Time “Warp”

If you were thinking this was an homage to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, I’m sorry to disappoint.  As a side note, I’m sure Dr. Frank-N-Furter would approve of my color choices for this project.

As you know I decided to focus my meditation during the Feast for the Soul on the concept of “protection”.   I’m looking at how the concept and protection is experienced in all walks of my life and those around me.  I’m meditating on how I can better protect those in harm’s way.  Harm can take many forms, and while I’ve been meditating, the thought that keeps floating to the surface is suicide.  This isn’t about my suicidal ideation, but those who are experiencing immense pain with no safety net or protectors in sight.

The piece I’m creating will be based on the design of a shield.  To accomplish this goal, I’ve chosen to weave the fabric that I have cut into strips last week.  The warp for those who aren’t weavers are the long, or longitudinal, strips that are affixed the frame.  It’s the foundation for the weaving, and as you know, we all need a solid foundation.

I met Sarah Haskell (www.sarahhaskell.com) in graduate school.  We both were enrolled in the arts and healing program.  I learned that Sarah is a weaver and during the course I got to see some of her work.  I’m mesmerized by weaving and have considered taking it up for many years.  I may learn to weave on a table loom at some point, but the large looms I’ll leave to Sarah.

Why do I bring up weaving and Sarah’s work?  I’ve followed Sarah for ten years and what I have learned the most from Sarah’s social media posts is the amount of patience it takes to weave.  Setting up the loom takes and enormous amount of time and physical exertion.  The biggest lesson, and that’s what I want to focus on is the amount of patience it takes to be a weaver.

Over the course of my meditation, I’ve been feeling, in my body, what patience feels like.  For me, it has become a visceral experience.  It involves some degree of body tension, but it’s counterbalanced with the release when the warp is set.  It shows what time and attention can accomplish.

The tension in my body mirrors the tension a weaver needs when setting the loom.  The warp needs to be tight enough on the loom to allow the weaver to maneuver the weft.  I’m affixing my warp strips to a painting canvas.  It’s sturdy so I can pin the strips to the top and bottom of the frame creating sufficient tension for the design.

What are the takeaways from today’s meditation?  Tension isn’t always a bad thing.  We all need a strong foundation on which to build our ideas and actions in life.  Taking time to focus on one thought, idea, experience allows you to go deeper and experience it on multiple levels.  What are you weaving in your life?

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Is Not Succeeding the Same as Failing?

I recently organized by studio and believe it or not I threw away some pieces that I didn’t feel were worthy of salvaging.  These works were lackluster and weren’t worth the investment of time and effort to save.  As I watched them disappear into the bin I didn’t have any sense of loss or disenchantment because although these pieces weren’t masterpieces.  I learned something about myself and my creative voice by attempting them.

The piece I’m posting was my most recent attempt at creating small works for experimentation and education (education of my soul and artistic ability).  I had created some works in the past that were simply cut outs of fabric placed on a batting and a backing.  I followed the old recipe and as I began quilting the piece, but the components started to shift and fall off the quilt.  I became increasingly frustrated by this less than perfect creation, and finally decided to stop.

I took the piece out from under the needle and assessed the errors of my ways.  What I came to realize is that I needed to secure the small pieces of fabric down on the base so I would have a sturdy foundation when it what time to quilt.  I made a commitment to taking a little more time in the preparation so I would have success when I went to finish the art.

This small adjustment made a huge difference in my attitude toward making small works as well as the increased completion rate of the work.  I don’t feel that the piece was a failure.  I made some wrong decisions and what’s most important is I learned.  The learning process is what propels me forward in my creative endeavors.  It also gives me the motivation whenever I reach an impasse in life to see what I could do better next time the situation arises using this information.

I think this is especially important when discovering ways of easing our anxiety, lifting depression, or reducing physical pain.  If we only try one avenue of healing and it doesn’t work we think we’ve failed instead of it failing.  If we assess what didn’t work with this method, then we can look at the alternatives, make new selections, and discover better options that fit our life and our situation.

We’re resilient beings!  I hope you’ll look at what’s not working for you today and then ask yourself what else is available that will improve your quality of life!

Echo Chamber

How many times do you need to be told or hear the same thing before it registers?  Are you attuned to the clues that step-in front of you on a daily basis?  When I was in college I toyed with the idea of being an English teacher.  I registered for the class Foundations of Education with Mr. Sacca.  One of the things he shared were his secrets for being a student and trying to figure out what would be on the exam.  Mr. Sacca shared that if something in the lecture was repeated it would most likely be on the exam.  His mantra in the class was “repetition for emphasis.”

