Bella Vida by Letty

Did You Miss Me?

2013-03-29T18:19:00.000-04:00

I'm getting ready to launch Bella Vida by Letty .com very soon

Annual Street Painting Festival in downtown Lake Worth, Florida.

In the meantime you can follow and connect with me on these platforms.

See you soon!

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"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" L.M. Montgomery

True or False

2013-02-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

True or False? You have no idea what you're capable of.

Kite Festival Miami Florida

I'm up early today and I do a lot of reading. So far the word courage has popped up five times while reading posts from intelligent successful women I admire.

The follow up question is what dare I to do?

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"Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it." Jodi Picoult

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend." Martin Luther King Jr.

"People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of." Paulo Coelho

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." Thomas A. Edison

"When I say do your best, I mean your very best. You are capable of so much more." Gordon B. Hinckley

"When you chase a dream, you learn about yourself. You learn your capabilities and limitations, and the value of hard work and persistence." Nicholas Sparks

"Whenever there is inspiration and enthusiasm there is a creative empowerment that goes far beyond what a mere person is capable of." Eckhart Tolle

Inspiration from Rebel Artist Manet

2013-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

"I need to work to feel well." Edouard Manet

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe or The Luncheon on the Grass originally titled "Le Bain" (The Bath) is an oil on canvas painting by Édouard Manet created in 1862

Manet has popped up twice in my life this week. When the universe speaks I will listen. The first was a very well done and quite interesting biography on French painter Edouard Manet by the BBC on Ovation TV which you can watch in its entirety in the video below.

Manet was considered a radical in his time for abandoning the techniques taught to him in school and inventing his own. As a result he was harshly criticized and mocked by both the general public and art critics of his time. Today Manet is considered the father of Impressionism.

Manet is amazing to me for expressing total artistic freedom. First by not conforming to the methods of his day and second the subjects he tackled. The subliminal messages in his works expose the hypocritical norms, practices and dictated norms of society forcing the viewer to question exactly why it is they're offended.

You've heard the phrase and especially when it comes to art that nothing is original. It is said that Le déjeuner sur l'herbe was inspired by the Italian Renaissance painter Titian which you can see in the photo below. There is a difference between inspiration and interpretation in your own artistic style.

Concert Champêtre (ca. 1510) by the Italian Renaissance master Titian

My second Manet run in with Manet's piece was coming across a photo from the 1998 ad campaign for Yves Saint Laurent shot by photographer Mario Sorrenti.

Mario Sorrenti reinterprets Manets Le déjeuner sur l'herbe by reversing the roles of the men and women as well as eliminating some elements and darkening the scene. I like that it gives us the opportunity to revisit Manet.

Does it push the boundaries like Manet did? At first glance I would say no because it's not unusual for me to see an empowered woman in the sense she chooses how to dress, where and with whom to be. However since it is 2013 and women have yet to achieve complete equality when it comes to pay, status and position I have to say it still is controversial. Even worse women still have to fight the implementation of laws created to purposefully impede our complete freedom of self autonomy. Sadly, I do have to admit ignorant stereotypes and roles for women still exist.

What can we learn:

- Nothing is original
- Inspired works are okay when done with an artistic style.
- Women's roles are still unequal and there is much work to do.

Manet challenges me and inspires me to cross the lines even farther. I accept the challenge and will try to do so with my own works. I push the status quo every chance I get but in order to grow I must push myself even further. All I have to do is think of Manet.

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"Her nakedness was not absolute, for like Manet's Olympia, behind her ear she had a poisonous flower with orange petals, and she also wore a gold bangle on her right wrist and a necklace of tiny pearls. I imagined I would never see anything more exciting for as long as I lived, and today I can confirm that I was right." Gabriel García Márquez

"The attacks of which I have been the object have broken the spring of life in me... People don't realize what it feels like to be constantly insulted. " Edouard Manet

"The leader, the hero of Realism, is now Manet. His partisans are frenzied and his detractors timid. It would seem that, if one refuses to accept Manet, one must fear being taken for a philistine, a bourgeois , an idiot who cares for nothing but miniatures and painted porcelain to discover whether one has become obese or bald, incapable of understanding the audacities of youth." Théophile Gautier, writing in Le Moniteur universel.

