I discovered this design in the world of my imagination. There it was, floating in my mind, between excited curiosity and my romanticized thoughts of old world art.
Up for grabs to the lucky dreamer who sees my vision as the next great neck accessory. Also, it really is a real music box movement. It is a wonderful sensation, playing it on your chest. The twinkling sounds make you believe in magic just a little more. ..It plays Imagine, by John Lennon.
In the link, you can see more photos and read the story from the magazine article about it. Swarovski crystals, glass pearls and antique rhinestone findings. ...Aah, life! ;-)
One of the greatest people I have ever known, Amberlin Wu. My God, I miss her every single day. She was a great fighter, and an unbelievable warrior for life and survival. She lived with the same illness as I have. ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other diagnoses.) Amberlin saved me, in so many ways. She helped me to get into art, and to believe that there was something to say within / throughout my art. Just thinking about her causes an indescribable pain that sinks my gut like a weight on the bottom of the ocean. It hurts. Though, I also feel inspired, and somehow lifted to the warm light of the sun when I see her in my mind, in my spirit. She and I still talk, just not out loud. She still visits me, just not in body. I just couldn't start a blog without posting one of my old Dr Dolan Reports articles, here, for her. For you.... So pleae, read about my friend. Then, go out and live every fullest possible second of your life, just as you always dreamed you would. Love you guys...
Love you Amberlin... Here is what I wrote about beautiful Amberlin...
The War Has Lost A Soldier, But Gained An Angel
Today, one more spirit dances. She dances without her body. Others must live, and continue dancing together, ready to fight, ready to love.
Dr Dolan reports:
Please, let me tell you a story.
Amberlin Wu was born a strong spirited child, ready for the world ahead of her. She had passions to become a leader, a lover, a healer, a dancer. So much inside of her. She, like so many, became ill at a very young age. She was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She was pushed around in the medical system, and the more that she needed help, the more battle scars she began collecting. You see, our modern medical system is full of too much ego, and not enough compassion. Amberlin’s illness was a mysterious one, and doctors brushed her off when they did not have the answers. Amberlin, like so many of us, once thought that doctors were there to help you through your process of illness. She believed that people became doctors because they were compassionate.
Amberlin was so compassionate that she herself even attended medical school at one point. She was too ill to continue, so she danced. But then, she was too ill to continue dancing, so she began advocating. She fought for the rights of all people like her, with this mystery disease. But when she went to rally her medical troops, her battle field was nearly empty. ...Where were the doctors she grew up with? Where were those healthy allies she had devoted so much of her life to? She was pushed aside by so many people she trusted, and thus began her collection of battle scars. Ironically, she prepared for a war, ready to face the opposition on the other side of her; little did she know that her battle scars would come from her own side of the war. The sad thing is, when we become so ill that we need our friends and neighbors to carry us, we have a hard time fighting a fight. And without the support of the medical community, she faced a losing battle, against her own team.
Still, she did not give up. She began finding little peaks of light in the corners of this dark battle field. She began finding other wounded fighters like her. She stretched her arms and extended her own light into the souls of these other fighters. The more that she shared her light, the stronger they became. In turn, these other wounded soldiers shared their own light. And a miraculous thing occurred. A light.
A beautiful light.
Among the wreckage of this dim army, began to grow a seed of light, that grew to a garden of hope and strength. She was connected to them all, every last beautiful bloom, Amberlin was connected. She began to see an army forming. People began rising above their suffering and bringing their voices together as one harmonious chorus. “Louder. Louder. Sing your truth, louder!” the people cried.
An army arose, a beautiful brigade of invisible fighters. There were children, mothers, fathers, teachers, and yes, even some doctors. Together, they were strong, and Amberlin was on that very front line. The people beside her, the people behind her, the light all around her. “Share your stories, tell your truths!” she cried again. “Tell your truths!” The people began holding hands and marching forward. They shared their truths, and they shared their growing light with the world ahead of them. Amberlin, along with so many, now had a mission; a dangerous, scary, magnificent and valiant mission. One with hope now, and one with a real army. An army of survivors.
Together they were strong! And together they remain strong. ...Amberlin grew too weak to continue fighting this war for health and compassion. She, like so many others, began her completion of this circle in life. Her own personal battle was fought, and she fought so damn hard. She was a true soldier, a warrior... a hero. My hero. Amberlin, my hero forever.
One last thing to mention about this story. Just as she approached the end of her circle of life, she reached out her hand once more. She held the weight of her life in her hands, and she told the people, “Be a light. Be your own light of strength. Tell your stories, and remember to love the ones around you. Love this life and hold tightly to each other. Always remember me, and always... be a light.”
Amberlin now has been released from her body. She is free to dance and play among the light. She rejoices in us all, we who are able to stay and fight. She wants us to continue to tell our stories, continue our fight. And she wants us to remember her light. Feel her light, guiding us, and comforting us.
We will find a cure for these waring diseases, we will no longer be invisible. We just have to continue shining our own lights among the dark corners of this world. Now is not the time to give up, my friends! Now is just the time to pick up our spirits, pull together and fight this fight in honor of Amberlin, and in honor of ourselves! Who is with me?! Are you in?!
Let’s go win this battle with our light. And let us remember to give ourselves moments of laughter, dance and play along the way.
Amberlin, I will love you forever, my old friend, my new angel. I will never give up.
