“If you are not generating as much culture as you are consuming, you’re in trouble” –Antero Alli
The Culture I Am Generating – Media Output
Living Love Revolution has a theme song which I created with Evan Flory Barnes
[audio:http://www.livingloverevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/LLR-Theme-Song.mp3|titles=LLR Theme Song]The services (Classes, salons, workshops rituals and events) of Living Love Revolution are the media being produced by Living Love Revolution. In addition to the art, chants, embodiment exercises (link to grounding, visualizations and meditations I share in my services), I have been creating and privately sharing media not designed for public contexts.
My current projects include:
Soul Gazing In Bed
Rewiring My Attachement Style a series of 1-3 min videos I’ve been recording of my lovers faces in bed. I began this project to specifically address my own need to have a more integrated brain. I am choosing to expose myself to close up images of my lovers faces from a range of 3”-1’ distance. I ask them “What do you like about me” and record their oxytocin-filled seratonin-high zygomatic smiles with pupil dilated gazes that communicate wonder, love and bliss. I am then watching these recordings without sound, each morning shortly after I wake. I follow the viewing of the videos with 20-40 min of meditation. Unfortunately, I have never seen in any medium, the recording of people being loving in this way. Some of David Steinberg’s erotic photography gets close. In general main stream media does not show us images of people (most especially cis males) being vulnerable and intimate in this way. I believe that my own personal development was deeply affected by the lack of this reflection from my father. I am replacing that lack in present time in order to create a sense of satisfaction and resourcing in my own well-being. After reading Mindsight (see below) I think I am inventing techniques congruent with the new field of Interpersonal Nuerobiology that can replace some of my neurotic behaviors with healing alternatives.
Holy Sacred Whores Art Project
I am currently working on 30 4”X4” mixed media collages and paintings representing people I know, Herstorical Figures and Ancient Goddesses who represent my experience of the Sacred Whore Archetype. These works will be hung in the July 30/30/30 show at Avanti Art & Design and will be part of the context of the Workshop “Return of the Divine Feminine” held at Avanti on Wed July 13th. Veronia Monet and Nekole Shapiro will co-present this workshop with me ( give links to their websites)
Video Slideshows of my other erotic art: Evidence of Love & Diary of a Clitorist.
Article Published in The Sound
Earth, Starry Heavens & Restoring Mycelium Networks Article
Here you will find my recent article published in the local pagan zine “The Sound”
The Culture I Have Been Consuming (in order of impact)
Books & Magazines
1. MindSight: The New Science of Personal Transformation Daniel Siegel M.D.
2. Parabola Giving & Receiving Summer 2011 Vol 36 No.2
3. The Buzz About Bees: Biology of a Superorganism by Jurgen Tautz
4. Sacred Kink: The Eightfold Paths of BDSM & Beyond by Lee Harrington
5. A Short History of the Honey Bee Ilona & E.Readicker-Henderson
6. Kissing the Hag by Emma Restall Orr
7. Whipping Girl by Julia Serano
8. Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper by C. Marina Marchese
9. Adbusters The Philosophy Issue; Post West #95 Vol19 N0.3
10. Strip City by Lily Burana
11. Bust “Women Who Rock” June/July 2011 Vol 69
Daniel Seigel’s book Mindsight I found Mr. Siegel’s book because I read the latest issue of my favorite magazine Parabola (see above) The Article “The Neurobiology of We” by Patty de Llosa. The Brain Science behind why Embodiment exercises are the cutting edge of human evolution and social change activism. Siegel uses a postmodern definition of the human mind not as a specific organ (brain) or a specific place but a process; “The human mind is a relational and embodied process that regulates the flow of energy and information”. In fact “the mind, brain and relationships are not separate elements of life -they are irreducible aspects of one interconnected triangle of well-being.” Brain Science has also taught us about Neuroplasticity; the brain can grow new neural networks and you can thus teach an old dog new tricks. Meditation and other embodiment practices that help to focus the mind can help one build the skill of MindSight. Using the mind to alter the brain by intentionally building new neural networks. So consciously intentionally chosing what media you consume and generate has a lot to do with what neural networks you grow and who you relate to deeply impacts the quality of your mind. HMMMM…..
Siegel outlines the 8 domains of Integration that are keys to personal transformation and well-being. So it is actually possible to identify which of the 8 areas you are not integrated in and then create specific here and now actions that can rewire your brain and move you towards integration. So I identify through reading this book that I have an insecure ambivalent attachment style in my interpersonal relationships. I’ll skip how this pattern of neural firing got ingrained in me and simply report that in present time,if another person is late for a scheduled meeting with me or otherwise does not do what they verbally agreed to do, that I have a dramatic emotional upset. My brain thinks I am in danger and my mind creates the meaning that there is something wrong with me or that I am being abandoned or rejected. I can now tell the difference between what happened when I was 2-4 and what is happening in present time. I am starting to be able to uncollapse other people’s behavior from a narrative about me. I need regular exposure to facial reflections that provide acceptance and acknowledgement. I am exposing myself to close up images of lover’s faces in loving and bonding intimate oxytocin producing contexts. I am consciously reminding myself that people being late is about them and not me. I am going to intentionally expose myself to these videos every day for a month and see if it can rewire. I’ll let you know what happens. I am on day 3 of this experiment and already feel much more relaxation and calm.
See: Dan Siegel’s Website, Interview on Sounds True, and TED Talk for even more info.
Websites & Videos
Gaia Bees – All about Bees and Michael Theile. This website has the videos and philosophy of the man who is a Zen Buddhist and tends bees bare handed.
The Melissa Garden – a Honey Bee Sanctuary
Friendly Haven Rise Farm – Alternative beekeeping classes held in Venersborg, WA (Southwest corner of WA outside Portland) to brush up on my bee charmin’ skills….
Queen of the Sun – A movie clip which brought much of this to my attention
Here’s a brilliant article by M.Theile about biodynamic contexts for bees
Honoring the Bien
The Bee Myth – An animated video
Movies
“To Dream of Falling Upwards” 2011 directed written and filmed by Antero Alli
Watch an Excerpt or Visit the Movie Site
“The New World” 2005 directed by Terrence Malick starring Colin Farrell as Captain John Smith and Q’Orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas with Christian Bale & Christopher Plummer. Breathtaking cinematography, Pochahontas centered portrayal of Jamestown Settlement and indigenous peoples early cultural encounters.
These four short films curated by Three Dollar Bill for the Seattle Erotic Art Festival altered something in me
“Perfect Day” (2010) Director: Juanma Carrillo & Felix Fernandez
“Fuck Buddies” (2010) Director: Juanma Carrillo
“Piss” (2010) Directors: Vincent Peone & Bette Bentley
“Fourplay: San Francisco” 2010 directed by Kyle Henry
The Music
“King of Limbs” Radiohead, “21” Adele also “xx,” Damien Rice, and all my old stand bys: King Crimson, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel.
Performance/Events
SEAF Amazing Art
Including:
“The Queeriodic Table” by Kona! & Jen Crothers
Poets who wrote pieces about the art including Lydia Swartz!
Inner Yoni by August J. Le Beuof a chair sculpture that created states of bliss.
The Burlesque by Luminous Pariah& Paris Original and the entire troupe of Blues Swing dancers and Aerialists Friday night that brought me to tears!