Don't Hold Back ~ Vive la Vida

2013-02-11T08:14:00.000-05:00

"You never lose by loving, you lose by holding back."

Libertad pa' las Muñecas

Today is my birthday!!!

For the past last week I've been thinking about the fragility of life and the courage it takes to live the life you want and deserve. I've also been working on several pieces for a series of mixed media paintings for a series called: "Libertad pa' las Muñecas". They are both related in the sense it takes a strong belief in yourself, your works and your message to give you the courage to put it out there.

My birthday wish is for you is to be courageous.

Create something ~ Tell someone what they mean to you

Take a risk ~ Vive la vida!

Here's a song by the Puerto Rican band, el Gran Combo, which really exudes my sentiments called 'Que me lo den en Vida'. If you have something to say or share with me, give it to me in life.

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"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it." Gabriel García Márquez

"Memory is a snare, pure and simple; it alters, it subtly rearranges the past to fit the present." Mario Vargas Llosa

"One lives in the hope of becoming a memory." Antonio Porchia

"May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children." Rainer Maria Rilke

"I believe in the power of the imagination to remake the world, to release the truth within us, to hold back the night, to transcend death, to charm motorways, to ingratiate ourselves with birds, to enlist the confidences of madmen." J.G. Ballard

Empowering Latina Voices: Film Maker Fanny Velez

2013-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Latinos are no longer waiting for corporate media conglomerates to wake up and smell the coffee. With the tools at our disposal we are taking matters into our own hands and creating our own opportunities. Filmmaker Fanny Veliz did precisely this and raised funds to shoot her first feature film. Now that the film is completed she has created yet another opportunity for you to get involved with your local communities to create positive change.

Please read the following press release and contact Ms. Veliz with any questions.

Indie Film “Homebound” Uses Community Screenings to Raise Audience Awareness
Filmmaker Fanny Véliz wants to bring the Hollywood machine to her.

Los Angeles, CA – January 7th, 2013 – Writer/Director and actress Fanny Véliz raised production funds to shoot her first feature film, Homebound last year, through the increasingly popular internet crowd funding method. Now that the film is complete she is turning to the community once again with a unique concept.
“Use my film to raise funds for your organizations, it’s a win-win situation.” Says Véliz. The goal is to show to Hollywood that there’s a hungry audience out there ready for a film like HOMEBOUND. It is about empowering the community to empower filmmakers to tell the Latino stories Hollywood chooses to neglect.

“I’m committed to helping transform the image of Latinos in the media by telling stories that aren’t usually told,” says Veliz. “We are all used to seeing stories of immigration, gangs, and other stereotypes, this film shows another side of the American Latino. Homebound is an American story, a human story told with an American Latino cast.” Homebound tells the story of Richard Lynn, a successful young Latino business professional who returns to his small hometown in Texas to help his dying father. His father insists he take over the family business, a bar. Secretly, the young man wants to burn down the bar because he blames it for the death of his own mother and the illness of his father. In the process he rediscovers his childhood’s small town and falls truly in love for the first time.

The film features a cast of seasoned actors which includes Enrique Castillo, whose work in such films as El Norte, Mi Familia and the cult classic Blood In Blood Out have made him a fan favorite among Latino audiences and his role in Showtime’s Weeds has made him a hit among mainstream audiences. Texan born Julia Vera, who has built a career as a character actress in film and television for over twenty years is not only an actress in Homebound, she is also invested in the film as an associate producer. Richard Lynn is played by a dynamic young actor, Jeremiah Ocañas, who not only plays the lead, he is also a native El Campo, Texas, where the film was shot. El Campo served not only as the prime location, but its citizens helped facilitate permits, meals, lodging, a source of talent pool for minor roles and the extras, and even a helicopter needed for the shoot. Fanny Véliz, in addition to her producing, writing, and directing duties also plays the female lead in the film.

