Enso Magazine Issue 1

Austin Fashion Week Photo Gallery

Artist Spotlight: Jairo Barrera

Cartagena:A City of Alive

Shooter Spotlight:Clair Taus

3 Ways for Mento Dress Taller

www.ensomagazine.com

the whalers

Welcome to EnsoI’m airborne, setting the editorial schedule for our very first issue of Enso Magazine. It’s pretty exciting. I’ve never written anything on a plane. I’ve always planned to do so and carried my laptop onboard to do just that, just about every time I’ve flown somewhere. But I always ended up sleeping or reading instead.

I used to not care if people glanced at my tests or essays in school, because, honestly, they weren’t gaining too much from copying from my work. I was a mediocre student in high school, but I caught the writing bug in college, and these days I’m pretty selective of whom I let read my unpublished work. Not that I think it’s the bee’s knees or anything, but living in Austin, you have to keep your ideas close to your chest – even if you’re on a flight to Colombia. Austin, Texas is an idea city. I can’t tell you how many “idea” conver-sations I’ve heard behind, in front of, and beside me in bars and eateries all over town. And I’m sure people have heard some of my own hops-fueled rants, ramblings, and pitch-es. That’s one of the things I love most about this town. Everybody has an idea.

There is a buzz in Austin-town and other lo-cales about Enso Magazine. You may not have heard the buzz yet, but that bee will find your ear eventually, and you will subsequently ei-ther whip your head around to see where it’s

publisher’s note

coming from and where it went, or immedi-ately try to swat it away. But this is a good buzz, a honey bee kind of buzz. I keep using this bee analogy because, although Enso is Austin based, we are global. And we’re polli-nating and cross-pollinating all over the word. You can find articles here that apply to life ev-erywhere, because no matter where you live, life is still just life. We like to keep a whimsical attitude about things – sometimes even dark-ly humorous or callously sarcastic – but it’s all in an effort to enhance your life. Whether it be for entertainment or education...or just a “Hey that’s pretty cool!” type of thing, that’s what we like to do for you.

So let me tell you a little about the concept behind this website and magazine. Enso Magazine is based on the Zen art of enso. The enso is essentially a brush-painted circle, sometimes presented as a complete circle and sometimes as an incomplete circle. Our take on life is that it is not perfect. It is always in-complete. Even when we die as individuals, life still goes on.

The enso circle is a representation of the ab-solute, enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and the void. These are the elements of our existence, and Enso Magazine is a place for travelling souls to quench their burning desires.

It is our goal to demonstrate to you the re-alities within these elements so that you may enhance your life while on this planet. In the quest for satori, the pivot of Zen life, it is said that one must experience the natural state of the mind from which all good actions flow and which there is an illumined recognition of the harmony of life. To attain satori is to re-valuate one’s personality and open one’s mind to a wider and deeper feeling for life, so that even the most trivial incidents and tasks gain new significance.

Thank you for reading. We love you so much!

Brad Temple

Publisher, Editor

Absolute A Circus Mind Architecture

Art Atlanta austin Beauty book reviews

cartagena christine boswell cities

cloud computing commentary Commen‑

tary cooking crossfit cuisine dating

Dirty 30 Drink Drive Eat Elegance Enhance

Enlighten Enso TV Fashion + Style

Film film reviews Fitness food Go green liv‑

ing guard dog hair styling tips Hap‑

penings happenings herocious

home defense how‑to IT Learn Listen

Up Track Star london men michael davidson











home defense how‑to IT Learn Listen

Up Track Star london men michael davidson











PHOTOGRAPHY

ontents

BEAUTY

CRIMSON FEVERA look at the fall season’s most an-ticipated hair style trend. By Ka-leena Kaelin

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SHOOTER SPOTLIGHT:

CLAIR TAUSAn astoundingly talented, young photographer and some amazing shots from her recent shoot with model Melissa Swanepoel (cover). Top makeup artist and Enso con-tributor Cassie Vanececk handled makeup duties for the shoot.

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GOCARTAGENA: A CITY ALIVEColombia ain’t what it used to be. It’s better, much better. Grab your suitcase, and get ready to pack for Cartagena. By Brad Temple

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RIDE

THE SHORT OF ITFashion tips for the vertically chal-lenged guys out there. Here are three ways to dress taller. By Jordan

Hatfield

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Austin Fashion Week Photo Feature

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FASHION + STYLE

DERRINGER BESPOKE BIKEIt’s new. It’s vintage. It’s what all the cool kids are riding around town. Get one.

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FILM

10 BEST STEVEN KING MOVIE ADAPTATIONSSee if your favorites match our resident film guru’s picks. By Larry Taylor

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SIMPLIFY

SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY6 Ways to simplify your life. By Shelley Riutta

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COMMENTARY

KARMA COMEDIENNEEnso’s resident funny lady and Queen of Blog Talk Radio, Christine Boswell ,dishes on one of her guilty pleasures, belting out a classic ‘80s song...or rather, how she keeps from doing it in public.

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Enso Magazine

MUSIC

THE WHALERSEnjoying a summer Sunday in Aus-tin, our resident music lover soaks in more than just the sun. Get the skinny on the Whalers latest release, Paddle Easy. By Ryan Cox

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ART

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: JAIRO BARRERAArt for art’s sake. Does it still exist? Are there any artists out there doing it the way they used to? If you haven’t heard of this painter, you aren’t alone, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. By Brad Temple

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BRAD TEMPLE

Publisher, Executive Editor

CONTRIBUTORS SEP/OCT

Kaleena Kaelin

Jordan Hatfield

Larry Taylor

Ryan Cox

Christine Boswell

Cassie Vanecek

WESBITE CONTRIBUTORS

Kaleena Kaelin

Jordan Hatfield

Larry Taylor

Ryan Cox

Christine Boswell

Cassie Vanecek

Valerie Henderson

Michael Davidson

Daniel Jones

Special thanks to Launch 787 and Austin

Fashion Week, Wolfon Wear Designs, Clair

Taus Photography, CassieLynnArtistry, Lucy

Skyrocket Salon, Tiny Toe Press, Angel and

Lucy Peralta, and as always Shirley Temple.

