If you have not checked out Flow Magazine and you are a Creative, do yourself a favor: take a browse through it at a local bookstore’s newsstand. It is an international publication trademarked in the Netherlands. For that reason alone it was a draw for me. I love reading and learning from authors and sources outside of the U.S. Something a little different is always refreshing for me
The cover price of this magazine put me off for more than a year (the screenshot cover reads US$22.99). Bur last year I had a Barnes and Noble gift card and, come on, the cover featured Frida Kahlo! So, I was sucked in.
So, I will let you take the time to look inside — this is a link to the current
With stencils, featured art studios, project ideas and jumping off points, you could make this magazine last for months and never run out of things to do. But, it wasn’t until a week ago that I noticed the cover had a quote under its title (it was submerged in the artwork). The quote is by Bertolt Brecht and it reads,
“I’m standing still for a moment, which is good progress.”
Let that sink in. How could standing still possibly allow me to move forward? This immediately sends my mind to the focus on mindfulness that I don’t practice enough. To be fair, I do try to be still more today than I did a year ago.
In the Holy Bible, Psalm 46:10 reads, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God…” I see Be still on wall art, in graffiti, on cafe chalkboards. On the surface, that is great advice. Just be, in other words. Notice what is around you. Shut up and sit down for a minute and truly focus on what is going on around you! (have to laugh here because I just finished writing that sentence when I saw our one-and-a-half-year-old Black Lab/Great Dane mix, Tucker, flip one of our 11-week-old foster puppies on his back and gut punch him with his nose. The pup is fine as he and his brother play rough regularly. Did I practice being still? Of course not. There’s a time for action and that was one of them.)
But there are more opportunities in a day to be mindful, be still and notice what is around you. For me, I say a thank you to God when I am mindful enough to do that as well.
Be still. Take a breath. Just forget what the next thing is that you need to do and stay in the moment. I promise, you’ll be glad you did.
Peace Out,
Cathy
