7 Things Every Artist Should Know

Creating pretty pictures, carrying out a tune or dancing on beat doesn't make one an artist. Being an artist is a desire to add something of value to this world. Art can alter your perspective, causing you to see color in any black and white environment. An artist has the ability to find pockets of inspiration and share their findings with others. With this ability comes a continuous desire to create and sustain themselves through their creations. Art becomes a lifestyle, and the artist is the vehicle for creative thinking.

I have been creating art all my life and have been seriously exhibiting my paintings since I was fifteen years old. Now, twelve years later, I'm leading artist workshops and classes for people of all ages, teaching them technical art skills, creative approaches, and the fundamentals of being an artist. Through watching my students develop and my professional artist peers grow, I've decided to list the common areas that people struggle as artists and ways in which one can succeed.

Here are some things you should consider as an artist:

1) Honor your style:
Every artist has a unique contribution to the arts. Our approach to our creative forms are as different as our fingerprints. Art tends to happen in movements, with cultural, social, political and periodic influences reflecting the direction of the majority of artists. However, within the schools of thought there is a personal voice that needs to be heard. Don't be scared to dance to your own rhythm or paint your own type of stroke. Discover your own individuality within the creative collective context.
Suggestion: Create a body of work for your eyes only! Don't worry about what other people might think for a moment. Create art that you may never share, just as if you were keeping a diary, if only for a period of time. This will help you discover your own expressions without any pressure and can fuel the work that you do publicly.

2) Practice, and practice often!
Many artists rarely devote the time and attention necessary to build their craft and become the master of their own skills. Artists often limit their abilities by concentrating their efforts on other obligations, such as school, work, families, and that other thing -- survival. Although all of our obligations are valid and important, an artist must make their craft a priority if they want to maximize their own growth potential.
Suggestion: Give yourself an artistic challenge. Set a goal for yourself, such as "paint one painting a week for 20 weeks" or "write one short poem a day." Whatever the goal may be, make sure it is realistic, practical, and purposeful. Be as detailed as possible in your goal. If you do not fulfill it, do not beat yourself up about it. Revise the goal and try again. But if you do accomplish your goal, you will learn something from the process, and have a bunch of great art to show for it!

3) Stay inspired:
Art requires constant fueling. Discover what makes you feel the most connected to your creativity. Is it being around certain people? Visiting certain places? Looking at other art? Pin point your inspiration techniques and actively participate in them. 
Suggestions: Find time in your routine to incorporate artistic inspiration in your daily life. Also, identify the blockages you may feel as an artist and do one thing daily to release that blockage. For example, if you feel that you don't have the space to create art regularly, then concentrate some effort to locating a reasonable option for you to have the space that you need. 

4) Don't be shy, let your art be known!
People want to see your work! Part of being an artist is being visible, so be sure to tell everyone you know that you are a working artist. Update them with your work and shows regularly through email, social media, direct mail, etc. Realize that you are your own marketer, a one person show, and that no one is better for such a job. Your visibility helps you succeed as an artist but also exposes people to the wonderful gifts that you have to offer.
Suggestions: Tell five people every day that you are an artist. As random as it may feel, be sure to let the people you may meet in casual or professional settings know what it is that you do. Networking is the best way to be successful in anything. Maintain your visibility with followup marketing, and watch word of mouth do the rest!

5) Teach:
Some people think that teachers are failed artists. What a horrible misconception! Teaching someone your skills helps keep you in the field, refines your own knowledge, and spreads encouragement in the arts. It a wonderful act of service that benefits the artist as well.
Suggestions: Find a compatible way to teach your art form. Most professional art teachers have had some formal schooling in the arts. If you are an artist with limited experience, share whatever you do know with someone casually. This helps build your confidence and your knowledge base, as you may have to do more research in order to share anything. If you already have steady employment and are not interested in teaching for pay, volunteer your artistic knowledge to a charity group or non-profit organization for a day. This will help you identify yourself more as an "expert" and will expose others to the work that you do.