Enso Magazine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Temple Enterprises.

Temple Enterprises, PO BOX 12292, Austin, Texas 78711-2292

www.ensomagazine.com

Enso Magazine logo is property of Temple Enterprises. Any reproduction of the original works in this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.

© Copyright 2011 - All Rights Reserved

BEAUTY

As a hairstylist, you have to keep up to date on the latest and most fabulous trends. Being that fall is right around the corner, (with this heat wave, I know it’s hard to believe) I’ve been on the hunt for what the new trends are. When my August issue of Cosmopolitan came in the mail the other day, I decided to flip through it and see if anything jumped out at me.

Sure enough, the article titled “Invasion of the Redheads!” drew my attention. After read-ing the article, I didn’t realize how many celebrities recently made the change and became a redhead. The list includes Khloe Kar-dashian, Whitney Port, Mandy Moore, Blake Lively, and Drew Bar-rymore. The article was just so-so, but for some reason the pictures of these amazing red hues stuck with me.

Good thing they did, because in the past week I have never had so many clients wanting to take the plunge and go RED! This is definitely a trend to keep an eye out for this fall.

There are so many different hues of red, and it can be a tricky color to do yourself at home, so I recommend seeing a profes-sional. Your stylist will be able to decide what shade of red will look best with your skin tone.

I even tried it out myself and love it. I went with more of a dark-red, velvet tone.

Crimson Fever by Kaleena Kaelin

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PHOTOGRAPHY

SHOOTER SPOTLIGHT

CLAIR TAUSModel: Melissa Swanepoel

Makeup Artist: Cassie Vanecek

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Clair Taus was born and raised a military brat, living mostly in Oklahoma, Texas, and most recent Alaska before she struck out on her own and came backto Texas for college.

“I had had several small digital cameras from age 13 or so and on, and even though I didn’t know what I was doing, I loved taking pictures.”

Taus credits her high school experiences in Alaska with helping to grow her passion for photography.

“Alaska is just too easy to photograph.”

But even with all that easy access to the endlessly picturesque scenery of Alaska, her real passion is for a different type of photography…one on which she is building an impressive career, and it didn’t begin until arriving in Austin, Texas.

Before starting college I took a year off to figure out what I really wanted to do and what I was interested in. Austin, being the incredible city that it is, fed into my creativity like nothing else had. I met and connected with several local photographers and began to realize my love for fashion photography.

Through some friends, Taus was lucky enough to meet local photographer Landon Arnold, with whom she would eventually get an internship.

It was a semester-long program where three other interns and myself had the wonderful opportunity to work with professional models from the Wilhelmina-Brown agency. This is precisely where I met Austin model Melissa Swanepoel (featured). The internship taught me a great deal, specifically how to present myself as a photographer, i.e. personal branding. It taught me a lot about networking and how to grow a business.

Taus is planning to graduate from Austin Community College with a degree in Applied Sciences for photography. She wants to work ei-ther as a staff photographer for a magazine and doing editorial work, or being more on the advertising side of things, working for designers like GUESS or Marc Jacobs.

“No matter where I end up, it MUST be fashion and glamorous! I love the high fashion avant-garde styles, the ones that people think are weird and obscure, that’s what I hope to be shooting on a daily basis.”

We certainly think this young shooter is destined for greatness and wish her the absolute best of luck. She has a bright future ahead of her.

Find Clair Taus on Facebook at Clair Taus Photography.

“Early on in my childhood I was labeled the ‘creative’ child. I suppose I demonstrated some sort of artistic abilities, but it wasn’t until halfway through high school that I really discovered my love for photography.”

Model: Melissa Swanepoel Makeup Artist: Cassie Vanecek




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Cartagena:A City Alive

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A City Alive

by Brad Temple

ulture, a word often used, if not overused, as a qualifier for travel destinations the world over. It’s always on some trav-eler’s tongue…”I love the culture there,” or “That place has so much culture.” But what does it mean? I have culture com-

ing out the wazoo; that doesn’t make me an interesting person to see or know. I think culture in its purest form is what makes a place truly its own. From the people and food to the history and government, from the shanty towns and fishing villages to the high-rise condos and up-scale eateries, and from the old folks and their old ways to the youth and their hunger for all things modern, perhaps no place is more steeped in tradition while still reaching for the future than Cartagena, Colombia.

When I speak on the wonders of Cartagena to my friends, it usu-ally invokes an almost instantaneous reference to the movie Ro-mancing the Stone. Let me quash this little stigma for you people. Romancing the Stone, while somewhat entertaining, was not filmed in Cartagena. Hell, it wasn’t even filmed in South America. The major location for that flick was Veracruz, Mexico, which is quite ironic given that Mexico is currently experiencing the unfortunate burden of widespread cartel violence — something for which the country of Colombia was known and feared during the 80s and 90s.

C To add to that irony, Colombia, in its fundamental quest to rebrand itself, is inviting Hollywood to explore the numer-ous film-making possibilities that abound there. And, we hear that Hollywood is quite open to this. Go suck it, Veracruz!

But I digress. There are many great cities to visit in Colombia, and each has its own culture. Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, Cali, Barran-quilla, and Santa Marta all have something unique to offer, and there are many other, lesser-known cities and towns in which you can im-merse yourself. Cartagena, though, is probably the first place one should visit, and after that, you may find it tough to go back to Colom-bia to visit other cities without keeping Cartagena on your itinerary.

