Soul Portrait

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." -- Aristotle

"Art is that gift which reveals to us the state of our own perfection."-Ku-kai

I had two of the most amazing women collaborate to give me the most beautiful gift yesterday.  A dear friend, A.P., who I have been supporting on her journey into "being known" in the world, set me up with an artist named Celeste for a sitting.  Celeste is a "visionary artist" who creates colored drawings she calls "soul portraits."  She was visiting Houston on her once-a-year stop here, and my friend scheduled and paid for an appointment for me.  Over a period of about an hour Celeste gave me several amazing gifts.  First, she gave me a rich feeling of being deeply and sincerely acknowledged and appreciated for who I am and for the work I do in the world, which felt absolutely wonderful.  Second, she honored me by capturing and communicating her vision of me through her art.  And third, by doing so, she gave me the most incredible and personal experience of who she is.  It was a fabulous exercise that I will treasure for a lifetime, and the portrait moves me beyond words. 

Someday, when I get over my shyness about what just occurred, I will scan it in and share it with all of you.  For now, forgive me while I just stare at it in wonder for awhile.  I now have a sense of what it might be like for those 150 or so of you with whom I have collaborated to create a personal vision for your life.  It's both challenging and intoxicating to sit with another person's artistic representation of the awesome beauty of your soul.  Wow, A.P.!