Community is at the centerpiece of this undertaking. It takes a community, and Véliz is hoping to once again enlist community and embrace the film through the “Community Screenings” concept, and help them raise awareness of the film.

The production company is currently looking for organizations, companies or individuals nationwide that would like to host a “Community Screening” of the film. They would need to commit to create a screening, which would raise money for their own Non-Profit organization or other Non-Profits they wish to benefit. Each host will receive a Homebound Party Pack that will take them step by step on how to tailor the event to the Homebound theme.

To sign up to host a Screening of Homebound in your city please email:contact@homeboundmovie.com
For more information on the film Homebound go to www.homeboundthemovie.com

Homebound Official Trailer

Why is it important to support this film?
The success of this film opens doors for new voices creating more opportunities.
Let's support each other and grow.

History of America's Migrant Farmers in Photos

2013-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

The United States of America has always been a diverse country and that is its strength. The following photos are a true representation of the people who have contributed and built this country with their bare hands. These are beautiful vintage black and white photography of America's farmers, farm workers, their working conditions, housing and families.

Title: Pueblo Indian Farmers Date Created/Published: c1890.
Summary: 5 male Indians, one holding hoe, one holding ox yoke; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico

Title: A Chinese farmer turning the soil with a wooden plow drawn by donkeys
Date Created/Published: North Bennington, VT. : H.C. White, c1907.

Title: [Three adults and six children from seven years to twelve years hard at work on a sugar beet farm near Greeley Colorado. The father said: "The children can thin the beets better than grown ups. We all work fourteen hours a day at times because when the beets is ready they has to be done. About twelve weeks is about all the children can work on thinning and topping. Some of them hoe a little."
Location: [Greeley vicinity, Colorado] Creator(s): Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer Date Created/Published: [1915 July]

Title: Six-year old Henry and three-year old Hilda, beet workers on a Wisconsin farm. Location: Wisconsin.
Creator(s): Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer Date Created/Published: 1915 July.

Title: Group of shed workers at Wetstone farm, 14 of them were 12 to 14 yrs. old. Location: Vernon, Connecticut / L.W. Hine. Creator(s): Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer Date Created/Published: 1917 August 2.

Title: Migrant workers' camp, outskirts of Marysville, California. The new migratory camps now being built by the Resettlement Administration will remove people from unsatisfactory living conditions such as these and substitute at least the minimum of comfort and sanitation
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer Date Created/Published: 1935 Apr.

Title: Pea pickers' children, Nipomo, CA. Date Created/Published: 1935.

Title: Migrant agricultural worker's family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged thirty-two. Father is native Californian. Nipomo, California
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer Date Created/Published: 1936 Feb. or Mar.
Summary: Photo shows Florence Thompson with several of her children in a tent shelter as part of the "Migrant Mother" series.

Title: Canning plant employees grading beans. Dania, Florida. Many of these workers are migrants
Creator(s): Rothstein, Arthur, photographer Date Created/Published: 1937 Jan.

Title: Indian (mixed breed--"brass ankle") family near Summerville, South Carolina
Creator(s): Wolcott, Marion Post, photographer Date Created/Published: 1938 Dec.

Title: Migrant agricultural workers from Tennessee, Carolina, Alabama, Georgia living in overcrowded boardinghouse and working in packinghouses in Homestead, Florida
Creator(s): Wolcott, Marion Post, photographer Date Created/Published: 1939 Jan.

Title: Migrant workers' camp. Shantytown, Corpus Christi, Texas
Creator(s): Lee, Russell, photographer Date Created/Published: 1939 Feb.

Title: Children of migrant cotton field workers from Sweetwater, Oklahoma. Eight children in the family. Note the housing. Near Casa Grande project, Arizona
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer Date Created/Published: 1937 May.

Title: Migratory Mexican field worker's home on the edge of a frozen pea field. Imperial Valley, California
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer Date Created/Published: 1937 Mar.