I’ve been out of college for over thirty years and this mantra sticks with me.  Every day I try and pay attention to what enters my consciousness.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect.  It may take numerous encounters with an idea, a person, or an experience before its purpose registers.

Spending time in the “echo chamber” is living in the cross-hairs of important components of our lives.  As creative beings, our ability to convert the same idea, color, tone, meter can be developed to look, sound, and feel different every time.  It’s this variety that helps us punctuate our message.  Repeating a theme increases the volume of our creative voice.

If you think you don’t have anything to add to the conversation in the Universe you’re wrong.  What I’ve learned over the years as an artist is that we can all want to share similar messages, but it’s our unique energy and point-of-view that makes it accessible to a specific audience.  We all have an audience waiting to hear what we have to say, so say it!

Don’t’ be surprised if you have to share your message over and over before it’s received.  We can’t expect others to get it and assimilate it any faster than we did.  Don’t give up because persistence shows the power of your message.  When you take a stand, you’ll be surprised how like the Pied Piper, others will stop, listen, and eventually follow.

Now more than ever we need your creative voice.  Your creative energy will be a catalyst for change in the world!

One Note

It’s easy to get into a rut.  We’re creatures of habit and leading us to a life of uncomfortable predictability.  I love to cook and I watch a lot of cooking competitions like Chopped and Top Chef.  It’s not uncommon for the judges to describe the contestants dish as being “one note”.   The judges are referring to the lack of complexity in the dish.  It’s flat and doesn’t give the diner anything diverse in their experience.

When creating what does that mean to you?  I had taken a quilter’s color class over a decade ago, and the first piece we created was monochromatic, a work all in one color.  One color doesn’t mean boring.  It pushes us as creators to think beyond one color, one note, one set of words or meter.  How are we able expand our resources?  This applies not only to art, but to business, finances, even politics.

I guess what I’m wondering is “Have we been trained to settle?”  Are we inclined to stay safe because we’ve been conditioned to avoid “less than perfect?”  As I explore creativity and its impact on our well-being, I want us to explore what would happen if we changed or modified one thing.  I don’t want to through the baby out with the bath water, but I’m wondering what we can add to the bath to make it more enjoyable and more expressive of your identity.

One note in creativity is similar to believing there’s only one treatment for illness, one diet to lose weight, one way to save money.  When we go beyond one note we explore options.  We’re encouraged and rewarded for our efforts.  We learn things about ourselves boosting our self-esteem.

We’re complex beings and living lives that are “one note” compromises our uniqueness and our magnificence.  Go beyond the one note…use a new color, change the words you use most often expanding your vocabulary and enriching your work, use a new spice when cooking a favorite recipe giving a new twist in your diet and enjoyment of your food.  We’re creative beings.  If we weren’t we would have gone the way of the dinosaurs…let’s use that gift!

When An Artist Dies…Their Lasting Impact

It was with great sadness that I saw that contemporary artist Rex Ray died yesterday.  I was in shock and then a wave of uncertainty came into my consciousness.  I’ve been following Ray’s work for a while and always been amazed by his use of shape, color, and proportion.  His art was identifiable and I’m sure his work inspired many artists that are working today.

It got me wondering about more than just the actual works of art living on beyond the life of the artist, but his inspiration on others.  What will be his legacy?  I know that he not only was a great artist, but lent his work to good causes in the community.  His impact goes far beyond the world of art.  As an artist, what will be left behind besides your physical works of art?

I know for me I love making art.  I feel compelled to create art and it’s more than just the physical piece you get to see, but for me it’s about the process.  I try and share my process about art making because I believe it’s more than about art, but about living.  For this reason I believe the PBS series “ART:21” was so important.  Watching an artist be interviewed while creating work inspired the body, mind, and spirit.  It gives the viewer a deeper understanding of more than just the art.  It provides each and every person a context for the work.  It allows us to share, what is often, a secret part of the artist’s life.  It’s a representation of the artist’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

The world is a crazy place physically, economically, socially, financially, and spiritually.  Art such as Ray’s gives us perspective about the world in which we live.  He provides an escape as well as an explanation.  His legacy on the world goes far beyond the colorful works he created.  His legacy is about how he lived and how he participated in our physical world!

