Deepen Your Topophilia &

Find Heaven

I love this small park, really, just this small section of the small park by the lake.

I know the crows who visit,

the squirrels that hop and zip,

the robins singing and hunting,

the sound of the waves gently lapping or crashing in winter storms,

the low clouds zooming north along the lake,

the sunrise peaking over the Cascades,

the beaver chewed trees,

the beavers passing through,

the transcendent chirping of the widgeons,

the honking I hear long before

the Canada geese land, rippling through the water.

I’ve watched the eagle spook the raft of ducks

as she cruised along the shore, still and deadly.

I have painted and sketched this place dozens of times.  I have slowly danced the Taiji forms here hundreds of times steadily becoming one with the place.

Intimacy is revealing yourself to yourself in the presence of another.  – Frank H, the psychiatrist.

If intimacy is as Frank says, then the other can be and often is – Place.

Topophilia (From Greek topos “place” and -philia, “love of”) is a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of cultural identity among certain peoples and a love of certain aspects of such a place. – Wikipedia.

This morning, I read a review of Tom Killion’s newest book, a collaboration with poet Gary Snyder.   California’s Wild Edge has a collection of Japanese style wood block prints of a place he loves – Marin County, California.  Killion talks about Topophilia and sketching and it got me thinking…

I could view two of my sketching books as topophilia books.  My books are about connecting with the Sacred through drawing and sketching, but isn’t that just another way to talk about loving a place?   And through that love of place connecting to the Divine, the present moment?

And doesn’t that reveal myself to myself?

Here’s my expectation —

Loving one place in one season will lead to loving all places and in all seasons – loving all the heres and all the nows.

Then you will know the Pure Land.  You will live in Heaven.

And who is that self that is revealed to yourself now?

Book Giveaways

These books will help you fall in love with your places.  I promise.

Insert covers

Sketching, Poetry, and the Sacred Present Moment: A Magically Potent Way To Savor Your Life   Paper Back Version    Kindle version

The Kindle version will be free starting May 7^th 2016 ending at midnight May 11^th.

Drawing the Sacred: Communing with the Sacred through Drawing – An Illustrated Journey   Paper Back Version       Kindle version

The Kindle version will be free starting May 28^th  2016 ending midnight June 1^st.

What Places Do You Love?

Consider what places you love.  How does that nurture your heart?  How does that expand your abilities to be intimate?

May you walk in beauty,

William

P.S. Pass this on to your friends, please.

P.P.S. If you have already read the books, please review them.  I just takes a moment.  It’s a fact:  Amazon supports and promotes books based on the number and quality of reviews (stars).  I’d love your help getting these ideas out in the world.

P.P.P.S. If you haven’t read the books, consider getting them and reading them, then writing a review.

P.P.P.P.S. We donate to the Trust for Public Land because of their deep sense of topophilia.  They are masters at saving and preserving great places.