The image I'm sharing with you is a little tongue in cheek. Yes, it's my shadow as I wander with seeming aimlessness around my yard searching for something worthy of documenting with my iPhone camera. I was going to name it 'Splendor in The Grass' but that just garnered a significant eye roll from my wife so I went with title B instead. For some reason she said she felt it was more appropriate. It does sort of have that Film Noir, Bela Lugosi, air about it. Mysterious claw hand and all.

Actually there is a point to this seeming aimless rambling thought I'm sharing with you and it's this; Creative imagination is a use it or lose it proposition. The less you allow yourself to simply wander and create in a fluid and organic manner the less you will find yourself able or willing to do so.

Creatives are by nature a shady lot when compared to those who spend most of their  time hunkered down in the left hemisphere of their brain. This isn't an indictment, or an excuse, simply a fact that often bugs the hell out of those who don't understand the power the need to create exerts on those of us in our right mind. Now before you get your hackles up I'm referring to the left logical, right radical, thinking functions of the left and right hemispheres of the human brain.

This may seem a little convoluted or reversed to you, but politics aside, it makes sense to psychologists, neuroscientists, and artists who follow this sort of stuff. In short, if you want to find your Smile, give yourself a creative break now and then and just wander a bit. Just don't spend too much time in the sun or you might end up in front of a computer writing stuff like this.

You are welcome to support my passion and vision for helping people             find their Smile, If you're so inclined, by simply visiting my Fine Art America website where many of the images that accompany these articles can be found. Browse a bit and perhaps make a purchase if you like what you see:        www.michael-d-davis.pixels.com    

   ©2019 Michael D. Davis All Rights Reserved

Life is full of beautiful grandiose gestures if we keep our awareness tuned to such things. It's much too easy to get caught up in the movement and perceived and real pain of  daily living and then miss out on experiencing the truly magnificent as it unfolds before us.

Take this image for instance. Created with the simplest of tools, a phone camera, it was a painting made by nature in the heavens and a sight to behold for the having, simply by the act of looking upward and becoming aware of what was happening. It was the simplest of things but pure joy to the heart and soul to witness at one day's end.

Life is often like this. We find ourselves unprepared for the natural beauty and joy we are given as a gift for simply being alive, aware, conscious and breathing. We often ignore these things that give us respite in a world seemingly gone mad with strife, desperation, confusion and irritation. It can all be wiped away in an instant if we let our senses take in the whole picture and not simply dwell on what we are told is most important. We do well to Look up from the ground occasionally and contemplate the heavens. To truly live we must allow ourselves the privilege to do so. It's our choice. We simply need to remember to allow into our hearts and souls the simplest of things.

In the style of photographers like Robert Doisneau and Henri Cartier-Bresson this image portrays two people, lost in their own thoughts, while the world moves in, around and  through them. It was not staged or posed. It is real life as observed.

What are they thinking? Are they sad or happy, in love or comforting one another in sorrow? One caught moment in time. One instant captured and shared whose purpose is to captive you in your own thoughts.

I share this image, as visual art, and as catalyst for connection. What feelings rise to the surface as you contemplate this shared moment? Does it move you in some inexplicable way?

Art it is like a doorway to understanding life and our selves on a different level. We can open it if we so choose and become lost in whatever meaning we may find there. The experience, good or bad, cannot help but change us in some way.

(A series of artistic visual transformations created from a single digital image file)

 It’s time to have some fun applying a little visual enhancement and pixel manipulation using one of my favorite programs. I really like Topaz Studio let’s start out by introducing a bit of autumn foliage warmth to the overall look and feel of the image.

Smoke is used as a symbol and indicator of many things in life. It might mark a position, serve as an alert to a problem and even become a screen to hide behind. It can also be the result of the process of creating something of value. In the case of the accompanying image it is used as a tool for dramatic emphasis during an airshow.

One thing is certain about smoke. It gets people's attention. Light, heavy or dark, smoke alerts our senses and makes  us sit up and take notice. In some ways smoke is a fitting analogy for our lives. We all leave a rhetorical and symbolic smoke trail while traveling through the firmament of time. Some folks leave trails that linger for centuries while others are simply a flash and puff that vanishes almost as quickly as it appears.

Symbolically fire has often been used as an indicator of the passion and energy dwelling at the core of one's spirit and soul. Smoke then might be considered the visible sign of the existence of that felt and witnessed yet unseen source of symbolic burning. A shooting star may leave a trail lasting but a mere second, while the smoke from that trail may linger for much longer.

Have you ever paused to reflect on the nature of the rhetorical smoke trail you create in life, consciously or otherwise, that others might take notice of? Is it one that creates a desire in others to follow in hopes of discovering the source that feeds its existence? How long might that smoke trail linger once the source has been extinguished and what latent legacy might that trail leave for others to follow? What smoke trails do you choose to sit up, take notice of, and follow in your life? Why?

The art of Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than simply creating a pretty picture. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and share with others using the tools of light, insight and imagination. Email me if you're curious and let's chat about how we can connect to broaden and deepen your creative perspective.

On the eve of yet another year and another new decade I share this image with you of the USAF Thunderbirds. Since 1953 people have marveled at the precision and teamwork of the pilot's who fly in this elite group of aviators. It takes focus, dedication and the ability to practice and improve to successfully maneuver through every turn and loop they perform in close proximity to each other. Each member must  be capable of  clear 20/20 vision.

What a fitting analogy for each of us as we enter a new year and decade. In order to anticipate every  twist and turn in life and be ready when things throw us for a loop, we too must be focused, dedicated and committed to reaching our goals and stated mission in life. Like the Thunderbirds these things are a discipline practiced daily in mind, body and spirit, with complete focus being directed toward the goal to be achieved.  

As we contemplate our direction in this new year and decade we might consider this. Without there being a point on the horizon, a goal to focus on and aim towards, we will never get off the ground and our dreams for success will never be realized. Aiming high to reach our dreams doesn't rely on aimlessly flying in circles. Dedication to achieving new heights through a disciplined 2020 vision does.

The art of Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than simply creating a pretty picture. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and share with others using the tools of light, insight and imagination. Email me if you're curious and let's chat about how we can connect to broaden and deepen your creative perspective. 

Ever wonder if angels are real? Do you sometimes wish that you could see one, absorb some of the good energy they purportedly exude and be in some way enlightened by the message of good will and joy they bring? I can tell you that angels are real. We often are simply looking in the wrong place and don't recognize them for who and what they are.

Angels often work alone and silently. They don't often draw attention to themselves or make a big entrance. They do what they do not out of some sense of personal gain, but rather out of simply acknowledging that there are those in need and knowing that they are needed. They don't care about year end tax deductions, how they come across to others, or seek accolades for the daily miracles they perform. They come from all beliefs, abilities, circumstances and backgrounds. Goodness knows no barriers.

Yes angels do exist, they exist in the heart and mind of each and every one of us, waiting to be called upon to do the good works they were meant to do, and to become the force of enlightenment they are meant to be. In this season where many of us reflect on the often illusive dream of peace on earth and good will towards all men, perhaps we should pause to consider how that peace and good will might come about, and from where it may originate. This too is an integral part of Seeing beyond seeing.  I sincerely wish the most joyful Season of reflection and contemplation to you all.

The art of Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than simply creating a pretty picture. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and share with others using the tools of light, insight and imagination. Email me if you're curious and let's chat about how we can connect to broaden and deepen your creative perspective.