"Soul Graffiti" Artist

Everyone has the potential to be a ~~~ Soul Graffiti Artist

A few weeks ago I was web surfing info for Nicole, (my daughter).

I came upon a book by Mira Kirshenbaum:  Too Good to leave,

Too Bad to Stay.    I ordered the book which was supposed to help

one make the decision about staying or leaving a relationship. 

At the same time, I reserved 2 library books by Kirshenbaum,

as they looked pretty interesting.   

The too good book arrived in the mail a couple of days ago,

AFTER Nicole had made the choice and ended her 3 year relationship.

After flipping through the book, both Nic and I agreed

that the book was still very worthwhile as it contained some good

info on relationships and communication within them.  :)

I went to the library last night and picked up the 2 books that

I had reserved.

The one is Everything Happens for a Reason - finding the true

meaning of events in our lives. 

It's not as IF this title was some revelation for me.   LOL

I've believed it and it's been a part of my life for a VERY long time.

Yet, I am certain that the book contains some useful information

for me and it will be good to read.

This morning in looking at the back cover I spotted a web address

for Mira Kirshenbaum:

www.everythinghappensforareason.org

Upon going to the site - I surfed over to another site called:

Soul Graffiti 

http://www.soulgraffiti.com/

Sometime within the past 2 years upon sharing the drawing

I did of an Angel and Soldier with my dog's allergy vet

she said to me .............

http://deb_inside.typepad.com/photos/debs_art/angel1.html

"Ohhhhhhhh you're an artist".   

When I heard Dr Alice say that, I thought to myself....

'Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir were artists"  --- "I only paint".

This thought happened at nearly the speed of light....

but my outward response was..........

"Well, I guess you could say that".

That conversation STUCK and STUCK in my head. 

Until finally I came to KNOW and UNDERSTAND......

"YES"  !!!!!!!!!!!!   "I am an artist"  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've thought about and tried to explain my reluctance

at calling myself an 'artist', I suppose it has much to do

with my previously underdeveloped self esteem.   

Today,  I am quite comfortable in calling myself...

"An artist".    I know my ability to paint and draw and be

creative is a God given talent.

So........... here today I jump to the Soul Graffiti web site,

to see a description of Soul Graffiti.

Soul Graffiti (sol graf - fi - ti)  V.   the conscious act of

performing kindness to another soul, resulting in leaving

an everlasting imprint on another's life.

I read that definition and BAMMMMMM it hit me:

"I am also a Soul Graffiti Artist"   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Whooooooooooo who.    I am on a cloud at this

realization / revelation .   :))))))))

Dr Joe Powers has this on his web site:

As Maya Angelou once wrote, "when we cast our bread upon the waters we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from the grantor's gift." It is likewise my hope that through Soul Graffiti™ we can together lift our spiritual brushes to paint upon the lives of others with acts of kindness and compassion - ultimately bringing true permanence to our own lives and a beautiful mural upon the soul of humankind.

Joe Powers
Founder and Graffiti Artist

So.......... please do surf over to the site:

Soul Graffiti 

http://www.soulgraffiti.com/

Comments

[Debra Estep]

Hmmmm it appears that the site I was on
over a year ago, is not up. too bad !