Almost completely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena de Indias offers visitors a taste of both the old and the new. Found-ed in 1533 by Spanish commander Pedro de Heredia, the town was named after Cartagena, Spain, where most of Heredia’s sailors were from. But the habitation of the area dates back to the Pre-Columbian era of 7000 B.C. Remnants of both tribal and colonial cultures can still be seen today. Perhaps one of the most celebrated areas of Old World culture is the Old Walled City in the center of Cartagena.

© Brad Temple

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The Old Walled City in downtown Cartagena is the bustling culture center of this magical place. Colonial, Italian, and re-publican architecture line the narrow streets. Street vendors and sidewalk artisans display their various fare. Through its many plazas and breezeways, the din of the city ebbs and flows with sounds, smells, and colors of Colombia’s coastal niceties. At any given moment, on any given corner, you can grab an arepa, lis-ten to some Vallenato or Cumbia, or purchase any number of traditional Colombian accoutrements at very reasonable prices.

“Wait a minute, did you say the Caribbean?” you may ask.

Yes, the Caribbean Sea is just a stone’s throw away (literally) from most parts of Cartagena. And where there’s sea, there’s beach. Lo-cated just meters away from the Old Walled City lay quaint coral beaches, and just a bit further on throughout the peninsula are a number of great beaches for tourists to enjoy. The crushed coral beaches are filled with activity, as most coastal tourist communi-ties are. Crushed coral is cooler than sand, as it doesn’t absorb as much heat and is actually quite refreshing to the feet, leaving them soft and smooth after a long day on la playa. That’s Spanish for “the beach,” you gringos. The sand of these beaches has more of a brown tint due to the lack of coral reefs in the area, but that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. The darker sands of the mainland lend less reflection of the sun through the water, so the

water doesn’t seem as blue as a proper Caribbean scene should.

But not to worry, for a short boat ride out to the Rosario Islands will surely put your mind at ease, as the white-sand ocean floor provides for those emer-ald and crystal-blue waters you see in so many travel brochures and vacation photo albums.

The common mantra repeated by Colombians the world over is “Colombia is Passion.” And if passion comes from the heart, then Cartagena must be the aorta of Colombia. Go to Cartagena.

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A modern interpretation of the board tracking racing motorcycles of the 1920s, Derringer cycles capture the simple, pared-down, aggressiveness of early motorsport while delivering an intricate level of personalized customization. Like their owners, no two Derringer cycles are the same.

For the discerning rider, Derringer offers the opportunity to own a truly unique, one-of-a-kind motorbike that combines innovative engineering with a classic high-performance aesthetic.

Powered by a moto-hybrid drivetrain, Derringer cycles are built for our modern age. With superb fuel efficiency they have a range of 180 miles per gallon. The ultra-clean four-cycle powerplant also meets stringent CARB tier 3 emissions standards.

The DerringerBespoke

“Made at the intersection of nostalgia and adrenaline.”

RIDE

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Created by renowned industrial designer Adrian Van Anz, each motorbike is meticulously appointed with unique components available at the owner’s discretion.

These include such refined details as hammered copper rivets, hand-made leather saddles, and white tires manufactured without the use of carbon black.

Engine:

Overhead valve 4-stroke engine displacing 49cc, CARB and EURO 2 emission compliance, up to 180 mpg depending on usage. EZ-Start® Recoil

Transmission:

GGB gearbox with centrifugal clutch and freewheel, Freewheel allows pedals to remain stationary while driven via engine

Brakes:

70mm drum front brake, coaster style rear brake.

Capacity:

Fuel Tank: 1.8 US Gallon, 87 Octane

Engine Oil: .26 US Quart

Dimensions:

Length: 70”

Width: 24” (Board Track Style Handlebars)

Seat Height: Varies by saddle and seatpost type

Wheel Diameter: 26”

Bar Height At Stem: 36”

SPECS

Order your Derringer now at www.derringercycles.com.

DD

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Short men have always had a tougher row to hoe than their taller fellows. It can be frustrating to be chosen last for the pick-up basketball game, to feel like you’re overlooked when walking into a crowded party, and to struggle to see your favorite band at a concert. It also doesn’t help that there are studies that say tall men are perceived to be more powerful, better leaders, more desirable to women and more successful (taller men are said to make almost $1,000 more for every inch of height). While there isn’t much you can do, “short” of undergoing surgery to actually lengthen your bones (ouch) to physically increase your height, there are ways to appear taller. This is all in the way you dress and present yourself. Here are a few handy tips on how you can use style to enhance your stature, and more importantly, your confidence.

The Guiding Rule – Always Streamline Your LookLooking taller is all about getting the viewer’s eyes to travel smoothly up your body, in one swift movement. Slim vertical stripes are an example; you want a guiding effect to help the viewer’s eyes travel upward toward your face. Visual clutter, such as eye-grabbing stuff on the body - like a big chunky watch or oversized belt - breaks up the impression of height.

the SHORTFASHION + STYLE

1Keeping all your clothes within a fairly consistent color theme, especially a dark one, will create an illusion of height (dark denim/slacks/trousers with dark-colored shirts). Removing contrasting colors from your appearance helps to lengthen your body and maintain that streamlined look.

When you do wear different colors or different shades of the same color, try to keep the darker colors toward the bottom half of your body (i.e. your pants & shoes). That way, people’s attention starts down near your feet and travels upward. Dark pants with a lighter shirt creates a lengthening effect; a darker shirt with lighter pants shortens your appearance.

Monochromatic Color Schemes

3 Ways to Dress Tallerof it

by Jordan Hatfield

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While the real key to success in any situation is confidence, in a vain world we all want to appear taller, slimmer, and all-around better looking than our competitors. Following these simple guidelines of fashion will NOT actually help you gain inches but may in fact boost your ego and make you a more noticeable man when you do walk into a crowded room.