Title: Home of farm worker who works on corporation farm. Eighty Acres Glassboro, New Jersey
Creator(s): Rothstein, Arthur, photographer Date Created/Published: 1938 Oct.

Title: Filipinos waiting for the signal to start cutting lettuce. Near Westmorland, Imperial Valley, California
Creator(s): Lange, Dorothea, photographer 1939

Title: Veteran migrant agricultural worker and his family encamped on the Arkansas River, Wagoner County, Oklahoma Creator(s): Lee, Russell, photographer Date Created/Published: 1939 June.

Title: White migrant worker living in camp with two other migrant men. His sleeping quarters and all worldly possession are to be seen in background. Harlingen, Texas Creator(s): Lee, Russell, photographer Date Created/Published: 1939 Feb.

Title: Vegetable workers, migrants, waiting after work to be paid. Near Homestead, Florida
Creator(s): Wolcott, Marion Post, 1910-1990, photographer Date Created/Published: 1939 Feb.

Title: Migrant fruit worker and sons living in rear of truck during cherry picking season. Berrien County, Michigan Creator(s): Vachon, John, photographer Date Created/Published: 1940 July.

Title: Mrs. Jaquin Silva, Portugese poultry farmer and market gardener, has seven hundred hens. Her two sons work in town. Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Creator(s): Delano, Jack, photographer Date Created/Published: 1941 Jan. 16.

Title: Mr. and Mrs. Ovgen Arakelian, Armenian vegetable farmers in West Andover, Massachusetts. They have an eleven-acre farm and a son works in a blanket factory in Lowell to help support the family Creator(s): Delano, Jack, photographer Date Created/Published: 1941 Jan.

Title: Bridgeton, New Jersey. FSA (Farm Security Administration) agricultural workers' camp. In the pouring rain, the newly arrived migrants find shelter under the recreation tent
Creator(s): Collier, John, photographer Date Created/Published: 1942 June.

Title: Shelley, Idaho. FSA (Farm Security Administration) mobile camp. Japanese girls playing Chinese checkers
Creator(s): Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, photographer Date Created/Published: 1942 July.

Title: Twin Falls County, Idaho. FSA (Farm Security Administration) workers' camp. Japanese farm workers
Creator(s): Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, photographer Date Created/Published: 1942 July.

This is the United States of America. This is our history.

Honoring All of America's Heroes: US Army's 65th Infantry Regiment "The Borinqueneers

2013-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Honoring All of America's Heroes:

US Army's 65th Infantry Regiment "The Borinqueneers

As many of you know preserving the history of Puerto Rico is near and dear to my heart. I've created a tumblr blog and I've written countless articles on the subject of Puerto Rico. I feel a responsibility to share this information freely because knowing your history grounds you with roots allowing you to stand taller and stronger. Today you can be a part of making a historical event come to fruition. Here is a simple opportunity for you to get involved.

"A nation-wide, all-volunteer group of individuals and organizations has formed the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance, and is launching an intense campaign to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for the US Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment, better-known as the “Borinqueneers”. The Borinqueneers are the largest and longest-standing, segregated military unit in US history, having fought in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War.

The Congressional Gold Medal has been bestowed to other minority veterans who served in segregated units, including:

• July 26, 2001 – the Native American Navajo Code Talkers
• March 29, 2007 –the African-American Tuskegee Airmen
• November 2, 2011 - the Japanese-American Nisei Soldiers
• June 28, 2012 - the African-American Montford Point Marines

The alliance currently is asking all liked-minded Americans to write to or email their US congressional representatives, including their two US Senators and one US House of Representatives member to support this initiative. The Congressional Gold Medal requires the support of a majority of our US legislators. This should be completed before the end of February, the organization noted."

Now is the perfect time to present this long overdue honor recognizing these heroes. Like many of you, I have a personal connection to this great cause. My Abuelo fought bravely during World War II for the United States of America as member of the 65th Infantry Army Regiment. I am extremely proud of his and all of our veterans selfless service to protecting the citizens of this country. They deserve this honor so let's make it happen.