6) Surround yourself with people that are more successful than you.
As with anything, being in good company helps! Forget the stereotype of a starving artist. There are plenty of successful artist professionals that have already achieved their goals and then some. Interacting with positive influences in your field can help inspire you and point you in the right direction.
Suggestions: Find a mentor. Ask someone in your community or artistic field to lend their support to you. If they are the busy type, they may be kind enough to give you periodic guidance over the phone. Be sure to also go to networking events, art shows, and stay up to date on the latest happenings in your creative field. Research public role models and stay current with their successes.

7) Appreciate Your Process:
Enjoy everything -- yes everything -- about being an artist. The creative path is organic and very individual. There are no direct rule books on how you express yourself and maintain yourself professionally. The more that you are in the flow and appreciative of your own plateaus and valleys, the more that your are opening up to your own way of being.
Suggestions: Write down a whole page (or two or three) of things that you love about being an artist. Look at that page when you forget why you are doing what you are doing. Keep this in your wallet, by your bedside, at your artist studio, or wherever you find it helpful. Trust in your own ability and have fun!



Helina Metaferia is a full time guerrilla artist and mother of several mixed media paintings and murals shown all over the nation. When she is not splattering paint, she is practicing yoga, reiki, Thai massage, and other holistic practices. Visit her at www.themetaexperience.com.

Divine Surrender - A Daily Meditation

Faith, trust and surrender are more than acts of wishful thinking. They are practices that nourish our spirits and strengthen our souls. They provide an opening into enlightened consciousness; an awareness that can transform the dominant lower mind, known as the ego, into supreme oneness. When we operate in full faith, we have let go of the illusions of the world and are grounded in true knowledge of self. We are no longer wrestling the daily world for control. Our mind, body and spirits are united in a divine flow, and we rest in knowing that we don't have to conduct the current.

Surrendering to the universe is a life lesson that, if anything, promises peace of mind. Some people may find it easier to surrender in one area of their lives but not in another. For example, one may feel that it is easy to give up their need for control when it comes to financial prosperity, but not when it comes to relationships. The things that ignite our fears become our personal lessons. It is in these areas that we need to discover courage and loosen our need to dictate our reality. 

How do you know what areas in your life that you need to surrender in? Pay close attention to your body. Look for signs of resistance. Our bodies give excellent signals on our stress levels. Notice if during a certain activity, such as balancing your checkbook or talking to a particular person, you exhibit the following body signals:

* Clenched teeth

* Tightened muscles 

* Shallow or restricted breathing

* Knots or butterflies in the stomach

* Heat building in the body 

* Sleepless nights

* Over thinking and an increased mental dialogue pertaining to the past or future

* A sudden injury or illness

If you have one or more habitual sensation when you are thinking about a situation, activity or person, you could be operating from anxiety rather than from faith. Sometimes we identify ourselves with our body's behavior and are not even aware that we are reacting in such discomfort. In general, letting go, surrender and faith can help ourselves discover relaxation, peace and contentment. 

Although many people may feel that it will take them years to achieve divine surrender over a particular issue, it can happen in a moment's notice. Often times, people discover their inner strength and freedom after a crises. It is only when things become the worst that we discover that we'll never have the control that our egos were fighting to compose. Luckily, we do not have to wait for a disaster before we develop trust and surrender. Practice this simple meditation to stimulate surrender in your daily life.

Meditation on Divine Surrender:

1) Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable seated position with your back straight and the top of your head pointed to the ceiling. Take deep breaths in and out of your nostrils while your lips are closed. 

2) Begin to relax the body. Focus on sending the breath into each body part -- your feet, legs, torso, arms, etc. -- until your muscles are loose and relaxed. Place a gentle smile on your lips as you complete this part of the exercise. Send the intention of love and light throughout your body. 

3) Visualize that which you are worried about in great detail. Imagine every aspect of the situation -- the people involved, the procedures, the environment. See it clearly in your mind's eye and feel all the emotions that come with the circumstance. Keep that gentle smile on your mouth all the while. 

