Teresa R. Funke's Blog: Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life, page 30

Come in From the Cold

There’s a line in the Carrie Newcomer song, “Betty’s Diner,” that says, “Despair and hope sit face to face when you come in from the cold.” She’s talking about a gathering place where people from all walks of life arrive to accept nourishment and a kind word. They come looking for hope. Ordinarily, I love gathering places, and parties, and networking events, but in the past couple of weeks, I’ve...

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The Strength to Stand Your Ground

A few years ago, I went to a political primary in my neighborhood. I’d been too busy to study up on the two candidates, and went hoping to hear something that would tell me which person should get my vote. I was still on the fence at the end of the evening. But then everyone was asked to stand and pick their sides, literally going to one side of the room or the other to support the candidate of...

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Art and Your Own Bursts of Brilliance

The other day, my daughter eagerly showed me a hat her friend had knitted for her. “Isn’t it cool, Mom?” she said. “She made it for me.” This past fall, I hired an artist to do a drawing of my house. With her permission, I made copies for my kids as their Christmas presents. Sure, I could have framed a snapshot of the home they grew up in, but I’m pretty sure their eyes would not have filled with...

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Shame, Shame, Go Away

Brené Brown made it okay for us to talk about shame, both men and women. So, let’s go there. Because it seems to me artists deal with more than our fair share of shame. And it comes at us from opposing angles, to the point where sometimes we feel we can’t win: “You spent all afternoon painting? Wish I had that much time to myself.” “Why haven’t you been working on your writing? You were given a...

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What is Intuition, Anyway?

A colleague recently suggested I write a post defining intuition. After all, I speak often about the importance of following our inner guidance. My first thought was, “That’s a bit of a lofty suggestion. Who am I to explain something as deep and disputable as intuition?” My second thought was, “There you go, doubting yourself again. Why not you?” I mean, it’s not like I don’t have an intimate...

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Conviction in the Face of Doubt

Recently, I listened to a speaker list three significant moments in her past when she doubted her ability to move forward, and how a key figure in her life told her each time, she could do it. His confidence propelled her onward. Things have not always been that way for me. At several important junctures in my life, a key figure told me I should not proceed. Though he thought I was clearly good at...

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Whatever You Will, Will Be

I’ve been thinking lately about all the messages I received as a child, all the things society wanted us to believe that never felt totally right to me, yet I accepted them. Why? For example, when I was a kid, my mom loved the Doris Day song, “Que Sera Sera.” In the lyrics, the young girl asks her mother what the future holds. Will she be pretty or will she be rich? (I know that sounds a bit...

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Cast Out the Clutter

Every month, our local thrift store calls and asks if we have any donations, and every month we say, “Sure, we’ll leave a bag on the porch for you.” It forces my husband and I to walk through our entire house every 30 days, dig through all our closets, and ask ourselves what no longer works, what we’ve grown tired of, or what we’re never actually going to use though we keep thinking we...

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It Comes Down to What Makes You Happy

The more I study and learn about how we can access our Higher Selves, the clearer it becomes our purpose in life is to seek happiness. Why? Because when we’re happy, we raise the vibrations in our own lives and in the world. When we’re content and at peace, we’re most likely to hear our inner and divine guidance. And when we’re having fun, our energy levels increase to provide us the stimulus we...

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Ask Them the Questions That Matter

My daughter did something very sweet this year. She asked all of her parents, siblings, grandparents, and aunts to tell her the names of their favorite books. Then she started to read those books and opened conversations with each relative about the story. If you really want to get to know someone, finding out more about their taste in art is a great way to see into their soul and discover what...

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