I loved listening to you two banter about; love, music, faith, creative grist, grits, compooters, buttons, and holding sorrow and joy in one palm. My husband and I sipped our coffee and listened to your A Heart to Heart together. Best Valentine’s Day gift to one another ever. Thank you. (My son-in-law added my daughter’s surname to his name, too. I love that!!! Jon Jaouad Batiste. ❤️🎶❤️
I loved this so much!! Thank you for the beauty of sharing your thoughts with us. One of the parts I am going to use today is the sharing Jon did breaking down the sentence..Be still and know that I am God. It is a transporter of peace for the heart and spirit. Be. Yep! Thank you both and now I'm going to go to the kitchen and make some grits with lots of butter and salt and pepper!! xoxoxo
Thank you both for this gift of listening to your hearts speak. Some times I feel I am caught in the swirl of despair of illness, fear, and helplessness.. But I have yet to succumb to the dramatical “Why me????” (Similar to Marlon Brando yelling “Stella!!!”). I’m proud of that and I stop spinning, breathe, and I say, onward…I’m grateful to be in the here and now.to hug my husband, send my sons a silly photo, pet my dogs and give someone a smile.
Thank you both for sharing so much grace, wisdom and tenderness, says this elder writing teacher & meditator of many decades. Yes to all of your suggestions. But especially to your innate understanding about holding both joy & sorrow.. observing (as opposed to identifying with or getting attached to either one) and being curious. The one certainty we humans have is that Everything changes, moment-to-moment. The past is over & the future has not yet arrived. This very moment—in all its exquisite beauty and pain—is all we have. Jon's "no routines" is brilliant.. when we try to force anything, it can't flow. And, you too, are brilliant and lovely, generous and compassionate, dear Suleika. (I'm not a fan of "better half" talk). Faith, yes. Trust in whatever comes. And being with it all. Blessings, dear souls. You are inspirations.
Such profound wisdom shared between the both of you. I love the creative charge at the end--the implementation of allowing the action to go forth without trying to control the creative process of calling and checking in ...is the beauty of joy when confronting a hard thing. Thank you for sharing your insight and wisdom with us. God bless you both!
The two of you are puzzle pieces that expand, and contract with creativity...respect for each other....but most of all....LOVE....that binds both of you together. Both of you bring such joy and how to handle the downs/darkness. 'Put on the light......reach for the light...' I love and respect you both!!
Thank you for this reminder to enjoy the ride or the pause, to sail through all kind of weather while exploring new territory or old ones. To taste all the flavors of life, to create and connecting with others. Your love for life is beautiful as you are.
Jon, this one's for you. I listened to your Journal about midway when I was "somehow" compelled to call a friend I used to volunteer with at an assisted living facility. Her husband had a major and debilitating stroke a couple of years ago and I failed to be in touch with her after hearing of it. Although I was reminded every week at church when his name was included in the Prayers for the Sick column, I still put off checking on them and how they were managing this serious illness. (Truth-telling my innermost thoughts , I was feeling so ashamed that, in my twisted thinking, was hoping his name would be missing, meaning he, in all probability, had died!!) After speaking with her for almost 30 minutes I felt a keen sense of freedom and absolution. She was forgiving and understanding due to my own, shall we say, life circumstances. Later in the day I resumed listening to the remainder of your amazing and uplifting session and, as you have probably guessed by now, was stunned when I heard what your "Assignment" for your listeners was: "Call someone you haven't been in touch with for some time". Your spirit, Jon, was working overtime and grace descended earlier in my soul yesterday because God deemed it to be. Bless you both, Jon & Suleika
Thanks for providing the transcript. It would be so wonderful if there was closed captioning for the video interviews & I could see your faces as you speak.
You are saying publicly what I have thought and said and written privately: about survival as a creative act. And it takes so much energy spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically to live creatively when one is medically fragile. For me, it has required me to learn in bigger and bigger ways how to hold my life expectations lightly, i.e., to live with spiritual, emotional, and mental agility no matter the physical state of the body given any day.
