Costa Rica Nightlife

This is a tree house near Bellavista in Costa Rica.. I have an obsession with this type of place. The openness, the simple luxury of the trees and their sounds. There is a pureness that you can't find in most places.. a connection that runs deep, bringing us to face our animal selves, the ones that are not fragranced and overtly clean. There is a sensuality here that nestles down in my mind, making me want to grow in a place like that.. to make love and write and invite friends to come and make music there. It fascinates me.



Andrew Tipton

The Night is Still Young

Our creation sides leak out sometimes.. unexpectedly, in odd places. Our vision for the night sways and is reborn. Its always a pleasure to watch the mind make up its mind.. like a spiral staircase - to the room, to the brush, to the stroke. The night is young.. We are a breath away from a thousand choices.


Andrew Tipton

The Commune

I have this idea inside that won't quiet down. And I keep wondering if there are enough people out there to start something.. to take apart our single selves and blend them into a community. Thirty or forty people.. Can you imagine the energy of us if we shared the same spirit! The same attitude about life. It is hard to find people who love creating.. love the intrigue of design, of building and learning, and romance. The ones that love the elegance of sand, and notice the intimate details.
This is not my dream.. this is a future that I believe is completely possible. A community built by people who adore life. A place that we can create music and adventure, and write wild new thoughts.. where we can study and touch and marvel at the fleeting things. Imagine thrity people pouring their talents, their ambitions, their intellects and finances into the same place.. all breathing the same message, that we are all dying.


Andrew Tipton

Dancing Tree

Before we left for the beach I went to visit my grandparents and as I was leaving, I looked up and saw this tree in the field behind their house. It literally seduced me.. the sunlight was trickling through her leaves, and she was dancing with the breeze. I quietly walked up close to her and watched.. It was sensual and breathtaking. She was alone at the end of the field.. catching the last beams of light with her outstretched branches,.. she swayed from side to side, like she was listening to some silent rhythm of music too soft for my own ears. Her hips were the base of her branches.. her fingers the leaves,.. she moved and arched without any inhibitions.


Andrew Tipton

Omens

Journal on Omens:
When a thought passes, we get to look at it.. see it as we'd see a stranger pass us on the street. It comes and goes.. sometimes at a slow stride, sometimes so quickly we don't really notice the details. But do we ever question where our thoughts come from? Are we creating them?
Can you trace a split-second, fragment of an idea to anywhere in particular?

For the most part, I haven't really been paying attention... at least not to the subtleties and the shadows.
Probably like most people.. I assume that my thoughts are more or less me, or my consciousness just randomly coming up with things. I never assume rhythm or reason, never elaborate on the coincidences.

The coincidences.. are starting to impress me. Or, I should say, they are beginning to appear deeper than I gave them credit for. Really, its a certain type of thought that has been catching my attention.. you don't notice it at first because we're not used to separating the sensations of our mind. But there is a difference.. its like these particular thoughts are coming from a source outside of myself. A thought is such a fleeting, fragile thing.. but if we can catch them at the instant they strike our minds then we have a chance to feel where they are coming from.
These "coincidence" thoughts, are interesting because they always manifest themselves physically somehow. When I react in a positive way, its like I have been shown a special doorway, and allowed some other (knowing) source to move me through it. It is me responding.. but I am responding to a feeling, or an instinct or an omen that I did not create.. the thought came to me not from inside of my mind.

I have been reading about omens, the idea astounds me.. Omens, to the best of my knowledge are instances in our paths that connect us to a deeper root of what's happening. In a sense they are exterior stimuli that lead us in a certain direction... or to make certain choices. But only if we see them.. or feel their guidance. I have started calling these thoughts.. omens.
They are becoming more frequent.




Andrew Tipton

My Friend Joshua

You create. The life around you.
And people notice.
They wonder at the things you make.
The beautiful way. the nonsense way.
You sing. and speak. and walk.
I think the world needs you.
Your curiousness and your bewilderment.
my friend.
You are the gold in a sunset,
you are the tears in a laugh,
I don't know anyone who dreams as much as you.
I don't know anyone who believes in dreams as much as you.
You make good things better.
You keep joy in your pocket and bring it to parties.
My friend.
Sometimes I hate you and love you all at once.
Sometimes there is nothing to do but listen to one of your songs.
And smile.

I'm not sure if can feel my energy tonight,.
but I'm sure giving a lot to you.
Good vibes. Good vibes.
It hurts to know you hurt.. I think it would be easier if it was me.
There is a lonliness in a friend's pain.. that makes you want to sit down.
And close your eyes. And somehow change everything back.
I just wanted to get that out..
My friend.
You're irreplaceable.
You've carved a nook in my heart, and it is just your size.. nothing else fits.
So I hope you rest well tonight and feel better in the morning.




Your Friend,

All the human birds

Despite my own truth that our "self" is not truly human, we are left with our presence in our human bodies. i feel as thought there are two options for those of us who come to this realization, we can defy our physical being in favor of the conscious / thought that we understand ourselves to be, or we can accept the truth and embrace our humanity / our presence on the earth.
There is a difference here, because I don't think that embracing our human experience, and being willed by our human experience are the same thing. In my mind, as we see ourselves as separate from the physical world, it shouldn't take away from the experience of humanity. It is an opportunity for us to freely explore the physical, emotional and irrational side of WHAT we are. Our human bodies are our windows to the world, we are connected by our physical self; it is not WHO we are, but it is how we perceive the physical experience. Almost an alternate reality in a way.
Surprisingly, I am finding that as we accept, learn and enjoy the human side of ourselves, we begin to enjoy the human side of people - other people. What we love and see in ourselves as a human, can be felt, observed and reflected back to us by other humans. Its as if we are the mirror through which our experience of humanity can be seen. We start to see that humans are bound together by our common physical presence - we are a consciousness that is living out the same physical story!

How do we enjoy our human experience without being attached to our human self?
I would suggest that we view our human-ness in its truest light - that we are a consciousness fulfilling a physical form. Just as you can imagine a consciousness filling the physical body of a bird, or of a tree. The bird soars and glides on the wind, accepting and embracing its "bird" condition. A tree grows tall and powerful, spreading its beautiful branches, displaying its leaves - accepting and living its physical capacity. It is consciousness contained in another form.. just like us.

As we explore our human condition, we see our senses, our emotions, our creativity, we acknowledge our ability to cry and laugh and scream, and die, and run, and hurt, and feel pleasure. We divide ourselves from "self", from the consciousness that we are, and allow our human sides the privilege of being human. It whatever capacity that may be. It is a beautiful thing to be human I believe.




Andrew Tipton