blog

The Miracle Cure

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:36:39 +0100

As the summer months weave and flow (with August fast approaching) I am reminded of one essential truth: love yourself. Love is the miracle cure and when we love ourselves life works...perfectly.

-Namaste

For My Indigos

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:21:54 +0100

This is for all the Indigo Children, wherever u may be...No matter what people say, remember who you are and remember why you came to this planet...do not let fear stop you from realizing your goals or shining your light or seeing the beauty in each and every day...if you are confronted with negativity have the strength to walk away and shine even brighter...it's time to let the world know who we are...we are psychics, mystics, poets, and dreamers with minds that glimmer and gleam and we see much more than this three dimensional plane. Light up the sky with your vision and let the old pass away. Today is a new day.

For the People of Montenegro

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:53:23 +0100

What is it about you that I find so captivating and beautiful? Perhaps I am drawn to you because you do not want to possess me, only hold me...You do not want to eclipse me, only linger in my scent for a while...Even though you do not know me, you love me and I you...We can stand here holding eachother, arms tightly wound around thin frames and be a peace...you never once attempt to claim my beauty for your own...or challenge my desire to bask in silence...my simple communion with God...you see deep into my spirit and I return the favor...yet, we do not have to fully understand eachother in order to respect eachother and for that I thank you...

In Memory of Dorothy Dandridge

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:20:06 +0100

A sweet, sweet soul gone too soon...Now I finally understand...You were beautiful all along...I just wish you could have seen it...

-Me

Black Is...

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:18:56 +0100

Black is...

        Zora Neale Hurston & The Boule
            Bruce Nugent & Bayard Rustin
                Tar Baby
                    Tia & Tamara Mowry
               Barack Obama???
                    The Links...
    Delta Sigma Theta...
        Howard...
Lawrence Otis Graham
            &
        C.O.G. I. C.
Tupac & Thomas Jefferson
    Republicanism???
            FDR...
    Wendy Williams...
Bobby Brown...
    Mike Tyson...
            Jack & Jill
Elitism...
    Old Guard...
        Idlewild...
Paper Bag...
        The Drum...
Harvard...
    Yale...
        Penn...
Harlem...
    Brooklyn...
Detroit...
        Silence...
Soul food...
    Nicky Barnes...
            Michelle Obama
Elaine Brown
        Allah
Charles Drew
            Emmitt Till
    & the Ku Klux Klan
B.Scott
    Paris is Burning
            The House of Ninja
Black is...
        To be continued...

All Rights Reserved Nicole Bowman 2010

I Am

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:21:21 +0100

I am not the black girl that you see on television or read about in the newspapers or masturbate to when your girlfriend isn't looking...I am not exotic or loud or freakish...a spectacle to behold...I am not here to entertain you...or smile sweetly at you while secretly cursing your ignorance with my heart and mind...I am not here to make you comfortable...I am not here to help accentuate your beauty...I am not here to be your mammie, your servant,your maid, or your mama...I am not Lisa TurtIe...I am not here to be studied or poked or prodded or changed...I am not here to be saved, educated, manipulated, or propagandized...I am here to cultivate my mind, elevate my spirit, and comprehend my own intelligent design...I am not your marionette...I am the Goddess swimming in a human gene pool...I am the Holy Trinity and Krishna and Buddah and...I am a bright shining light that you refuse to see because your eyes are not open.

All Rights Reserved Nicole Bowman 2010

Transmutation

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:32:42 +0100

There is so much beauty in the world...why do we choose to focus on the pain?

What about laughter and children and sunshine? What about smiles and giggles and the freedom to just play? What about color and life and magic and simple gifts that keep giving day after day?

I will not hide my light and proclaim that the world is doomed.The world is beautiful, even in its ugliness.

We are not trapped, condemned, or even controlled. It is all perception... waiting to be molded and twisted and kneaded about.

Slowly, but surely turning dross into gold.

Freedom

Sun, 30 May 2010 14:25:24 +0100

Well, I just left Orlando and I am now living in Tivat, a beautiful city by the sea in Montenegro. The natural beauty is impeccable.

My senses come alive, trying to soak up everything with each passing day...soft ocean breezes, sweet salty air, brilliant sky, sounds, color, language, culture...

Where do I begin? Where do I end? How can I begin to express what I am feeling...

Sounds like, feels like, freedom.

Bikram Yoga Southwest Orlando

Mon, 03 May 2010 14:02:59 +0100

I have been combing all over the city of Orlando trying to find the perfect yoga studio for me, and I found it... Bikram Yoga Southwest Orlando! It's a beautiful, spacious studio located minutes from Sea World.

If you're in the mood for biking be prepared to see gorgeous palms tree and sweet smelling flowers along the way!

Bikram Southwest also has a cafe and an assortment of books written by Bikram himself.

The instructors approach yoga from a place of joy, knowing that our bodies are perfect in this moment.

I had a wonderful time on Sunday, and I'm excited to head back today.

If you want to get your yoga on in 105 degree heat check out:

www.bikramyogawestorlando.com

for class schedules, location, and pricing.

See You There Yogis!

Namaste

ON BEING AN ARTIST

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:28:06 +0100

During my collaboration with Florida Studio Theatre I received the Mandelker Award for my work as an artist and educator. Consequently, FST and the Mandelker family asked me to expound on my experience.

While at FST I worked closely with children ages 4-11. My work with these children proved to be highly illuminating, joyful, and exciting.

Here is what I learned. Enjoy!

The Waterfall

Nicole Bowman

The rain started innocently enough. Tiny droplets cascaded down our cheeks and danced between our toes as a gentle breeze kissed the waiting ocean. Remnants of the sweet, salty air hung heavy inside our nostrils, warning us of the torrential downpour that was to follow. The children and I huddled inside the darkened theater faces pressed against the glass, waiting for their parents to arrive.

The rain, once sweet and gentle, now threatened to engulf everything it came in contact with. A brilliant clap of thunder greeted the darkened sky and several streaks of lightening soon followed. The children and I remained silent, transfixed by the beauty of mother nature.

As the intensity of the storm began to wain, parents slowly arrived. One by one the children said their goodbyes and ventured out into the thick balmy heat. Heavy drops of rain fell along their shoulders but they didn't seem to care.

One by one, the children began to dance in the rain. They laughed and twirled with arms outstretched. Smiles of joy warmed their faces and infectious giggles escaped their lips.

Their parents savored the site and refused to intervene. Somehow, we all sensed the sacredness of this moment, it was the stuff that memories were made of.

As the rain picked up momentum, David , a four and a half year old screamed: “Look Miss Nicole! A waterfall!” I turned my head and observed rain sliding down the roof of the building and briskly hitting the ground below.

Yet, when I softened my gaze, I could indeed see David's waterfall. The theater was replaced by a tropical rain forest. Lush vegetation and exotic animals surrounded me, and within seconds, the heavy stone ground became the shallow end of the sea. I stood there, admiring my reflection and silently thanking David for this precious gift.

In that moment, something clicked for me and I understood my purpose like never before. It was and is not the picture we see with our eyes, but the picture we paint with our own minds. It is the courage to laugh, dance, love, and pray in the midst of imagined chaos. That is what makes an artist. Dancing in the rain with arms wide open, blissfully unafraid of getting wet. It is the courage to create, hope, and dream, simply because it fills you with happiness. It is the gift of knowing that you are an artist, even when no one is watching.

So this for the children, Randy, David, Kayla, and Calypso; Destiny, Carlos, Jordan, and Christos. Tiny lives that were intertwined with mine. Souls that were brimming with optimism, truthfulness, and creativity. I now know that you were the ones teaching me.