I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument while the song I came to sing remains unsung.
      - Rabindranath Tagore

There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual -- become clairvoyant. We reach then into reality. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest vision... At such times there is a song going on within us, a song to which we listen. It fills us with surprise. We marvel at it. We would continue to hear it. But few are capable of holding themselves in the state of listening to their song. Intellectuality steps in and as the song within us is of the utmost sensitiveness, it retires in the presence of the cold, material intellect. It is aristocratic and will not associate itself with the commonplace -- and we fall back and become our ordinary selves. Yet we live in the memory of these songs which in moments of intellectual inadvertence have been possible to us.
      - Robert Henri, The Art Spirit

Here's to the song from within. That shy song that retreats from the commonplace. The song needs downtime, space in order to emerge. It travels the slower, gentler path. 

Like a little flame, your song is easy to extinguish. It is easy to abandon, but not without consequences. Nurture it. In harmony with my song, I am alive, powerful, happy, at peace. I live in wonder if I make room for that song. 

Listen for it. For your song. Few are capable of holding themselves in that state of listening. I'm often not. But it is worthy of effort.

Listen for the special music, the song that nobody else can sing but you. . . Your own karma badly lived is better than someone else's karma lived well.
      - Denise Shekerjian, Uncommon Genius

Journal Note:

We search for what’s there
The song within
The whisper, unique to each of us
Nervous, cautious, reluctant.

To honor one’s song
To have faith in one’s song
Is the challenge of a lifetime.
To dive down inside
Find, nurture, manifest that song inside.
That shy song that retires in the presence
Of the cold, material intellect.
The challenge of a lifetime.
Yes it’s shy, but it wants out.

The song only you can sing
The song of your uniqueness
Of your beauty
We need that from you.
It will help us find the courage to 
Sing our own song.

The Song of being alive
Really alive.

. . .

The above is excerpted from the new Heron Dance Art Journal, Nurturing The Song Within, in the final stages of preparstion. The journal explores the beauty and mystery of the natural world, and gratitude for the gift of life, and the use of journaling as a tool in understanding one’s life. These art journals, published quarterly in print and electronic form, will be the focal point, in one way or another, of all Heron Dance art and writing going forward.

. . .

Below, an example two-page spread from the upcoming Heron Dance journal, Nurturing The Song Within.

Pre-order the Collector’s Edition printed by a high-end art book printer here.
These are only available on pre-order. There are now a couple of payment options including four equal monthly installments.
After publication, these journals will be printed by a print-on-demand printer at the same price.

You can download a PDF of the two-page spread below by clicking on the image. It does take a few seconds to download and gain resolution.