January 21, 2004
Hello!
A bit of sad news from this corner, but sad news that comes with a lesson to teach, as sad news usually does. Earlier this week, we lost out darling family cat, Muzeeka. She was my cat for years, and later lived with my parents. I adopted her as a kitten, after she was rescued from horrible abuse by teenagers in an alleyway in Manhattan. She was the cutest thing you could imagine – a short-haired Persian with big, round eyes like sparkling emerald planets. But she was extremely timid so most people rarely even saw her adorable face because she spent most of her time hiding.
After years of living with me and my other cats, it became clear that Muzeeka would be better off in a one-cat household, and so my parents adopted her. Over time – several more years, in fact - she came out of her timid shell and truly flourished in their home. She even converted my father, who was an – ahem - "non-cat person". Muzeeka and my father seemed to tame one another and became the best of buddies. There was much we learned from Muzeeka – perhaps most of all, the grace of patience, of hope, of the mysterious healing tonic of time.
She will be missed. The sudden loss of Muzeeka prompted this week’s Articulation, titled Absence.
To view Absence, click here!
If the above link doesn't work, simply cut and paste this URL in your browser:http://www.artellawordsandart.com/artic59.html
Musings on Questions: A Mini-Article
This week we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. King seems to epitomize the ideal of a person Who Made a Difference. Who dared to ask the unasked questions and inspire dramatic change in energy in the world.
The memory of the work of monumental leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. can intimidate me, and I imagine I’m not the only one. We can think of these people and then obsessively ask ourselves, "How can am I supposed to be changing the world? What should I be giving up so that I can rightfully serve others? What am I here to do? And how can I do it RIGHT NOW?" These are powerful inquiries that may help us find our place in the world, but to me, they can feel overwhelming.
Asking questions is a great shortcut to making personal changes. But I think there is an important step in asking questions of ourselves. It is simple but easy to dodge when the thought of Our Purpose becomes heavy. I think we must aim to ask questions that feel good, and not ones that feel overbearing or laden with pressure or guilt.
What if, instead of exhaustingly seeking Our Greater World-Changing Purpose, we could be content to ask questions that have more to do with us, and less to do with the world? What if we could make inquiries such as
What is my truth?
What do I know for sure?
When do I feel happiest?
Whom do I love helping?
When do I feel most like Me?
When do I feel the most balanced?
I highly recommend two powerful tools from Jennifer Louden, author of Comfort Secrets for Busy Women, that can assist with asking ourselves gentle, thought-provoking questions. The Daily Dollup and The Inner Organizer are tools that I use and adore, and I encourage you to check them out. Whether you work with Jennifer's inspiring tools, or exploring the art of questioning in your own journal writing, I believe that getting "the world" out of the picture and just starting with who WE are is a strong base, and a hearty beginning. When we are grounded in the answers to these questions, we can move forward with connecting to our work in the world.
As Jennifer shared in a recent edition of The Daily Dollup: "I wish you the verve, the vigor, the vibrancy, the vivacity, the vitality, the oomph to keeping asking the questions. As all the great sages knew, to receive help, you've first got to ask".
A thought in closing...it actually isn't my thought, but comes from the man for whom I was named, Carlyle Marney, who was one of my father's mentors. In response to my young father's impatience with reaching his academic desires, Carlyle Marney said, "Be patient. The world will wait for your contribution."
And sometimes it feels good just to hear that, I think.
News from The Shoppes of Artella!.
This is a brand new section of Articulation that will be included each week, as we announce the a weekly artist featured in The Shoppes of Artella. The week, our featured artist is Cathe Bedard. Cathe's work is incredibly diverse, and breathtakingly beautiful. I invite you take a look at the rich artistry of Cathe's soul.
If YOU would like to sell your work in The Shoppes of Artella, now is the perfect time to get started! Thanks to Artella's Technical Support Guru, Bobby Miller, and two brand new interns, we'll be building Web pages faster and more efficiently than ever, to get your work seen by thousands of customers immediately! Click here for info about selling your work.
Also, there's a BIG DISCOUNT in the Book Shoppe! Many of you remember my mini-zine, What Wings Are Made Of, which was included in Artella 4...or the special audio-visual Articulation offering, The Spark of Identity, that I shared with Articulation readers last month. I'm happy to announce that my full-length audio-visual eBook (with 18 "wings" stories, brought to life with lavish illustrations, audio narration, and interactive fun stuff) is only $4.00, until January 30. That's 2/3 off the regular price of $12!!
