Author Archives: Andrea

How I kill my own buzz

This is how I kill my own buzz: I feel all creative and reach for my sketch pad. Then I reason that I should sketch on canvas or watercolor paper instead, just in case it turns out well. Then I have to use the canvas vertically in case I end up wanting to use the art for a mag cover, which means leaving room at the top to overlay the masthead. All I wanted to do was doodle! Note to self: Don’t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.

Give people the benefit of the doubt. All that needs to be told is the truth.

A new advertiser once wrote: “I want a refund, I never got 1 call, I will file a claim if u don’t refund, this is outright blackmail, I want my money back, never got any customers. Pls refund.” The ad she paid for was in the magazine that had been on the street 4 days. She got confused with the timeline since we spoke 30 days previous. Clearly she thought her ad had been out a month or more, instead of just 4 days. I wasn’t upset at her note since everyone responds according to their past experience. I wrote, “I can see you’re upset. You’re just confused about the timeline. I can tell by your words that you’ve been taken advantage of before. Our emails in chronological order are below, explaining what you were paying for. If you read our emails, you will see that it is just a misunderstanding. In 22 years I’ve never had a complaint lodged. I promise you I do business ethically. I do not take your words personally because clearly you have had bad experience in the past.”

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Painting as a method of altering consciousness

Yesterday I wrote that I’d begun the red background owl chick painting in the midst of the out of body experience painting. While waiting on my owl to dry, I began another, shown here to the right. A friend said my new painting looks just like her sister and wanted me to do one that looked like her (and her cat.) I told her that if it ends up looking like someone, that’s one thing but realistic faces are too hard for me to do — the least bit of anything out of place makes it look all wonky. And I do wonky just fine as it is. Continue reading →

The owl as a medicine totem animal

If Owl has silently glided into your life, you may need to remove yourself from the noise of life and become the still silent observer. After slowing down and becoming stable you will be amazed by the wealth of information and meaning that surrounds you. It may be bringing you the ability to see what others may miss. Open your eyes and truly examine how things are, you will be surprised that suddenly you can see things that are normally hidden from view – like the motives of those around you. External appearances will give way to the truth and meaning hidden beneath. Continue reading →

Painting is a daily meditation for me

The festival of painting continues! I painted until 3:00am yesterday morning, then 8am-ish made coffee for the man. We’ve got an easy morning routine of chatting about what we’ll do each day. Self employed from home, we keep each other motivated to stay on task! Today I couldn’t goof off until I finished billing, answered emails and returned calls but I was in the art studio by noon. In true Aries fashion, I’d begun several paintings and had them set up around me in various stages of completion. In the midst of working on one of an out of body, astral flight, I began the one you see here to the right. I notice I’ve got an owl in many of my sketches. I never felt a particular affinity for them until recently. I was surprised to find I’d sketched so many through the years, several different kinds. The subconscious at work! I wrote here about –-> The owl as a medicine totem animal.

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I begin painting from out of body, astral flight sketches

Here’s the acrylic underpainting I’ve begun for a series I have of out of body, astral flight sketches. It will be fun revisiting the imagery as I paint the scene. I find paintings are like pancakes: you have to throw out the first thousand, so to get back in the swing, I’m painting from a bunch of old sketches and whatever comes to mind. The thing about painting is not what ends up appearing on the canvas, but what comes to mind as I view and work on the imagery. Each sketch represents an image I can bring to mind and relive. In the re-living of it, inner guidance prompts me with additional insights about the situation. Sketching and painting inspire me in my meditation/contemplation practice. I seldom have music on, as I welcome what arises out of my own consciousness. I did the series of out of body sketches in 2007 after I’d been doing the Monroe Institute work. I wrote about it here –> The Haunted Chair, De-Activating Thoughtforms, Journeys Out Of The Body, The Monroe Institute Gateway Voyage. This shows the moon with an owl to the left and the astral form to the right, rising out of the bedroom, through the roof while the physical form continues to sleep. I look at the image here and laugh, since I know you see something very different than I see. I used to think I was unique in that, as ego wants to be unique and different! In truth, we all see things just a little bit differently and, in that, we’re all more alike than not. I’ll keep you posted.

STD? Keep it safe. Friends don’t put friends in danger

A friend has gotten themselves in a pickle. They’ve been diagnosed with an STD (sexually transmitted disease) and don’t know how to tell their mate. I do readings for the mate and two other people they have sex with. I also do readings for the mate’s new lover. No one knows I know the others — that I know of. My work is confidential, so it’s not my place to interfere or tell anyone. Karmically, do I let disease go unreported? A friend wrote, “One choice causes sickness that can be sent out to a huge web. The other causes a feeling of betrayal. Feelings pass and life is not lived without them.” I know if I’m supposed to do something, if its my place to do anything, Spirit will give me the compelling urge and the means to do it. Having done readings for 40 years, my observation is it is the rare individual who is not having sex with their friends, employers, employees, co-workers, pastor, parishioners, utility servicemen. Not kidding. I asked the friend to call me by end of today Sunday for an update. In the meantime, all involved (including me!) are on the prayer bench, to know what to do at the proper time. I make no judgment on lifestyle choices, but keep it safe, please.

There’s the acrylic painting on canvas version and the Photoshopped digital version

In this version, the background and Good Fortune card are Photo-shopped in.

I wrote at –> Update from the art studio <– that I’m having a lot of fun playing with my paintings in Photoshop. I can try out colors and backgrounds and even make the piece half painting and half digital art if I wish. That opened giant doors in my mind! When I have a new set of possibilities in front of me, I feel expanded and connected to the Universe. I’m learning it’s fun to begin a painting in acrylic, then take a photo of it, and open the pic in Photoshop. I can draw on it and add to it layer by layer. To the left, I Photoshopped in the sky, clouds and moon, and the Good Fortune card she is holding. I made fine details to the eyes on one layer, to the necklaces on another layer. I Googled for an image of brocade fabric and Photoshopped it at 50% opacity as her robe on another layer. But that’s not what the original painting looks like. Continue reading →

No you cannot stay at my place while you’re on vacation

We live in Florida. People vacation on our Florida beaches, so it’s not uncommon to have friends old and new invite themselves overnight while they’re in town. Domino told me last night she got a call from someone she hasn’t spoken to in 10 years who wants to use her place as a crash pad for a week. She doesn’t know how to tell them no. She doesn’t want to seem rude, but she runs a busy business from home and doesn’t have time for the interruption. “What would you do?” she asked me. I told her I’d tell them the truth. My home is my office, it is not set up to have people stay with me. “You won’t even know I’m there” is never true. Even if we’re each being quiet, my routine is interrupted so my attention is taken from my work every moment you’re in town. The fact that I have an extra bed or couch matters not. It doesn’t even matter that I don’t know you that well or you’ve never contacted me for any other reason. My home is simply not set up to accommodate guests, no matter how casual. Domino works from home and stays as busy as I do. My truth is her truth as well. When her parents visit, or her kids, she loves spending time with them but all work comes to a halt until they’re gone. I love my friends and family and they understand staying with me is out of the question. If it is also out of the question for you, don’t hesitate to tell them so.

Instead of “I told you so,” Say Thank You

Instead of saying, “I told you so” when karma comes around and a friend gets their come-uppance. say instead a heartfelt thanks because:

1. There but for the grace of God go I; and
2. Another soul is awakening from the illusion.

Andrea de Michaelis – Creating my own reality, one thought at a time

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