And now, I leave you with a painting that I created. Every painting that I make has a story behind it. Amberlin loved this one so much. She inspired me to create art in my canvas, and art in my life. This piece now has such a different meaning to me. This one’s for you, m’dear...
She is a wise and old woman, alone in her body. She is ill and her life has been lived. When she was young, she had dreams of a life ahead, full and rich with laughter and singing. She lies now, alone and still. She drifts off into her slumber and she finds that she is young again. Young forever. ...Now, she dances.
She knows that her body is weak, but her spirit is not. She still has a life to live and a song to dance to. All of life, around her and throughout her, is a beautiful rhythm that connects all things living. She sees it, she feels it, she becomes it. She is no longer alone. She is no longer ill. She is no longer quiet, and no longer still. She is the wise, young spirit, free in her body. She has forgotten her pain, and found her rhythm once again. She knows that her suffering has led her into a life of strength, bravery, love and music forever. ...Now, she dances.
This painting is about hope. Even when we are tired and we are ill, there is always a spirit among our hurting bodies. Suffering brings wisdom, and patience brings strength. When you are scared and lonely, remember that in spirit, there is always a living rhythm that sings of hope. When we listen for the music among the quiet suffering, finally... the spirit dances.
Sending Love,
Dr Franky Dolan
(In the video: The three amigos; Amberlin, Monica and Franky. Friends forever, my little muddipuppies)
Legend has it that faeries will offer protection and abundance to all who prop up one of these magical portals. Perhaps the most spiritual and magnanimous item that we people can have for the Fae, is one of these Dream Doors. This allows for magical Fae people to come and flit about your home with ease. As a thank you, the faeries leave gifts to support your dreams and fantasies. So believe in yourself and your dreams. Keep these precious doors on a desk, a floorboard, by your bed, or anywhere else that you wish.
Oh, how I loved this Fairy Dream Door that I made! I mean, I love all of the things that I make. To some degree, I genuinely do *love* the creations that I manifest with my hands and my spirit. This door, though, really had a special little spot in my heart....
The door in its entirety.... Clay, paint and jewelry findings...
Bits and pieces, close-up..Real crystal door knobs of course! ;-) ..Plus, real gold and real sterling silver tiny keys for the Fae people to flit about with.
I felt called to paint. I sat there by myself; just me, some paint, some brushes and a canvas. I began a symphony with my hands, conducting random shapes and colors and allowed this process to take over my hands. Almost like fingers on a oija board, I waited to see what message would unfold. Soon starting to emerge among all these dark splashed colors, was a shape, a figure, an angel...
Like a visual energetic telegram, it was an imprint of a true angel who emerges in times of darkness. This guardian speaks through hope and strength, telling the world that we are not alone. We all have someone, somewhere, loving us and holding us. Sending Love, Dr Franky Dolan
I decided to start with this video because it really shows an enormous pivotal point in my life. This video was NOT easy to put out into the world. But I had to do it. I have been dealing with serious health problems for more than half of my life now. (Wow, that always somehow shocks me whenever I say that!) I was diagnosed with so many different labels, yet nothing ever actually helped me to get better. My symptoms have fluctuated astronomically throughout the years. One year I would be singing and dancing for thousands of people, then the next year I would be bedridden and wheelchair-bound with crippling pain, along with mind-bending cognitive impairments. I have pushed so damn hard to get through everything, but especially school. I had to drop out of high school originally due to my health severity, but I eventually went back to school through weekend courses, night classes and distance learning. There I was, lying in bed all day, begging life to let me still feel like I was connected, and productive. And you know what? I did it. ...I ate like a healthy-hippy-vitman-guru and I meditated like the gay Ghandi -Oprah love child that I always wanted to be. I got better.
Well, better enough to scrape by and make a little more of my life. I nannied to make enough money to eat and pay a little rent and I finished my college studies through an amazing school for Theology; which was completed in England at Oxford University. Wow, it was all so amazing. And I was unimaginably grateful for it all. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely still very ill. I hid in bathrooms in the middle of dinner parties, trying to rest without letting people see how sick I really was. I pulled over to sleep in cars when I drove more than half an hour or so. I constantly talked to all that is holy, asking for me to stay alert enough to keep from passing out. I did every single possible thing I could do to try and live a 'normal' life. Yet, I never ever wanted to be average. Oh God, no. No, no. I had a calling, and I was determined to make my dreams manifest. I was ready to face anything and everything that came my way, head on. I was not giving up! But again, as diseases often do, my illness knocked me down once more. And once again, I wasn't giving up without a fight. So here I am! I am still bursting with passion, for myself and for the other survivors on this big beautiful planet. I realized that if I could no longer interact with people face-to-face, that I had better start connecting any way that I possibly can. So, I connect through art, storytelling, and of course, my spirit.
Oh, by the way, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. And then Fibromyalgia. Then POTS. Then Lyme Disease. ...Now I live my life knowing that medical doctors have very little knowledge about how to improve my condition. --Or even what the hell to call it! I am on my own. ...But, then, I am not alone at all. This is my very unique, unprecedented, unbelievable journey through this life. Real. Mine. My life, my way in health and illness. I have to survive this... So, in this blog, you are my best friend. Thats right. I am going to talk and emote to you fellow dreamers and survivors just as I would with my closest friends. Hopes, dreams, typos, cuss words, jokes, laughs, seriousness, spiritual experiences, all of it. ~ Me.
One thing is most indubitably sure; as long as we keep helping each other through the storm, then nobody, and I mean nobody-- is going to rain on my parade!