2Wear Vertical PatternsIt’s known to most people that vertical stripes have “slimming” effects, while horizontal stripes are “widening.” Patterns that run horizontally tend to naturally make the viewer’s eyes run from left to right making you appear wider, while unbroken vertical stripes are one of the best ways to focus the viewer’s eyes from bottom to top and add an impression of height.

The alternation of white and colored stripes is a good choice to go with as opposed to color on color. Avoid bold statement styles such as paisley prints or anything with too much graphic design, it can be overwhelming and slightly confusing to the viewer’s eyes, which will distract them and thus ruin your illusion of height.

3Wear Close-Fitting ClothingA loose fit on a short man actually emphasizes his petite frame - it makes him look sloppy, and it signals that he’s too small to find clothing that fits him right. Don’t let your own clothing send this message to the world.

Steer clear of jackets that hang too loose in the armpits, even if the sleeves are the right length for your arms; v-neck shirts are more elongating than shirts with rounded collars; and avoid any pants that have a lot of slack in the crotch. Trust me, the baggy fit...ahem... down there...does not make you look more endowed, but instead gives off that “kid wearing his father’s suit” look.

FILM

The 10 Best Stephen King Movie Adaptations

Stephen King and Hollywood have been tied together for about four decades now. King’s works have permeated the cinematic land-scape ever since King began pumping out books faster than his ra-bid fans could read them.

From television to the silver screen, King’s influence can be seen even in unsuspected places. As we near the scary season, it seems the best time to look back at Stephen King’s best film adapatations. Of course, not all of these films are horror films, but you can bet the majority of them are…

10. Needful ThingsThis is an age-old tale set in, where else, a small Maine town. Needful Things is one of the more over-looked King adaptations from 1993, when Hollywood could not adapt King novels fast enough. But Needful Things has a definite hold on its atmosphere, ominous and spooky. With Max Von Sydow as a store owner who sells you whatever it is you need – albeit for a hefty price – the cast is spectacular from top to bottom. Along with Von Sydow, the sheriff is Ed Harris, and the other players include Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, and the great character actor J.T. Walsh. It may be hard to sift through the ‘90s King adaptations, but this is one is worth digging up.

9. ItThis was one of King’s epic novels, one which went well beyond 1,000 pages; it was also one of his novels I could not put down as a young lad. So I remember being extremely excited when the adaptation came to network TV; I also remember being supremely freaked out by It when Tim Curry’s “Pennywise the clown” appears in the sewer and begins terrorizing a group of neighborhood children. It was a marvelous horror film, very effective, and the first half was also a great look at the decade of the ‘60s through the eyes of some frightened kids. The second half, when these children grow into adults, is less impactful than the opening half, but as a whole, It is an effective King adaptation.

8. ChristineI cannot think of a better director to tackle Stephen King’s novel about a killer car with a mind of its own than John Carpeneter. Carpenter, who took the ‘70s and ‘80s schlock horror to, oddly enough, a level of prestige unfamiliar in the horror landscape to that point, nails the appropriate mood and atmosphere in Christine. Part of it is a high school coming of age drama, and part of it is the obsession of a young man, Arnie (Keith Gor-don), has with his red 1958 Plymouth Fury that has the ability to repair itself, drive itself, and kill. Christine has a slight hint of camp, as it should since it is a story about a killer car, but it never loses sight of its horror heart.

by Larry Taylor

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7. The Green MileThis is the first non-horror film on the list, but it still has a hint of the supernatural. Director Frank Darabont made his early career adapting Stephen King stories (this won’t be the last time we see him here), and in The Green Mile he tells the story of John Coffey, the Christ-like char-acter who is sacrificed even though he has ultimate healing powers. Michael Clarke-Duncan earned an Oscar nomination for playing the gentle giant, and is surrounded by an all-star cast including Tom Hanks. The Green Mile has lost a little bit over the last decade, but that is not to say it isn’t a wonderfully charming film, and one with true heart and a solid emotional core.

6. The Dead ZoneBack to horror. And better than that, we look at a horror film that is a King adapta-tion directed by the great David Cronenberg, the master of the cerebral thriller. In The Dead Zone, Christopher Walken plays Johnny Smith, a man who wakes up after a car accident to discover he has psychic abilities. The coma put him out for five years, but now his ability to see the future. This is a gift early on, but becomes a curse for a number of unexpected reasons. Cronenberg captures the horrific moments of King’s novel per-fectly, and adds his own flair to the proceedings. Cronenberg is great at making things uncomfortable, and I knew after seeing The Dead Zone I would never look at a pair of scissors the same again.

5. MiseryKathy Bates took home the Oscar for her role here, as an obsessed fan of a writer ( James Caan) who has become very successful writing a series of novels over the years. When he crashes his car on a remote mountain road, in the middle of a blizzard, Caan is rescued by Bates’ character, Annie, the obsessed fan. Rob Reiner directed Misery as a claustrophobic thriller, but oddly enough he still maintains a quirky charm and a homey feel due mostly to Annie’s isolated and “aw-shucks” demeanor. Misery is a slow burn, however, as Annie’s mask of sanity begins to sleep. Poor James Caan and his ankles…

4. CarrieThis was the first Stephen King film adaptation to garner any publicity, and the begin-ning of the decades of adaptations. Had Carrie not been a successful thriller, perhaps the countless Stephen King adaptations would never have come. And credit Brian DePalma, a young up-and-comer in 1976 who was not afraid of delivering the shocks and pushing the focus of the film in tight on a young Sissy Spacek, who earned an Oscar nomination for her work as a telepathic and tortured young high school girl. And Piper Laurie as Carrie’s mother, a sick woman in the throes of religious fanaticism, adds a layer of creepi-ness and horrific fervor that carries the audience all the way to the final showdown at prom, where Carrie gets her revenge.

The Shawshank Redemption – Based on a Stephen King short story, the best Hollywood adaptation of his work is not a horror story, but a story of hope permeating over decades of wrongdoing inside Shawshank Penitentiary. Darabont’s de-but feature is a masterpiece, not only the best Stephen King story adaptation but the best of all films.