4) Repeat the sacred mantra: "I let go, I free you, I free me, I surrender to the divine." Don't just say the words, feel them. Believe in them. You are releasing the need to "do" anything and are giving in to the power of being free. You are taking responsibility and moving into trust. 

5) Imagine your situation forming words and speaking back to you the same mantra: "I let go, I free you, I free me, I surrender to the divine." If you are thinking of a person, imagine him or her saying that to you. If you are thinking of a circumstance, imagine the energy behind the circumstance communicating to you through vibration. You cannot control what another person says or does, but you can shift your thoughts so that you imagine that your situation is receptive to your trust and that it wants to give into the surrender as well. 

Practice this surrender meditation as often as you would like, but at least daily until you feel the effects of it. You may notice a difference in your attitudes in just one session, or over the course of several sessions. Be patient. Trust. Have faith. Let go.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Reiki, Thai Massage, Intuitive Consultations, Yoga Therapy, and Meditation Instruction. Her website is www.themetaexperience.com. 

The Namaste Principle: Relationships as a Path to the Divine

As a practitioner of yoga, I have commonly used the sanskrit greeting namaste, meaning "the God in me sees the God in you." Although I have always figured it to be a profound reminder of enlightened consciousness, I rarely thought to look at the person that I was greeting as a reflection of higher power. Similarly, it was hard for me to imagine myself as the divine. The flowery language felt appropriate in a yoga context, but had little application to my daily life.

After recent meditations on oneness -- the elimination of duality in our perception of reality -- I have discovered relevant meaning to the namaste principle. I have spent the last several years living an ideal yogini lifestyle; I spend several hours of each day in sadhana (spiritual work) while living at a yoga ashram and teaching the visual and holistic arts. During this sanctuary of solitude, I have discovered spiritual union within myself and an abundance of joy. 

Though I continued to thrive in my relationship with myself, my relationships with others were stagnant. I failed to look at my relationships as an opportunity to practice my spiritual development. I saw people as separate from my life lessons. I saw their flaws before I saw their beauty. 

I couldn't understand the essence of namaste, that every being possesses enlightened consciousness, because I wouldn't allow myself to feel such vulnerability. If I believed that everyone is ultimately God, then I would be forced to love and respect everyone unconditionally. I would then forgive them for their egos and their earthly ways. My fear is a sign that my own ego feels threatened, as it sees its transcendence so that I may emerge into higher consciousness. I now realize that honoring relationships is a spiritual practice. The very thing that I had been dismissing would be a gateway into divine awareness.

I now revere all relationships with others as a tool for my own growth and development. I search for the spark of light in every person I encounter daily, from a store clerk to a family member to my best friend. When I see another, it is my goal to see them as whole and complete, a reflection of how I imagine God. In this way, I am honoring their ability to ascend into greatness and am not focusing on their egos, personalities, or faults. When I look at myself in the mirror, it is my responsibility to see that same wholeness and completion. I, too, possess infinite potential and shine with radiant light.

The bridge between the heavens and the earthly world lies in the heart chakra (an energy center located in the middle of the chest). The heart chakra governs unbounded love and transcends all fears. In order to master our own lives and gain full consciousness, we must recognize the divinity that exists through pure unconditional love. In this way, we are discovering namaste on a tangible level. We are willing to be open, vulnerable, and trusting. We are recognizing oneness in our relationships and are ultimately discovering true union with God.

Namaste.



Helina Metaferia is a holistic practitioner, visual artist, and long time learner of Enlightenment. She teaches classes in Light Consciousness, Meditation, and Intuitive Painting. Visit the website: www.themetaexperience.com.

The Present Moment: A Gateway Into Enlightenment

"When you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future you are peeing on today."
-- author unknown

Many people have minds filled with distraction and chaos. Our heads are so filled with mental consumption that even our thoughts have thoughts. We are generally overtaken by memories from the past or anticipation of the future, which thus leads to stress and unease. However, it is only through the present moment that we can experience any true peace and tranquility.

