"Creative Hands" ~ A visual and verbal journey in the rebirth of the creative spirit.

The beginning...

This prehistoric cave painting inspires me to begin a time of reawakening as an artist. I find it moving to think of the earliest humans simply placing the mark of their hands on the walls of time. I've been stuck, stagnant, asleep, and passive in my creative life for the past couple of years. I decide to consider my hands with the same sense of wonder I had as a child... what does it mean to create images?

What do I have to say?

What is the mark that I would make on the world?

Can I do this gently with that same first sense of wonder and joy?

This blog will only include the words that I placed under each image. The book I've created holds the deeper insight that I found as I journaled while I worked.

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"Finding the Flow"
I like the sense of energy in the flowing black lines.

The waters are cool and cleansing.

The green growth is still new and just emerging.

I still feel tentative... no need to hurry the process.

Allow the white spaces to remain... it is a birthing.

I see the strength and power in my hands.

I feel the tension in the need to create.

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"Returning to the Source"

Here in the forest of life I return to the source of my deepest joy.

Here I find my heart and my creative spirit.

Here I can be still and listen to the music of my life.

Gently... the pure spring will feed my soul.

Allow my trees to be fed and to grow above and below the earth.

Who knows what paths I will take... just grow from that source.

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"The Hand Holds the Flame"

Creative energy explodes from my hands!

Perhaps my images are too hot to touch at times?

Don't be afraid of the powerful images.

Melting wax becomes the flow.
My art can light the way... illuminate the path.

I light up my life with the joy of making art!

Laugh with the world... and laugh with myself!

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"Moving Mountains"

"We are opening up in sweet surrender

to the luminous love light of the One."

Honor the dark times and honor the rest.

Find the wisdom in the depth of my soul.

Be patient and wait for the growth to begin.

Move slowly and thoughtfully and celebrate the opening.

Birth my spirit into the light once more!

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"Creative Spirit"

Life is an endless flow of creative possibilities!

I will stretch my wings and feel the breath of life lift me.

Feel my heart beating in the tender body of this Creative Spirit.

Allow the colors to emanate out through my fingers...

tingling and flying and sharing my joy with others!
I sing my song with clarity... changing tunes like a mockingbird.
Fly high, sweet spirit... coming home to your nest as needed.

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"Weaving the Web"

"O' what a tangled web we weave!"

Weaving and dancing and entwining, we form a whole.
Find your space to be, find your way to flow...
within and around and between.

Open your life and your heart to new strands of life.
Make space for relationships and experiences.
Celebrate the vibrant colors of community.

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"Healing Hands"

Honor the intention to share healing energy.

Place yourself in sacred space.
Open your heart, your body, and your hands to the
mysterious powers of the universe.
Leave your rational, analytical mind for now,
and offer yourself to the flow.
Trust in the wisdom of all that is,

and trust in the warmth of our love for each other.
Give and receive.

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"Chorus of Critics"

O ye little voices who think you know so much...

what makes you sing so loudly in my ear?
Go away for now... I have work to do!
Move over and make space for the voices
who sing praise... I need to hear those, too.
We are all holy... we are all valid...

we all have our songs to sing.

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"Continuum"

I come deep into the cave of time and place my mark on the wall.

Join the stories, the voices, the images of time.

Reach deep into the well of my heart and find my truth.

Translate my thoughts and experiences into imagery.

Let them flow to my fingertips and emerge into the world.

I honor my hands, their work, and the joy that brings me.

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This book with the complete writings about each image is available for $15. It is printed on my home computer and quality is extremely good with a heavy weight cover. Please contact me if you'd like to know more.

Heather Cramer
hcramer@nc.rr.com

Happy New Year!

Deep peace of the

whispering winds to you.

Deep peace of the

warming sun to you.

Deep peace of the

flowing waters to you.

Deep peace of the

gentle earth to you.

Home is where the heart is...

Many of us will take time to travel away from home this summer, perhaps going to visit family and friends, perhaps seeking adventures in far away places, or perhaps looking for some peace and solitude in a mountain cabin or by the ocean. Wherever you go, and whoever you choose to spend this time with, you will find yourself rejuvenated and refreshed... and usually ready to return home. Our feelings about home and what that means will vary... and change as we change. Home is where you choose to settle your heart and gather all that is good around you.
(Click on the images for an enlarged view.)

"The House of the Rising Sun" is a playful 3D painting which explodes with the warmth of the sun and carries the heart of the home on its door. The house is a little off kilter with all the energy it holds, and it's rays stretch out and beyond to find something new in each day. How are you reaching out this summer to find new adventures?

