“Global Mourning.” Acrylic and mixed mediums on cradled birch panel. 20 x 16.”
This year has been hard on everyone ~ challenging for empaths and intuitives ~ especially in the service professions and first responders. My deepest gratitude.
Initiation...
Last year, as everyone else, I started with one intention and lived out another entirely. This painting began as a “self-portrait.” Most artists do paintings of their own image because we are available models. The work morphed into a consolidated 2020 year in review. “Initiation.” Mixed materials on 300 lb. watercolor paper. 28 x 20”
Prescient...
“Prescient.” Acrylic. 40 x 30.” Planned this painting to be a Bison cow and calf, at least that’s the preliminary work in the sketchbook. As I listened, then moved as encouraged, this painting resulted. Another chronicle of 2020.
Why do our New Year resolutions tank so soon?
Resolutions are 4000 years plus of embedded genetic code driving us to promise the gods we’ll be good if they don’t rain destruction on us. A few centuries ago, resolutions became a part of western religious observances as a way to determine at the beginning of the year if our moral compass still functions - the irony is not lost. No wonder our intent backfires when an ancient ritual still drives us while society has moved on to the twenty-first century. Our “resolutions” are on a slippery slope to start with.
The current iteration of manifesting (thanks to The Secret) leads to the same end if we treat the Universe as our personal concierge, especially when other people are involved in our preferred outcome. Herding humans who have no clue what they’re supposed to do for and with us is like minding mice at a crossroads. My rule of thumb is the question, what is my business? Their business? The business of the Universe? I’m over my boundaries if I’m involved in any business other than mine.
Limiting the Universe to the parameters of our knowledge and imagination also becomes problematic to manifesting anything greater than our information base. Most Alaskan’s don’t know how to swim. The 9 months of ice and below freezing water during the few weeks of summer may have something to do with this. When I went “Outside” to university, the apartment had a pool and I decided I’d learn to swim. Every morning and night, I faithfully repeated the affirmation while imagining backstroking across the pool - primarily because I couldn’t figure out how to put my face into the water and breathe at the same time. I can still do a terrific backstroke, although I need a life vest to snorkel in water deeper than my knees.
Now, I pause, listen for the right next step, then move forward on my desires one right next step at a time. This leaves the path and future open to coincidences or shifts along the way. When we understand and separate how much of our decisions, responses and feelings genuinely belong to us from what is ancestral, cultural, historical knee-jerk programming passed down from progenitors, we stand a good chance of handling our life as it comes. We all know Yoda stated empirically, “Do. Or not not. There is no try.”
When we consider our goals and make resolutions have we taken into account our personal rhythms and consulted our heart for preferences? What has real meaning for us? How are we contributing? How are we attempting to propitiate the gods by bartering a sacrifice? How many of our goals initiate from external pressure and become TO DO lists? How many aspirations begin in guilt because society dictates a mainstream norm and our path may be in the margins?
Last year wound up way different than we outlined in our planners. My first intention of 2020 to support a daily preparation and gallery schedule reads, “No appointments before 10 or during studio time.” I intended to set my jaw with discipline to accomplish and 2020 made it effortless. What a great lesson - what other ways can we build space and time for effortless into our schedules. How can we take the lessons of this year into our future?
How can we metabolize the collective grief, ancestral resonance, personal losses to greater growth? What part of our cultural madness do we want to leave in the dust? Independent of externals, what could you do to be soul happy while meeting your desire to improve? Speaking of happiness, when was the last time you were happy? What were you doing you’ve since forgotten to do? How many times have we attained an objective only to realize the outcome didn’t make us feel well, we weren’t as happy as we thought we’d be? How is the intent of our goals helping us avoid issues central to our life mission?
Ideally, setting life goals is a combination of a plan with the head and intentions from the heart. If we plan only with the head we can become stuck. If we free flow with intention we are all over the place. We need the integration of both as a container for future progress.
Everything works better when we honor our feelings. Our life breathes a huge sigh of relief when our personal integrity supports our direction. The heart allows us more flexibility and chance for growth by recognizing serendipitous opportunities along the way. Having a logical direction allows us a certain peace and adaptability even when the unexpected blows up our world.
So, here’s to 2021.
If you have questions or want to share your story, the comments finally function thanks to Sarah Moon & Co. If you’d like coaching or want to shift old programs getting in your way, connect through the contact page.
Strange reversals...
Clockwise: Grade school card, this week’s block print tests, blocks created decades apart and a William Rice image from his book.
Delighted to find this 1941 gem of my father’s, “Block Prints How To Make Them.” If you look up William S. Rice, his images are timeless and beautiful. A page was marked by dad’s 1950 driver’s license obtained as he was leaving Pennsylvania for Alaska.
