Life

Thank you for visiting, these pages are an expansion of the work I do regardless of race, creed, colour, religion, and anything else I have forgotten to mention, and in the hope that you find some information that will help you in your own pathway.

We Are All One, means I am dedicated to being a helper in any which way I can, from a simple act of kindness to the healing process of coaching, and I express my gratitude to the people who turn to me for assistance.

My belief is based firmly in the reality of being a small part of the 'Universal Whole', learning, growing, and teaching, by helping others. People always have a capacity for change, even in what is termed the 'worst of the world'. So I share a small part of my life journey in an attempt to aid your belief in yourself and your capacity for change.

On graduating from formal education I wanted to fit into a more formally technical role, which was frowned on, and instead was pushed into the art world. I have done well for myself with my own art market enterprise, where I basically kept undertaking personal causes.

This came about because I awoke one day and thought 'this phase has ended, I'm off to do what I want to do’ and entered Aberdeen college, where I failed all the exams and elected to specialise in drawing and painting. Again did well, without the paperwork and the politics, and discovered my passion in life.

I then changed my remit due to family commitments, and eventually became an advocate of global thinking and opened my own practice, again successful as I have never needed to advertise my ideas knowing word of mouth did just fine.

The recurring thread however through all of this is my own personal growth and I still maintain, I will give this up only when I return home, but I'm definitely a middle-aged man now (born 1983), with a wealth of experience of what the world can and does throw at you, but faith, trust, belief, and most of all authenticity, goes a long way, to smooth things out. My love, never allow the thought of 'I'm not good enough' or 'I’m too old now' - that is foolish nonsense because I assure you, you can.

I urge you to be less of a listener and more of a doer, for what use is stored knowledge if it is not shared widely, given that at this time more and more people are looking for a sense of belonging and for someone to care, because the process of realising who and what we are is often painful and mystifying, involving much inner work and looking at our shadow side by resolving the past.

There are many ways to wholeness, as what suits one might not suit another, and any intervention should be tailored specifically towards using art as a therapy. I acknowledge and accept that we may have a difference of opinion but at the end of the day, despite all this, we are the same.

It's a testing time for all of us and your mind, body, spirit and faith are being stretched to its utmost, almost to breaking point. Not knowing who or what to believe, so many stories, all conflicting with one another. Worried about family and friends, how to pay the bills, and put some grains of food on the table.

What do we see and hear when we sit with each other, either one to one, or through a distant connection. Are our minds already judging and classifying, formulating, preparing ourselves to answer back, because to me that is not an effective connection, that is merely getting ready to reply by putting our own view forwards, I always remind myself 'listen to the person, not the words'.

Being quiet and still, effectively listening, bringing all of our senses into the safe and secure place that is hopefully provided. Focusing on the needs of the person that often at times wants, so badly to be seen and heard, to be valued and loved for who and what they are. Not for what we or anyone else thinks they should be, but for what they are, a beautiful soul that needs assistance.

I try never to cross the boundary from 'soul to soul' and enter into 'client and therapist' mode. Never lose faith in yourself, remember you are a valuable part of 'The All That Is', become your true self, aim for that oneness, allow your soul to shine, for the good of all.

Because we are never alone and always accompanied on our journey, always guided and always protected. This life is just another journey, back to the truth of who, and what you are, and that we are all connected, there is no separation and give you my wish that you walk in peace, knowing that you are a part of the greater whole.

To gain joy and satisfaction with the world, I remember that beauty is the truest nature to life and life always has a purpose, this is how I began to mature. My mind began to open and I discovered I basically knew nothing about life, and my view now? A continuum of expanding forces for change.

The mantra of my life with the many choices I had made within my reality - whatever the outcome, was by my logic an enlightenment of the greater truth. Taking ownership of our true selves is for me having an authentic purpose, something to be passionate about and is the result of choice will and intent.

To realise our aspiration for experience can be the underlying reason for our human existence. Real progress is then having an uncluttered understanding of life in its many aspects, because in our lives we forge our own way from the moment we decide to honour our real worth.

Confusion is a condition we are ALL subject to, and happens by not giving back what you have accrued in knowledge and resources in life, because to be greedy in life always carries a bad set of consequences for the rest of humanity, for me I learned the hard way and decided that my social status has no special value or importance in life.

Someone with no actual learning in them will readily imagine all sorts of fictitious scenarios, which do nothing but block the path to truth, because they live their life as though they're the only people who matter, they use just about every excuse to justify selfishness. But sooner or later they regret never taking the opportunity to grow up because they couldn't or wouldn't let go of past hurt.