The present moment brings power. Through present awareness, we are fully engaged in living and are in a state of timeless calm. In the present moment there lies a threshold, a gateway into total liberation from the burdens of time and space. This is the place where originality derives from, such as innovative ideas or the creative arts.

Within the sacred now, there is a divine current that offers the spiritual completion that many of us long for. The fluctuations of a distracted mind is the ego's attempt at resolving a distorted perception of division from the universe. Many of us busy our minds with desires, the quest for relationships, or material things to fulfill a natural desire for wholeness. True recognition of our natural state of oneness can only be experienced by engaging fully in the present moment. In presence, one can realize our true essence and separate the false illusions of the ego-driven mind.

Although the power of the present moment is profound, it is rare when people can experience it for any substantial period of time. The average mind lacks the clarity and attention span to stay centered in present awareness. Mental relaxation exercises, such as meditation, tai chi, qi gong, and yoga can train the body for such an experience. But training alone may not help the mind cross the threshold into presence. People who engage in activities that release their perception of time, such as sewing, gardening, the arts, or jogging may come in contact with presence. However, concentrated activities alone may not create sustained present awareness.

The way into complete presence, and ultimately enlightenment, comes from a surrender into the now. Once the mind, body, and spirit surrenders the ego and releases the need to jump into the past or future, the timeless attention into the present moment sustains. The present moment can only be discovered by a total submersion in the present moment. You must simply decide if you are ready to dive in. Enjoy the dive.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist, holistic practitioner, and founding director of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts business. She enjoys writing about the practices that help her develop in mind, body, and spirit. Visit the website: http://www.themetaexperience.com

A New Reality - Complete Awareness

I feel a shift occurring in my being. My paradigm is changing and I am in between two worlds. One world is that of the first 27 years of my existence in this lifetime. It is complicated with illusion - the illusion of material, emotional, and mental things. The other world has been revealing itself to me with rapid speed. This world is rich with pure oneness and clarity.

As I leave the illusion of a three dimensional world and ascend into awareness, I leave behind the following: an ego that has grown accustomed to identification; a tangled obsession with love and companionship; a previous interest in healing and being a healer. I also leave behind a reality that has been consumed with worry, desire, and a quest for improvement. All of this is meaningless in my new world.

My new existence is liberating in mind, body, and consciousness. There is no division from one person to the next, from light or darkness, from night or day.

This profound transformation has been evolving rapidly over the last few months. I feel like I am graduating into a new reality, but my old ways of being won't leave without a tantrum. Shedding skin like a python, I've had a good share of upsets in the process. However, the only thing I know for certain is that the vortex is wide open and I'd be playing myself not to step in.

Here's what I am discovering about the new reality:

* There is only one thing. That thing has been named so many names but still remains nameless. It just is.

* There are many people that are opening up to this new world. The ascension is growing faster and faster. More people have a purpose that is speaking to them than ever before.

* It is insane to live in the old reality any longer, because the new way of being offers so much more clarity.

* Judge and have opinions of no one. Everyone is growing at their own pace.

* If you have a gift or a talent, use it. The new reality appreciates those that are true to themselves.

* Nothing is outside of yourself. The power, light, love and God is within you. The more we ask that the illusion fulfills us, the more we will grow disappointed.

As I continue to grow and transcend in my journey, I send love and light to all those that are experiencing similar things. It is a difficult process, but a necessary one. May all those that are feeling the ins and outs of ascension be blessed. May those that have no clue as to what I am referring to be blessed. May we all give each other a chance to simply be.

Love,

Helina Metaferia

http://www.metaartist.com

Seven Sadhanas for the Soul

Sadhana is a sanskrit term for systematized practices that bring spiritual development and liberation of the soul. Through the sadhana one can gain understanding of Self and find enlightenment. Proper sadhana is performed with pure intention and precise action. If you are considering this path, you will learn that each moment of each day requires proper sadhana. Though the practice may seem rigorous, the rewards of the sadhana is many.