I had this page from that web site in my cache

````````````````````````````````````````
Soul Graffiti - Our evolution

I was 17 when I first began to think about graffiti. Riding the bus my senior year of high school through the neighborhoods of North Philadelphia, it was as though parts of them were borderless canvasses for the young artists’ palate. Slogans, statements, names, logos, and pictures - some just a single word, and others, massive murals covering entire sides of buildings and homes.

As most people and certainly as a relatively normal teenager, I usually did not pay much attention to the inscription on the walls, but this one cold October day en route to school, I was overcome by a feeling of confusion as I peered out the foggy bus windows. What motivates this graffiti that colors these streets, I wondered?

I pondered graffiti like an inquisitive child, desperately asking "why" for no other reason but simply to understand. What is the purpose of graffiti? Why is graffiti common in some areas and not in others? What motivates some to draw graffiti and others not to?

It took nearly a year for me to really understand graffiti, and through its understanding, I came to appreciate an aspect of human life that lingers in the back of all of our minds. Graffiti to me represents an expression; an expression of a fundamental existential dilemma that we all face. That dilemma is one of permanence, or rather, our lack of permanence. As a great poet once wrote "life is but a fleeting moment that leaves as quick as it comes."

We all have an innate calling towards seeking permanence within our lives. Permanence manifests itself in many different ways, from having children, to writing a book, to starting a company, to composing music. It is through creating these illusions of permanence that we seek to assuage the anxiety within us all – the anxiety that our reality is one of ultimate impermanence.

Graffiti is an act of seeking permanence in an impermanent world. Traditional graffiti most often can be seen in neighborhoods where there is sadly little hope of worldly success. Neighborhoods where the life expectancy is so low that the existence of a building can almost represent an eternity.

But in truth, graffiti extends far beyond the walls of inner-city playgrounds. Graffiti is more than the scribble of ink on a freshly painted house. Graffiti can be equally seen when one erects a skyscraper with his name emblazoned in lights upon it; when one names a city after herself; or when one sadly commits an act of brutal terror. Graffiti is an attempt at permanence, or at minimum, an act of extending the permanence of our fleeting lives.

The soul is perhaps the only thing in our world that is truly permanent, and to me, "true" graffiti lies within this realm. Touching another’s soul through acts of kindness, generosity, and charity, can make a mark far brighter and more permanent than any can of spray paint. "Soul graffiti," is therefore the conscious act of illustrating upon the canvas of another’s soul.

Over the past few years I have begun to share my thoughts on soul graffiti with many groups and individuals and have witnessed firsthand the profound impact that its simple wisdom has produced. Soul Graffiti™ LLC was created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from "material graffiti" to that of "soul graffiti." Soul graffiti is not about inspiration or philosophy, but rather about action. As one colleague recently remarked to me, "like love, soul graffiti is a verb, not an adjective."

As Maya Angelou once wrote, "when we cast our bread upon the waters we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from the grantor's gift." It is likewise my hope that through Soul Graffiti™ we can together lift our spiritual brushes to paint upon the lives of others with acts of kindness and compassion - ultimately bringing true permanence to our own lives and a beautiful mural upon the soul of humankind.

Joe Powers
Founder and Graffiti Artist

[isabella mori]

i LOVE the idea of soul graffiti! thanks so much for introducing me to it! i'll definitely have to follow up on it.

do you ever participate in the carnival of healing? that would be such a perfect spot for you ...

[Debra Estep]

Hi Isabella,

THANKS for dropping by and leaving a comment. :)))

Carnival of healing.... Hmmm I'll have to check out your site to see what that is about. I have not heard of it.
~thanks~

xo xo
Deb

[Debra Estep]

I found this right away doing a web search...

Healing Carnival #124 - 2-9-2008
http://therapeuticreiki.com/blog/2008/02/carnival-of-healing-124/

AND..... I see that you Isabella have an article in the carnival as does my friend Patricia Singleton !!!

Thanks for the mention of the carnival.

[Debra Estep]

I am so thrilled to share this newsletter that I received today in my email. 2-24-08

Soul Graffiti is ... BACK !!!!!!!!

Dear Friend,

Since our last newsletter, nearly two years ago, much has been changing at Soul Graffiti. For starters, we moved. And then we moved again. And again. Moving has taught us an important lesson of life - change is inevitable - and we have tried to embrace this lesson with each new step in our evolution.

In speaking of change, after many months of work, Soul Graffiti is excited to unveil our revamped website. The new www.soulgraffiti.com continues to share your many stories, interviews, and articles, and now offers of host of new tools to help spread a message of conscious kindness.

The most significant change at Soul Graffiti is our new operating structure. We have morphed away from a business and now towards an entirely non-profit "kindness portal". Through SoulGraffiti.com and future workshops and events, we hope to spread a Universal message of kindness and compassion to all.

We welcome you to share with us your inspirational stories, ideas, and experiences, and we look forward to working together to spread a message of conscious kindness to the world.

Sincerely,

Joe Powers

http://soulgraffiti.com/cms/

[Debra Estep]

Oct 26, 2008 - Soul Graffiti Newsletter

As I look out my window and watch the trees shed their leaves and the reds and oranges of Autumn replace the greens of summer, I can't help but think that this year’s change is somewhat different. It seems like these days you can't go anywhere without hearing the word "change" -politics, economy, healthcare - this year, unlike any I've experienced before, impending change is everywhere.

While change can be uncomfortable for many, in the US, people seem to be ready for change and I believe that this readiness has brought with it an introspective quality that has allowed people to question their beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions and go deeper into understanding who we are and what we stand for. This introspection will hopefully also lead to greater consciousness and awareness of our actions, and this is precisely what Soul Graffiti is about.

Soul Graffiti involves conscious acts of kindness, and with each one of these acts, we truly bring change to ourselves, others, and the world around us. As the holiday season approaches, use this time to reflect on the acts of kindness that you have experienced or observed, and use them to fuel a further commitment to conscious change in the year to come.

For a wonderful story about an act of soul graffiti through change, read about Soul Graffiti Member, James Wellingson’s grandfather at:

http://soulgraffiti.com/cms/content/view/95/32/

Share your stories at SoulGraffiti.com and help to bring conscious kindness to the world!

Joe Powers
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Be sure to sign up for Joe's newsletter:

www.SoulGraffiti.com