Heartlisten

Heartlisten: (heart·lis·ten) v. pronounced artlisten (a silent 'H')

1. The art of hearing or listening with your heart.
2. To feel the sound of something.

I sat on the cliffs, heartlistening the ocean.

One needs to go out in the fields and heartlisten the winds.

When searching for your truth, heartlisten for the answer.

origin:
2011, North American English, a compound word from the nouns Heart and Art, and the verbs Hear and Listen. Created by artist Dawn Breeze

Inspiration:
Jónas Hallgrímsson (November 16, 1807 – May 26, 1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist. He also contributed to the Icelandic language by adding words, such as; reikistjarna. This word means Planet and is derived from the words Að reika ((to wander) and Stjarna (star).

I understand Jónas's need to create words here in Iceland. Every day I am experiencing nature and myself in new ways, soft nuances as well as bold pronouncements and many of these experiences do not have the correct descriptive word in our English language. Our common language has become so broad and dull, and our experiences generalized in our vocabulary. I think that if we were able to communicate about finer particulars we would have and feel a deeper connection with one another.

Iceland Dazzles

If you havn't already visited my Iceland blog, www.eylenda.blogspot.com you should. Today I was completely dazzled by sun stars shooting off the arctic sea. I am in awe of the majestic beauty.

Iceland

I've changed my mind about the internet and decided to create a special online diary of sorts, while here in Iceland. You can visit it at www.Eylenda.blogspot.com I had decided before coming to Iceland that part of my work would be to document my experience. I feel that the blog format helps me do that by visualizing and understanding a bit of what I am doing, seeing and experiencing. I had decided to disconnect myself from the internet while here, to deeply feel the present moment. I still plan on doing that, mostly. It is vast here, I feel a bit like I'm bobbing. I wanted to meet myself here, it has been an intense greeting.

"So the sea journey goes on, and who knows where!
Just to be held by the ocean is the best luck we could have.
Its a total waking up!"
-Rumi

Arrived into my dreams

What is in front of me now, what I saw last night at midnight when I arrived

My lodge(has a green roof) last night at midnight

My studio (there's a skylight & a mini fridge w/ a coffee maker, HEAVEN)

Rainbow on my way to BAER on the bus
Rainbow on the way

I've Arrived! After many-many hours of travel and discomfort I arrived, I am here in my living dream. I am so grateful to be here. Thank you all who have helped to make this possible. I've decided that while I am here I will "unplug" from the internet and not be posting (I think?). I want to really be here in all my capacity. I want to only hear the voices of the other 3 women here and the wind. There is nothing I want or desire more then what I have right here, now. Thank you.

Thank you for helping my dreams come true!

T h a n k YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hallie Goodman, Claudia Frank, Wenonah Webster, Gretchen Kelly,

Dale Stewart-Frank, Kirin Buckley, LizFeldman Rice,

Oscar & Jenny Strodl, Paula Forman, Katherine Darling,

Melody Price, Amy Weinberg Paul DeMarchin,

Helen Anderson, Kristen St. Jean, Carla Sadoff,

Carrie Haddad, Wendy Mcdaris, Nancy Barber, Janet McClure,

Tabitha Grasing, Gabrielle Knight, Conamore Alexander,

Sarah Kilborne, Katherine Moore, Helen Sacco,

Timothy Ebneth, Robin Palmer, Walker Savage,

Cynthia Wright, Jennifer Mayer, Sanne Ameln, Set Editions,

Otto’s Market, Joseph Bartusis, Ann Moore, Susan Ball,

Mary Patterson, Kathe Izzo, Jessica Pisano, The Stewart family,

I have a week until I leave for Iceland. My bags have been packed with well wishes and support from you, my dear community (near and far!) The generosity and excitement I’ve received in response to my request for support has been beyond incredible. Baer gave me the chance to attend the residency of my dreams, but it is you who are giving me the opportunity to go. It is you who have given me the financial support now as well as the cheering and hurrah’s along my path. You are mamma’s, sisters, artists, art appreciators, friends, neighbors, friends of friends, you are my dream team and you are also my patronsJ Thank you, thank you, thank you!