Layers peel away and reveal more layers, more texture, and more inspiration than most films dream of having. Tm Rob-bins as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman as our guide, Red, carry the story, but we would be nowhere without a brilliant supporting cast of inmates. There are too many memorable moments to decipher only one, but all of them carry the idea of hope throughout, that never giving up if you have a reason not to is the way to finally get what you want.

3. Stand By MeHere is another film not considered a horror; no, this is a coming of age story that is bet-ter than almost all other films of its kind. Starring a great young cast including the late River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and a chubby Jerry O’Connell, Stand By Me focuses on a handful of teenage boys who journey together to find the body of a missing boy. The body – which was also the name of the story by King – is of course the motivation for the story, but this film is more about the loss of innocence in 13-year- old boys. Stand By Me has the charm of a ‘60s teenage adventure and the weight of innocence lost, a perfect blend of a dramatic King adaptation for director Rob Reiner.

2. The Shining

There are a couple of arguments for and against The Shining being on this King adaptation list. First of all, the Shining is one of the best horror films of all time, and for my money is the scariest film ever made. Director Stanley Kubrick put his stamp on this picture with the most disturbing atmospheric thrillers, about a family left to maintain a hotel in the winter and driven insane by ghosts and all sorts of disturbances.

But the argument against the film is that it barely stays in tune with King’s novel at all. In fact, King voiced his displeasure with the adaptation at the time. Nevertheless, the characters and the hotel and the very spine of the story belongs to King, so the film belongs on this list.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

All the possibilities of our modern-day life can be exciting but can also pull us off track from what we truly want in our deepest self. All of the information, activities, projects of all kinds, and other people’s requests can, in a moment’s time, shift us into a

different direction that may not be in alignment with where we truly want to go. Why is it challenging to stay focused on our deep-est self and our true path? It’s important to understand the underlying reasons why staying focused can be so challenging. By gaining a deeper understanding about your own inner dynamics, you are better able to make conscious choices about what you want to do and make the necessary changes. The following are reasons for lack of focus I’ve discovered over the years while working with clients around this issue of focus and simplicity. After each reason, I have included solutions.

SIMPLIFY

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify“Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises? If a person does not keep pace with their com-panions, perhaps it is because they hear a different drummer. Let them step to the music which they hear, however measured or far away.” - Henry David Thoreau

1. A Disconnection from Your True Self: What do you really want in your life? What is your main priority for how you want to spend your time? Do you have clarity about this, or does it feel all jumbled and unclear? Are you too busy just handling what is going on in your life to even contemplate these

questions? Your true self, your authentic self, is always crystal clear about what is most important and what would make you happiest.

Solution:

Take time to get to know your true self, your true de-sires. Time together with your true self is what builds the connection. The more you tune into this deeper part of you, the stronger and clearer the information be-comes. Take a day to spend with yourself –journal, walk in the woods, go somewhere uplifting and inspirational, reflect on what is most important to you at this time of your life. Plan for what you can you do to adjust your life to make these things top priority. In this moment, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths; ask your true self “What is most important

to me to focus on right now in my life, the top four priorities?” and then just listen. Write these four things down on index cards and place them around your house and in your car so you can see these all the time to help you stay focused. When requests of your time come in, you can check to see if doing what is requested fits in with your priorities right now.

2. Difficulty Saying NO: How comfortable are you saying “no” to those around you? If it is really impossible for you to say no, then it is a given that you will routinely be pulled off track from what is most important to you. What are the fears in saying no? Many people fear that others will

by Shelley Riutta

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get mad, withdraw from them, or end the relationship. If it is an employer, there may be a fear that you won’t be consid-ered a good, dedicated worker. You may fear others judgments of you if you say no — judgments like “Who does she think she is?” or “He is selfish,” or “She is mean.” In order to stay on track in your life, you have to be willing to let go of what oth-ers think of you and even risk upsetting them. If you are unwilling to do this, it is a guarantee that you will get off track in staying focused on the desires of your authentic self.

Solution:

Give yourself permission to say NO and have it be OK — you are not in-tentionally trying to hurt someone else, just trying to stay on track with your own life. This is not a bad thing to do. If you know there are situations where you have a hard time time saying no, practice what to say with a friend. Hav-ing the words and how to say them can make it easier when the time comes to say no. Examples could be: “Sam, I would really love to help you out with that project, but I have another project that is taking up all of my time, so I have to say no,” or “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m going to have to pass.” The more simple and direct you com-municate your “no,” the bet-ter. You don’t need to offer elaborate explanations or jus-tifications for your no; we all have the right to say no sim-ply because we just don’t want to. The more you develop the skill of saying no, the more focused and clear you will feel in your life.

3. Addiction to being busy: There can be many reasons why people get addicted to being busy. For some people who

grew up in a chaotic household, busy-ness and chaos feel “normal” to them, and living in a more relaxed and balanced way can feel awkward and uncomfortable. When it is calm and quiet, there is no distraction from the feelings on the inner level, fellings which they never learned how to deal with when they were young. The interesting thing with this dynamic is that the creation of the chaos in their current life can be unconscious, so they

aren’t aware that they are the one creating the busy-ness by their choices over and over. Many people stuck in this pattern are con-vinced that this busy-ness is inevitable because of their unique life situation “I have kids; life is just chaotic when you have kids.” Or “I have to work this many hours at work; they expect this from me at work, I have no choice.”

Solution:If this is a pattern for you, it is important for you to see it clearly. Make the unconscious, conscious by getting clear that it is the pattern of your choices that has led to the current situ-ation and that you can make different choices to create something different. Make the shift from a victim stance of “This is just how it is; I am helpless to make it different” to a more

empowered stance of “I have the power to change this and create a loving balance for myself.” The other piece of making this shift from chaos to more balance is to also ad-dress ways to cope with the underlying feelings that you have been avoiding. You will keep creating chaos if there is no plan to deal effectively with the old painful feelings from your childhood and also to deal with feelings in general in your life. Seeing a therapist to work with these underlying feelings can be very helpful in shifting this pattern.