Lastly, the dialectic of holding expectations lightly versus allowing myself to dream, vision, and have hope is an exercise itself: the ultimate balancing act.
Thank you for your radiance and courage. It is a comfort to me and a validation of my life journey thus far. You two sparkle so wonderfully and are amazing souls.
This was so needed today. I love what you said, Suleika, about "the tyranny of always having to put a sunny spin on things." Reading about survival itself being a form of creativity, that was a sublime thought to ponder. Jon, the way you speak about how your creative process is directly and indirectly (subconsciously) interwoven with your faith-- the bedrock that GOD is everything, that was beautiful.
What I kept circling back to was the notion of holding multiple truths at once, and being able to create from every emotion, every experience. There is no duality of either or: either joy OR suffering, either in the flow OR stuck. There's movement here, with the knowledge that you both embrace the enigma that is life.
Both of you have served as witnesses to all your readers and listeners who can relate in small ways, and larger ways to your shared and individual journeys. I WILL continue to connect and commune with others, and make that phone call. I like the idea of gifting something that comes as the result of reconnecting with another human. As more of an analog girl in a digital age, I find so much comfort in phone calls, in person conversation and fellowship. Thank you for sharing a window into your creative space, both of you. Blessings from Colorado. Steph
I think my creative process comes from quiet. It is like a blank slate is gently being filled up with quiet ideas that will blossom into something bigger in time. I listen a lot. I get impatient with the noisy pressure of creating for a show. When I’m quiet it comes. But even the the stillness at times is too loud, if that makes sense. There is snow here on our 22 acres. It is silent and the words to you are flowing. My studio feels far away right now as I read and think about what’s next. Maybe it will be nothing. Even that nothing is something. Im happy reading your thoughts and sharing the love from your words. It’s enough for now.
Such an incredible gift! Thank you two so much for the nuggets of gold, inspiration, and presence your brought to my day. Off to share it with others. Big love to you both!
There is this beautiful improvisational element to your conversation that has a music and rhythm all its own. I love how you love each other.
I loved listening to you two banter about; love, music, faith, creative grist, grits, compooters, buttons, and holding sorrow and joy in one palm. My husband and I sipped our coffee and listened to your A Heart to Heart together. Best Valentine’s Day gift to one another ever. Thank you. (My son-in-law added my daughter’s surname to his name, too. I love that!!! Jon Jaouad Batiste. ❤️🎶❤️
I love this, thank you, thank you, thank you! So much joy and playfulness, so much wisdom and love ❤️
I loved this so much!! Thank you for the beauty of sharing your thoughts with us. One of the parts I am going to use today is the sharing Jon did breaking down the sentence..Be still and know that I am God. It is a transporter of peace for the heart and spirit. Be. Yep! Thank you both and now I'm going to go to the kitchen and make some grits with lots of butter and salt and pepper!! xoxoxo
Thank you both for this gift of listening to your hearts speak. Some times I feel I am caught in the swirl of despair of illness, fear, and helplessness.. But I have yet to succumb to the dramatical “Why me????” (Similar to Marlon Brando yelling “Stella!!!”). I’m proud of that and I stop spinning, breathe, and I say, onward…I’m grateful to be in the here and now.to hug my husband, send my sons a silly photo, pet my dogs and give someone a smile.
Thank you both for sharing so much grace, wisdom and tenderness, says this elder writing teacher & meditator of many decades. Yes to all of your suggestions. But especially to your innate understanding about holding both joy & sorrow.. observing (as opposed to identifying with or getting attached to either one) and being curious. The one certainty we humans have is that Everything changes, moment-to-moment. The past is over & the future has not yet arrived. This very moment—in all its exquisite beauty and pain—is all we have. Jon's "no routines" is brilliant.. when we try to force anything, it can't flow. And, you too, are brilliant and lovely, generous and compassionate, dear Suleika. (I'm not a fan of "better half" talk). Faith, yes. Trust in whatever comes. And being with it all. Blessings, dear souls. You are inspirations.