There are many disciplines that are considered sadhana. Yoga offers plenty of practices that, with great focus, can lead to spiritual enlightenment. As a yogini and learner of Spirit, I have discovered some sadhanas that bring peace and wellness into lives. These practices offer evolution to the soul, create focus in your dharma (life purpose), and releases karmic ties. Each sadhana serves as a gateway to spiritual evolution. Practice them individually or collectively. Be sure to be in joy while performing your sadhanas and live consciously in the moment. 

Seven Sadhanas for the Soul:

1) Let your food be your medicine. The yogi knows that diet is the foundation for a healthy physical, mental and emotional body. This is the prerequisite for spiritual evolution. We incarnated into our bodies, our temples, so that it can transport us in the world. We must be good to our bodies by treating it with love. Balanced and healthy foods, pure water, and respectful prayer while cooking and eating helps transform the simple and mundane task of food consumption into a spiritual experience. Finding God through practices that heal our physical body is the path of Hatha Yoga. 

2) Live life in love. Love is a powerful conduit. It is a channel for Spirit that emits from the heart. It is a discipline that requires non-attachment, devotion, compassion and forgiveness. Through loving a neighbor as close as your family or a stranger as close as a friend, you are submitting to the highest force of the universe and surrendering your ego. Pure love is unconditional. It is not dependant on a person, a situation, or a thing. The reward for loving is its own reward. It opens you up to the bliss inside yourself. Devoting your practice to love is the way of Bhakti Yoga. 

3) Conscious communication. While we may have the ability to use words, we don't always use them effectively. Affirmations and positive self-talk are forms of conscious communication. Honesty, integrity, and clarity are other ways to speak from your highest Self. Choose to watch your speech, and pay attention to how your world shifts. You will eventually be able to discern and monitor the thoughts in your head. This will allow you to consciously create your reality, as everything in your world is a manifestation of what you think and speak. It will also bring you closer to God. This is the practice of Mantra Yoga. 

4) Release the chitta (mental chatter). Our minds are overstimulated, overcrowded, and way too intense. While we only use a small part of our brains, we manage to busy it up with a whole lot of nonsense! Stress, disease, and unhappiness is the result of an overactive mind. By practicing meditation and discernment of thoughts, we can release the blockages caused by mental haphazard. A silent mind is the most enlightened because it is able to hear the pulse of the universe. This is the path of Kriya Yoga. 

5) Laugh, and laugh often!!! Laughter is an exercise for optimism (and, if I may add, a nice exercise for the gut).  When we are laughing we are bringing freedom to our spirits and creating oneness in our soul. True laughter can only remedy our lives and bring us to wholeness. It brings us into a state of surrender. You don't need to hear a joke to laugh. Practice making laughter an all-day activity and watch your perspective shift. This is the way of the Buddha. 

6) Self study as a spiritual practice. How much do we know of ourselves? It doesn't matter if you are a loner or always around company, if you are young or old, if you are independent or not, self-reflection is an important gateway into ourselves. By learning ourselves on a profound level, we are able to make the best decisions and live on purpose. We would be doing what is for our highest good. We would be lead to selfless service. We would be full of vitality and love. This requires us confronting our shadow side and knowing our light. This is the practice of Jnana Yoga. 

7) Pay attention to subtle energy. All things are made of energy, and by opening yourself up to the energy in yourself and the universe, you are opening yourself up to God. By learning how to move and manipulate the breath, heal through energy, and expand your prana, you are learning how to engage fully in the universe. A sensitivity to energy can develop into a deep understanding of God and an appreciation for life. This is the way of Tantra Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. 

Choose the sadhana practices that resonate with you and allow them to lead you into wellness. While continuous efforts is key to the full results, you may notice a great difference at the start of your sadhanas. Enjoy the path.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Yoga, Meditation and Thai Massage, and is a Reiki Master. She is the founder of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts company. Visit http://www.themetaexperience.com for more information on her work. 