What you can do to help

Contact your (2) U.S. Senators and your (1) US House of Representatives member. The adoption of the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal will require the vote/support from a majority of our US legislators. Contact them via letter or email before the end of February.

Resources

A sample letter/email is available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/119819233/Borinqueneers-CGM-Request-for-Congressional-Support-Letter-REV-11-25-2012

Find your Senators here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Find your US House of Representatives here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

More information on this important initiative is available at the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance website: http://www.65thCGM.org and their official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BorinqueneersCGMAlliance.

Related articles:
Remembering Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry This Memorial Day

It's An Exciting Time to be Alive

2013-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

"What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?" John Green

When you realize your value and your power it becomes easy to see yourself as an instrument of change. You have a voice and you have influence.

What actions are you taking today to create the life you envision for yourself?

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"If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive." Audre Lorde

"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ..." Marcus Aurelius

"No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for." Martin Luther King Jr.

"When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable." Madeleine L'Engle

Sharing with Miercoles Mudo

The Most Inspiring Dr. Martin Luther King Quotes

2013-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Believe in yourself. Believe you are somebody. Nobody else can do this for us. We must move into our inner soul and sign our own emancipation proclamation. Be proud of your heritage. We don't have anything to be ashamed of. Somebody told a lie one day and made everything Black ugly and evil … something degrading or sinister. Let's get the language right so everyone here may cry out: 'Yes I'm black and I'm proud and beautiful."

Source: google.com via Letty on Pinterest

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest orators and speech writers. I'm happy his birthday is honored every year giving people the opportunity to revisit his words.

Read more Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes in last year's post HERE.

Life With No Limits

2013-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

"The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today." Pittacus Lore

Experts say the best way to form a good habit is through repetition. Today I want to practice thinking big and dreaming bigger. This means letting go of any preconceived notions or bias that might be in the way of future achievements.

One example of this are those negative thoughts that sometimes creep into our minds creating doubts of our capabilities. Let's give them a big kick sending them out of our minds because the truth is we are very capable of achieving our goals and every try makes us stronger/smarter.

What new things will you try today?

"Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go." James Baldwin

"The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." Arthur C. Clarke

"I don't think that there are any limits to how excellent we could make life seem." Jonathan Safran Foer

"Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?" Steve Maraboli

"The only real limitation on your abilities is the level of your desires. If you
want it badly enough, there are no limits on what you can achieve." Brian Tracy

Hope

2013-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Hope is a waking dream." Aristotle

No one can take your hope away. Continue to dream big and take the steps to lead you there.

"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope." President Barack Obama

"We dream to give ourselves hope." Amy Tan

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all."
Emily Dickinson

"Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star..." E.E. Cummings

Have you watched the documentary movie Lemon yet?

2013-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

LEMON the Movie - Official Trailer

I really LOVEd this raw, honest and touching film. At times it made me cry but not without giving me optimism and hope. From the beginning of the movie I rooted for him to succeed for all the little boys and girls caught up in the cycle of our violent oppressive society, for those who never received the awareness, education, resources or tools to break free and the ones who died trying.

"Lemon Anderson is a Tony award winning playwright, performer and poet. The film is about Andersen's struggle to free his family from poverty and pain as he exposes his most shocking secrets on the NY stage. It follows Lemon's desperate battle to keep the past where it belongs and move into a brighter future. Redemption may lie within Lemon's grasp when none other than Spike Lee steps in to produce his show. The stakes are high. With the power of a cliffhanger, asks the larger question: Can any of us really escape the past?"

Most beautiful Lesson from the movie:

Focus

Determination
and

Perseverance

will get you to where you want to be.

Lemon Andersen- County of Kings

If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it and if you did I'd love to hear what you think.
Support your community by supporting these types of films and talent. Be a part of this positive growth and watch if flourish into something even greater.

This is not a sponsored post. I love movies. What should I watch next?

How to Create a Mission Statement

2013-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation." Paulo Coelho

There are many types of mission statements from business to personal. I believe it's worthwhile to invest in figuring out our own personal mission statement. One thing successful and productive people have in common is focus on what they need to achieve. A well thought out personal statement can give you focus and direction.

