BLU, A World Flag, thirteen years in the making...
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1. The Vision |  |
9. Awakening the Artist |
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2. The Essence of Love |  |
10. Determination |
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3. Earth's Unique Expressions |  |
11. First Rendition |
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4. A Chalice Overflowing |  |
12. Sacred Geometry |
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5. A Gesture |  |
13. In the Stillness |
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6. A Voice |  |
14. Now is the Time |
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7. The Journey Begins |  |
15. Promise Kept |
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8. Time Passes |  |
16. Raising the Flag |
While driving my car on an ordinary day in 1988, I was blessed with an extraordinary experience. I began to feel a doorway into my consciousness opening while my heart was bursting with a myriad of emotions. I pulled over to the side of the road and became increasingly aware of events larger than myself. I felt a connection and love with Earth, people, land, animals, and nature more deeply then ever before and could feel the possibilities of a global community living in the freedom of harmony. There was a part of me that did not understand what was happening while another part was outside of the experience, acting as a witness.
As my heart gently expanded I began to see a myriad of images while feeling so deeply the essence of love. There were images of Earth and the many different life forms that dwell upon this planet. I witnessed people from all walks of life, cultures, countries, traditions, races, and religions. The varieties of expressions were colorful and unique and I felt a deep reverence for all the diversity.
As visions of the natural world began to appear, tears filled my eyes with their beauty and splendor. I could see and feel a blade of grass, a flower, a tree, insects, and animals of land, sea and air. These pictures were followed by the many expressions of water on Earth: a raindrop, ponds, streams, waterfalls, oceans, rivers, springs, glaciers and snowflakes. I was shown different characteristics of land: canyons, prairies, deserts, mountains, valleys, and tundra. I felt grains of sand, mud, marshes, stones and rocks. As I witnessed Earth’s unique expressions I was filled with gratitude, once again for all the diversity on Earth.
The moments sitting in my car were endless, each one an eternity while I witnessed the amazing life on Earth. My heart was a chalice overflowing with love for everything that was before me.
At one point during this experience my mind pondered as to what gesture I could do to help me remember this glorious feeling and assist me in integrating this expanded awareness in my life. The thought of a flag seeped into my mind and I began to see different flags of the world, each one in its own beauty yet each representing a specific country, group, cause or organization of people. I could not find a flag that represented the fullness of what was occurring. What I was feeling was a global community living in harmony and peace. It was then that I heard a voice, whether it came from deep within my own soul or from another source, I do not know. I do know when it came it had my fullest attention as it held me held so sweetly in love’s embrace.
This voice asked me to create a flag that would symbolize this feeling of oneness and harmony with all life. A flag that would represent Earth and include within it’s vibrations everyone and everything that exists on this planet, embracing all lands, all people, all creatures and all of nature, a flag symbolizing truth, peace and freedom for all. To create a flag that honors diversity and reflects the unlimited possibilities of a global community living in a harmonic balance with universal oneness.
Everything felt possible in that moment and in my heart of hearts I gracefully accepted the opportunity bestowed upon me. I, of course, did not fully realize what I had agreed upon. In my innocence I thought the flag would simply come in a vision before me and “violà”, be miraculously completed.
I did not realize I was to embark on a journey that would last thirteen years. It was humbling indeed, when no vision appeared and I had no idea how to accomplish this task. I did have the memory of a wondrous experience by the side of the road, a moment in time when blessings of divine union and a profound love for Earth and all life infused my being. These visions and emotions worked their magic and stirred a knowing deep within my soul of possibilities. Remembering this experience always was the inspiration to be true to my quest.
For the next thirteen years I lived the intention of creating this flag and the journey began.
A journey that took me down a sacred path as I realized that in order to bring through this vibration of union and create a design I had to expand my own experience to breath and practice living in union as fully a possible. As I experienced revelations, insights, and expansions so too, the doubts and fears would arise. I would humbly embrace these places within myself, creating and expanding the balance and harmony in my life. The discovery of these places revealed more of myself and hence more of the design of the flag.