Befriending Our Fears: A Journey Into Oneness

Recently I, like many others, have been feeling pulled toward a sense of oneness; an indescribable state of supreme intelligence where nothing is separate and all is God. In oneness, there is no difference between you or I, a tree or my arm, a car or a cat. There is only the divine omnipresence. This causes the elimination of polar opposites, of good or bad, right or wrong, negative and positive. Everything that separates us is an illusion, a perception of a void that does not exist.

What a confusing paradox to be in! Once my awakening into oneness began, I started questioning everything. So if there is only one, and all of reality is an illusion, why do I work? Why do I eat? Why do I sleep? Why do we experience duality? The only answer I could find within myself is that our incarnation into physical earthbound form is a total experience, an opportunity, for individual and collective growth. Our existence in a multifaceted world of polarities is so that we may transcend, grow, and evolve our universe.

Although I am beginning to feel one with everything, a big part of the duality I feel is my fears. My fears offer stark contrast to love and joy, the more pleasant part of my existence. Once I realized that my fears are a large part of the illusion of separation, I decided to confront them.

"Keep thy friends close and your enemies even closer" goes a wise saying. The best way to release our fears is to befriend them. By being a friend to what scares us the most, we are releasing the power it has over us. If our fears do not have power over us, then the negative energy has no place to hide and will have to leave our aura altogether. It is hard for the boogie man under the bed to haunt you if you are crouching next to him with a flashlight and offering him tea and cookies. Either you will find comfort in your fears or they won't have a reason to stay.

Follow these steps to befriending your fears in a simple active meditation:

1) Create sacred space: Any type of soul work you do should be honored. Find some peaceful alone time in an uncluttered, safe environment, such as in front of an alter, by a quiet lake, or in a calm restful area. Avoid doing this type of work in a messy room or in a space that is distracting.

2) Make a list of all of the things you are afraid of. It helps to put it all on paper. Start with the most obvious, such as "I am afraid of death" or "I am afraid that there is never enough money." After you've feel like you've got the obvious fears out the way, start to scan yourself for fears that are not as immediately obvious. Notice what clues your body gives when it is acting from fear and notice when you get those reactions. For example, if you get a knot in your stomach when you see someone accomplish something wonderful, you may realize that you feel fear when you see others successful because you are afraid that everyone will be successful but you. Write all your fears on your list until you are confident there is nothing left to write.

3) Read over your list and spend a moment with each fear. This can feel unnerving, but do not hold back any emotion or sensation during this process. As you come across each fear, shift your response so that you are smiling and laughing as if it was an old friend being silly. Approach the fear as if it had the innocence of a child and as if it meant no harm. Treat it like a well-meaning sister or brother. Personify it until you can see a being that you love and can forgive. As you are doing this you are taking away the fears power. You are treating it as if it has no negative intentions. You are allowing the fear to melt into a friend.

4) After you have spent time with each individual fear, visualize yourself at a tea party (or having a few beers, whatever you prefer) with all of your fears in one room. With your minds eye, imagine them all at a long table with you at the head. Give all your fears silly faces and have them stare back with innocence at you. If you have listed twelve fears, make sure all twelve of them are invited to your party. Now imagine yourself kickin' it with your fears, having a great time. Imagine "fear of death" telling jokes and you patting "there is never enough money" on the back.

5) Now that all of your fears are your friends, you really have nothing overpowering you. Send love and light to all the areas where there was once tension, where the fears used to hide. You no longer have resistance. You no longer are ashamed and scared because even that which scares you is freed. You now have the chance to move into oneness.

It may be strange not to have any fears. Sometimes, we are addicted to our fears and cling to them because we have grown comfortable using them as excuses. We may find it easier to cover them up and create a false sense of victory then to confront them, bring them into the light and make them our friends. Whatever path you choose, realize that we will never move past pain, suffering, and turmoil until we let them go. We are holding our fears prisoners in our lives, not the other way around.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Thai Massage, Yoga, Meditation, and Reiki. She is also the founder of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts company. This technique, and others like it, are taught in her Light Consciousness workshop. The next class begins May 22 at The Baltimore Yoga Village. Visit http://www.themetaexperience.com for more information.