Might be the time of year, I’m careening madly down memory lane with no brakes…
I was the weird kid who broke down in first grade during Duck and Cover drills. I promised Einstein in second grade I’d use all of my brain. In third grade, I expounded on the vastness of the Cosmos to my beloved teacher who sat gobsmacked. I was marginalized, as so many gifted and talented children are simply because They can’t force us to fit where They are comfortable. They accused me of having my parents do homework and art projects. The devastating humiliation repeated every year when we moved. Inevitably, I learned how to do most of what I do from books like this one. Even in college, classmates pulled an intervention (for their benefit) and told me to slow down, I was making them look bad. I kept going and never looked back.
In the olden days, B.A. (Before Apple) children were actually trusted with sharp objects and I still have the hunting knife I carried running the woods ~ when I wasn’t forced to sit in school. Of course, we of the era can all point to scars and relate an Unfortunate Incident as a rite of passage.
Vividly remember the grade school art project when we made block print cards. The knives were no big deal and I was incredibly happy carving away. Breathing deep of the fresh Lino smell (complete with asbestos) and fascinated to trace the curls falling away. Imagine my consternation when the image printed as a mirror to the carefully prepared block. Who knew of the strange reversal?
The second big printing aha came this week while having a blast working this duck I’ve wanted to print for years. There’s the obvious reversal of the image and this time I nailed it. In addition, we need to comprehend which mark will print and what won’t proving we can always learn. Doncha love it! The next step is experimenting with line thickness and techniques like hatching. So exciting!
The educational system has been stripped of the arts and music in an effort to turn out conformists who will behave themselves. Prove yourself deliciously unmanageable and make wonderful art, exquisite music, powerful poetry or innovative houses. Don’t look back.
If you have questions or want to share your story, the comments finally function thanks to Sarah Moon & Co. If you’d like coaching or want to shift old programs getting in your way, connect through the contact page.
Artists and children....
Children of all ages enjoy chalk drawings…
One of my best studio tools is a simple dollar store chalk. For marking changes, enlarging, possible composition shifts or additions, school chalk is the best. Safe for oil or acrylic and wipes off with water. The caveat is the surface, oil or acrylic, Must. Be. Dry. before drawing.
They Are Us...
Douglas Earl Colyer. Born in the fall of 1913, was categorized as vulnerable during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. During the Spanish Flu, a third of the world population died. He’s about three here, with the classic short hair, straight fringe and dress children of the era wore until the males were “breached” or allowed to wear pants. Wearing pants began the separation from his mother and his journey into manhood. Wondering how my grandparents coped with the Spanish Flu as young parents prompted this post.
Photo copyrighted.
The sperm and egg that unite to become us imprint in the bodies of our ancestors generations before we’re conceived. Biological markers provide the evidence. For twenty years, I’ve worked with clients on the principle we carry our ancestor’s experience and memory along in our cells. When trauma affects a population, the results lodge in our body and pass from generation to generation.
Patterns of response establish in a family line as a result. Our progenitors had the same tools for flu as we do - social distance, masks, hand washing. They had the same anxiety we feel. Family experiences occurring generations ago overlay our local, real-time experience. Science caught up and validates this through research in neuroscience, cell biology, epigenetics, neuroplasticity and more.
What does this mean to us when anxiety and depression show up for us in this time of virus? Once we understand what belongs to us and separate out the portion we own, we are more effective in the here and now. We’re more able to cope with our own stuff without lugging along the baggage of a few hundred years of progenitor’s trauma.
Options to explore for ancestral trauma…
It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn offers a way to work through generational issues to understand behaviors we haven’t been able to explain. I’ve attended conferences where he’s presented and his work is amazing.
Becoming Supernatural or anything by Joe Dispenza. Once you get through the bells and whistles of promotion, the science is fascinating. This interview will give you an overview: Joe Dispenza and Lewis Howes, https://youtu.be/D8C3HZpWKAM Make sure you get Dispenza’s authentic audios and not a you tube wannabe dubbing over music and drumming. Not the same result.
We’re all experiencing trauma and anxiety at some level. We’re holding our collective breath. Here’s a simple and effective exercise to employ…
Anxiety ramps when we forget to breathe. The muscles in our neck, back and chest tighten so breath constricts even more. The brain panics when the air supply is reduced, starts a mayday and emotions ramp up. Breathe deeply through the clog in your upper body into your diaphragm. Lying on your back while doing this helps release the diaphragm. This gets enough oxygen to the brain so the brain knows we are living and can relax vigilance. Once the brain is oxygenated, our body relaxes and we are able to think clearly and intuit logical next steps.
When we understand we’re no longer at the mercy of a rogue body and run away emotions, we may recall resonant family events to provide insight and greater understanding of our own actions and reactions.
When we begin to address our personal ancestral pain we begin to heal the planet.
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your visit.