The subtle energy system has always been integral to humanity’s weave of existence. Though the media tends to focus on seven major chakras in the Hindu/yogic tradition, there is commonality across Cherokee, Incan, Pueblo, Tibetan Buddhist, and Sufi Muslim mysticism beliefs to name just a few. That being understood, there are major and minor chakras throughout the body—at every joint, nerve bundle, palms of the hands, souls of the feet, nipples, and more.
Posts filed under creativity
Kindred Conversations with Hilary Nichols--featuring Jonathan Buckman
What does normal even mean?” Jonathan Buckman asked. Buckman is not normal—he is unique and extraordinary by any measure, and that is what makes him such a great therapist, social worker, practitioner, neighbor, and friend. “Jonathan has attained master level accomplishments in so many domains, but you would never guess it if you were meeting him for the first time,” his bandmate, neighbor, and co-conspirator Jeff Gladchun told me. “You couldn’t ask for a better friend than Jonathan. He is one of a kind.”
A Look at Great Lakes Performing Artists Associates: A Champion for Human Connection Through Music
As arts funding dwindles and screens pull audiences away from live experiences, one Ann Arbor nonprofit is quietly transforming the cultural landscape with soul and purpose. For nearly five decades, Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates (GLPAA) has championed real human connection through music.
Dzanc House ~ You’re in the Right Place
Within a beautiful historic house, nestled in the southside historic district of Ypsilanti, you will find a space for creatives where there are regular events, activities, and gallery exhibitions. Upon approaching the house, one will see writing on the window: Dzanc House, you’re in the right place. This is not only an indicator of having found the correct house, but also a way of communicating to the community at large that there’s a place where they belong. Whether it is for reading, writing, drawing, printmaking, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, performing, or simply absorbing the art—you’re in the right place.
Book Review: Custodians of Wonder
In Custodians of Wonder, author Eliot Stein embarks on a captivating journey across five continents, introducing readers to ten remarkable individuals dedicated to preserving endangered cultural traditions.
Serpentine
In winter, they brumate. A word that suggests mist and fog: “La brume,” pale smoke twisting and wending, shedding tendrils and opening portals. The etymology is successive. From French, mist and fog; from Old French, winter; this derived from bruma, Latin for the Winter Solstice.
Kindred Conversations with Hilary Nichols: Singer, Bandleader, and Performer Dani Darling
Last summer, as she has every summer since 2018, Dani Darling performed at the Ann Arbor Summer Fest. This time she took to the main stage with her identical triplet sisters as guests to drop into an electrifying harmony like it was their first language—maybe because it was.
Pure Levels: Tree City’s Futuristic Space Funk Odyssey
In the world of independent rap, the release of an album is often the culmination of years of work, development, and growth. For the Ann Arbor hip-hop collective Tree City putting out their new album, Pure Levels, has been anything but a conventional journey. With a sound that Tree City dubs “futuristic space funk,” the group has crafted an album that stands as both a personal testament to the 13 years it took to create and a nod to the vibrant music scene of Ann Arbor.
Local Author Colby Halloran and Her New Book, The Northeast Corner
Colby Halloran was born and raised in Ann Arbor. She studied acting at Wayne State University’s Hilberry Gateway Theater and moved to New York City where she became an actress and playwright. Returning to Ann Arbor in 2006, she wrote about her life experiences. Her first book, The Northeast Corner, chronicles a chapter of her youth growing up in Ann Arbor from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. It was published in October 2024 by the Ann Arbor District Library’s Fifth Avenue Press.
Imaginary Friend Revivals: A Return to Playfulness
Sitting alone in the dark in the back row of a movie theater, I sobbed relentlessly. I had just watched the movie IF. IF stands for Imaginary Friend. The movie was about adults reuniting with imaginary friends from their childhood at critical times in their life. The adults were transformed by acknowledging their previously discarded imaginary friends and became so much happier, creative, and productive. This movie touched me deeply. Perhaps my fearful inner child had come out of hiding for a moment looking for help. Or maybe I secretly hoped an old friend from my past would come back to rescue me. Following that experience, I became interested in learning more about imaginary friends and their relationships with adults.
Kindred Conversations: Musician Kyler Wilkins and Ki5
The first time I experienced Kyler Wilkins’ music I was mystified. I had to move toward the front of the audience to witness close-up all of the intricate and elegant sounds being amplified from a simple set up on stage. He was playing the Ann Arbor’s SummerFest side stage in June 2022.
Simply Natural Business: Practices For Creative and Spiritual People
Many creative and spiritual people shy away from starting or growing a business. This is unfortunate because we all benefit when more heart-centered people are active in the marketplace. Some of the reasons business can seem like a “no” have to do with hustle culture, corporate culture, and the general “vibes” of doing business.
All Creatures Great and Small: Winter Coop Wonderland
As the evenings grow colder and the nights get longer, I find myself looking for signs of Jack Frost on the windows and a small dusting of snow on the pines. As the season progresses, I make treks down to the river to see if the edges have started to form their delicate lace of ice and wake up each morning hoping to see a snow-covered wonderland. The kind of snow that brings silence and a deep, peaceful calm to the landscape where, when the sun hits it just right, the world glitters like diamonds.
Born of the Spirit: Storytelling is the Breath of Life
Once upon a time, within the swirling molecules of space, the Creator drew forth a deep breath of every color of energy and blew it into a clear, nearly spherical bowl. S(he)/we swirled the bowl gently, lovingly watching the sparkles of energy coalesce and cascade, mixing every possible setting, every conflict, every character, and every archetype. Then S(he)/we gently rolled the bowl out away from its BEing.
Quantum Field, the Collective Unconscious, and Intentional Creation
What do the Collective Unconscious and the Quantum Field have in common? Everything. They are one and the same. And what does the Quantum Field have to do with Intentional Creation? Everything. This is where all creation takes place.
Kindred Conversations with Hilary Nichols and Curtis Wallace
Curtis Wallace introduced his Be Creative Studio LLC in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 2019 after a lifetime of sharing his art professionally and prolifically. Be Creative Studios honors the honeybee and hexagons in their logo.
Handcrafting~ Autumn Wild Crafting
Autumn is the season of bounty, and it’s so easy to end up coming home after a wander into the natural spaces around us with pocket loads of natural treasures. Why not engage in some creative crafting with your harvest? Here are a few of my favorite autumn wild crafts to make the most of your gathering.
The Community High Resource Program: A Student's Perspective
We asked our fellow Community High School students, Claire Lewis and Jacqueline Boynton, to share their perspective about the community resource program at Community High and their experience in photography class.
Kindred Conversations: Susan McLeary and Kelly Campbell
It was a passion flower that first stopped Susan McLeary in her tracks. The exotic flower ignited her passion and initiated her purpose toward becoming a florist, a designer, an artist, and an author. Yet, educator is the title Susan McLeary identifies with most these days.
The Symphony of Development: Exploring the Importance of Music in a Baby’s Growth
In the delicate journey of a baby’s life, music weaves a melody that resonates far beyond the nursery walls. The impact of music on a baby’s development encompasses cognitive, emotional, social, and physical domains. Incorporating music into a baby’s early experiences is not just a source of joy but a powerful catalyst for holistic development.
