It has been a long time since I have blogged. Several thing have happened that I would like to share with you.
First, during a regular walk with my dog Emma I tripped over a small tree trunk. Tripping while going down hill isn’t recommended. Not able to recover my balance I slid down hill on my face and body…..also not recommended. When the slide ended I knew I was not a pretty site…blood, skin hanging and eye glasses destroyed. Left ankle swollen, right knee too big to be within the normal range. Emma, was attentive and worried. Arriving home was a huge relief since it was a two mile walk. I kept wondering ….where was my Berqa (face veil) when I needed one? Not being one to horde pain pills I reached for the bottle of wine while cleaning the destruction.
Second, the final move into the new studio space is now over, packing for the trip to Taos took time and effort plus the healing process for the huge knee (required being drained three times) took its toll. It actually sounds worse than it is but the good news is …… I HAVE GREAT BONES !!!! No breaks …wow!
I am now in Taos where time moves slower and life is more centered. This is exactly what I need. Slow, focused, clarity, peace …all mine to soak into my soul.
What did I learn from my experience….slow down ! Be aware. Be present.
Another thing the fall did was remove confidence in myself. I never gave walking a thought….I just walked. I now feel I need to think and be aware of what is around me when I walk. We walk automatically but sometimes our radar is off and we fall. When we fall we lose confidence.
In relation to being an artist how many times have we lost our confidence when we have been rejected from a show, when a friend, neighbor or colleague makes a statement about your art that makes you feel less than you are.
Loss of confidence takes us down a peg but if we are able to look at the situation we can learn a valuable lesson about our self.
Being an artist is a gift we give ourselves. We are all creative but few people actually say…”I am an artist”. Being an artist requires a lot of things…..courage to try, courage to put your creations before the public, courage to listen to the comments about your art, courage to believe in yourself. Maintaining this courage requires we stay focused and centered within ourselves. This is why a lot of people just won’t take the effort to be their best as it take tremendous effort.
I am now back on track. The sun is shining, birds are singing, my dogs are happy, my children and their children are safe and healthy……life is good. I look forward to hearing from each of you and sharing our journey of self discovery plus finding that place deep within us that screams “YES”.