

Awakenings, Laguna Hills, CA
The Sanctuary, Tustin, Ca
Sunburst Sanctuary, Lompoc, Ca

Friday, July 6, 2007

Change is in the Air

Yup - change seems to be in the air, and we're all gulping great quantities of it. There are some people who relish change and jump right into new circumstances without a second thought. I am one of those who prefer the changes imposed upon me to proceed slowly and easily. But when I decide on something - I want it NOW! Of course, I'm married to a man who will not purchase anything until he has a 2" thick folder of research, but would move to another state at the drop of a hat. Opposites attract, and balance each other out. ** So we are adjusting to changes in health and finances and circumstances, and doing the best we can, like everyone else. The wisdom of AA comes to mind - One Day at a Time.
My creative juice flow has changed too - and that is to be expected. Yes, I'm painting, albeit infrequently, and with unsatisfying results. There's something else being cooked up in the backroom of my mind, and it's just not ready for the light of day yet. In the spiritual practice of creativity, this is the "having faith in the Mystery" part. Faith is like a life jacket - it will only keep you afloat in the rough waters if you had it in the boat when you left shore.
My left brain has lots of reasons to be frustrated - my gallery wants more paintings, my bank account wants more money, my productivity is ridiculously low. My left brain would fire me if it was my boss. My right brain is blissfully unaware of the bad performance review, is doing its thing in solitude, and will let me know when it's done. Being the boss of both of them is quite the management challenge, putting all my leadership skills to the test. If I ever need to get a "real" job again, I'll be sure to put this on my resume.
Keeping everything in perspective, here's a poem from our Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, called While Eating a Pear -
After we have finished here,
the world will continue its quiet turning,
and the years will still transpire,
but now without their numbers,
and the days and months will pass
without the names of Norse and Roman gods.
Time will go by the way it did
before history, pure and unnoticed
a mystery that arose betwen the sun and the moon
before there was a word
for dawn or noon or midnight,
before there were names for the earth's
uncountable things,
when fruit hung anonymously
from scattered groves of trees,
light on the smooth green side,
shadow on the other.
May your changes be just as you like them, but keep your life jacket with you just in case...
**Speaking of opposites, today is the birthday of both the Dalai Lama and George W. Bush. Happy birthday also to my friend and fellow artist, Odile Nicolette!