Soul Card: Dreamer.  I am the one who believes in tomorrow’s possibilities, the one who builds stone stairways to cross the bamboo mountain.  Tammy Vitale

Happy New Year!  It’s 2007 everyone!  Wow.  It seems like just yesterday we were all having conniption fits about Y2K and here we are 7 years down the road, and, as things go, Y2K was just a blip.  Y2K was really all about fear/conjecture.  Perhaps most of what we find ourselves immeshed in and worrying over is the same thing:  fear of the unknown.  Take a breath.  Step back.  Are you creating shadows that are looming?  Do you have your back to the sun?  Sometimes all you have to do is turn around.  What’s in your line of vision changes that way; a step to the left, new things come into view.  Try it, you’ll like it!  Happy 2007

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past week browsing through the Z List, the W List and a lot of lists that branch off from there.  You know, there are a lot fo wonderful people out there writing very cool things.  When writing what I want last year (and no, I haven’t done it yet for this year), I would never have written:  time enough to browse through blogs.  But this year, that’s definitely going to be on the list simply because there is so much to learn in this wide world and there are so many people who understand nuances of niches and can make it easier than trying to figure it all out yourself, so many people who are inspirational just by being true to their own selves and ideas, so many people who are generous and friendly and right there and just a keyboard stroke away.   I’m not worried about the "reclusive who only socializes on the keyboard" routine – I’m a loner to start with.  Blogging has totally expanded my universe.

Here are some to share that I’ve found as a result of the above lists for you to check out:

Woolgathering by Elizabeth Perry who says she’s only been drawing for 2 years – from scratch to now.  I was impressed with her persistance and the beaty of her drawings and want to pass this along to every person who’s ever told me (and there have been a lot):  Oh, I can’t draw.  Yes you can.  Whatever teacher told you that in elementary school or high school or college can be banished. If you want to draw, you can.  Just look here and be inspired.  Elizabeth alerted me to BlogHer – Where the Women Bloggers Are, which I’ve only started to browse.

the Painting Journalist:  Describing the World with a Paintbrush – and doing a great job of finding worlds to paint, including non-profits doing great work.

More on creativity in business (I love this – I hope some day to see artists in demand for corporations – I can dream can’t I?):  Brain Based Biz:  Refreshing Business Through Arts and Mind.

I haven’t browsed much of this website, but picked it up because it is espousing buying women’s art (why?  because we’re still cheap.  The gap persists everywhere):  The Intrepid Art Collector:  The Case for Buying Women’s Art. This site led to  collage artist, Wangechi Mutu, who is currently showing at the Saatchi Gallery in the UK.  Found her through reading the comments (read comments – they are as good as reading blogs).

Finally, here’s a riff on the creativity that is here to be found and savoured, The Purple Wren has taken the Z List and made it into a collage by taking snips from each of the blogs on the list.  Wow.  You gotta love that kind of imagination and patience!

thought for the day:  Think you have to starve to do the work you love?  Think again.  You might be starving now.  There’s a secret life of abundance that opens up when you do the work you love…You don’t do retail therapy when you’re happy.  You don’t see as many massaage therapists or doctors or healers when your job isn’t making you sick or knotted up with resentment and boredom.  You don’t spend money on distraction or pick-me-ups.  Tama Kieves, Adapted from This Time I Dance:  Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love