COAST MAGAZINE (JANUARY 2007)
TRUE MEANINGS
Larry Baker
Costa Mesa

TRUE MEANINGS

I was very pleased to see Paul Heussenstamm's mandalas in last month's issue ("The Spirit of the Season," Dec. 2006 Coast). His take on religion and its virtually non-existent role in today's holiday celebrations is a much-needed wake-up call for today's spirituality-deprived society - especially in Orange County. We are encouraged to spend more money than we make and rack up huge credit card debts to pay for things that we (or others) don't need because the retail industry wants us to believe that the amount of money spent is directly proportional to fondness for another person. Heussenstamm's mandalas, however, remind us that getting in touch with what is really important around the holidays is as easy as accessing our inner spirituality and spending time with loved ones.

Heussenstamm also does a fantastic job of combining imagery from various faiths into one mandala. People tend to label themselves as clans of different beliefs, which is contrary to the very premise behind the holidays: bringing people together. Beliefs can actually be far more divisive than they are unifying. It's a beautiful thing that Heussenstamm is both gutsy and tolerant enough to recognize this contradictory epidemic.

Larry Baker
Costa Mesa