I might have shared this before, but when I saw Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday topic of art, I couldn’t resist. Not that we have to stick to a topic. I just like the idea of being “dangerous” through art and mixing with all classes. I have seen this quote attributed to Queen Victoria.
For more one-liners and guidelines, visit Linda Hill at:
One-Liner Wednesday – Art | (lindaghill.com)
Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time
“This is the first time in Quebec that animal welfare charges have been made by way of indictment – a type of prosecution reserved for the most serious offenses and which opens the door to more serious penalties.”
Alex Trebek is making progress in fighting pancreatic cancer, and it “has to be more than chemo.” He credit’s the tremendous love and support of family, friends, and fans for aiding in his progress. Some of his tumors have shrunk by more than 50%. Mr. Trebek, long time host of Jeopardy, has vowed to beat the statistics. Here’s an overview from ABC news, and I found the following interview well worth watching.
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This story might not be recent, but it’s never too late to make a difference. The government was going to tear down his town, but the “Rainbow Grandpa” started painting the buildings. Now, it’s a tourist attraction.
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Got good news? Please share in the comments!
Feel free to write your own #GoodNewsTuesday post and link it here!
Linda’s prompt for today is “almost.” This is almost too easy, because I’m at such an almost place in my life, getting ready for a leap of faith. A big change, hopefully within the next 12 months.
I’m excited, and almost scared.
I’ve cut back on my hours as a substance abuse counselor to 30. That’s the magic number where you can still get benefits: vacation time, sick time (I have almost 400 hours accumulated) and the all too important health insurance.
In my spare time, I’ve started doing more art work and have even sold a few pieces. My manuscript is almost ready to get serious about publishing, one way or another.
I’m almost 6o years old! OMG, I’ll be 60 in just over 6 months!
So does all this talk of “almost” hold back the law of attraction? Some people say we should speak the desires of our hearts as if they are already here now, so as not to keep them at “almost” distance. But I won’t be almost 60 forever. It will happen, God willing for me to live that long, and I believe I will because, God knows, I have plans!
And God has already shown me miracles by bringing the love of my life back to me at just the right time. God has perfect timing.
Still, it’s good to recognize that I am an artist now. I am a writer now! I’m writing right now! Life is unfolding exactly as it is supposed to. I’m right where I need to be.
If you’d like to join in the fun and spontaneity of Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness posting, visit:
http://lindaghill.com/2015/05/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-3015/
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” or “Begin with the word ‘The’.”
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments, for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. Have fun!
Last weekend I went to my first art show as a vendor. For set up, I got to follow the sign on the front door of the the old church venue saying,
“Artists enter by side door.”
I’ve been an artist since I was 10 years old, but this was the first time I’ve gone in the special door. It’s the first time I’ve put my visual art out there for sale.
“What if I don’t sell anything?” whispered the voice of self-doubt. “It will be so embarrassing!”
“Shut up! That’s no way to talk!” responded my critical parent voice.
“Be positive! What if you sell a lot of your work?” said the nurturing parent. “I’m proud of you for doing this, no matter what!”
“Okay, as long as something sells,” said self-doubt.
I put in a lot of time creating art, matting prints, and painting angels and mermaids on rocks and shells to be included with each purchase. I ended up selling a few pieces which covered the $75 for the space, plus art supplies. And I have plenty of leftovers for the next show or to go in a gallery!
The “Tree Lady” (above) and the healing angels (below) sold. But not the larger pieces.
And the original of “Delivery,” a practice piece on scrap wood, sold.
Delivery
I learned a lot from this first art show, like art is subjective. Some of the prints I thought for sure would sell didn’t. Small pieces of original art sold best. People admired the three larger paintings, but didn’t want to spend that kind of money, which I can understand. So for next time, I’m making a few prints of the larger pieces.
Seeing other artists’ work provided a feast of delight and inspiration.
But the best part of all was not about what I sold.
The best part was about what I gave away.
I’d brought with me paper and plastic bags for the art I’d sell. One bag came from my mom’s bedroom, the bedroom my father hasn’t changed in the several years since she died. I go in there now and then to look for things I can convince Dad to donate or get rid of. The bag from Mom’s room was a lavender paper bag with handles. While sitting at the art show, I rummaged through the tissue paper in the lavender bag. At the bottom, I found a little, pink, crocheted purse. Or so I thought it was a purse.
(It actually turned out to be a holder for those personal sized Kleenex packets.)