4. Desire for Excite-ment: For some people, their au-thentic self loves excitement and adventure. They like to travel, explore, and experience life in a larger way — as grand adventurers. It is important to know if this is who you are in your deepest self and to make sure you are conscious-ly meeting this need for ex-citing experiences. What can happen if these people aren’t meeting this need is that they can create the excitement in an unhealthy way by creating chaos in their lives and then trying to manage it. It gives a similar adrenaline rush to that of an exciting adventure. This

can also be created by engaging in addictions of various sorts. It is important to notice the difference in this versus the pre-vious addiction to busy-ness. Rather than the excitement being an avoidance of feelings, it is actually a true desire of the authentic self that needs to be expressed — but in a healthy, safe way. Clients with whom I have worked feel a sense of relief when they discover this is what

they have been doing in their life. Once they consciously start meeting this need in healthy ways, like planning regular adventures, their unhealthy patterns of getting excitement fall away.

Solution:If you know this is true for you, start plan-ning exciting adventures for yourself, whether it is a trip to South America or planning an exciting, day-long adventure. Infusing excitement and ad-venture in healthy ways will help your authentic self feel satisfied, and you will be able to stay more focused and clear in your day-to-day life.

5. Not Feeling “Good Enough”: If you are not clear about your intrinsic worth and lov-ability, you will try to get ap-proval from others through doing things to please them. This will have a big effect on how you manage your time by causing you to stretch beyond your limits of available time in order to please others and get their approval. You will watch your friend’s kids, even though you don’t have time that day. You will agree to do a project at work to please your coworkers and boss, even though you don’t have time. You will stay talking on the phone with a friend longer than you want to, so they won’t get upset and disapprove of you. You aren’t able to be honest with them, because it is more important to get them to approve of you than it is to honor your own time.

Solution:At the deepest part of you, what you truly long for is a deep connection with who you truly are and to have a deep knowing that you are a wonderful, amazing, loveable and loving being who is perfect just as you are. Your worth is not contingent on how much you work, if your house is clean, how much money you make, if your kids get good grades, who you are pleasing, what you are doing for others, etc. You are worthy just for being you. You have intrinsic worth that does not fluctu-ate with others’ opinions of you. Getting re-ally clear on your lovability by starting to be the loving parent to yourself – letting yourself

know in this very moment that you are “good enough” — will make it easier to slow down and make loving choices about your time.

6. Lack of Simplifying Skills: If the above underlying emotional issues are addressed and you are still challenged with not being able to focus, it may be due to a lack

of simplifying skills. Simplifying skills are ba-sically being able to declutter and organize the areas around you — at home and at work — so you can easily focus when you are in them. For most people, if there is lots of clutter and things are disorganized around them, it is ea-syto get distracted and off track. What I have found is some people have more-developed skills in this area than others. For example, my brother and sister are very organized, and this comes fairly naturally for them. I, on the other hand, did not inherit this natural ability, and so for me it is a process of learning the skills of simplifying and organizing and then put-ting them into practice. One of the ways to develop these skills is to learn from those peo-ple who are naturally organized and adapt it to what will be workable for you. I have done this by hiring a professional organizer ( Jackie Kleinschmidt from Everyday Organizing) to assist me with organizing by paperwork and business materials. As she is assisting me, I am also learning, because she is teaching me

a method of organizing that I can replicate on my own. I’m learning those skills that are not innate for me. This has made a world of dif-ference for me in functioning more effectively and efficiently in my life. An example for me was that shortly after we had organized all of my business paperwork, I needed to plan for an upcoming workshop I was hosting. It took me half the time to prepare, because with my papers being organized I could easily get to

all of the different materials I needed. I called Jackie that day and exclaimed, “I’m so happy; it was so much fun preparing for the workshop, because I wasn’t spending all of my time looking for things!”

Solution: If you realize you lack simpli-fying skills, find ways to learn those skills. There are won-derful books, CDs, and other materials that have wonderful simplifying information. Ask for assistance from someone in your life who is naturally orga-nized. Either pick their brain for tips on how to organize, or have them come to your home or office and go through things with you. Sometimes getting support when it feels over-whelming can make a world of difference in making these changes. If you are learning the

skills, have read a lot of organizing materials for tips, and things have not changed for you, it could mean that you have an underlying emotional issue that needs to be addressed before you can move forward. It doesn’t nec-essarily mean that you need years of therapy; it may be an issue that can be resolved in one session. Once you address this, implementing new simplifying skills will be much easier and more effective. Take steps to give yourself the gift of a simple life, one that is filled with all the things that are most meaningful to you…and also enough time to enjoy them.

Shelley Riutta is a pioneer in the Holistic Psychother-apy field. She specializes in Transformational indi-vidual counseling, Presentations and Workshops. For her free Workbook “What Do You REALLY Want: Finding Purpose and Passion” and free monthly tele-classes visit her web-site at http://www.RadiantLife-Counseling.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/moti-vational-articles/simplify-simplify-simplify-928195.html