Such profound wisdom shared between the both of you. I love the creative charge at the end--the implementation of allowing the action to go forth without trying to control the creative process of calling and checking in ...is the beauty of joy when confronting a hard thing. Thank you for sharing your insight and wisdom with us. God bless you both!
The two of you are puzzle pieces that expand, and contract with creativity...respect for each other....but most of all....LOVE....that binds both of you together. Both of you bring such joy and how to handle the downs/darkness. 'Put on the light......reach for the light...' I love and respect you both!!
Enjoy you both so much!
Thank you for this reminder to enjoy the ride or the pause, to sail through all kind of weather while exploring new territory or old ones. To taste all the flavors of life, to create and connecting with others. Your love for life is beautiful as you are.
Jon, this one's for you. I listened to your Journal about midway when I was "somehow" compelled to call a friend I used to volunteer with at an assisted living facility. Her husband had a major and debilitating stroke a couple of years ago and I failed to be in touch with her after hearing of it. Although I was reminded every week at church when his name was included in the Prayers for the Sick column, I still put off checking on them and how they were managing this serious illness. (Truth-telling my innermost thoughts , I was feeling so ashamed that, in my twisted thinking, was hoping his name would be missing, meaning he, in all probability, had died!!) After speaking with her for almost 30 minutes I felt a keen sense of freedom and absolution. She was forgiving and understanding due to my own, shall we say, life circumstances. Later in the day I resumed listening to the remainder of your amazing and uplifting session and, as you have probably guessed by now, was stunned when I heard what your "Assignment" for your listeners was: "Call someone you haven't been in touch with for some time". Your spirit, Jon, was working overtime and grace descended earlier in my soul yesterday because God deemed it to be. Bless you both, Jon & Suleika
Thanks for providing the transcript. It would be so wonderful if there was closed captioning for the video interviews & I could see your faces as you speak.
You are saying publicly what I have thought and said and written privately: about survival as a creative act. And it takes so much energy spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically to live creatively when one is medically fragile. For me, it has required me to learn in bigger and bigger ways how to hold my life expectations lightly, i.e., to live with spiritual, emotional, and mental agility no matter the physical state of the body given any day.
Lastly, the dialectic of holding expectations lightly versus allowing myself to dream, vision, and have hope is an exercise itself: the ultimate balancing act.
Thank you for your radiance and courage. It is a comfort to me and a validation of my life journey thus far. You two sparkle so wonderfully and are amazing souls.
This was so needed today. I love what you said, Suleika, about "the tyranny of always having to put a sunny spin on things." Reading about survival itself being a form of creativity, that was a sublime thought to ponder. Jon, the way you speak about how your creative process is directly and indirectly (subconsciously) interwoven with your faith-- the bedrock that GOD is everything, that was beautiful.
What I kept circling back to was the notion of holding multiple truths at once, and being able to create from every emotion, every experience. There is no duality of either or: either joy OR suffering, either in the flow OR stuck. There's movement here, with the knowledge that you both embrace the enigma that is life.
Both of you have served as witnesses to all your readers and listeners who can relate in small ways, and larger ways to your shared and individual journeys. I WILL continue to connect and commune with others, and make that phone call. I like the idea of gifting something that comes as the result of reconnecting with another human. As more of an analog girl in a digital age, I find so much comfort in phone calls, in person conversation and fellowship. Thank you for sharing a window into your creative space, both of you. Blessings from Colorado. Steph
I think my creative process comes from quiet. It is like a blank slate is gently being filled up with quiet ideas that will blossom into something bigger in time. I listen a lot. I get impatient with the noisy pressure of creating for a show. When I’m quiet it comes. But even the the stillness at times is too loud, if that makes sense. There is snow here on our 22 acres. It is silent and the words to you are flowing. My studio feels far away right now as I read and think about what’s next. Maybe it will be nothing. Even that nothing is something. Im happy reading your thoughts and sharing the love from your words. It’s enough for now.
Thank you. Simply. Thank you. So much to ponder. To implement. To “integrate.” Yes!
Such an incredible gift! Thank you two so much for the nuggets of gold, inspiration, and presence your brought to my day. Off to share it with others. Big love to you both!