8 Comments

Epic post!

- Great music, the recording here, and I'm checking out Travel Poems Chapter 2

- Exciting plans

- The outdoor studio looks incredible

- Agreed that more focus should be paid to creating demand for art. There are many issues, but one, IMO, is that there are too many fractured advocates for particular programs, genres, types, industries, etc. When combined, creative production outpaces the economic value of construction and transportation in the US without even considering intrinsic and social benefits.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks so much Ryan!!

Really great to hear your input on this. Are you aware of advocacy orgs / collectives whose primary aim is to survey the landscape and direct attention, help connect programs to the communities they would help, etc? The same way there are non-profits auditing/ranking all the non-profits one might donate to — but in arts, directed at institutions, not primarily to channel funds but rather awareness, etc ?

Expand full comment

No problem!

I do not know of any organization that does what I think you are getting at...but it is a good idea. I think arts funders are looking to reach more communities that are underserved or under the radar, so the idea of an entity that lifts up some of those organizations and communities is intriguing.

Expand full comment

Love MaryAnne’s work, and some of the far out origins of it. The further out, the better I say…. Nothing worse than arrested development in our psychedelic journey of a life. 🌸🌸 Loving the sacred discipline of your project.

Expand full comment
author

appreciate you Dany 💛💕 I just started reading about the origins of A Course in Miracles, utterly wild !

what has been your experience in this area, either the discovery of it or how it has affected you?

Expand full comment

I guess it was inevitable growing up in Santa Cruz in the 80s and 90s…. the energy was all around and the trialogues were happening (McKenna, Sheldrake, Abraham), and waterbirth/ecstatic birth was expanding (Tonetti-Vladimirova), Esalen and Berkeley were near by and the Bay Area was still alive with so much creative energy. Infectious, I’d say. I was lucky to have caught the tail end of it before the Silicon Valley took over the imagination. No matter where I go, it’s informed my life and my perspective in huge ways. I love the fact that Sheldrake is still teaching (he just did a far-out lecture on water memory and water computers a couple of years ago), and so is Tonetti-Vladimirova. Always looking for new teachers, so don’t hesitate to throw some more names my way to explore. 🌸Cheers.

Expand full comment
author

Wowwww did we talk about Santa Cruz ever? I went to UCSC in the 2000s and found it to be my first true spiritual home. That’s amazing to hear about the enveloping creative presence in high concentration before that era. You’ve reawakened my envy for experiencing those times — which was also recently piqued by conversations with another longtime Santa Cruz ex-resident, the astonishing Elizabeth Shull, whose art blows my heart to pieces. (https://www.eashull.com by the way.)

There is something kindred among many who have come into contact with Santa Cruz energies. I’m unfamiliar with most of the work of the people you reference so this is a great starting point. You attended the Sheldrake lecture? And are you involved in connected fields these days?

Likewise if ever you want to send other points of light I would be tremendously excited to explore. Thank you Dany !! ☀️

Expand full comment

Wow! Indeed, there is a kindred energy amongst the Santa Cruz crowd, no matter where we are. I lived there in late 90s, my husband lived there most of his life til we left. I guess, like most, we were either priced out or the energy and spirit of the area just fizzled out. But, we carry the spirit of the times in our hearts wherever we go. As I said, I caught the wave at the very tail end of it... I was lucky to still have a few far out professors in college (very few, but totally impactful), and to know some wild folks in the alternative health community who were ageing but had had friendships with people like Alan Watts. A couple degrees of separation between myself and all these wildly brilliant folks, but the influence is most felt. I know it's cliché, but the California spirit (especially the CA that was born of the counter culture of the 60s) is hard to crush ... if we paid attention, all of us that were there were seriously touched by it and it informs our drive and creativity and questioning of reality. It's good.... we get to spread the good vibes wherever we go. I have not attended lectures, wish I would have... "magic" of the internet keeps the material alive for us to explore. 🌸 Shull's work is beautiful... thank you for sharing.

Expand full comment