Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Sunday Challenge ~ Featuring Laura Hegfield

© Laura Hegfield 2012


Laura Hegfield is a lover of life with an artist’s soul. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis three years ago, she stays engaged with the world through photography, sharing her journey through poetry, prose, essays and an occasional song on her blog, Shine the Divine~Creativity IS a Spiritual Practice.  Along with her photos and writing, Laura offers Spiritual Direction, Creativity Coaching, SoulCollage® facilitation, meditation tele-circles and podcasts.




Portrait of the Artist
I open to whatever inspiration speaks to my heart. Sometimes I write from a photo. It wakes up a memory of the moment I was present to the light, texture, form that first caught my attention, or the image transcends the past and becomes the present moment. Then I write about that. 



© Laura Hegfield 2012


Bits and Pieces
                Laura Hegfield ©2012




bits and pieces
less
more
the wholeness of
who and what
we are
raw
beauty
detritus
fragmented
nothing
everything
living
dying
with each breath
we are
bits and pieces
less
more
continuous transformation of
who and what
we are
loved
insignificant
do we matter?
we are matter and
we are energy collected
one day to be scattered
forever
connected
decaying
becoming
nothing
everything
bits and pieces
more or less
no one
ONENESS


© Laura Hegfield 2012

Other times I simply open to what I’m feeling releasing a story from my life that is longing to be told, either through poetry, prose, or as an essay. I search through my archives to find a photo that has been waiting for these particular words and reunite the kindred spirits held within them on my blog. 




© Laura Hegfield 2012




I rely heavily on intuition as most artists do, and simply trust that what arises is the truth of the moment and set it free. I do this with a conscious awareness that what I consider “true” right then will likely shift as my internal and external experiences do. Everything is in transition from one state of being to another. 




© Laura Hegfield 2012


MS has been an excellent teacher for practicing patience, compassion and being fully present to life’s unpredictable, heart-breaking-opening-healing and inevitable changes. I allow what I learn to soak into my core and search for the blessings that may be obvious or deeply hidden, in this way gratitude is always accessible.


© Laura Hegfield 2012


Thank you so much Kerry for inviting me to be a guest and share a little of my work and process with the other toads here in the garden.


Laura has generously offered these beautiful photos for our poetic inspiration. If you add an image to your post, please acknowledge the name of the artist.
The Sunday Challenge is posted on Saturday at noon CST to allow extra time for the creative process, so please do not link up old work which kind of fits the image. Members will only respond to poetry written specifically for this prompt: this is in the spirit of our Real Toads project to create opportunities for poets to be newly inspired.

31 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

Beautiful pictures. Laura never fails to inspire me.

Kateri said...

I love Laura's blog and photography!

Ella said...

Wonderful Laura! I love how reflective your voice is. I can see this in your photography! Off to see what I can come up with!
YOU are an inspiration; I love you use your intuition :D

Laurie Kolp said...

It's so good to see you here...I've always enjoyed visiting your blog, Laura! It will be hard to choose a picture. I like them all.

hedgewitch said...

Thanks, Laura, for sharing your work with us. I always enjoy my visits to your blog, and it's good to see you splashing with us here in the toad pond.

Anonymous said...

Laura, your photography and quotes are beautiful. This line was especially moving and inspiring:

"MS has been an excellent teacher for practicing patience, compassion and being fully present to life’s unpredictable, heart-breaking-opening-healing and inevitable changes."

And by the way, you are gorgeous. I love the photo of you ... and the last of your pics is my favorite. I want to hold it close to me and let it tell my heart its secrets.

~Shawna
rosemarymint.wordpress.com

Akelamalu said...

Beautiful photos, quite inspirational.

Kerry O'Connor said...

A big thank you to Laura for sharing her images here on RT with us. I hope you will excuse my non-participation this week, as I am still in "Africa" mode.

Mary B. Mansfield said...

Once again, amazing pictures to inspire us all! Thanks so much to both Kerry and Laura!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

So wonderful to find Laura featured here. Laura, you have long been an inspiration to me........

Ella said...

Laura,
I tried to email you! I'm enchanted with your view on your blog. I tried to find your email. I would like to use one of your knotted beauty pics).
I love your view, so beautiful~

ATB

Karen said...

Laura and I have connected through our blogs, our love of photography, and writing. We also travel along the same road with multiple sclerosis, and she is truly an inspiration to me. I am happy to see here featured here.

Lolamouse said...

Gorgeous photos! Sorry I've been behind on my comments. Sherry Blue Sky has been a real taskmaster with her Poets United interview questions (the whip was a little unnecessary, but the dominatrix look was pretty hot!)

Anonymous said...

I'm late, but I wrote something special for Laura about the worlds she sees and creates with her camera.

~Shawna
rosemarymint.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

I'm late, but I wrote something special for Laura about the worlds she sees and creates with her camera.

~Shawna
rosemarymint.wordpress.com

De Jackson said...

Gorgeous photos! Very inspiring. Thank you!

Hannah said...

I'm so moved by your words and photography, Laura, your gift is far-reaching. Thank you! :)

Margaret said...

I was so thrilled to see you, Laura, as the guest host! Thank you for this fun opportunity to write to your beautiful photos!

Laura said...

Good Morning Everyone,
Thank you for your encouraging, kind responses to my work! I have been in silence at a home based meditation retreat, and totally forgot that this was posted until Kerry graciously reminded me in an email I opened this morning. I can't wait to visit all of your blogs and read your poems today:-)

Susie Clevenger said...

Thank you Laura for sharing your beautiful images for inspiration. So Sorry to be late with mine.

Sandi said...

This was a beautiful beginning to my morning. I always love to read what Laura has to offer.

Inspirational, mind-opening, heart touching . . . thank you!

Dr. Pearl Ketover Prilik (PKP) said...

Oooh Laura once I said of a very special person ..., there are some people who inspire light and some who are the light - you are both source and reflection :). Thank you Kerry for featuring Laura .. (I did so in a personal way on my site... on a page called Life in the Net ). Fabulous photos as well ! Wow !

Dr. Pearl Ketover Prilik (PKP) said...

Oh my! This posted at 11:11. :)

Toni said...

Laura's blog and her photos are my morning inspiration each day.

To be able to read about her creative process was a special treat. Thank you so much for hosting her!

Ella said...

Thank you Kerry and Laura! I used Fireblossoms and your photo to do my poem. It describes how I feel lately, on my biking journey~

Laura you are a true inspiration!
Thank you!

Rose - Watching Waves said...

What a wonderful interview with the inspiring and loving Laura! Such an artistic soul: writing, photography, poetry ... the small "noticings" of life. Everything she writes seems to have a gift for me.

Rose - Watching Waves said...

Dr. PKP - 1:11 - nice!

Laura said...

My heart is full of deep gratitude for each and every one of you. Your poems are amazing, and to read loving comments from so many of my friends feels like a warm and tender hug. Thank you everyone!

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Just catching up with this lovely and inspiring post. It's a joy to read/see.

S.E.Ingraham said...

Kept meaning to get over here and peruse this lovely lady's photos and words and finally made it - well worth the trip and the wait. Laura, you are such a treasure; your photos shine with the light you carry within, as do your humble words. Thank you so much for sharing and giving so generously of yourself.

EJ said...

Just catching up here as well, and finally had time to visit Laura's site. Beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration.