This seemingly small country has something rather unique and wonderful about it. Rather than measure the growth of a country by it’s economy it measures it by how happy the people are. According to Gross National Happiness they ask a selection of citizens how they feel about a variety of areas of living including: Time use, Living Standards, Good Governance, Psychological Wellbeing, Community Vitality, Culture, Health, Education & Ecology.

And according to Wikipedia in 1972 the ruler of Bhutan king Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that he wanted a system of monitoring the growth of his nation that fitted in with the country’s Buddhist religion and so Gross National Happiness was developed.

I think the world would be a much better place if other countries adopted this system of measuring their growth. I’m sure many of you could argue against this and I’m sure the system has plenty of criticisms. But for me given the choice between happiness and money, I’d go for happiness every time as money can’t buy happiness.

Just thought I’d share something that brightened my day,

Antony

(Image provided by Google Maps, Copyright reserved by Google)

So impressed with this artist’s work that I wanted to know more. So I did some research:

Susan Seddon Boulet, a San Francisco Bay Area artist whose work is widely known, died at her home in Oakland on Monday, April 28, after a long struggle with cancer. She was 55.

Susan Boulet was born in Brazil of English parents who had emigrated there from South Africa. Her early childhood was spent on a large cattle ranch which allowed her great freedom and where she first developed the love of fairy tales and fantasy that would later be revealed in her paintings. She was educated in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, and later in Switzerland. It was here that she began her training as an artist. She came to the United States in 1967, but always retained a great love for the land and people of Brazil.

Susan Boulet’s art has had a profound influence on many people. She was a prolific artist whose themes ranged from portrayals of medieval figures and fantasy characters in her early work to goddesses and shaman figures in more recent images. Working principally in oil pastel, inks and occasionally pencil, she developed a distinctive personal style characterized by the use of color applied in layers from which dream-like forms emerged. Susan Boulet drew her inspiration from a wide variety of sources: mythology and poetry, Jungian psychology and worldwide spiritual traditions, as well as a deep love of animals and the natural world. Underlying her work is a spiritual quality and a universality which strikes a chord in people from many walks of life. Her paintings have been widely reproduced and are held in collections around the world. Published works include Shaman: The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet (1989), and The Goddess Paintings (1994), both published by Pomegranate Artbooks in Rohnert Park.

The inspiration that people drew from Susan Boulet’s work was often heightened by their meeting her in person. She loved to be present when her paintings were shown and those who met her, however briefly, were invariably touched by her empathy, gentleness, modesty and charm. Her ability to listen and make personal connections won her innumerable admirers. Indeed, one of her greatest challenges was to balance her artist’s need for solitude with her love of friends. At a recent gathering in her honor a large number of people paid tribute to her generosity, sense of humor and the profound influence her art had exerted upon their lives. Susan Seddon Boulet was married to Larry Boulet who died in 1980. She is survived by a son, Eric, and a brother, Patrick Seddon, of Oakland, California, and her step-mother, Naide Seddon, and a brother, Ernani Seddon, of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
(from: http://www.well.com/~davidu/boulet.html, Last Accessed: 14th November 2009)

I was saddened to read that she has passed away, such a talent gone off this physical plane. I was also disapointed that I was unable to find Gods Knowledge cards and couldn’t create some now that she had passed away.

I loved both of the packs of cards and knew that two of my pagan friends would too. So I bought them for Simon and JL for Yule.

If you want to view more of the truly beautiful and inspirational artwork by Susan Boulet you can google image search her name or click here.

In love and light,

Antony

“In this modern world don’t we need to laugh, more than we’ve ever needed too before in history?” Dame Edna, Just for Laughs 2005

“Absolutely, Dame Edna.” Antony Simpson, 15th November 09

Unfortuately, I don’t get to write as often as I would like (apart from this blog of course). But it is on my Magickal Grand Plan, under creativity to write a fiction book. So I guess I need to get my ass in gear and get writing.

Update you soon,

Antony