by Lezli Censullo

Last week, I returned from an amazing art retreat in the South of France where a small group of very blessed artists spent seven days looking at, noticing and exploring the patterns of everyday life and delighting in how we are surrounded by beauty and generosity and nurturing and love.  We were then guided by our amazing teacher, Amy Maricle, to choose the patterns that most intrigued us, and to work with them to create what she calls A Little Book of Wonder.  I’ve made many little Books of Wonder and will make many, many more.  Not all of them are made from paper. 

And I am inviting you to make them too, in whatever way speaks to you.  You see, we have the opportunity to create a little Book of Wonder each and every day of our lives.  Isn’t that a most delicious invitation?  Can you feel the sparks?  Or maybe your invitation will come with a gentle breeze, or just a quiet, pensive moment?  But here’s what I know for sure:  we have to slow down, sloowwwww way down in order to hear invitations like this.  We need to slow down so much that the quiet still voice within each of us can be heard.  We need to empty ourselves of chatter and other people’s expectations, and perhaps the conditioning which has kept us safe and sound in order to hear the voice which has the power to show us what is waiting to be included in our Little Books of Wonder.  

On the return trip, as I sat in airports watching the people coming and going, I found myself thinking that there are so many stories on this Earth that are here to be told if we only listen; if we only allow ourselves to be present to the ones that are for us.  And that each of those stories is a little Book of Wonder in itself.  And that you have to be willing to open the book to find the wonders that are inside.  Now, as you know, there are some books you don’t want to read.  And I urge you not to.  I urge you to be present to those are meant for you, though.  And that brings us back to that powerful quiet still voice within you and the Books of Wonder she is here to create. 

I am a journal-keeper.  I have art journals, word journals, electronic journals, paper journals, journals that are full and overflowing and journals that are but blank pages yet.  Journals have been strong containers for me to notice and be curious about the life I am creating.  

During our retreat time, I was introduced to the idea of ‘inhabiting my journal’ and I think I will never be quite the same!  Journaling is how I live, so the question soon came: “How am I inhabiting my life?”  Living life is good.  But inhabiting life?!  I invite you to sit with this for a moment.  Inhabiting life means making living a habit!  Living requires presence.  Only you get to inhabit your one true life.  What little Book of Wonder can only you create?  

If life is art, which I do strongly believe, then we are each artists and creators.  As we age, we have collected and played with many different palettes and tools.  Our little Books of Wonder are both containers for collecting the Harvests as well as offerings to sustain the next generation.  I would love to hear about the Wonders you have collected and the Wonders you are planting for those who will harvest them in the future.