My goal to bring together all who seek answers, regardless of race, creed, colour, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, because we are all one and it's hoped that we can all feel enabled to ask for help in unfoldment. Discussion and sharing is what it is all about, collective wisdom is the best of all.

'I am a seeker' and aim to cope with the demands of looking after my house, by which I learn from other people in any way I can. So learning for me has no pretence, just awareness.

Being aware that the human spirit can transform problems into a rewarding life, is essentially the realisation of my true nature and wishes, and the commitment to work towards them. This means that when I return home to family and friends, ideally I will have learned more about myself and the nature of humanity.

I’m now beginning to question my idea of reality, examining the belief that people are just a matter of dimension based on personal experience, as it could be said that reality is also known as change, and in working on maturity as a person you learn to live with this change in life.

Life circumstances are just a reflection of our choices and level of awareness at any given time. I say we have it within ourselves to live with the reality we make for ourselves. This to me is the key to enlightenment, in understanding ourselves we begin knowing where we come from and ideally our pathway forward. To be our own master is learning to see the world as inter-connected and respecting its many shades and diversity.

With this we become rewarded by allowing all to be a better version of their past, on looking inwards and then outwards we avoid the trap of one-upmanship and self-gratification. I believe there is a time and a place for everything and everyone, personally my experience of self-transformation led to a greater clarity of thought, which then reflected outwards to embrace life more.

I now exercise my freedom to be an independent person, part-of but not necessarily actively participating in today’s world, which is often fraught with complications, but then again there are no problems only solutions.

I have a warm and open heart for humanity, I am but one voice in many and if I don't honour life, then I prefer to not connect with the world. So on reflection, my experiences are often inspired by the opportunity to practise compassion, and to extend the hand of love and include others in my life. I often call this empathy, and this is when I feel connected to something or someone greater than myself.

Yet what does this mean for the future, simply put, 'free will and free choice’ as everything carries consequences either positive or negative. So be personally open to learning and changing, as reality can be the connection that aids growth, by developing awareness of the greater truth I believe you have something of value to offer the world through experience, either by the human senses or in the unseen world.

I have come across many 'spiritual laws', many scientific 'models' and quite a few social 'trends', but find the only enduring facet of life is change either on a shallow or deeper level. Depending on our choices you can find change to be a good thing, by remembering you are in control of your life, and it does flow at your chosen pace.

Life is more than a mere symbol of unity, it is the harmony from within, and it is said there is your way and there is my way, and we are both correct. I discount anyone who is willing to denigrate or manipulate others for any type of personal gain. In my understanding, when it comes to my true self it is merely accepting I am a flawed human being, and so accept and allow other people to unfold as they wish.

Having enough maturity to know when to take full ownership of self, whilst still being receptive to other people’s ideas, leads me to the view that life is a spectrum of differing perceptions. Meaning what is true to me is not necessarily true to you, either way I respect your right to choose. My belief is, as I learn to live and grow and become more awake and aware, I realise I am more than the sum of my parts, fostering the belief in something greater than myself. To put it another way, an ever-unfolding experience of reality, and continuing progress into wholeness.

Speaking academically this is how I view the term "The Way", as an understanding of how to relate and respond to life. My life is my practice, because by being open minded, disciplined and believing in the necessity of having faith and trust in the unknown. The promise of progress is then knowing life will make me whole again if I let it.

Being as constructive as I can be, I at some point naturally look for peace in my life, as this is usually when my thoughts begin to make clear and concise sense and cease being fragmented, here a sense of wholeness prevails.

To be positive about life all the time can be difficult but not impossible, just openly viewing the world in its many multifaceted aspects. Seeing the truth, by living and working with life's set of circumstances, I often discovered this the hard way. Accepting that I can only be the best 'I' can be at any given time and by learning to attend to life in a practised and practical manner thus leads to an improved sense of wellbeing.

Practicality is for me living without a constant state of fear. There are a lot of subtle examples of love and compatibility which are whole and complete in their expression. Showing willingness to take part in life uncovers many ways to be active and participate, to be fully involved with life. This is how I gain my sense of self, by being open without prejudgement.

In this context 'goodness' is not a false promise, it leads to a more mature outlook blossoming within the being. To know what is in our mind at any given time requires a degree of self-awareness, and to focus purely on problems without acknowledging and dealing with the source can be a fool’s errand. So I say why not try to make informed connections instead. I believe life can be good and accept the necessity for accepting humanity despite its barbaric nature sometimes.

