The mystery project revealed.. ;)

Allright, allright.. There has been enough mystery now, I'll share THE project with you all. I didn't want to tell right away, because I have been so super-over-excited about it and you never know if amazing plans are actually going to take shape.
So many exciting ideas and projects don't even get started and get forgotten or just slip away somehow. But not this one.

So I have been telling everybody how I would want to live in a treehouse.. once.. someday.. About two weeks ago I happened to be at a meeting in Dalfsen. They were planning an eco-village.. And not any eco-village, one with living buildings. The idea is to combine earthbag-building and tree-shaping to create living houses that ever evolve and grow.
When you know what you want, ask for it and what you need will be given to you. And everything we needed was given to us; someone with a great idea and experience in building living architecture, someone to write the plan and work on funding, someone to create the illustrations for that plan, someone to make the website. And of course that someone to make the illustrations is me!

To everyone that told me my dream was an impossible one; just wait and watch.. It is manifesting right now and it is going quick! Our finished plan will be thrown into the world at 21 december this year. :)

Tree-watching

I have been observing trees today. With a special new project in mind, I look at these growing things very differently. The different shapes and cuts and bruises.. The way they grow together and into each other. I think it's so beautiful how two or three or four trees can go together and become one being.







I saw a lot of kissing and hugging trees..

Working and mulching

Saturday was a very busy day..
We covered the space where next year a bigger permaculture garden will be laid. It is in a field close to a neighbourhood farm, with a tree in the middle. First we covered the grass with two layers of cardboard, then with a bit of manure and then with some straw. This mulch gives good food for the worms this autumn and winter. It also makes sure most of the grass and weeds die so we have a free and rich soil for the garden next year.
This is a very good alternative to plowing. You don't disturb the life in the ground too much this way and add new nutrients to the soil at the same time. (And there is less chance you'll hurt your back, too…)





It feels good to be actively working on something constructive like this. This garden will hopefully feed a lot of people next year, in a completely environmentally friendly way. ♥
For me this is really a time of actively working on the things I want to happen. All good things I want to appear in the world are being worked on right now.
If you happen to live near Zwolle and want to get your hands dirty, we are looking for more volunteers to help out. We'll be working there wednesday and thursday mornings when the next gardening season starts. (And you probably won't go home without some fresh vegetables..)

Be ready to say "yes"

When I was still in art school, we visited Spain for a week. We stayed in a beautiful house in the middle of nowhere and felt like we were living like gods. We had a week of art, sunshine and nature. The people that actually lived there left the house for that week to let us have enough space.
They had a wonderful house with a garden that gave off this cozy, safe feeling of home. When I met the man that lived there, just before we had to leave, I complimented him on that garden. We got into a talk about permaculture, living consciously and the speeches and courses they gave at that house. They made orgonites too. I was excited. They did all these wonderful, inspiring things in this absolutely breathtaking environment.
We only had a conversation of about fifteen minutes, but in that fifteen minutes he managed to gift me an orgonite necklace and invite me over to come back. Why don't you come back here in summer and work and live with us, he said. He might have not said these exact words, since his knowledge of english was pretty basic (or less than basic). But when you are given an opportunity like that, you need to grab it by the balls. (Excuse my language.)

I went back to live with them for several weeks that summer. I learnt a lot about people and food and about myself and I gained ideas and inspiration that gave my life another push in the right direction.

I am convinced that, when you know what you want in life, you will get strange and wonderful opportunities like these thrown at you in order to make the things you want happen. And as a friend I met yesterday said; be ready to say YES!

I had such an opportunity thrown at me last weekend. It feels like I found the missing link. I have something I want, a dream I have for my future. I received a step into that direction in a way I couldn't have imagined. It is exciting and I am not going to tell you yet. I'll share more as it begins to take shape.

What is your dream and are you ready to say YES, right now?

Some days...

Some days are crisp and clear and buzzing with energy. Those are days for working hard and the process of creating. Things flow and things get done. I love those days.
Today is not such a day. I'm sure you'll recognise the feel of 'the other day'. The day that things feel more heavy and don't go as smooth as you would like them to go. I think this might be a day for working on yourself. It is a totally different kind of work. Not very valued in society nowadays (does this sound like I'm really old?)
I would like to appoint this day as a day for self-reflection. At least, for me.
I often feel like I don't have the time to stop running and look at myself, my problems and the things I still need to resolve. There is a studio waiting! I want to paint and sew and create! But that is totally in my control today. Today I'll take the less popular option. A day for self-work, navelgazing and trying to clear my energetic blockages.
How is your day?

I also have a little teaser for you today! A little cut-out of work in progress of the book by Ana Magdalena Zainea I'm working on. You'll have to do with bits and pieces, since I will not reveal any real images until the book is actually there!

Give it away!

Last week I wrote about giving things away, getting rid of tv and clutter. Today I saw a facebook-post by Leija Turunen about this very same subject. I wanted to share her 'facebook-link' because she inspires and touches me. She just throws happiness and love everywhere, at everyone and I admire that. And I think you would like some of that as well (can't ever have enough of that, right?)
It seems to be the thing nowadays to be sarcastic and matter-of-fact. Let's stop that and just try to be a little more openly happy and loving? That would be nice.
This is the link to her website: LeijaTurunen.com
And over here you can find her facebook page. I especially recommend taking a look at that one, because you can find her personal posts about what she is doing. Her messages are very useful, too. She talks about emotions and spirituality and health. This was the post I was talking about. She motivates everyone to get rid of your stuff !! Get rid of all that heavy extra weight!

Every now and then I come across images, messages or music that makes my heart skip extra. I thought I would share this one.
And to top it off, a very happy making mantra..

A bear on the road

Do you see this bear? I met him in a meditation.
"Hi bear, how do you do?"
"I don't know," he said. "My paws seem to dangle and just float in the air. They are not attached to my body, but somehow I seem to be doing just fine."