The mission statement should combine goals with your personal philosophy. A Mission Statement defines purpose and primary objectives. It should be simple, short and concise. Begin by asking yourself what it is you would like to achieve in your lifetime.

Here's mine

The Bella Vida by Letty mission is to enable all to live a beautiful life meaning that which feeds your spirit and is good for the planet.

What is your mission statement?

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"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." Maya Angelou

"...But we also believe that part of our mission in life is to find our bliss and follow it. Life is a precious and delicate gift. How much of that gift do we squander out of fear?" Dianne Sylvan

"I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did." Kurt Vonnegut

"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." W. Clement Stone

"Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone's task is unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it." Viktor E. Frankl

Dreaming Bigger in 2013

2013-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." Paulo Coelho

Harry P. Leu Gardens

I want to encourage you to dream bigger this year. Last year was amazing and I met so many fantastic people. Building upon that, I challenge you to join me in leaving your comfort zones and answer the question:

What is your big dream?

When you put your thoughts out into the world the universe has a sure way of answering.

My biggest dream is to be a serial entrepreneur with businesses will have a positive effect on the planet. I will enable others to empower themselves as well as others creating a ceaseless cycle with a beneficial impact on the planet.

Harry P. Leu Gardens

Looking back at the last year, I started out using some very powerful words. These words gave me strength and courage. I can see how putting those words out there helped me get to where I am today.

Actualize, Boldness, Seize the Day, Change, Power, Winning, Greatness,

And these words describe exactly what my life was all about last year. I was emboldened to use my voice and become an instrument of change.

This year I will use words like: Strategic alliances, Success, Achievements, Growth, Value, Happiness, Joy, Empower, Unite, Build, Winning, Love, Creation, Voice, Action, Purpose

I invite you to join me on this exciting journey. Your words continue to encourage me.

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"Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise." Horace

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau

"People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of." Paulo Coelho

Thank You

2012-12-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm grateful for all things but most of all for you.

Thank you for your visits, your support and your comments. They mean so much to me.

Sending you all my love and positive energy.

When I look back on this year I see seeds sprouting and the many possibilities to come.

I'm looking forward to new adventures.

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"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." Siddhārtha Gautama

"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." Mark Twain

"Thank you for the tragedy. I need it for my art." Kurt Cobain

"Thank you...for gracing my life with your lovely presence, for adding the sweet measure of your soul to my existence." Richard Matheson (What Dreams May Come)

"Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible." Thich Nhat Hanh

"I wanted you to thank you for being my friend and letting me play a part in your story." Christopher Pike

A Look at 2012 in Photos

2012-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

A moment to look back at the photos I've taken this year and share some of the things I have learned.

Sunrise in South Beach, Florida

The year began with this quote:
Today and everyday I will live a life true to myself, not the life others expect.

Everglades

Finding the courage to take action begins with loving yourself and knowing that you are good enough.

Altered photo of fire dancer

I encourage you to create content and share it.

Fire Dancer Light Graffiti

We are constantly building ... destroying and re-creating our reality.

Jupiter, Florida

Today what will be, will be and that's okay.

My goal in life is to be my truest best self.

May the new year bring you everything you desire.
Join me as I take steps to continue building, learning and growing.

Abundance

2012-12-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." Eckhart Tolle

Everywhere I look I see abundance. My wish is that it gets shared with all who are in need.

"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature." Steve Maraboli

"Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life." Wayne W. Dyer

"What matters most are the simple pleasures so abundant that we can all enjoy them...Happiness doesn't lie in the objects we gather around us. To find it, all we need to do is open our eyes." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Soaring With the Little Gifts I've Been Given

2012-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Man's hope can paint a purple picture, can transform a soaring vulture into a noble eagle or morning dove." Ralph Ellison

We each have our own ways of dealing with tragedy and mine is to soar with the little gifts left behind for us. They are truly precious and I know I'm lucky to receive them. Little gifts gently shed the weight of sadness and negativity off my shoulders not allowing my heart to grow stone cold with indifference. Little gifts are the reminders of what we know to be true. Little gifts fill me with love and light. I rise. I rise until I'm soaring above it all because I already have the only weapon I need and that is love. Practicing and teaching compassion is the cure.