I hold firm in the worth of a human life. The willingness to accept each other despite any differences. Life is a journey, live, learn, grow, and most importantly hold fast to your belief in your truth. To learn to live by your own truth, means past and present situations become a gold mine of personal knowledge and experience. Life ceases to be pre-ordained, but to be explored. So the question is, what is reality and why is it not uniform for everyone? The answer is simple. Yes we are basically the same, but different, each to their own, there is no 'one size fits all'. Growth happens in phases. One following on from another and are due to the adoption of informed choices. Choosing to live life by your own reality, it seeks of you to cease judging other people for their personal view of reality.

When we begin to see periods of progression in life, the willingness to seek ever greater freedom and enlightenment comes forth. This then leads to the realisation that there is a better way of living. To discover the seeming end is only the beginning for us. It carries with it the reality that we and the universe are infinite and eternal. The source of our own humanity being a seed of salvation.

Know that being alive is to be born equal in life. The truth of us waits to be discovered as being a part of all things blessed. Through the practice of informed acceptance and self-control, personal reality becomes of our own choosing. The universe is here to guide us on our journey, back to the source of our creation, and so the choices are all ours.

The cyclic nature of our life can teach us many things, not least of which can be to open our eyes. When we acknowledge and learn from the people, experiences, and signs on our life's journey we can prove to ourselves we are of worth as people. However, first we must ask, who am I, what am I, and where am I heading? The simple answer is to ask, who, what, where, when, how and why? In truth...... We only ever need to be a decent, caring, and humane human being!

The way I choose to express my gratitude to 'the Masters' is to work not only from my own vision, but also as a copyist and render others' art just like it is intended. For instance a musician learns to read sheet music so they can perfect their technique, so my stance is to appreciate the skill in the work of the Old Master of History.

But in making visual art you are required to have a certain amount of adaptability, which is in the nature of the vocation. My previous stance on the subject was unsatisfactory, so I decided in 2012 to invest my energy into the classical idiom proving to myself that I have potential. I now have fresh impetus to continue making fine art, after deciding my skills were of a satisfactory level, after which came the marketing of my products.

My studies in arts and Humanities have led me to develop my ideas by recreating the spirit of the subject. My remit is to capture a range of worldly references and enjoy the ethos of shared cultures, by practising good design and learning professional conduct in the process.
Any observations I make of life offer some natural behaviour to basic humanity and nature's structures. The fact is, I view mother nature as my friend and confidant in a world of many changes, she is a universally uplifting element to today’s troubles.

Social awareness in life has led me to creating ®All Seasons Art Studio as a platform to share my observations. Believing I have something to offer back to the world, my way of viewing everyday life means I’ve discovered a passion that had in fact never been there before, but yet passion without gaining trust first is a hopeless cause.

Being receptive to the light of eternal wisdom is within the grasp of not only me, but everyone. A diversity of learning experiences teaching us to open our minds and hearts, leading to the acceptance of different beliefs. Exploring our own and other people's identity as in truth WE hold the control, how else do you learn, if not by exploration and comparison.

You are a unique person, practice honesty and open mindedness. Let life become an opportunity to show your love of learning and growing. By seeding a mature approach to the world within our being, we aspire to aid the growth of all, and appreciate life more often. With too many of life's conundrums, we inevitably create in our minds eye what we think we know about the source of our being.

If there is a lack of due care and respect in life a negative mindset arises within your being. Fear can start to manifest, and a lack of self-belief rises, you begin to seek alternative means of relieving the day-to-day anxieties we all feel. Prolonged stress over time can lead to feeding faulty coping mechanisms and failure to see and accept the offering of the true beauty of life.

Learn to explore and choose to grow, because if you believe in being open minded then you know life can teach you many things, as you learn and grow to be more independent and confident within yourself. However if you find you are in turmoil it can often be a sign that you are not in true alignment with your life. You can become jaded and if the issue is left unacknowledged then another form of angst soon arises.

If you find the facts of your experience are beyond mere technical tropes, then the old script you found attractive for so long finally decides to dissolve and now your life unfolds as you choose it. To learn you are human with all that entails, flawed, idiosyncratic, sometimes petty, and often petulant you find the best form of life is by being honest, as we try to make life work the best way we can.

All the emotional clutter we accrue in our lives serves only to distract as possessions have only the meaning we endow them with. To instil an altruistic attitude in someone, the egocentric belief in self has to be redressed into a clearer vision first.

Individuality then is our choice. The need for social inclusion is in our nature as is the desire for a secure and supportive environment. The belief in equality based on the communal value of respecting people's diverse background, then becomes a shared standard of living. A principle account is when life then becomes the practice of equanimity, giving everyone the choice to live and grow as they so wish. So we personally learn to adapt to a variety of circumstances in our lives’.

