinions. Everything about us is right where it's supposed to be, and who are we to argue that?

I feel privileged and blessed and grateful to have worked on this project with you. The changes I have seen and felt, and the emotions that your photos evoke, are something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I think if you ask any other participant, they will tell you the same. This has been life changing. You have changed our lives and for that we are all grateful. Thank you for showing us our own beauty and perfection. It was there all along.

Thank you, thank you, thank you."

With gratitude,

Laura (and Ella)

If accepting your body is something you struggle with, come out to the cre8ery at 125 adelaide st. and gain a new perspective.

Admission is $10. For more info, see www.justasiam.ca or the cre8ery's website.

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 12-5 pm, Monday and Thurs. 6-10 pm

(Show closes March 9th).

Barbie Doll Teachable Moment

I think I had my first body image talk with my five-year-old daughter. She had brought her new Christmas Barbie downstairs and taken off its beautiful wedding dress. I decided to take the opportunity to have a conversation about how her doll's body is very different from women's bodies. We talked about the length of her legs, the thinness of her legs and arms, the narrowness of her waist, the shape of her breasts, her ever-present make-up, her hair length, and her body glitter (my daughter's observation). Aside from her hair, not only do most women not look like that, I don't think any woman looks like that. Those proportions don't work. And yet, we probably grew up thinking that is beautiful and ideal...and perhaps have never lost that idea.

It's never to early to instill in our kids a sense of reality when it comes to our bodies. The majority of men are not chiselled, muscle-bound, and "perfectly" built like the Ken doll. And women don't look like Barbies. And, hopefully, we don't have plastic smiles that stay on regardless of how we're feeling.

I was very proud of one participant for bringing her whole family to the show on Saturday. At first, it may seem like a strange thing, but I think she's on to something. If we can bring truthful imagery into our kids' lives and talk about that, as well as discussing (rather than accepting and becoming desensitized by) the misleading imagery all around us, I think a healthier self-concept can develop, as well as a healthier way of looking at others. That said, as parents, we need to look at what we and our kids are ready to see and talk about (although I imagine we are behind much of the time).

The show goes until Tuesday the 9th. Hope you can make it!

Hold on to Your Tickets

I just wanted everyone to know that your ticket is good to come back through the show (with others or just on your own) as many times as you'd like.

As well, if you look carefully at your ticket, you'll notice that if you bring your ticket and a book with you to our studio, you'll receive $50 off a regular-priced session (savings of 25%). Sorry men...this leaves you at a bit of a disadvantage! We just wanted to pass on some savings as a way of thanking you for supporting our project.

As a side note, the cre8ery now has an art-supply store (downstairs I think). So, if you're being inspired to use your creativity, stop by during their business hours and see what they have in stock. The owners are excellent people and it would be great to support them!

Thanks to all who came last night. Rodney and I had a wonderful time connecting with many of you. Hope to see you Tuesday at 7:00 at McNally Robinson...

With gratitude,
Sonya

p.s. pictures coming soon...

Joy, ache

It’s been a while since I stepped into the blogosphere and shared my heart with you all, the truth is the last few weeks as well as the last few months have been an emotional rollercoaster like I never imagined.

When I decided to do the Just As I Am project I did so out of a profound sense that a project like this was necessary and that nobody was doing it. I knew going in that the idea of nudity would be somewhat controversial but I also knew that nothing worth doing is ever easy, I just never really knew how hard it was going to get.

We set a date for this project to start almost exactly a year ago, my vision was simple, we will put out the idea that anyone who wants to come to my studio for a 10 min photo session can sign up and we will take a week off of work at the studio and put together this project. We would have an online gallery for the images and maybe a gallery would be interested in taking us on to put a show together. We made up some posters, sent out some press releases and went to work postering as many places as possible to get the word out about what we were doing, but would anybody come?? What if we took the week off and only had 1 person come? Would anybody in Winnipeg really say I believe in this as much as we did? So many questions. The next questions were just as valid, what would our families think of us for doing something they probably wouldn’t understand, and almost more importantly what would those who know our families think and how would they communicate that with the ones we love so much? Would I be ruining my career and reputation by being labelled as “that guy” that did the naked thing? How would this project affect my relationship with friends and family members, or more directly, would I lose friends over this? How would those in my church community react to this?

It’s a year later and I have a few answers. Firstly I have been able to walk with those of you who have been a part of this project as models. I have heard the pain you have felt as friends or family members looked at you with “the look” and made comments that made you hurt or cry; know that I too have felt your pain. I have also had the honour of hearing the other stories, the stories of how being a part of Just As I Am has brought healing to many of our participants, and how viewing it has brought healing to many of you who have taken the time to view this work; and my heart is filled with joy. As I stated at the beginning this has been a crazy ride for us, we have always been forced into asking ourselves over and over again how much we believe in this project. This has been a year of reading faces for me: I have seen the looks of disappointment in the faces of those I love and respect, I have seen the look of disgust in the faces of those who realize I’m “that guy”, I’ve seen the look of bewilderment in the faces of those who simply don’t get it. I have also seen the look of peace in the faces and eyes of those who finally feel “normal”, the look of victory in the faces of those who have faced their demons, and the look of healing in the faces of those who are on a new journey of self-acceptance.

Instead of this taking a week of our lives it has morphed into taking over about 5 working months away from my business. We have also had to make the decisions of how much we believe in this gallery and resulting book and in the end it has meant completely draining all of our bank accounts and signing over interest in our house and studio to the bank to produce this book. I have learnt again that God is my provider and that I’m incapable of taking care of my emotional and physical needs and in the end I feel a peace about being “all in” to a project that I’m proud to talk about.

