Mindfulness
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NYC Winter Night
I'm in New York Cityon a numbingly cold winter night,20th floor of the Marriot Courtyard,just off 5th Avenue.I sleep with the drapes open,receding buildings splattered with random lights,constellations in the city sky. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries.… Continue reading
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My Father the Artist
A number of years ago, I imagined what my father (deceased) might say to me about creativity. He was, among other things, a watercolor artist. This is what I wrote at the time: "Dirk, it was never easy for me… Continue reading
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The Shore of the World
As a childI stood on the shore of the worldwatching the waves wash toward me–rhythmic, relentless, faithful. I was in love with somethingI had not yet seenbut certaintly touched, or, perhaps, it touched me. Text and image © 2011 by… Continue reading
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Big Arms
I want big armsa big hearta mind oh so very opento embrace what is way vasterthan what I've known or could ever imagine. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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At the Museum
"They have so many rooms over here,"a little girl observes to her father. Yes, they do, young one.So many rooms,and so big,and filled with so many wonders. You've seen bone-built dinosaursand birds three times your size,a grizzly with knives for… Continue reading
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It’s Still Christmas!
It's still Christmas…the 6th day, to be exact. I don't want to lose the Christmas spirit. I like the feelings of generosity, warmth, wonder and goodwill I've welcomed all December. And I find, after the actual day itself, that in… Continue reading
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God Speaks Simply
God said: You do not speak for me.I speak simply; you do not. Twitter of sparrows,creak of tall trees,hiss of blown snow,scrape of dry leaves,silence of stars. Laugh of a child,sigh of a lover,touch of a friend. I speak simply.… Continue reading
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The Mystery in the Mundane
In my writing and in my photography, I want to reveal the mystery in the mundane, the transcendent in the every day. I want others to say, with me, "Wow! I never saw it like that," or, at least, "Hmmm…" To… Continue reading
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Core Word #6: Wonder
I never want to lose my sense of wonder: an infant's impossibly tiny, swirl-tipped fingers; hand-in-hand fireworks over a visionary, hope-filled land; colored lights glowing in a tree laden with history and promise; sweet agony and triumph in Beethoven's 5th; a heart-popping poem by Mary… Continue reading
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Core Word #1: Stillness
Just saying, hearing or reading the word stillness quiets me. I'd say I strive for stillness, but that's a contradiction. Stillness isn't something you go after, but something that descends on you when you stop striving or going after. To… Continue reading