Thursday, January 03, 2008

Who is Phoebe?

Dr Eric Maisel, psychologist and creativity coach is a familiar name to some of you, I’ve written about his work and how it helped me-struggling with my internal editor, and feelings of complete inadequacy. Last year was particularly bad, but the poetry was good. At that point I stumbled upon the creativitynewsletter on yahoogroups, and read up most of the archives. Phoebe features in some of the tales, stumbling some, skipping some, and finding her way past issues all of us somehow stare out, deal with, or dive under.

I just received my review copy of “The Van Gogh Blues, The Creative person’s path through Depression”, well in time for me to read and prepare for the interview I will host here early next month. But I’ve said this before- it is as if someone took you by the hand and guided you past crevices and pitfalls, and told you steps 1-2-3 that would help, if you but look at them. You can hear Dr Maisel’s podcast, “How Purpose Heals Depression,” here.

Kenya looks bad. Brought back memories of the Asian exodus from neighboring Uganda in the early seventies, when Idi Amin’s overnight decree caused hundreds of Indians, mainly from my state Gujarat, to flee, with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Suddenly Kinshasa, Kampala and Nairobi became familiar places as my sleepy university town shook itself awake and found space for the returning hordes to settle in. And now its happening again.

11 comments:

quin browne said...

friends of mine here support a village in kenya, having helped to build wells, a school, housing...

they go over once a year, to meet with the families they have known for the last 12 years...

they, too, watch this and worry. my country sits in iraq, why? who knows... when i think, if there was a place to put our ability to help, it would be africa. all of us need to do it, though... all of the world.

or, do we all sit back and watch it burn?

Portia said...

Worlds away, we are told to spread love and joy around the world one smile at a time. I do believe in the power of positive energy and I do believe we are all connected, but how futile my smile feels in the light of reality.
I did enjoy this post...there is so much of YOU here that isn't always:)

austere said...

Quin- Is it all "Cry, the beloved country?" The tutsi man I'd met waiting at the airport said eight of his family were lost in an hour. One hour. Yet that things were getting better and he was here to buy machinery to set up a fruit bottling unit. Didnt want to leave, home was home.
Another person I know, a classmate in class 7 , Uganda expatriate, architect went back a few years ago, that land is where his heart was.
International opinion matters and intervention if that helps.
About WMD I really dont know how history will treat that, no.

Portia- we are all connected, degree varies. So much of me? Always ready. After the big change, marker pens, fruit juice concentrate in school water bottles, lycra-polyester party dresses became all the rage, the new standard for cool. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Aust,
The Kenyan strife seems real bad. I wasnt born when Idi Amin unleashed a migration... but reading about it... sure seems bad...

Anonymous said...

And oops forgot to wish you a happy new year on 1st Jan :(

so wishing you a very very very happy new year!!

Sathya

Anonymous said...

So, who IS Phoebe?

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

I look forward to reading your interview..and a very interesting book, I will have to get one!!

Here's to improvement to the spaces around us!!
Always,
Crusty~
yes, phoebe? who? :)

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

Here's to a safe week for you!!
Always,
Crusty~

austere said...

crusty- thank you for the safe week wishes.

yes, mago and crusty- phoebe? you? me? all of us?

sathya- saal mubarak new years to you as well. :) may the Gods send you to distant places, and may you win the MBA entry sweepstakes. Best!

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