I put the little pink purse in the basket I’d brought the painted rocks in, and put it on the table thinking someone might like it.
A couple hours later, a little girl, who looked to be about 5 or 6, came by with her parents. She stopped to look at the painted shells, lingering on each one. Then she came to the little pink purse in the basket.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I think it’s a little purse,” I said. I could tell she liked it by the way she admired it and worked to figure out the button clasp.
“That’s for you,” I said. “My mother wants you to have it.”
My words came out spontaneously.
The little girl smiled and thanked me politely as did her mother. They figured out it was a Kleenex purse, and said she always had trouble finding tissue at school, so it would come in handy.
The brief and powerful connection with the little girl and my mother’s pink Kleenex purse made my heart sing. It was as if my mother had been there all the time, watching quietly, waiting for the chance to be part of my first art show.
In a recent dream, I admired the painted steps at a park. The artist had started with a yellow background, then added all sorts of animals: polar bears, lions, and there must have been elephants there too, with colorful flag-like tapestries draped on their backs. I sat on the steps and studied the design thinking,
I could do art like this…..if I had the time.
At least a dozen times, I’ve gone to an art show, or gallery, and said that same line to myself? If I only had the time….
A couple nights later I dreamed about trying to encourage an elephant into my dad’s backyard. It wasn’t working, so I woke up, thinking this was about trying to get Dad to move closer to where I live.
The next night, I was reading, A Second Look at Jesus, written by my friend John Evans. In chapter 5, “Meeting the Guru,” I discovered the following passage:
“Maharishi said that inviting God into our life was akin to inviting an elephant into our modest hut.The inevitable result was a certain amount of destruction. Then it was necessary to build a larger and stronger structure. This process of destruction and reconstruction continued over time until a vast palace was constructed and the elephant was in a properly proportioned and durable environment.”
The destruction that took place in my life at the beginning of this century – from divorce, loneliness, and trying to love the wrong people – was necessary to make room for God to fit into my life in a bigger way, to make room for new surprises and new directions.
Sometimes we need to knock down walls to make room for something even better.
But knocking down walls can be scary. Can I just add on another room?
Or maybe knocking down walls could be fun and exciting.
I aim to find out.
The elephant photo is from http://pixabay.com/
Some days, it feels like I’m trying to see what’s the most I can pack into a day.
That’s really not my goal, but it feels like I’m constantly prioritizing how to use my time best. I still work at least thirty hours a week as a counselor, I’m active in my little church. I volunteer every other week Wednesday night at the mission. Maybe I’ll write about that some other time. I’m trying to help my 83 year old dad figure out how to live as independently as he can while his physical body is declining. I’m trying to help my 21 year old daughter learn how to live as independently as she can, even though she’s still living under my roof.
Then of course there’s writing the memoir and blogging, both of which I love. And I need to read more and exercise more. And now I’ve decided to be in my first art show, though I only recently started getting back into painting. I’m including some of my daughter’s photography, which is really cool stuff with skulls and flowers…..
Part of me is going: What are you thinking? You don’t have time for all this!
But another, deeper part of me believes that for me to be happy, I need to follow my creative passions where they lead me.
I’m still being responsible and paying my bills. I spend less money on entertainment than most people. I get excited about making a whole meal out of leftovers. But then I do enjoy a good meal out at least once a week.
My husband and the abundance/law of attraction movements say I’ve been living in scarcity mode. I am frugal most of the time. I buy most of my clothes at thrift stores, but that’s because I like to recycle. I don’t like to waste things. It’s the least I can do for the environment.
But maybe it’s okay to want the most out of life. It’s okay to want to be a writer and an artist. To follow my dreams and expect that I will make a living doing those things some day, instead of saying, money doesn’t matter. Money does matter. I would like to be able to make a living doing what I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. I’ve put in 30 years working in a helping profession in a nonprofit agency. And I believe I’ll always make time to help others. I know it’s not all about me.
But sometimes, it’s okay to be about me.
So, when someone asks me to do something else, in addition to what I’m already doing, the question isn’t: can I cram that into my day, or week. It’s not about where can I fit that in? Sometimes I need to ask:
Will it feed my soul?
Will it nurture my spirit?
Will it give me energy to keep going?
Today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday Prompt was “most/least.” If you’d like to join in, visit:
http://lindaghill.com/2015/01/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-january-2415/
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” or “Begin with the word ‘The’.”
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments, for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. Have fun!
Anything is Possible! 