"Once we clearly acknowledge the soul, we can learn to hear it's cries. - Dallas Willard, Renovation Of The Heart."

It takes courage to pursue our dreams. It takes time and patience to unearth buried treasure. But I believe with all my heart that we must do both.

5.18.2017

showing up

Hi friends! Yes, here I am posting two days in a row.

I really did not have anything specific to journal about this morning. I guess most times when I do journal that is the case, but or some reason I got out of practice...and I do think it's a practice...of daily or weekly journaling. Or even being in my studio. I have a bracelet that has a saying on it, "show up and live your art".  I haven't been showing up and I'm not sure what has kept me from doing so. So I showed up this morning. It felt good and strange at the same time. I wasn't exactly sure where to begin or what to do so I just put color on the page...small mark making...a little at a time. 

I have noticed that I am not necessarily finishing my journal pages, at least the last several I have done. I say that, but since there is no rule about when a spread is done (it's more a feeling) they in fact may be. I'm just stopping at a point where I don't have any more ideas or desire to add more. I would rather leave it a bit unfinished than overwork it like I have done in the past. I like giving it time to evolve without me rushing the finished product. Allowing myself to be okay with the tension of maybe not being completed. I think that is partly why I stopped painting big. I expected to create this great work of art in a day or two or three of painting, when really it can take weeks and months. 

I'm going to move more slowly and be with the process more than I think about the finished product. 

So, this spread may or may not be complete...



7 comments:

Unknown said...

I absolutely everything about what you create....always so inspired!!

Hindsfeet said...

I was in the same space, Mary.....I guess we are both "poking our heads out" this is my offering...it is a drop of sanity I'm sending out into the sea of inanity our culture seems to have swallowed hook line and sinker.....hoping for a butterfly effect of sorts..... never underestimate butterflies, right?

http://hindsfeet-birdseyeview.blogspot.com/2017/05/to-matter-or-not-to-matter.html

.. wishing you well my friend

Rosie said...

I know that feeling Mary - if you don't know maybe it will come to you later. And if it doesn't, so what? Don't let it stop you making art. Once I'm launched on the process I find the words come, sometimes they literally BURST out of me because I really really needed to express them.

katooshie said...

Gorgeous work!

Patricia Carter said...

Things do not always have to be specific. Thanks for sharing this post. I liked reading it.
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Suzan Baker said...

Well, showing up is definitely an amazing character. keep it up.
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Suzan Baker said...

Your art journal is good but needs some more ideas.
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