Leah Dancing was actually created for our host of Art Every Day Month (AEDM – you can sign up and participate here), Leah Piken Kolidas so it seems appropriate to start the month off with this picture (plus, I forgot until this evening that today is day one and so instead of a new creation, I fell back on collage)(and you will have to wait to see today’s offering until I figure out why pictures won’t upload)(sigh and of course)
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The quote accompanying the picture is from Gabrielle Roth (who never forgot to dance – look at YouTube here):
In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence? Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experience the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves. Gabrielle Roth
This is created in my AEDM “fallback” book where I put things usually when I don’t have that much time to create. This is my ninth year of formally participating in AEDM (wow, even I am impressed) and I have used this book ever year. See pages from the book for 2006 and 2007 , 2013, 2014, – I’d add more but my new wordpress template doesn’t seem to lend itself to finding long past posts easily so that will have to do for now.
What I love about making art with this lovely, yearly event is that if I really do commit and make art every day, my art is pushed: how I make it, what turns out…I don’t have time to think hard about it in the rush and tumble of every day life. It isn’t like I can “be in the mood” or even present myself to the page and wait for inspiration. More often than not (and this coming month for sure), I am making art in the small open spaces I might play a video game or read or browse Pinterest or Facebook and chat. It becomes immediate and spontaneous and requires a great deal of creativity and persistence because not only do I need to make it, I need to get it up here and share it.
I don’t make as much room for my art as I once did. I am no longer a professional artist – these days I make income as a Realtor working with others to buy and sell their residence or investment properties. But while I am no longer professional I am now and always an artist and Leah’s wonderful Art Every Day Month every November helps me to remember that. Thanks Leah!