There is still one week left to add your name to my list of patron saints, you can become a philanthopist for $5 or $500, I will publish my “Thank You List” with the program for my Iceland show this spring. Please visit my blog at www.growdreams.blogspot.com to donate using paypal. Or you can mail a check to: Dawn Breeze 228 Main st. Germantown, NY 12526

The first 25 $25 grattitude totes have been given out! But the next 10 $10 donations or above will receive a homemade postcard from Iceland!

Grow Your Dreams

I created a blog www.growdreams.com to tell my story and help raise some much needed funding towards my residency at BAER Iceland this summer. NYFA helped with a grant, my recent yard sale helped but I still need a bit more to make this happen. I've never considered asking out right for help towards my dreams as an artist, there's something so terribly uncomfortable about it. Perhaps its the idea that one must always work hard for what he wants and needing help somehow implies a weakness...but in this past year what I've learned is that no individual is a success alone-it is the support of the community, and the friends that believe in you who help you become your brightest shining self. I've had the great pleasure of helping others and witnessing their potential come alive with support and so I ask for you to put your hand together and help build my dreams too. We can do this for each other. We can help each other live our dreams. My success is as much your success!!!
I've hand silk- screened the cutest eco totes for the first 25 $25 donations to say THANK YOU!!!! Please check out my blog www.growdreams.blogspot.com and consider throwing your coffee change my way today, and making my dream come true♥

I WANT MORE

I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was screaming in Jerilyn's office a couple weeks ago-she's my therapist. I was screaming it, so I could play with the feeling of how uncomfortable it is for me to ask for what I want. Or not even ask-just saying what I want makes me squeamish. Just saying it in my head makes me blush and splotch up. You may not know that about me? But you wouldn't because its here that I occasionally am swept away with wry courage and the veil of the computer-the blog is a bit of a confessional and you are the audience behind the wall and curtain. (Of course that gets fuzzy when you write me a comment and I realize your reading this....)

In any case, that's not all I want to talk about. I want to tell you that two weeks ago, I felt like I was on the verge....of what I don't know, a bit of insanity I suppose. To some friends I described it as tremors coursing through my innards....a feeling of screaming insides, fierce yearning for more, more of myself EXPRESSED outside of myself... much more....and at the same time that I want "more" in contrast I want "less"-less stuff, less worry, less responsibility, less busyness, less distraction....so there has been a very intense feeling of inevitable change-shape shifting.

Getting to the point-I felt change-big changes inside me...and I felt big changes outside me....Tuesday the 15th was gigantic!

I decided to contact another more local adult residence program for adults in recovery from substance abuse and dual diagnosis, to discuss the idea of artistic creativity as a tool for self recovery. I was given an appointment that Tues. to speak with the director, which I went there to open a channel for dialogue, which I thought could inform me and help me to propose something for the other adult residence program....30 minutes in to my meeting, I was offered a job!!!!! I have been asked to develop and facilitate a program of creativity as a tool for deepening self awareness and expression for people in recovery. OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!! ( I don't know if that's the appropriate response, but here in my confessional that's my honest response, along with crying and sort of jumping up and down with excitement, joy and tremendous fear) It felt like god was showering me with golden jackpot winnings. (there is more I want to say about this place, but I am saving for another time...)
That afternoon, I also found out I was selected for a month long artist residency at Baer, Iceland. Which is a residency I have been dreaming of for 5 years...and it is REALLY A DREAM come true. REALLY. I found this residency the first year it opened, by whim..a whim that whispered Iceland in to my conscious, but the deadline had passed when I found it. The next year I was going to be delivering Sunny, then the third year I should tell you that I applied and I was not accepted. I wrote the director asking for pointers on how to improve a future application, as well as telling her how much the residency meant to me. The fourth year, they took a year off for public service, so this year I applied and I was accepted!!!!!!

Alway (always) try again when reaching for the stars.

Needless to say, I am still completely out of my mind. I had insomnia for a week, which I am now treating with some Yogi tea...today I settled down and began working on my "creative program" which I will share with you as I go......

I think what has me most excited is that I am beginning to feel and believe that my dreams do really come true, and that my truest dreams are all about being my truest self....that our work, is really about being ourselves. I have often thought "wouldn't it just be amazing if you didn't have to work, and you could just be supported for being yourself" I think that's just it, the work is being yourself.

(and it helps to let go of a clock or measuring stick-because god does not reign by our systems. Just try-try following your heart)