My little gifts are the reminders of what is true:
- Every human is valuable
- It's okay to cry
- Crying is an outlet of intense emotions
- Love gives us courage
- We need each other
- We receive much more by giving
- Helping others always helps ourselves
- We are capable of so much love
- The future requires unity
- The future requires compassion
- I am love
- I'm not afraid to love
- Every positive action creates a reaction
- We already have the answers
- We are not alone
- I am capable of change
- I have so much love to give
- Emotions are universal

Thank you for my little gifts may you rest in peace.

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"The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly." Friedrich Nietzsche

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." Helen Keller

"When love has fused and mingled two beings in a sacred and angelic unity, the secret of life has been discovered so far as they are concerned; they are no longer anything more than the two boundaries of the same destiny; they are no longer anything but the two wings of the same spirit. Love, soar." Victor Hugo

"The bird that would soar above the plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. " Douglas Adams

Happy is he whose thoughts soar like the lark to sing, As through the morning skies, in freedom, he ascends, Who, gazing down on life, completely comprehends The language of the flowers and every speechless thing!" Charles Baudelaire

"The doubters said, "Man can not fly,"
The doers said, "Maybe, but we'll try,"
And finally soared In the morning glow
While non-believers Watched from below." Bruce Lee

Sharing with Miercoles Mudo

My Adventure at Art Basel 2012

2012-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt." Leonardo da Vinci

Wynwood Walls during Art Basel 2012

I found a Unicorn @ArtBasel2012

Immersing myself among art renews my creative spirit leaving me inspired. I spent a wonderful weekend checking out the various Art Basel 2012 events around Miami. This year there was too much to chose from. Frankly it's impossible to see it all. I had a list of events to hit up but only made it to a few of them.

Wynwood remains my favorite spot. The neighborhood is run down but the element of spontaneity is thick in the air. At every corner lies the possibility of a pleasant surprise. And that's how I like to roll when I'm out and about.

It was Saturday evening, days after Art Basel's official start, but there were still artists putting the finishing touches on their murals. I completely get that. I often need to walk away from a piece or fall into endless editing. Gracing the walls were many different styles from Escher-esque like black & white to playful pieces bursting with color.

Music filled the air. You couldn't walk two steps without hearing some type of music. On the street where I parked there was a hip hop music video being filmed. As I continued exploring Wynwood, each space had its particular music streaming. There were street performers who danced to a live band playing on the sidewalk. I even bumped into Santa dancing with Don Quixote. Later I walked into a bar which turned into a cafe selling tacos out of an altered car, which turned into an open air market which I witnessed clear and convert into a dance floor for 80's music lovers.

Filming a music video during Art Basel 2012

I experienced so much on Saturday alone it's impossible to get it all in one post.

After eating dinner, which was a super tasty burger from the Latin Burger food truck I headed to the Design District to check out Mestizo City.

Robert Rodriguez's band Chingon

Created by Henry Muñoz, this installation included a bounce house and featured director Robert Rodriguez in a live performance with his band, Chingon. I had no idea what to expect but they were really good. The lead singer was especially fantastic and had the coolest tattoo in the center of his chest.

Robert hid behind his hat all evening as he played guitar and spoke to the audience. He told us he was inspired to form the band and record music because its the sound he wanted for his movies and much less expensive than paying rights. Remember he began his film career making super low budget films.

I can relate because when I'm writing fiction there's usually music playing. And a big part of telling stories via movies is indeed the soundtrack.

The bands music is a cross of all of his influences: Tito & Tarantula, Los Lobos, Cruzados, The Plugz, Del Castillo, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Patricia Vonne, Girl In A Coma and David Garza. Check them out if they're ever in your part of town. You can listen below.

Stay tuned for the next post which will showcase the art from Art Basel 2012 that captured my attention.

