living in courage
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Owning Pink Roars Courage

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 by Debra Oakland

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If you love to live your truth, tell your story, feel your pain, express your joy, take what you need, and give what you will – You will love Owning Pink.  This is an amazing online community, that supports, offers guidance, inspiration and ideas.  This is done through posts, workshops, and the Pink Posse forum.  This is a safe place, free of facades.  Owning Pink allows you to reclaim your mojo, and tap into your most authentic you. Owning Pink roars courage to me.

Lissa Rankin created this space for you.  Here is some information about Lissa from her blog – Lissa Rankin is an OB/GYN physician, author of the forthcoming What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend (St. Martin’s Press, 2010) and Encaustic: A Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax (Random House, 2010), a nationally-represented professional artist, a mother, and founder of Owning Pink, a website and series of workshops committed to building authentic community and empowering women to get their mojo back. She is also a dog walker, a spiritual seeker, a wife, a yogini, a chauffeur, a cook, and a music fanatic. First and foremost, she is a woman, and like many women, she once thought she had to put herself into a box and choose who to be. She now accepts that, while she is all these things, no single identity defines her. She is more than what she does. She strives to be authentic, in all aspects of her life, and she encourages others to do the same.
Lissa practices holistic women’s health at Clear Center of Health in Mill Valley, California. Her nationally-recognized abstract encaustic paintings and sculptures are represented by galleries in San Francisco, Santa Fe, Boston, Atlanta, Laguna Beach, Houston,and Bethesda. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and fellow artist, Matt Klein, and their daughter, Siena.

Here are some links for you to connect with Lissa, Owning Pink and The Pink Posse:

www.owningpink.com
www.lissarankin.com
www.lissarankinart.com
www.clearcenterofhealth.com
Owning Pink Community: http://www.owningpink.com/forum
Twitter ID: lissarankin
Facebook: Owning Pink http://www.facebook.com/owningpink
Facebook: Lissa Rankin http://www.facebook.com/lissarankin

And introducing The Pink Effect:
www.pinkeffect.ning.com

I hope you visit Lissa and the Pink Posse, you will be thrilled you did.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online



 

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Art Auction For The Children of Malawi

Monday, June 1st, 2009 by Debra Oakland

I have met a wonderful woman on Facebook this week. Her name is Jane Monica Tvedt and she is a wonderful artist who is assisting in an  Art Auction for the Children of Malawi on June 11th 2009. Living in Courage would like to support this endeavor for the children by spreading the word online.

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The well known Erik Thorstvedt will be in charge of the auction.  Behind the auction are independent distributors of Nourish The Children product. The aim is to get money to support as many children as possible one year ahead. They are already setting a goal to have one art project a year to raise money for people who are suffering.

I am posting two You Tube Video’s (click on Read More below to view) from “Empire of Heart Norway” about the auction and the children of Malawi.  The paintings in this video will be at the art auction June 11, 2009. The sale of the painting will go to the children in Malawi.

If someone would like to put in a bid on the art, please contact Inger Elise – Lege
Mail: hel.se.hel@gmail.com

Video by Jane monica Tvedt – Empire of heart – http//www.empireofheart.com

Music by Sarah Mclachlan -  What Child Is This?

Music by Enya – Stars and Midnight Blue



 

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Peaks & Valleys, Courage & Sheryl Brown

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 by Debra Oakland

Peaks and Valleys

This painting was created by my new friend on Facebook, Sheryl Brown. We have developed a wonderful friendship. Sheryl, coming from her heart with light and love, was inspired to paint “Peaks and Valleys” after visiting Living in Courage and reading my story. I love Sheryl’s authentic art, spirit and courage.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Sheryl Brown, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a private practice & Artist.

“Here is one of my recent paintings, “Peaks and Valleys,” which was inspired by reading some of the life story of my new Facebook friend, Debra Oakland. Though she has lost a number of close family members, she explains how she has chosen to be happy and not remain stuck in grief and the pain of loss. Interestingly enough, when I started out this painting, I enthusiastically loaded up the canvas with rather too much paint (some of which I transferred to another canvas – to be posted later). I had in mind some colors from looking at photos of a joyful occasion. In the process of working on this painting, however, the phrase – “oh, the jagged pain” – (or something close to that) went through my mind. This painting then became about my perception of Debra’s experience. Our lives here on earth really are characterized by both jubilant and sorrowful times – and everything in between. And sometimes, it really ain’t pretty. I had the feeling that I muddied up the warm colors as I was mixing them, and pondered whether to “clean” them up some by adding another layer. In the end, I decided to leave it as it is. Life isn’t perfect, but we still love it.”

Looking forward to reading your comments and feedback on this new painting.

To see this painting, click here.

Please visit Sheryl Brown at : http://www.sherylbrownart.blogspot.com/



 

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Book – The Angel Inside

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 by Debra Oakland

One of my fun reads that I did not want to put down was “The Angel Inside” by Chris Widener. My husband and I have been to Florence where we fell in love with the city. This book took me back to a place I love to daydream about. Cody and I plan on spending much more quality time there in the future. When you read The Angel Inside you visit the statue of David, learn about the life and art of Michelangelo, while trusting the passion that lives within you will unfold.

This rock was originally cut for work before Michelangelo was even born. Three great artists, one very famous, could not see what the rock could be. Michelangelo knew there was an angel inside the rock.
As you read this book you will take a trip to one of my favorite cities in the world, salivate over the food, learn about the art, people, and living your passion. This book is a gem to read over the years.
I hope you enjoy “The Angel Inside” as much as I did. Many people did not know that Michelangelo was a writer. Here is a short sonnet he wrote which is from the book.

The Marble not yet carved can hold the form
Of every thought the greatest artist has,
and no conception ever comes to pass
Unless the hand obeys the intellect.



 

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