Today I’m mourning the loss of what feels like a good friend. A local university is closing down its art gallery. For 22 years The Gallery of Contemporary Art has been a beacon for artists, collectors and art students alike. The only words that come to mind to help me through my day are from Rumi:
“Mysteries are not to be solved. The eye goes blind when it only wants to see why.”
Creativity and wellness message for today: Feel your pain, then get up and go to work.
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
~ Mary Oliver
Creativity and wellness message for today: Be open to silence.
Chilly waves lapping
this morning at my sneakers
happy to be there.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Be present . . . then share it.
Today, I was going about my work when some unexpected accolades came my way. Receiving them changed the color of my mood from taupe to lilac. Instead of brushing off the compliments, I let them sink in. In our busy schedules it may seem unrealistic to do that, but it only took a minute. In the time that I inhaled and exhaled, I let myself fully appreciate being appreciated. In that moment my heart sang. With a soft, inner smile curving at the edges of my lips, I returned to my responsibilities refreshed, and creatively energized.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Be open to receiving something that makes your heart sing. Let it come to you . . . and when it does, fully enjoy it.
You know the rest of the title “. . . in front of the other.” Sometimes that is what’s asked of us–to make a decision, be clear in our intentions then, get busy. Creativity can come into play in our attitude, and in our willingness to be open to new ideas. As a practicing fine artist and educator I am enchanted by what I call “happy accidents.” In artwork its when the ink spills or the camera shakes and you realize that perfection has happened. One day, my friend P. was painting a stylized picture of a dancing couple, their feet perfectly poised on an ornate rug. In the pristine white borders of her picture a blob of gouache accidentally dropped . P. was aghast. I saw what happened and noticed that the shape looked like a pair of scissors. In that instant of unconscious creativity I blurted out, “You could title the painting, ‘Cutting Up the Rug.'”
Creativity and wellness message for today: Get to work, do what you need to do and delight in the unknown. Sometimes being aware of a happy accident is all that is necessary to lighten the moment and take the next step.