Ayla Karaka came to the US from Turkey to attend college and seek her way in this vast land of opportunity. She found success as a commercial photographer in New York City and lived a prosperous life, where she was about to assume ownership of the studio where she was employed. She was on an upstate road trip where she discovered a vintage box camera at a flea market. The camera would change her life and provide a portal to other places and times, including her childhood homeland. It became a guilty pleasure, but a visit to Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River, where she met the ghost of Louise Boldt, took Ayla and the old Ansco camera on a horrific journey. Time travel and complications with conspiring spirits proved to test Ayla's resolve and question her relationship with the black box, concluding with an unexplained paranormal phenomenon that left her terrified.

Make art more joyfully, spontaneously, and intuitively - even if you've never made art before.Presenting creativity as a form of spiritual practice, author Bridget Benton breaks the creative process down into its most basic components and offers you a fresh perspective on developing your creative skills. Whether you are creatively blocked, burned out, or just want to further explore the world of making, you can make art and have fun doing it. With 24 hands-on Artful Explorations - interesting and varied enough to suit both beginners and professionals - this full-color, lushly illustrated "workshop in a book" helps you: Make art that reflects your authentic inner voice Practice the 12 Actions and Attitudes of artmaking that support creative flow Develop a more consistent practice with your artmaking Engage with your art in a meaningful and mindful way Move more easily through resistance, judgment and other blocks Create a more connected, intuitive and playful relationship with your artmaking Author Bridget Benton has worked as a professional artist, facilitator and workshop leader for over 20 years, helping hundreds of adults rekindle their creative spark. She holds a Master of Science in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at the State University of New York and has taught intuitive creative process at events across the country. She currently lives and paints in Portland, Oregon. " . . . A breakthrough book. It will serve as a beacon for a new generation of creative people, as well as deepen the conversation for those already interested in bringing the metaphor of art-as-a-way-of-being more fully into their lives."-Stewart Cubley, coauthor of Life, Paint & Passion and director of The Painting Experience "Bridget Benton's directness and honesty are refreshing . . . This book is a MUST READ for anyone interested in growing both artistically and spiritually. " -Bee Shay, author of Collage Lab