Are You “Happy”

I’m addicted to interviews. Interviews allow me to be a voyeur into someone’s life without having to know them. If the interview is good, the interviewer will gain the trust of the guest and be allowed to explore more than just the surface issues that the tabloids are interested in, and get to more of a soul level.

Yesterday I was watching Oprah Prime. Her guest was Pharrell who has been having a breakout year. If you didn’t know Pharrell before “Happy”; I’m assuming you may know him since the breakout song “Happy” took over the world. It’s a good thing he’s not an evil man because a song like “Happy” could have been used for world domination (hope you know I’m just kidding).

Oprah asked him about the song “Happy” and did he know it would explode into a global phenomenon. Pharrell shared that at the beginning he couldn’t get any airplay on the song. It was a struggle. Obviously that has changed and people around the globe are dancing to “Happy”.

They showed a clip, a montage of uploaded videos from people around the globe doing their “Happy” dance. I was watching the montage and started to cry, not because I was sad, but because something so simple as music has transcended to become a global anthem. When they panned back to Pharrell and Oprah both were crying. They both made it very clear that they were “Happy” tears because it tapped into the human need and desire for community and self-expression. The song broke down barriers between nationalities, age, race, and gender.

This is why creative expression is healing. Art doesn’t have any boundaries; it’s limitless. Our creative stories and expressions provide a backdrop for our humanity to shine. Art heals because we give our souls flight when we express ourselves so honestly and authentically.

If you haven’t seen the montage of global “Happy” go find it or simply watch some uploaded videos from people in countries you know nothing about and she how art and in this case “Happy” translates!

Infusing Your Art with You!

We create art because it allows us to tell a story. We can share with others our experience of amazement and beauty. Through art we release those experience that hinders our physical, emotional, or spiritual wellness. Our creativity is a treatment modality for many when facing adversity and that treatment provides us with a sense of peace. When we share ourselves with others we build community and that’s powerful.

Jude Law says, “What more is art that putting one’s personality onto a canvas or into a character or into a photograph!” That’s a powerful statement because it says that as spiritual beings have a physical experience; we are the art. Our lives are the most prominent form of ultimate self-expression. When we are seen, our voice heard, our essence shared we heal not only ourselves, but also those around us.

When someone sees your art, what do you think they see? Art is highly personal and revealing. The moments when we create we have an incredible sense of place. Being in our bodies gives us clues to how the body, mind, and spirit work together to create. Our creations are the way we speak without words. It’s our way of giving to the Universe as a way of paying rent on this planet.

What if you could enter the canvas, the photograph, or the sheet music, what would you see? Would you create differently if you were creating in reverse, the art creating you? We stand back to look at our art, but what are we looking for? It’s those moments when observing our art is like looking in a mirror. It’s a nonjudgmental, honest, and authentic reflection of you. Those pure moments are heal your soul.

How do you steep your soul in your art? What stories have you not told that are waiting to be expressed? What needs to be healed and how will that show up in your art?

Diagnosed with a chronic or life-threatening illness and looking for education, support, and inspiration? Visit www.survivingstrong.com

Lessons From a Literary Icon

Those of us who engage in creative activities know first hand the power of making art. We create and share our work full of joy, inspiration, and narrative. The amazing thing about art is that even if you’re not trying to get your work in a museum or gallery, the experience alone is healing. Creating in any way, shape, or form releases chemicals in the brain that are better than any drug one can take. The question is how to spread that message.

When you have someone like Tolstoy on your side, spreading the message is much easier. Tolstoy, best known for his books, War and Peace, and Anna Karenina, spoke eloquently about art (not the written word specifically) when he said, “Art is a human activity, consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings, and also experience them.” (from John Butman’s book Breaking Out: How to Build Influence in a World of Competing Ideas)

The line about others being infected by the feelings and experience is palpable. We, as artists, disseminate thought provoking questions. Our healing journeys are on display every time we create. Our creative energies serve as role models and goal models. We bring to life feelings and experiences, and that’s contagious.

Ask an artist why they create and they’ll tell you, “I have to”. I did a piece years ago titled, “All I need is the Air that I Breathe”. I was clear when making the piece that it was about the one thing in all our lives we need to continue. For artists, that one thing is creativity. We all have that one thing that keeps us motivated, engaged, and inspired to live another day with meaning.

What is it you want to share with the world? How will your creative endeavors spread a message, a question, or an experience? These are the healing moments we get to experience every time a piece of work is created, no matter the medium!

Looking for education, support, and inspiration when facing a chronic or life-threatening illness?  Visit http://www.survivingstrong.com