There was not a day that went by that I did not think of the flag and many times was frustrated as to why I hadn’t completed the task. I thought setting a goal would assist me in accomplishing my mission. So, each year I would declare that the flag be completed in April to celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day would come and go and the flag was still not finished, again I would be disappointed in myself.
I had felt such a sense of responsibility towards its completion and did not want to let down ‘the voice’ I had heard or the feeling I felt that miraculous day in 1988.
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| Early flag doodles. |
I had no formal training in art and had to awaken, accept and embrace the artist within, letting trust be my guide. This was a humbling lesson throughout the thirteen years. When I first began to draw. I remember sitting at the dining room table with my sons, who were helping me. My ability to draw was so elementary that you could not tell the difference between my drawings and a child’s.
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| An early drawing by Joan and her son. |
Here I was drawing a flag for the world using what was at my disposal. Different sized plates and bottoms of drinking glasses became templates for large
circles while buttons and coins sufficed
for smaller ones. My sons shared their crayons and markers along with a
twelve-inch ruler to draw a straight line. That was the extent of my background as an artist. Nonetheless, I was determined and encouraged by the enthusiasm of my family and a few friends with whom I had shared the vision.
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| First rendition of flag depicting citizens of earth as caretakers to the planet. |
Throughout those years the sense of responsibility felt overwhelming and during those times I would hear this voice, which would center my focus and advise me to be centered on the creation of only one flag. This would always balance the feeling of being overwhelmed and allow me to relax into the flag’s unfolding. The thought of not being able to accomplish this task in the eyes of many was disconcerting, so I remained quiet about it. In time, my close friends requested a flag for themselves and their faith and trust in me brought me the sustenance necessary in my many hours of doubt.
At one point, there was a realization that a preordained plan existed as to when the flag was to be completed. This was comforting, so I stopped putting time limits on myself and began to trust in divine timing. I learned to utilize the necessary tools to graphically design the flag utilizing sacred geometry guided by heart and soul.
After all this time I knew it wasn’t about me figuring out what to do and ‘coming up’ with something. I realized it was larger than that and what was being called for was stillness to allow the knowing to come forth. In the stillness I received the name of the flag, ‘Blue.’ When I wrote the word on paper it didn’t seem to fit, so I spelled it a couple different ways, as I was certain of the name. When I dropped the ‘e’ I realized that BLU was an acronym for “Being Love Universally,” A perfect fit for the flag.
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| The flag before 9/11. |
After twelve years the flag was complete except for the center, the area of the flag that depicted Earth. On September 11, 2001 when we all were watching and experiencing the catastrophic events, I was once again overcome with the same feelings I experienced thirteen years prior accompanied by the same voice I heard in 1988. Through the chaos, I could hear, “Now is the time to complete the flag.” I will always remember that moment, and as if I hadn’t heard the message, I received a telephone call from my son who was now away at college and who was aware of my intention for the past several years. He quite excitedly informed me, “Mom, now is the time for the flag.” I was grateful for the synchronicity and validation.
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| The flag after 9/11. |
Within three days the design of the flag completed itself and then within two weeks the colors were finalized.
It took a couple of months to find a flag manufacturer who could produce the flag while maintaining the integrity of the design. I placed my order in February 2002 and was told it would take several weeks, as it was a custom design that needed to be silk-screened.
Since I had surrendered creating goals as to when the flag ‘should’ be completed, I no longer had time limitations and gracefully relaxed in celebration of its completion. A weight, I had placed upon myself in keeping my word thirteen years ago was lifted and I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
On a day I returned home from recording a CD in Tucson, much to my surprise, a box of flags had been delivered. The date was April 22, 2002, which happened to be Earth Day! The timing of the flag delivery was a gift beyond measure.
May this flag of freedom and peace, wave for the World to remember Universal Love and to reflect the promise of peace and freedom for All. And as caretakers of Earth may we each remember that honoring this glorious planet begins within.
May BLU bring to light, the peace within your soul and the love within your heart, creating harmony to your world.
The BLU Flag ~ Being Love Universally
The Blu Flag ©2002, Joan M. Manos