COMMENTARY

Secret SongsI will never know why, but I have a secret song I love to hear. I am too embarrassed to tell anyone. It’s one of those songs you will never hear me blaring out of the car. Yet, every time it comes on, I lose my mind, and want to sing it from the roof of my car! What I mean is there is a difference; take, “Only Girl,” by Rihanna, for instance, the moment I hear them, my hand will instinctively reach for the volume, in order to turn it up, where then I begin a shrill of sounds only heard by top dogs (literally canines)! So what? Who cares? It’s Rihanna, that’s not embarrassing! If you can find it at the karaoke bars, then you are ok. Plus, everyone knows when you play a song loud enough, it will drown out your own “Car-Diva” sound! However, you can’t do that with my secret song. No, this song is “Un-singable.” No one has ever remade

it. That would be like Debbie Gibson singing RUSH cover songs. (Although, wouldn’t it be neat if we found out “P-Diddy” secretly “self soothed” (ahem) to “Shake Your Love?”) My secret, embarrassing song is only meant for my ears. I torture myself with the, “should I?” and the “it doesn’t matter what other people might think!” Only to hear the song again…Uh...HELL NO!! What are you crazy? That would be like finding out Hillary Clinton listens to “Harper Valley PTA,” to get her pumped up to be Secre-tary of State. IT MATTERS! Let me tell you, I found out my husband liked, “Secret Lovers,” and I about hunched over in pain, I was laughing so hard! It’s not even a secret he likes this song, but one day it came on the radio, my eyes rolled, I went to change it and he blurted, “No, wait,” stopping my hand from turning the dial, “I like this song.”

“What?! You like ‘Secret Lovers?’”

“Yes, why?”

“You, the man who completely lacks in sentiment, who listens to RUSH, The Police, and speed metal that rips your head off in the car, likes ‘Secret Lovers?’”

“Yup.” (So, purposely, he goes on to sing it, falsetto, just to irk me.)

My song, however? Nope, not in a million years; it would devastate the “girlie population” as we know it! So I sit, doomed to keep the volume low and my singing mouth shut!

***Don’t forget about my live radio show, Dirt-y-30 and Beyond, now, every Wednesday, from 9-10 pm ct.! Season 2 is in full swing! And for your morning entertainment, you can catch The Christine Boswell Show: No Hesitation weekdays from 9:30 – 10 am.

Karma Comedienne- Christine Boswell

www.christineboswell.com

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by Brad Temple

FASHION + STYLE

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by Brad Temple

MUSIC

Walking down the stairs of my place, I squint at the evening sun crawling through twisting oak trees, and I am greeted by the warm, Sunday

summer air mashed against my face. I slide comfortably into place behind the wheel of a sparkling silver ’74 bronco to ease past the oak trees

and neighbors walking dogs or sneaking back to their respective homes wrapped in beach towels, a sunburn, and the warmth of Mexican beer.

On my way to interview the South Austin band the Whalers, I am invited to take a quick break from the endless summer in the cool pool of the

endless imagination of the South Austin neighborhood of 78704. At an address delivered via text, I arrive at a small, stone greenbelt home –

home of Blues Traveler bassist Tad Kinchla and waltz through the front door and out the back door to find the water covered by shadows, music

echoing out of the corner, while friends laugh. While sharing a joke with the brunette floating next to me, I am introduced to Gus Smalley, the

lead singer of the band, the Whalers. At introduction, Gus asks, “Aren’t we supposed to do an interview at my house in 45 minutes?” To which I

smirk and blurt, “We are!”

And so begins the story of life in Austin, Texas, where your friends are my friends and vice versa. On this particular Sunday, Gus sits under a

curling head of hair, floating in the pool, smoking cigarettes and buzzing about the work that the Whalers just finished on their second album,

Paddle Easy. A small window of time passes and drummer Milos Bertram appears at the edge of the pool in untied top siders and a plaid button

down, eager to drag Gus out of the pool and back to the house for the eight o’clock interview. ...To which Gus rotates to float on his back, exhales

a coil of smoke, and tells Milos to relax as he introduces the would-be interviewer posted up against the side of the pool. We share a laugh at

the coincidence of our meeting and begin the retreat to South Lamar, behind Black Sheep Lodge, behind the high beams of traffic transversing

South Austin, and into the home of waiting instruments and band members preparing to talk about their second release.

Instruments piled on top of instruments cover the wood floor where a traditional dining room table and chairs would normally call home. I

eye the well of creation as we move through the living room and past the kitchen, through a sliding glass door to a wooden deck overlooking

nothing at all. As the once cool evening of swimming turns into the deck’s summer sauna, the Whalers and I sit in sweat. Sweating out the details

of their experiences as an Austin band and a do-it-yourself ethos regarding writing and recording, the band stretches out in a semi circle on the

deck. Guitar player Dan Martin focuses in on the simplicity of their recording, which drew inspiration from early Strokes and Walkmen albums.

The band agrees that their stripped down sound can also been drawn from their stripped down lifestyle. Much of the writing for Paddle Easy was

done on a weekend trip to Gus’s ranch, where the group spent a good deal of time eating, drinking, fishing and “taking it easy.”

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the whaler

s

Receiving Paddle Easy a few days earlier, I was drawn to the track, “Cheat On Each Other.” I was immediately struck by the opening chord

and similarity to Del Shannon’s “Runaway.” Chock full of early ‘60s jangled guitar sound without the precious pining of Del or Max Crook’s

critical eight-bar piano solo, “Cheat On Each Other manages” to offer up a care free critique on Del’s simple love lost. The title track, “Paddle

Easy,” nestles up to the deep-throated, dark sounds of Ian Curtis’s “Joy Division,” without all the suicidal tendencies or cloudy Manchester

aura. “Pixel in Your Picture” catches your ear the way a figure eight catches your eye with a smart, tight loop.

Overall, the record reflects a progression in the Whalers’ writing, recording, and ability to deliver emotion to the listener. Paddle Easy de-

serves a spot in your playlist and in your imagination. As your imagination drives past the neighborhoods South of the Colorado River, you

pass our city’s creative class...and as you float on by, remember to paddle easy.

