6 days of Creating

Creating 6 days every week is a lot of time do be doing cool and amazing projects – basically creating anything out of our minds fantasy. After such days, I love to Celebrate the 7^th Day … the day of rest, the Shabbat. I am so thankful that I started celebrating the Shabbat as I have gotten so much from it, over the years. I began in 2007, to observe it in a more traditional way, and don’t use the car or any electronic devices, don’t talk on the phone and avoid labor work. It creates a sacred space of  Holy nothing-ness yet embued with Holy spirit. Still we do a lot of learning from one another or listening to Rabbis talks, studying the Torah and Kabbalah, sharing words of wisdom and stories during the meals, and much more…

It’s so wonderful to be with friends and family, only focusing on prayers, eating together, giving thanks, singing and dancing. Basically a natural get-away from every days stressors, social media, work and dead lines… I always feel relaxed and refreshed at the end of Shabbat and ready to embark, with renewed energies the upcoming week. Here is a nice video explaining the depth of Shabbat, by Rabbanit Esther Jungries, which is exactly explaining how I feel about celebrating Shabbat.

Feeling so blessed being an artist of all kinds of expressions; 5th Dimensional Happenings, Art shows, Kabbalah Prints or hand painted signs… and everyday is another opportunity to paint, draw or sculpt the world a new, to see things from a new perspective.

I love the 7th Day because I need to rest after working 6 days on all other things that are not in the most holiest and silent places of all… The Shabbat mode space feels sacred, deep and peaceful to me. The moment I light the Shabbat candles I can feel the Shekinah enters into me and the space I am in, like the bride that can’t wait to unite with its beloved. The Shekinah is the female principle of G’d ~ HaShem.

It’s hard to imagine ‘not celebrating Shabbat’ after 11 years of keeping (observing) Shabbat ~ as it gives me a brake from life and rejuvenates me, as well as strengthening my soul and spirit. Its also wonderful to spend holy time with my Brothers and Sisters, family and loved ones… it gives us energy and strength to continue every week as well as feeling uplifted to bless and pray, brake the bread and bless the vine with each other.

I can’t imagine how tired one must feel if one does not take time off, by going on 24/7 for 7 days…. that is not a life!

Wish for all folks to take time to rest. Even if one is not into Shabbat and not into the Jewish tradition or other faiths, taking ONE DAY OFF any time in the WEEK is paramount. Even if you are not religious, I HIGHLY recommend shutting off all your smart phones and electronic devises for 24 hours… it creates harmony in our brains, our body can relax without the regular life stressors. Being off the electric circuits helps us heal as well as brings us back to what is important in life ~ one another and time to reflect.

Even if its not always easy being an artist during the day of rest, as I love doing my art. Still one is advised not to paint during the day of Shabbat, as the creation is resting, so we are in a non doing and non creating mode. One is sort of in a space of tabula rasa!! Instead, I can imagine art pieces and then it makes the work I do the rest of the 6 days more potent as I take a step back and gain perspective.

Being in a mode of rest actually gives me new ideas… plus it makes me eager to come back to the canvas again.

Blessings and Shabbat shalom, Eva Ariela