As I got ready to go and hang the prints in the gallery I got an email that someone I’ve never heard of has sent a message to the Ellen D show telling her of the impact this project has had on her life and asking her to feature this project on her show, I’m deeply touched on a day like this to hear news like that. Thank you all for your support, I wish you all the very best in love, life, laughter and tears if need be, and I look forward to seeing you at the gallery this weekend.

Rodney

Just As I Am – Exhibition and Book Launch

Presented by Rodney and Sonya Braun of Eve Studios

Opening Reception: Friday, February 26, 7:30 to 11:00 pm,

at the cre8ery

125 Adelaide Street, 2nd floor

This exhibit and the book it inspired is a celebration; a celebration of our diversity and the different ways we look at ourselves and each other. It also celebrates the beauty to be discovered in accepting ourselves "Just As I Am".

Almost a year in the making, "Just As I Am" is a portrayal of over 80 individuals, who desired, for their own unique reasons, to honor their body, unclothed and unencumbered. For many it was an exhilarating act of acceptance and courage; a statement of being comfortable with who I am, just as I am.

Each participant in this amazing compilation is primarily self-posed. There are no contrivances, only the individuals themselves with Rodney’s skill and desire to capture the beauty and the spirit of each one. He, and all the participants in this powerful project, have been truly successful.

Share in the freedom, the courage and the unique beauty of "Just As I Am" Book Launch and Exhibition, Friday February 26, 7:30 to 11:00 pm at the cre8ery, 125 Adelaide Street.

Tickets $10.

Cash bar.

On Senses and Origins

I'd been feeling rather flat today: feeling the struggle more than the delight and weighed down by what should be done and what might be rather than living in the moment.

It took my sense of smell to awaken me. I was standing in front of the stove making supper in the early afternoon. Stew to be exact. The tedious work for peeling and chopping was done. I was resigned to the fact that supper would be later than ideal. Just finished browning the meat (and the first batch was partially burned). And then it happened. In went the onion, the carrots, the celery, the garlic...and then the rosemary. Suddenly, the fragrance became overwhelming. Oh, it smelled so amazing! I just couldn't stop inhaling the incredible aroma. And a smile came to my lips, and a lightness to my soul...this was living!

As I washed up the dishes in the soapy water, I reflected on this experience, and was just as suddenly inspired to write about what I heard yesterday in my spiritual community, my church. My pastor (who has been so supportive of us in this process), was talking about the importance of our "origin story". What we believe about where we came from and how we arrived and why we're here affects us profoundly. It affects our purpose, our morality, and (one other thing I just can't remember right now!)

He went on to tell of a few different stories that are out there in the world. One of them was the Enuma Elish, where the purpose of the creation of man was to allow the gods more freedom from work:

When Marduk heard the words of the gods,
His heart prompted him to fashion artful works.
Opening his mouth, he addressed Ea
To impart the plan he had conceived in his heart:
"I will take blood and fashion bone.
I will establish a savage, ‘man’ shall be his name.
truly, savage-man I will create.
He shall be charged with the service of the gods
That they might be at ease!
The ways of the gods I will artfully alter.

So, if we took that to be true, we would have to see ourselves as nothing more than slaves created to do menial labour so that some higher beings would be freer to do what they wanted to without having to deal with "lower things" like taking care of the earth.

And he talked about the Hindu creation story and how different classes of people were taken from different parts of Brahma, the creator god, with the very lowest people taken from the dirt under his feet...and how this affects life in India even to this day.

And then there is the ongoing debate of whether we mutated over time to become the intelligent, creative, expressive people we are today, or whether we were the result of careful design (and there are all sorts of variations and ideas in between).

What we believe about our beginnings is crucial to how we live. I think I will be exploring this further...

Venus

As I am working in the studio, I like to have different types of media on, today I had the movie Venus on. Peter O’Toole said something that made me stop and think; it may do the same for you. He is walking through an art gallery with a young lady and they are looking at the Venus Painting. He says “For most men a woman’s body is the most beautiful thing they will ever see.” She asks “What’s the most beautiful thing a girl sees; do you know?” “Her first child.” He responds.

Just something to think about.

Rodney

Tired and Excited

It has been a crazy couple of weeks which culminated in a couple of 15 hours days before finally getting our book off to the printers. Just As I Am should be delivered to the studio here in mid Feb with the gallery opening being on Feb 26^th. This has been a crazy month so far and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down, we have a birthday bash for Eve Studios on Tuesday the 19^th (We are turning 2) and then there is the valentines day rush followed closely by giving a lecture at the Manitoba Camera club and our book launch open to participants and their families only tentatively scheduled for Feb 11^th.

The past few weeks have been a time of trying to put onto paper the thoughts behind Just As I Am; I’m afraid I didn’t do it justice. The themes I always end up coming back to are this, 1. We are more similar than we are different. 2. God has made us each beautiful and each very unique and there is a great deal of beauty in our diversity. 3. We are so much more than what meets the eye; and if we can learn to see each other as the people we are as well as bodies we live in we will much the richer as people for it.

I’ll talk more soon,

Blessings.

Rodney

Wha Hoooo!!

Anyone who is a serious Meg Ryan fan or just a movie fan in general has no doubt seen the movie IQ with Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins and Walter Matthau. In the movie there is a scene where Meg goes on a motorcycle ride with Tim and after going over a train track they are airborne and Tim yells Wha Hooooo. Today I feel like that, we have been waiting and working for a long time and today we got confirmation that we have been given a loan to produce a Just As I Am book.

The book should be here in mid Feb. a week before the gallery opens. I feel Very grateful and humbled today, I look forward to giving you an update when I know more.

Rodney