Look for the Whalers around Austin towards the end of October or first of November.

paddle easy

by Ryan Cox

Artist Spotlight: Jairo Barreraby Brad Temple

ART

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If you don’t know who Jairo Barrera is, you aren’t alone – unless, of course, you live in the “art world.” I don’t live in the art world, but I am often coaxed into it by various artists and their works. Not so long ago, I had the privi-lege of seeing a collection of Dali etchings at the Russell Gallery of Art in Austin, Texas and was thrust once again into the art world…nearly opting to purchase, via no-interest finance, one of those priceless etchings. My conscience got the better of me, and I was able to ward off the temptation of owning a piece of art – a real piece of art ¬– and I retreated back to my old ways of viewing art on my computer. Yes, I know it’s not the same, but the ether isn’t quite as potent once it has travelled through miles and miles of fiber-optic cable or whatever they use these days to bring us the Internet. That keeps money in my pockets, which is kind of important in this wretched economy.

But there are also those special human beings that not only live in the art world, but they also are the art world. They are the creators, the art-ists. Salvador Dali is long gone, but his work and his outrageously eccentric personality are still known to this day amongst art lovers and the public in general, the world over. So it begs the question, “Do you have to be dead for people to know and love your art?” Of course not. There are some artists out there right now, making a name for themselves. Some do it for the money, some for the lifestyle, and still there are those who just do it because it is who they are. I came across a real artist recently. He doesn’t do it as a side job. He doesn’t do it as just a hobby. He does it as a way of life. It’s part of who he is. That artist is a painter by the name of Jairo Barrera.

If you Google him, you won’t find much, if anything, about this man. That is what really made me want to know more. The first painting I had seen by him was on a wall in my wife’s sister’s apartment. I was enamored with it. The use of color, texture, and perspective was so unbelievably good, I had to know more about the painting. But, I didn’t ask about it. In fact, it wasn’t until about two years later that I finally said enough was enough and that I wanted to interview the artist who painted this picture. My brother-in-law told me stories of Barrera, stories about how he prepares himself before each painting and from where he draws his inspiration. I went home and tried to find all I could on Barrera, and, as I said above, there isn’t much out there at all. Luckily, I have a wonderful family, and my brother-in-law was able to put me in touch with the artist. Jairo was kind enough to share his story with Enso, along with some of his most beautiful pieces.

[Editor’s Note: Barrera’s statements and responses were communicated via an interpreter, so some of the intended messages may have been lost in translation.]

Jairo Barrera was born in 1962, in Viota, Colombia, a small town located an hour or so away from Bogota. He enjoyed a happy childhood there, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and a large variety of flora and fauna. In 1977, he moved to Bogota, which he describes as a cold and complicated city. In 1979, Jairo participates in a painting contest, showing his talent at an early age, and is awarded second place. His talents are recognized by his teachers, and this is where his foray into the world of art really begins.

EM: In 1981, you thought you wanted to change to what you termed a “Bohemian lifestyle,” away from the structure of modern life. Ultimately

this was not the right life for you at that time. What were some of the things you tried to do...or tried not to do, and what made you decide to abandon this way of thinking?

JB: At that time I thought that a bohe-mian lifestyle was the way in which an artist had to live in order to be successful with his or her art. When I started to live that kind of life, full of excess, I found myself alone and empty.

EM: Later, in 1984, you were able to enjoy financial success with your coffee company along with your father. Ironi-cally, the commercial business lifestyle provided you with some of the freedom you were seeking back in 1981. But then in 1988, after your son Sergio was born, you again felt a need for some change in your life and began following Oriental teachings, metaphysics, and even witch-craft. Can you talk a little about your inner struggles during this period, when you could not decide what kind of life you wanted to live?

JB: What made me change my path was to get to know Jesus Christ, and most importantly get to understand his mes-sage.

EM: In 1990, you became an art dealer and began to be inspired once again by art.

In 1995, your conversion to Christianity helped to further inspire your work. What were you painting at that time? Are some of the pieces in your portfolio from that period in your life?

JB: At that time, I was inspired by the Bible, but my work was characterized by a very abstract style.

EM: I was told that you have a certain routine to help you prepare for each painting. This routine involves prayer and meditation, and possibly even a selection of scripture from the Bible. Can you tell me a little about how you prepare before starting a new piece?

JB: Always before starting a new piece, I start reading the Bible. Then I pray for inspiration, colors, figures, the piece itself, and the person that is going to buy it…so he or she has the wisdom to interpret and understand the message that is embodied.

There are many cases in which collectors or buyers have asked me for explicit expressions of love, success, and joy in my pieces. Some of them have asked for pieces that embody their identity. When I asked God to give me the wisdom to make them, I have found that even the colors I choose to paint are the ones preferred by the future owners of my paintings. There have been times in which the buyers cry when they receive the finished work.

EM: Your use of perspective and texture is very impressive and unique. Can you tell me a little about your techniques? How do you make your paintings come to life?

JB: I use acrylics in high and low densities, and the use of color makes the mixture very realistic.

The outline of my work is an expression of the spirit, transmitted in a variety of imaginary views and forms, in an abstract profile, with the purpose of getting to transmit and to hit the sensation of dimension and space, by using the linen cloth simply as a guide of transmission. It is a letter in color that takes the message of life and the delight to live in total harmony.

This is a love poem shaped in color in the desire to be passed on and radiate the space where it will be and to fulfill its aim. It is an expressed sensa-tion in color with a question, “Would it arrive in the same way to the reader who sees with his heart?”

EM: Are your paintings available anywhere for purchase? What galleries currently hold some of your pieces?

JB: My paintings are exibited in Diego Victoria Fineart Galerie in Balharbor, Florida. They are also available through www.artprice.com and www.barreras.com.

Jairo works and lives in Miami , along with his son, Sergio, who is following in his father’s footsteps as a great painter. Jairo’s art can reside any-where. We’re so happy he has allowed for some of his art to reside right here with Enso.

Por favor, disfrutas y aprovechas.

Photo by Amy Allman

http://southernbellaimages.tumblr.comwww.ensomagazine.com

Documents

Enso Magazine Issue 1