It's hard to stay centered in this time of huge uncertainties when we don't know what to expect each day. If you're feeling off-kilter, here are a couple of resource round-ups (mental health, testing information, etc.) I want to recommend: this list compiled by Click2Houston and this list compiled by the office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. None of us has to do this pandemic alone!

I know some of you out there are parents, and this is an especially difficult time for you. Please check out all my CAMP PICKS blasts here. I promise you'll find some good resources there. 

These days, I find quiet activities like meditation keep my anxiety away and invigorate my immune system. I love using labyrinths -- the circular path keeps me focused on the moment and it orders my mind as I walk it. I'll be hosting a virtual labyrinth walk THIS SATURDAY, JULY 11 AT 10AM with the Hines Center for Spirituality -- register here in advance so you can get the Zoom link and download the finger labyrinth. I created a video today about it -- please check it out below and learn more about this magical path.

BIG NEWS! I'm available for hire for one-on-one labyrinth walks or nature mandala-making (or both!), all done with masks and physical distancing. And, as always, I'm offering virtual Life Path Sessions; see more about those here. If you're interested, please call me at 713.492.1173. I'd love to help you find PEACE in this crazy time. 



My ⭐️ARTS PICKS Spotlight⭐️ this week is the Houston Museum of Natural Science , which is open daily from 9am-5pm and is FREE on Thursdays from 2-5pm. The Museum has 5 floors of permanent halls and a steady rotation of traveling special exhibits -- click here for the ones currently on view.  They are also offering plenty of HMNS at Home virtual activities -- educational videos, museum tours, and even a couple of free films (" Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs " and " Wild Ocean "). Their summer camps are completely virtual; click here for the scoop. I visited right after they re-opened and it was great! 

I'm thrilled to report that our H-Town Evolution Racial Justice Peace Gathering went very well last Thursday. We had priests, artists and art consultants, activists, a teenager, a psychologist, writers, and more. Each presentation was very thought-provoking and it closed out with a beautiful rendition of "This Little Light of Mine," a song used during the Civil Rights era. The full video of the event is here -- please enjoy. I'll be doing these monthly, and am working out the name for the event and the format. Stay tuned via this blog for all the updates. I'm so grateful to all my presenters (listed in order of appearance): my co-host Billy Dorsey, Jr. ;  Harry B-Happy Bartholomew;  Seba Suber;  Anthony Suber;  Joy Parezette;  Kimberley Yancy;  Diana Muñiz;  Casey Fleming;  Salimah Khan;  Tracie Jae;  Glenice Robinson-Como; and  Jay Bass. What a group!

The Primary Runoff Election is July 14, and there is early voting now through Friday, July 10. All the info you need is here. Exercise your right and use your voice!


⬆ ️CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW VIDEO ⬆ ️

In non-pandemic times, and since I started publishing this blog in 2004, it has been a space to promote my curated list of unique live Houston area cultural events (PICKS) on the weekend for adults and kids. Because of COVID-19, those haven't happened since mid-March so I originally re-worked the format to focus on 5 Houston-based arts & culture organizations in my (Almost) Daily Dose of ARTS PICKS blog each of the NINE weeks of quarantine. You can see each edition - and read about 45 arts groups! - here.
 
And now I'll be bringing you an  ⭐️ ARTS PICKS Spotlight ⭐️ each  week -- featuring an arts & culture space that is open -- and you'll get info about all of their activities and sometimes a video to bring them to life. I'll keep doing that until live events start happening again on a larger scale and I can start curating PICKS again.

In the meantime: please enjoy my weekly Spotlights, and please stay healthy!

Sincerely,

Sarah Gish
713.492.1173

P.S. If you want to IGNITE YOUR LIFE now or anytime, check out my list of "12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily" -- and watch the 12 videos I recently made about each Way  here. I'm very proud of that list and my work and I hope it will help you live a better life. Meditation, taking care of yourself, enjoying life, and laughing -- plus more! -- is what will get us through this global pandemic.