Deconstructing Mother Day

“Hope” Acrylic, Steel, aluminum.  24 x 18.”  The bridge in the photo is near a small community literally named “Hope.” The child is an early 20th century ancestor.

“Hope” Acrylic, Steel, aluminum. 24 x 18.” The bridge in the photo is near a small community literally named “Hope.” The child is an early 20th century ancestor.

My respect to women and girls everywhere who make it through Mother Day. A calendar day for courage. Not my point to go there in this essay. My point is let’s get back to the point of Mother Day.

A brief history of ancient times. The Greeks and Romans had cults to celebrate mothers.

A brief history of Mother Day in the last 150 years. Mother Day was intended as a tribute to our individual mother. In a country notorious for desecrating the English language, with the rare placement of a grammatically correct apostrophe, the day became a public commodity. Anna Jarvis is credited with developing the modern Mother Day, however, her own mother Ann Reeves Jarvis had a far more interesting and socially pertinent concept in mind.

Ann Reeves Jarvis was a peace activist who advocated for health and sanitation in the camps of both sides during the American Civil War. She formed in essence grief groups for mothers whose sons died in the war. The public service the women performed gradually evolved into an international peace movement. When men got wind of a growing threat to their favorite game of mayhem, they lobbied for a day to celebrate the women behind the “great men” of this nation. They adroitly returned the spotlight to themselves and their economic self-interest while subtly reminding women of their place. Anna Jarvis advocated for a Mother Day celebration upon the death of her mother Ann. Mother’s Day now extends to over 40 countries. Anna Jarvis was later arrested while protesting the commercialism of Mother Day. In 2019, In the United States, Mother’s Day was expected to gross 25 billion dollars. Billion. 5.something billion dollars in jewelry alone.

I appreciate when my children and friends acknowledge me. They are conscious individuals who don’t need a calendar reminder to be kind and considerate. Mother’s Day has been a can of worms for me since I was a child. I decided to study the history in an effort to reduce the dissonance. Instead, I’m flabbergasted to realize all of the angst and years of anxiety feeling beaten up by an arbitrary date were in reality wasted on an annual event solely intended to realize profits for retailers.

25 billion dollars a year is an astounding figure. What would that much money do for health care, education and poverty? Would people who had food and education be so willing to fall for the promotion of aggression and violence? When people have a safety net of health care they have the emotional and physical strength to look outside of themselves and contribute to easing social ills. And on and on. I’m stating the obvious. The only thing I know for sure is as women, we are better than letting ourselves be used one more time and one more way to make a profit.

Some of my most cherished gifts are those my children and grandchildren have made for me. We have a year to ponder and decide what we are going to do as individuals to return to the original intention of Mother Day. While acknowledging mother and her contributions, is it possible to simultaneously promote peace? Resolve griefs. Serve others. Donate our segment of the 25 billion to an ethical cause? If we spend the day as intended will we ease our own issues? Of course, handmade gifts or time spent require investment of self instead of a credit card swipe to assuage our conscience. You’ll have your own ideas if you think about it. What if we take back our power, step out from behind the shoulders of the historical menfolk and make this day a contribution?

Global Mourning...

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“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...

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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.

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…

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.