We had the good fortune of connecting with GINA BLICKENSTAFF and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi GINA, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is an important attribute in any career, I think. From the early days in my career, when I purchased a $200 Rembrandt pastel set and a portfolio (with money I didn’t have) and planned to make money to pay off these items by doing pastel portraits (which I succeeded in doing, manyfold!), to this current time when I have gained so much confidence in myself that I can more freely take risks because experience tells me I can usually pull them off – it is a long game in an art career of stretching yourself through taking risks.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was raised by two artist parents, so I came by my talent naturally and it is always what I wanted to do in life. My parents were always my best art teachers. I have also been very interested in the spiritual life and started a personal meditation practice, twice a day, when I was 15, and I have carried this practice throughout my life. In 1985 I added a very powerful group service meditation called Transmission Meditation, to my regimen. There are groups all over the world engaging in this form of service work. Deep meditation facilitates the building of the “antahkarana” which is the bridge from the mind to the soul, and allows for a more powerful soul connection. The wisdom and creativity from the soul then flows to the meditator and the result is often a serious outflow of beauty and light. In my life it has eventuated a strong creativity and a wonderful energy and color sense in my art. It has also given me the courage which keeps me moving forward instead of being crushed under the weight of trying to be an artist in a society that does not value art very much!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would be a lousy tour guide because I am a hard worker and do not take much time out for recreation, nor do I have a disposable income for eating at restaurants and seeing shows. I am a serious gardener, though, and could entertain people with some exploits to garden spots! I am a vegan foodie, so I would enjoy cooking some exciting vegan meals and I love biking, so a few laps around town on the bike paths would be something I could share.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to all of my coworkers and associates with the worldwide Share International group of volunteers who are using all of their talents and gifts to pour their love and light into the world. They understand, from a study of the Ageless Wisdom Teachings, the difficulties of the current time as we transition from the age of Pisces to the age of Aquarius (it is not just a song!) and with this transition comes the Head of our Spiritual Hierarchy, Maitreya, the World Teacher, Who is now in the world, walking our streets and giving profound experiences to groups and individuals everywhere. This Teacher is the One that all religions await (The return of Christ, the next Buddha [Maitreya Buddha], the return of Krishna, the Messiah, the Imam Madhi) and He comes with a number of His advanced Disciples to show us the way forward out of this mess we have created. I believe many artists in the world are very intuitive and often sense these kinds of world changes before the rest of humanity and they often depict these transformative and often difficult “messages” in their art, and this depiction of “the path ahead” can be very instrumental in helping us go forward into a more spiritual relationship with each other, and with all the lifestreams on the planet, as well as Mother Earth!

Website: https://ginablickenstaff.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gina_blickenstaff/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064819272875

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_0JmbtbGYsEGxso30g5Zg

Image Credits
Gina Blickenstaff

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