Day 7 ☼ Fly Your Freak Flag

...mine just seems to always involve my quest for PEACE .

The Greeks coined a unique term worth becoming familiar with, ichor (pronounced "I-core"). It was a reference to the fluid that ran through the veins of the gods instead of blood like in mortals. Your ichor is your uniqueness, your special passions and talents and ability to see the world through your own eyes. The world needs you to live out your ichor because you are the only you the world will ever have.

I found the following that I think are divine tips for Letting Your Freak Flag Fly from Dr. Lissa Rankin....
I’m talking about opening the channel for your joy, mojo, and authentic self to express themselves. What have I done to let my freak flag fly? Here are some tips:

1. Ask yourself-honestly- how YOU really want to dress/ act/ behave/ be? Then, as long as it’s not going to endanger anyone or land you in jail, JUST DO IT. Want to wear a purple hat to church? Why not wear the purple hat? Feel like skinny-dipping in the lake on a hot summer night when it’s just you and your best bud? Why not skinny dip? If the urge to sing along to the radio strikes you, I say sing your heart out, baby!

2. Release your concerns about what “everybody” thinks. Who the hell is everybody, anyway? Make a list. When the critic in your head tells you that “everybody” will disapprove of you when you let your freak flag fly, who are these people? Most of the time, our “everybody” boils down to a few key people- like Mom, your ex-boyfriend, and Great Aunt Myrtle. Do those few people really want you to diminish your joy? Do you really care if they do?

3. Look in the closet and assess whether your wardrobe really lets your freak flag fly. A friend of mine recently had a style consultant come into her closet, and the woman said, “Honey, there’s not a single bright color in your whole closet, and yet your light shines so bright. Why not reflect it? Everything is big and baggie, but you have this hourglass figure. Is that what you want to express to the world?” When you let your freak flag fly, sometimes that means you’ve got to go shopping so you can show the world on the outside who you really are in the inside.

4. Unleash your heart. Do you feel the inspiration to hug someone you barely know or to call an old lady “Sweetie” or to hold hands with a girlfriend? Why hold back? I’ve discovered that there’s just not enough love in the world. If your heart tells you to put love out into the world, please don’t censor it! When I was a kid, Mom taught me about what my husband Matt calls "lucky penny love" from the song Mom taught me- "Love is something if you give it away. It's just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won't have any. Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many, they'll roll all over the floor." Put love out into the world, and love will coming pouring in.

5. Follow your bliss. When a wave of joy washes over you, don’t push it away. Bask in it! Those are giant shots of mojo, and you want to invite them in, rather than push them away.

6. Surround yourself with other freak flag flyers. You will be inspired and encouraged, rather than squashed or put in a box.

7. “Be the change you want to see in the world” –Mahatma Gandhi. Want to live in a world where others are letting their freak flags fly? Be the example.

8. Make a list of things you feel tempted to do, but don’t. Until recently, I’ve been fixing my hair in mature and responsible hairstyles. But what I really wanted to do was put my hair in two braids, ponytails, or little knots over my ears that my daughter calls “Bunny ears.” My inner critic told me 40-year old doctors don’t style their hair this way. Then I realized this is ridiculous. My list of things I wanted to do but didn’t was lengthy- and I smiled when I read what was on it. I wanted to get henna tattoos and face-paintings any chance I get, but I'm not quite committed enough to get a real tattoo. Sometimes, I want to wear hot Pink wigs, but I don't want to die my hair. Still listening to the truth within me. What's on your list? Why not indulge your list? That’s your authentic self talking….you might want to listen up.

9. Spend time in silence, so you can hear the inner voice that tells you how your freak flag wants to fly. When I talk about this at workshops, some people say, “I don’t have a freak flag.” I say THAT'S CRAP! We all do. We’ve just been so socialized to squelch it that when we give it permission to fly, it droops. Sit in silence, be still, and listen to the song of your soul.

10. Attend gatherings where others are letting their freak flag fly. It might be easier to unfurl yours for the first time if you’re the meekest of a wilder bunch. Then store up some of what you experienced and experiment with putting it out there in the world on a regular basis.

Peace, Love, & Ichor


Toby Mac ~ Diverse City
Acrylic on Flags / Photography by Moi'

Day 6 ☼ PEACE ~ Pass It On

Hola' I've been a little misplaced I'm afraid. I've been out dangling my feet over the edge of the earth. Okay, so maybe not really, but I have been out playing in the park quite a bit or should I say, creating in the park? I've also been up to another little project called pay it forward. It's really quite nifty. I sent a request to my facebook friends to see who might be interested in receiving something handmade by me with the promise that they would pay it forward. I had eleven takers and since it coincides with my 365 project, who better to ship all my creations off to? Nifty, right? Not only am I creating but my soul is soaring sending out these handmade creations.

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind
action leads to another. Good example is followed.
A single act of kindness throws out roots in all
directions, and the roots spring up and make new
trees. The greatest work that kindness does to
others is that it makes them kind themselves.

~ Amelia Earhart ~

The Peace Tree
hand painted w/ acrylic on Jade stone


Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe anothers tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.

~Henry Burton, Pass It On ~

Day 5 ☼ Purple Peace

OR IS THAT RAIN?

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain

PURPLE RAIN
acrylic on canvas


Make every effort to live in peace with everyone...
hebrews 12:14

Day 4 ☼ May Peace Rain

I've struggled this winter with my creativity more than I ever have. Photography, being my first love, seems to flourish in the spring and summer when the colors are more vivid, things are blooming, and the natural lighting abounds.

This morning, with a trip to Hobby Lobby on my list, I felt a nudge to carry along my camera despite the foggy, misty morning. I had several creative peace projects in the forefront of my mind with photos not even ranking on my list for the day. I've been thrilled during this last week to find other ways to express my creativity and was excited to pick up a few supplies.

Fate had something much more beautiful and peaceful in store for me .... I would learn today that creativity is not limited by the seasons.

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

Langston Hughes


Music ~ Kiss the Rain ~ Yiruma

Day 3 ☼ Peace,Love & Happiness

Kiss The Earth

by Thich Nhat Hanh


Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Bring the Earth your love and happiness.
The Earth will be safe
when we feel safe in ourselves.

The Tree of Peace,Love, & Happiness
acrylic on canvas
Inspired by 365 ~ Trees Please


Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.
~ Dee Hock ~

Day 2 ☼ Creating My Blog~woir

The second day on the peace train was spent creating this blog. And for friends who may enjoy following my journey but aren't familiar with the blog world, I snagged this definition from Wiki to give you a little background on blogging. Hope you enjoy the trip.

A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. (AND us bloggers dig comments)

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (Art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.

I think this one will qualify as my first attempt at microblogging :)

peace and love ...keep coming back!

Day 1 ☼ Self Portraits of Peace

Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come And I believe it could be, something good has begun....

Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too Cause it's getting nearer, it soon will be with you....

Everyone jump upon the peace train Come on now peace train

Day one afforded me a beautiful afternoon in the park and an opportunity to set up my tripod and work with the self timer. It also gave me a good look at myself. It was the most delightful day I 've had all winter and if my attempts to express peace aren't far reaching perhaps peace truly does come from within one's self.


It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

p.s. pictures enlarged for your viewing. these are actually thumbnail prints that fit in the palm of my hand :)