coverartist


letterfrompublisher


I became so inspired working with the spirited leaders we interviewed for this issue that I got busy creating my own 2011 Vision Board.


Michael Bernard Beckwith knows about the laws of attraction and how we can inwardly create the right con- ditions for our highest potential to express and actualize. He packs venues around the country, so get your tickets early for a transformational weekend right here in Ft. My- ers on February 25-26. Look for me there and look for our


interview with Michael on page 41.


Paisley Hearts by Michael Wertz


Michael Wertz says he has always found the act of melding the art of illustration and commerce exciting. “I love to direct that passion into crafting an emotive experience that words cannot,” explains the Oakland, California-based illustrator. “For me, it means I’ve created an image that distills a moment of clarity.” Wertz’s bold, energetic visions leap from his imagination through the pencil he always uses to begin an illustration, and finish as digital collage, monoprints or screen prints. He has been creating images for publishers, designers, ad- vertising agencies and musicians since 1995, when he graduated from Califor- nia College of the Arts, in Oakland. The artist’s colorful imagery, com- missioned by dozens of national clients, has been featured in Communication Arts and American Illustration and recognized by the Society of Illustrators. Today, Wertz runs a printmaking shop called Inky Oxnard, in West Oakland, and lives nearby, as a “… friend to the four-pawed and a lover of all things brightly colored, including love.”


View the artist’s portfolio at Wertzateria.com.


6 Collier/Lee Counties


A good life also starts with good health and Dr. Christiane Northrup, my favor- ite integrative physician, has been guiding women like me gracefully through the years. She’ll be in Naples March 1 on a rare visit for a talk celebrating the health benefits of pleasure and joy (page 47). You’ll find me in the front row taking notes. Rounding out our empowering triad, Harville Hendrix, renowned author of Getting the Love You Want, clues us in to how he teaches partners to listen deeply to each other with curiosity, empathy and respect. I have taken his Imago Dia- logue course and know how empowering it is to discover a way to break through hidden obstacles and communicate in ways that get us what we all want—to feel loved. See page 32 for his insights.


So, all revved up, I spent an evening with friends combing through magazines for images of what I wish to attract this year. I clipped scenes of people lying in a hammock, communing with nature or blissfully doing nothing at all. I cut out words like simplify, stress-free and letting go. All of this expressed a need deeper than my conscious mind admitted: I needed to slow down and bring more balance to my life.


We all desire a sense of balance. From experience, I’ve learned that it usually emerges as a result of the small things I do, the choices that, bit by bit, add up to a sense of well-being. After acting on many of the practical tips that writer Frances Lefkowitz offers in “Relax & Recharge,” on page 36, I felt much better. The next time that I worked on my Vision Board I added different images: An energetic woman hiking in the mountains, a bicycle with a basket of flow- ers, a woman digging in her garden. Most revealing of my recharged state was an illustration of a woman leading a group of people moving forward while the sun glowed in her power chakra (solar plexus). I recognized my passionate, energized spirit again—committed to my work and expressing myself meaningfully in the world.


Valentine’s Day reminds us how vital it is to express love in all of our rela- tionships. I’m reminded that love is our natural state of being every time I look at the image in the center of my Vision Board. It shows a smiling woman with a drawing of a big heart radiating outward, symbolizing that no matter what I am doing I want to keep my heart open and have it lead my way. We are so blessed to have a wealth of heart-centered guides present in every


issue of Natural Awakenings, always ready to assist us to greater heights. Here’s to spreading the love… It’s free and it’s good for you!


Happy heart month,


P.S. Our new website—swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com—offers even more help- ful articles, ideas and resources.


swfl .naturalawakeningsmag.com


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