Meri's Musings

to see other Haiku My Heart posts, click  HERE . Haiku: From Across the Canal tourists pause as night settles over Rialto reflections dazzle

Here are some of the things I learned on my trip to Italy. 1. Women in Italy take their footwear seriously. I'm not sure about the men.  Seriously. . . . Seriously? 2. Ordering a margarita can bring surprising results. 3. Every meal should start with gelato, preferably Creme Caramel, Caffe, or Bailey's though this Limoncello was pretty good too. 4. There are service gondolas used by Venetian locals that cost only half a Euro, a darn sight cheaper than the tourist version. One is just past the Rialto Bridge on the side of the market. It just takes you from one side of the canal to the other, but hey -- I've ridden in a gondola! 5. The after-hours tour of the Vatican museum was worth every dime. 6. The Amalfi Coast is breath-taking. 7. Store windows in Venice are show-stoppers. 8. It's best to go to Italy with your bags already full if you're on a budget. 9. The mosaic tile floors in Rome are simply amazing. These are in the Vatican museum. (Th...

There was a time, about five years ago now, when I started playing with images and saying "what if?" What if I crop this image and try this filter? What if I layer this altered image on top of a scan of one of my mixed media pieces? It was a time when I was trying to stay afloat in a sea of emotion. I couldn't alter my situation, but I could alter images, making them softer, more romantic. I could take my sorrow, merge it with creative energy and make myself into something new. A survivor artist. I could create meaning and come fully into my power as a woman of wisdom. I could speak my truth in visual images and words from the heart. From the ashes, a new life. How have you used sorrow as an impetus for transformation?