"Sandcastle Dreams" is a fantasy that lasts in the moment... standing tall and beautiful on the beach until the tide comes in and washes it away. But, we continue to hold that dream in our hearts and return and rebuild it again. It is the home of our childhood and the dreams we create with our children and grandchildren. Be sure to dream this summer... and play!

"The River is Flowing" speaks to where I go to restore my soul... the sweet air in the mountains and the chill of a mountain stream bouncing over the rocks and around my feet. I love to smell the rich earth and to touch the green mosses on the ground. When I was a child, my mother would kneel down and tell me, "This is where the fairies come out to dance at night!" I still believe her. Returning to the mountains and the woods and the massive rocks is like returning to my mother. I can almost feel her heart beating against mine in Mother Earth. The song of the streams as they flow by are cleansing and clear.

"Rose Colored Dreams" reminds us to take the time to dream... to plan... to reassess... to consider what is important in our lives and perhaps look for a different path. Step back from your busy life and be grateful for all that you hold dear... a roof over your head, enough to eat, family to laugh and even quarrel with, friends to share adventures and stories with... all of these things fill our hearts and bring us home.

"Come and Sit By My Window" is an invitation to those who come in and out of your home and your life. You may offer a cup of tea, or a sympathetic listening ear, or a great joke for some good deep laughter, or just sitting and being together. In this world of emails and cell phones and facebook, how often do you invite a friend over for lunch... just to talk and hear each other's stories?


"Hearts Filled With Love" creates a repeating pattern that knows no end. Find your heart and your home wherever you are... and let's create an endless pattern together!

Have a wonderful summer!
In peace, Heather

Dancing in the sunshine!

We're basking in the heat of summer now... finding ways to keep cool and enjoying the lazy days of vacations, camp, and sipping iced tea in a hammock. Does the sun fire up your creativity? Here are some images I've created over the years that speak to the inspiration of sun and fire in my life... do they bring out the dance of your life? Who are you dancing with?

"Dancing Full Circle" was originally created as the logo for UU Womenspirit's 10th anniversary celebration. I later changed the colors to give it a more vibrant and firey feeling. Women of all shapes, sizes, and ages dance to the same rhythm... and that resonates when women gather to share their stories and find a common heartbeat. (Click on each image for an enlarged view.)

Another image of dancing is "The Dance of Life." I participated in a mandala workshop and was so totally immersed in creating this image with pen and pastels that later in the day I couldn't remember who was in the workshop with me or who had led it! We are able to claim the exhuberance of this dance as we negotiate our way through the daily labyrinths of social norms and expectations. But what joy we find when we can let go and dance with total abandon! Don't forget to give yourself these opportunities whenever you can... your life will spiral out from you!

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"Spiraling into the Center" is a familiar chant we sing as we dance in a long chain of hands and hearts... spiraling in and spiraling out. This watercolor and pen drawing shows faces only, but still illustrates the connections of our lives and souls as we join together in our life journeys. Let it be a dance... and don't forget to be amused!

And finally, at day's end, gather with your sisters around the fire and share the stories of your lives by "Calling the Circle." Soak in the warmth of the day and the glow of the fire that burns at the center of your circle. Feel the energy that moves around the circle as you join hands and hearts in common understanding.

Dance and create your life in the sunshine of the summer!

In peace, Heather

"Go to your studio and make stuff!"

When I say I'm an artist, the first thing I'm asked is, "What do you do?" or "What is your media?" A glazed look comes over my eyes as I search for a profound answer, but all that comes is "I make stuff... whatever I can get my hands on to create with or from." The beauty of the creative spirit is that there are so many materials to dabble in... and so much to say visually!

This photo of "Stick Your Neck Out" speaks volumes for me. She began as a lovely old porch post given to me by a friend as we cleared out her house following a fire. I studied this post for several years, considering many options before I settled on this one. Adding an old film reel for her halo and other pieces of wood (from leftover paddle ball bats to wooden beads) brought her into her full glory.

The arts are a universal language. Music, dance, and visual art require no translation from one culture to another. The message, if clearly created, speaks to all. "STYNO" constantly reminds me to engage my passion for art as a voice in our search for a better world... pushing myself beyond my comfort zones. Whatever your passion, find the courage to "Stick Your Neck Out" and help create a better world... whether it be in your own back yard or globally.

It is my intention with this blog to share art that I have created over the years and to tell the stories behind the imagery. Perhaps now and then something will resonate with your own life journey and we can smile together in recognition.