Hand-built clay sculpture, Ursalynn Dancing, by Tammy Vitale of Tam’s Originals

[recorded June 10 for June 13]

“The experiences of childhood – learning to work on goals others had decided upon, developing work habits that were not natural to our own process and rhythm, and being evaluated according to the expectations and desires of authority figures – did not prepare us for a self-trusting, healthy adulthood.  Even well-meaning educators were striving more for manageable obedience than the chaos of a flowering natural curiosity and creative impulse that would have led to exploration and experimentation.  The result of all this was a spiritual and behavioral domination that has seeped into our psyches and continues to suppress creativity.

“…We can choose not to reaffirm the unfortunate lessons of earlier years; we can choose to change.  We can be self-supportive, and we can support each other.  We can give ouselves a pat on the back from time to time and share our work with trusted friends. ”  Adriana Diaz, Freeing the Creative Spirit:  Drawing on the Power of Art to Tap the Magic & Wisdom Within

“A professor was giving a lecture to his students on stress management.  He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, ‘How heavy do you think this glass of water is?’

“The students’ answers ranged from 200 to 500 grams.

“He smiled and said, ‘The absolute weight does not matter.  It depends on how long you hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, it’s okay.  If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance.  It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’

“…Diana Borkin, a fellow artist, sent me this:

• accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue…
• always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of reading it
• drive carefully.  It isn’t only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
• if you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
• If you lend someone $20, and you never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
• it may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
• Nobody cares if you can’t dance well.  Just get up and dance….”  Jack White, Heart to Heart, Art Calendar:  The Business Magazine for Visual Artists, September 2004

Wylde Women’s Wisdom

What is true is that if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.  Ken Robinson