When you buy it, you also buy license to share it with 2 other people. Make your week wonderful, and give someone else a unique gift of whimsical insight, hope, and courage...all for only $4.00!
Click here to grab your copy!.
Artella News!
1. Artella 5 mailout complete! Due to several days of being snowed in, and the public holiday yesterday, the mailing got a bit behind. But the good news is that every order has been filled and mailed out, as of today. If you haven't received yours yet - thanks for your patience! It's on its way! If you haven't ordered the issue, I invite you to take a look at the sample page layouts I've added to the Web site. Just go to the Individual Issues page and scroll down to Artella 5, Winter Magic & Muse. Click the cover of the issue to see the samples.
If you HAVE received your copy, I hope you are enjoying your stroll through winter magic! If you are, I would be soooo grateful if you would be willing to offer a voice testimonial for me to use on the Artella Web site. If you lost the flyer you received with the toll-free number to call for your testimonial, jot me a quick email and I'll send it to you. It's fast, free, and will help Artella a lot! THANK YOU!
2. Production schedule update! Since issue 5 went out in January, it made sense to push everything ahead one month. The next issue will be e-Artella #e-5 in February, followed by the print Artella 6, The Elements: earth, air, fire water, in March. For a complete list of upcoming themes and their submission deadlines, click here!
3. Workshops update! Goalar Energy 2004 is in its third day, and so it’s not too late to join in this session, if you're itching to make that goal HAPPEN! The info can be found on the workshops page...and be sure to listen to the sample audio lesson while you are there. In just three days, current participants are already saying that the audio lessons are invaluable!
There’s lots of buzz about my new course, Create Your Own YOUniversity, a four-month course which guides you in developing, writing, facilitating, and marketing your own teleworkshops, e-courses, eBooks. This course is a dream come true to me, as it is thrilling to create a comprehensive course based on all I have learned in creating a thriving full-time business in Artella. Check out the details about YOU * U by clicking here.
(A quick note: while the YOU * U course specifically deals with products and services delivered via the Internet, I can recommend a wonderful resource if you are interested in publishing a self-book book with a traditional print publisher. Suzanne Falter-Barns' Self-Help Author's Crash Course started yesterday, BUT she told me she allow anyone that I recommend to still sign up. I've sat in on her teleworkshops for this course and Suzanne really KNOWS what she is talking about!)
4. Earn Money with New Affiliate Program!Speaking of e-courses, Artella has a brand new Affiliate Program where you can earn some extra money simply by spreading the word about Artella's e-courses. You earn a 25% commission on every sale you generate (commissions range from $3-$125, depending on the course.) I LOVE this program because everyone wins!
Here's how it works – when you sign up (there's no cost involved) you'll receive a special URL with your unique ID. Use this URL to tell people about Artella – whether it's spreading the word casually to friends, or engaging in a more intense promotional process, with our assistance. Any e-course sales that are generated from your link (within 6 months of when the person first clicks your link) earn you a 25% commission. See, I told you – everyone wins! Check out the details on the new Affiliates page.
5. Special issue next week! Finally, I'll tantalize you with a special announcement...next week Articulation will feature the 2nd Quarterly edition of ArticuLiaison, where I connect you with my very favorite resources for living a creative, fulfilling life. While ALL the products mentioned in the Fall '03 ArticuLiaison still stand, next week's edition will have all brand-new ideas! (And if you missed one, check out the link, above. There's cool stuff in there!)
Artful Links
1. www.SeedFusion.com is a Web site packed with resource for women entrepreneurs of all kinds. An outgrowth of Lynn Franks' not-so-typical business book, The SEED Handbook, this not-so-typical Web site grabs you from the moment you lay your eyes on its spectacular Flash intro. Please take a visit...you will be so glad you did! (SEED, by the way, stands for "Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics", the Feminine Way to Do Business.)
2. Earlier in this newsletter, I mentioned my What Wings Are Made Of eBook and mini-zine...well, writer and artist Bill Charlebois read the mini-zine and was inspired to make his OWN wings. Visit Bill's Web site and click on "Artella Inspired" to check them out. Bill also has some interesting digital art and stories on his site, so be prepared to linger!
Wishing you paradise along the road...
~with a growing-stronger heart,
Marney
Artella Editor
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