How to find your land of plenty

I love it when there’s a creative conversation between artists. That’s what happened when  awesome art director Thaoski put up a shoot entitled ‘Joanna’s Land of Plenty’. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.275690982456973.86331.162560637103342&type=3Thaoski wrote about how she had meditated with her client Joanna Eden to find Joanna’s ‘land of plenty’. The American Indians believed that everything you really want already exists somewhere in a place where your heart’s desires can be found. Joanna realised when she did her meditation that she already had her land of plenty. It was in fact her family ranch, so they did the shoot there and she vowed to spend more time on it.This interested me and I wondered what the meditation was that they had done. I thought it would be interesting to do my own little meditation.When I meditate I always surround myself with the light of Christ before I start. It is a Christian belief that when you open your mind you have to protect yourself from any negative influences that might be floating around. Then I asked my mind to be still and I asked where was my land of plenty. All at once I saw a flower filled scene of the park nearby, with the old church that rises above it in the distance.I began to make more of an effort to pass through the old park more often. And when I went there I realised that it had changed. For one thing, the garden that I saw in my mind’s eye had been developed and was now a magical kitchen garden profuse with flowers. It was so quiet there, too – place to sit and be private and think. For another, the church that rises above it had changed too and become more lively and happy. I used to attend that church years ago but I had stopped going, for one reason another. I began to get involved there once again and was inspired by the spirituality and sense of communion that I found once more. So it seems Joanna’s meditation works! For me, my land of plenty was on my doorstep.For this project I wanted to sketch and go for a dreamy, not too perfect look. The light was amazing. I love the secret garden atmosphere that these pictures have taken on.I hope you enjoy the photographs. And that you find your land of plenty.PS. While I was writing this my son came in and read over my shoulder. ‘How to find your land of plenty?’ he exclaimed. ‘Where’s your land of plenty?’ I asked. ‘Food!’ he said. A land of plenty can be very different things to different people…