[If you have trouble downloading from this page, go here to my Facebook album for Creative Every Day, click “dowload in high resolution” on the right under the picture, and let your inner child out to play!]
(from a post on May 12, 2007)
3 Women Dancing attracted so much attention, and it
sold so quickly, that the format begged to be duplicated. So I am working on another series of wall hangings with abstracted women dancing. And it was a lark! The first piece wasn’t even women until they sort of presented themselves after I had cut out what I thought were abstract shapes. It was as if they spoke and said: hey! look! we are joyful women here – pay attention! let us dance!
This is how totems were born. Extra pieces of tile tests laying around in lovely colors sorted themselves into a column which I mounted on wood and hung in ArtOMatic 2004. Again – what a reaction. What I considered a joke everyone else was taking as serious art and asking about! And totems have been selling like hotcakes every since. That doesn’t even take into consideration that nothing is wasted anymore! I’ve even raided my discard piles in the yard for interesting pieces (I keep them in the garden. They look pretty there).
This gives me a great deal of hope. Here we toil, plotting and planning and worrying and scurrying, and the best things just throw themselves at our feet and pant to be noticed. And we don’t have to toil or plot or plan or worry or scurry. They come to us. (see the lilies in the field….). And we get to pay attention or not.
Sunsets happen even when we don’t notice. Grace falls down on us and we brush it off annoyed that our clothes have all this sparkling stuff on them when we’re trying so hard to be serious and accomplish something here.
Outside my window all I can see are trees and green leaves and the sun behind a cloud (or it would be straight in my eyes this time of year). Off to the side is what’s left of last winter’s woodpile and between me and it is a 3 frame collection of photos of my grandson – 2 with cracks because I knocked it over. And it’s very quiet. This is abundance. And I am grateful for it.
When you look at life and its many challenges as a test, or series of tests, you being to see each issue you face as an opportunity to grow, a chance to roll with the punches. whether you’re being bombarded with problems, responsibilities, even insurmountable hurdles, when looked at as a test, you always have a chance to succeed, in the sense of rising above that which is challenging you. If, on the other hand, you see each new issue you face as a serious battle that must be won in order to survive, you’re probably in for a very rock journey. the only time you’re likely to be happy is when everything is working out just right. And we all know how often that happens.
Life is a test. It is only a test. Had this been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do. Richard Carlson, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff
11 Comments
I just love your women dancing. So joyful.
Paula – thank you – and they’re so fun to make too!
Tracy – and I appreciate your blue guord goddess and Horris! (go ahead, readers. click over and see what I’m talking about)
Thank you Tammy! I appreciate your wisdom!
The dancing Women are so pretty and joyful!
Mari: apparently our meeting was written in the stars or something. Very cool!
Really enjoyed visiting your blog! Fun!
I was just discussing the joy in the ordinary today with a friend. Kismet!
Sue
you know the more I coach the more I can see how much folks who haven’t been introduced to no struggle do struggle. And how the struggle, in the end, just makes it harder not easier. Eye opener!
Heather – thank you for your kind words! I’m enjoying going back and rereading some of what I’ve written in the past. I need reminders myself!
Thank you Tammy for your inspiration! I look forward to your emails everyday. I read and ponder.
life isn’t meant to be a struggle. what awesome testimony to that fact. thank you.
Thanks for the reminder that it’s all about perspective and how we look at things!