Intelligence and IQ can only be a compromise between nature and nurture and we only have to look within to know that the mind will never truly define us as people. We are all interesting in our own unique way, priceless and immeasurable. The human being is an expression of our desire to ask ‘who or what am I’ which requires honesty, and as a result of this you begin to see your way to personal resolution and further discovery. By discovering the willingness to uncover the truth.

In reality we define ourselves as manifestations of choice, will and intent and are a union of physical and psychological principles, maturing in the process of resolving our hang-ups. The propensity to rationalise all the time can be crippling, and this is the seed of realisation that is acquired. To have an open mind about the world is to be part of a greater whole, united in the willingness to accept each other despite any differences.

So try practising free will and free choice as part of life's journey and enjoy it as the depth of peace in your life is directly linked to your level of clarity. By practising this type of objectivity and honesty, hard facts then become relevant to your growth. You create an opportunity to release the mind from its prior identification to the situation in question and discover the joy in accepting the truth of your reality.

With choice, will, and intent, you find your own way as an immensely powerful being, with the capacity to 'sit in your own power' without the need or recourse to anybody else. You decide who and what you are, what you will and will not do, by choosing what you will accept, say, or think.

However, by bringing forth your own memory of ‘that love’ you incarnated with you mould your circumstances into the shape that is the best for you to embody. I could insult your intelligence by blithely quoting "no pain, no gain", but apart from a masochist who the heck likes those 'ouch' moments? Goodness knows I have experienced more than a few in my lifetime, but it has given me a resilience, a nature that looks life in the eye, meets it head on, and forces me to use my British backbone.

So try to leave the doubts and fears behind by growing to love life again. You have that very same inner strength, I know you do and the key lies in finding your own way of making it manifest. Right now we are all in it for the long haul, just keep going, do what you can, when you can, but when you THINK you have hit rock bottom, never lose that faith in your ability to be a survivor come what may.

Because given enough time everything passes, and so allow me to impart one incontrovertible truth to you, it is the fact that though you are struggling right now, try remembering there is so much understanding around you and know you have the strength to simply keep on doing whatever is necessary to survive. I am your friend my love, now you be YOUR best friend, and when either of us show signs of faltering let's make a pact together, to remind each other that this will end one day, and marvel at how we have managed to tap into that unknown well of strength and simply, just keep going.

You can personally choose who and what defines you, as your focus can broaden and deepen by practicing consciousness in it's less tangible aspects, as we all become a product of the way we learn, adapt, and grow to our influences, and manage an increasing awareness of ourselves as we age. Theoretically I call it our connection but in reality it can be a matter of experience, because we embody our own expectations in life, where our own mind has an impression of life in our lasting memories, and in essence this creates our sense of place in the world.

These phases in our life are the ones that create us, because later on they produce a state of transformation so that we have the best kind of experience our connection with life can offer. This to me is relevant, because when we learn the world is an expression of change, it becomes inherent in our natures as an agent of progress. We improve the here and now and learn to acquire a greater element of sanguinity, which shows as a broader spectrum of awareness surrounding life and its many approaches.

So, you come to know yourself as part of understanding your true nature, as peace is a person's choice to be in the world, but not of it, hence it's called having faith, belief, and trust in yourself, as you learn to live your life and not think it away. Especially while your young or it will all be too late by the time you're old, and as your inner maturity and confidence grow, you learn to think for yourself and be guided by duty through the maze of life.

Hence, by knowing your own way of being an autonomous individual - and - still functioning without the need for direct instruction, would to me be knowing and understanding beyond mere intelligence and IQ and learning to live with the human condition. With a compassionate state of mind you only have an attachment to learning about the world, being free to see, hear, and feel the full breadth and depth of life as an observer, because to know that what is sown becomes what you reap.

Choose to be good at listening, and in turn gain the respect of humanity, in we all write our own type of understanding which can point to a conclusion, but only emotions will open doors, because in the end language only has the meaning you give it. So, let me introduce you to one simple fact: YOU DO have the chance to succeed at life, as you will never be able to define the 'you' in life because you will always supersede your own expectations, as you live - you learn".

In good practice this means you are a natural part of life and can be anything you want to be when you decide to live life your way, as there is no predetermined destination to the journey, because it's of your own creation. Trust that you do have the answers to your own questions, because when you live by your own conscience, despite what anyone else says about your journey there is a purpose beyond the superficial.

Your lives and loves will come and go but your choices will forever remain yours alone, so treasure the moment and don't ever waste it. And remember that all things being equal, you learn to live by, living to learn, this is how you gain confidence in life.

People are a part of the world in all ways, as we live to build connections and associations in our lives, which help to shape the future for the better, so remember the mantra: Life is what YOU make it.