For more Art Basel pics you can check out:

@BellaVidaLetty on Instagram

Art Basel 2011 Photos of the Wynwood Walls ~ Murals

Art Basel 2009 @ Wynwood Florida

Living Outloud

2012-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." Edgar Degas

"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." Friedrich Nietzsche

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"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud." Émile Zola

"I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls." Anaïs Nin

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament." Oscar Wilde

"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art." Maya Angelou

Nourishing My Spirit

2012-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Unicorns at the Elle Spa in the Eden Roc Renaissance

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“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” Deborah Day

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds." Bob Marley

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." Siddhārtha Gautama

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” Anna Quindlen

Time For a New Journal

2012-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

People who keep journals live more than once.

I cannot believe it's already December when there are so many things I still have to accomplish. Traditionally every year I begin a new journal. This year's journal is almost full. Yup, in addition to this blog, my tumblr, FaceBook page and all of the articles I write, I keep a journal. I use it for brainstorming, logging ideas and recording cool things that happen to me.

I peeked inside to see what my goals were at the beginning of the year. My revelation was that I barely completed any of the creative projects I had intended to. So I began to skim through my journal to see exactly what it was I did this year.

After taking this photo my loyal mascot made herself comfortable.

It turns out I did a lot of things like: travel, attend conferences, events, meet cool new people and catch up with dear friends and family. Pushing myself to try new things helped me to grow spiritually and intellectually. It becomes very clear while reading my journal that in addition to having a wacky sense of humor, part of my evolution has been finding my voice which turns out is the voice of an activist.

Before I look to the future and begin composing that long list of dreams and goals for the new year I'm taking the time to look back and relish the things I've done and learned.

Do you keep a journal?

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"For any writer who wants to keep a journal, be alive to everything, not just to what you're feeling, but also to your pets, to flowers, to what you're reading." May Sarton

"Keep a journal, and don't assume that your work has to accomplish anything worthy: artists and peace-workers are in it for the long haul, and not to be judged by immediate results." William Edgar Stafford

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." Oscar Wilde

"This diary is my kief, hashish and opium pipe. This is my drug and my vice." Anaïs Nin

Teaching & Practicing Compassion

2012-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle." Plato

Compassion: Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

Pondering on the idea of compassion in the world today or lack there of in our communities was the inspiration for my most recent article. We live in a violent world but I will not allow it to turn me into a cold hearted unfeeling creature. I am human. I laugh and I cry ... and ... I care deeply about my world.

We must remind ourselves and our children, what we see on television is dramatized for the effect of getting us to purchase products and services. They are devices used to trick you into thinking you want something you don't need. We must not let children get pulled into the violence or get stuck there. They rely on our voices. I have no problem using mine. I hope you join me.

What we do need is compassion and action. There can never be enough.

Do you teach your children compassion?

When was the last time you practiced compassion?

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"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth." William Faulkner

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive." Dalai Lama XIV

"There are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who will need our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give." Leo Buscaglia

How Do You Find Cool People to Follow on Instagram?

2012-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I recently joined Instagram and am looking for cool people to follow. Things I find interesting are works from other photographers, nature, places, fashion, etc. In summary I really enjoy looking at great photography. Not only is it inspiring, there's much to learn by studying a great photo.

I'm following my family and friends, a few magazines, celebrities, musicians and stores.

Who do you follow on Instagram?

and

How do you find Cool people to follow?

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"Always seeing something, never seeing nothing, being photographer." Walter De Mulder

"A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know." Diane Arbus

"A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away." Eudora Welty

"Today everything exists to end in a photograph." Susan Sontag

What is the nicest thing you've said to yourself today?

2012-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

What is the nicest thing you've said to yourself today?

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"To say "I love you" one must know first how to say the "I"." Ayn Rand

"I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent." Marilyn Monroe
"I no longer agree to treat myself with disrespect. Every time a self-critical thought comes to mind, I will forgive the Judge and follow this comment with words of praise, self-acceptance, and love." Miguel Ruiz