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Reviews May 2007
The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year
By Jennifer Louden | Published by New World Library
My day planner is the key to my life. I can view the week with each day divided into half-hour increments and room for notes under the 12-hour span. There is even room for e-mail and cell phone numbers to be written down, and a column on the right for more notes on the week. I lost it in a big box store and could feel my blood pressure rising as my heart raced while I retraced my path in search of my future—what was I supposed to do next? Fortunately, as I searched I was able to call on skills from The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year to help me stay calm. Jennifer Louden, author of The Woman's Comfort Book, recognized that women's lives are structured differently than my day planner allows—after all, the reason I was shopping with my notebook sized day planner (for which I have purchased a larger purse, so this never happens again—thank you to whomever gave it to Guest Services) is that I was multi-tasking: shopping for household necessities while waiting for a call from two agents so I could schedule freelance work for the upcoming weeks. The life organizer is filled with "tips, stories and prompts to focus your needs and navigate your dreams." Louden reminded me to breathe, to ask myself "What am I getting out of being so frantic?" and to be gentle with myself in this situation. The life organizer can be used beginning at any week in the 52-week year. While it is not intended to replace my day planner and it is suggested that a woman might want to use a notebook to answer some of the prompts that remind women to listen to more than the demanding dictator of our minds that say "do this now!"—or even skip the ones that do not speak to her desires (a good clean word Louden reminds us)—it breaks the week down into: intention, what I can "let go of" what I "have to" do (for me!) and what I "could do." There is a small space for each day of the week, which I might use to record the self-care activity of the day (could be remembering to breathe deeply, could be an hour or two of a hobby or pampering—anything is beneficial). I particularly appreciate the Mood Shifter (index) which gives me the chance to quickly page through the small green book to find company in my situation. Feeling forlorn, frenzied or frustrated? Go to these pages to read a story about how another woman moved through the experience, or answer a journal question and let it all out on paper, or remind myself that listening to "angels gentle nudges" (my intuition) makes me feel "very calm and purposeful in what I am doing." Throughout the book Louden quotes spiritual guides and theologians from various faiths both Eastern and Western; The Life Organizer is a book for women of today; and I am willing to bet there are men who would appreciate its content as well. —OAColors: What They Mean and How to Make Them
By Anne Varichon | Published by Abrams
People awaken to a beautiful world filled with vibrant, soft, bright and dark colors. Some people even dream in color. It is one of the most basic means of human expression—one young woman wears pink when she feels she is in a bad mood; she feels her cheery outfit will change her heart to joyousness, and those who know her secret method treat her gently on pink days. Archaeologist and ethnologist Anne Varichon presents a comprehensive history of the origins, symbolism and significance of color in her new book Colors: What They Mean and How to Make Them. This vibrant text is loaded with photographs, paintings and explanations of the meaning of colors in various parts of the world from ancient history to modern times. Covering the spectrum of white, yellow, red, violet, blue, green, brown and black, Varichon explains where the colors exist in nature as well as how they are manufactured. She even includes instructions for creating paint or dye from leaves. Artists will be inspired by the interspersed quotations from artists: "The white canvas—it's like a layer of dust that covers up the real painting. It's just a matter of cleaning it. I have a little brush to clear away the blue, another for the red, and another brush for the green. And when I've finished cleaning, the picture is all there," wrote Georges Braque (1882-1963). —OA
listening
The Path of Peace: an artistic journey for the heart, mind and senses
A Visionsound Collaboration by Pianist Ben Dowling and Visual Artist Mark Wagner
One disk: two experiences. The Path of Peace is both CD and DVD geared toward inspiring artists of all genres to create beauty of their own. Ben Dowling's piano music is flowing and contemplative. The soft melodic touch and pedal work gently moves the listener through nearly an hour of devoted focus on their own work of art. Meanwhile, the DVD incorporates Dowling's ambient surround-sound audio with Mark Wagner's original paintings, sketches, and chalk drawings gently swirling and fading in and out as the video plays. Due to be released on June 12, 2007, buyers will be met with a unique event in music industry history. Wagner's original paintings and drawings are encoded with tremendous energy and emotional depth and should evoke peace for the artist and the world. "The idea of creating something counter-culture and counter-anxiety is very appealing to me—to be part of the medicine," Wagner said. In a world filled with violence, tragedy and ignorance, Dowling and Wagner have found a way to be a part of the solution—heir own quiet spirits have moved them to share a peace that addresses the human condition and could be used in "health, well being, family therapy, hospice, incarceration and post-traumatic care," Dowling said. "Art is the cure." Peace be with you. —OA