November. On the part of the planet where I live, November brings a last hurrah of trees’ brightly colored leaves falling to the ground to decay and provide life for what comes next in the cycle. Hostas die back to their roots leaving nothing but a memory of their lush greeness. Summer flowers and gardens leave behind stalks and some foliage. Mums bloom and spice the air until the first frost.
In the pond, frogs are nestled into the mud and fish move slower (we are up to 7 from a low of 3 this year!).
Are humans the only species that refuses to stop and breathe? If we look at the world around us, that would make us an anomaly. Even the ocean’s waves go calm on some days.
Imagine if you cycled with the seasons. Imagine if you had time to reflect on what has come before and integrate your experiences into an holistic understanding of how things work in peaks and cycles, uphill and down, storms and quiet.
November also brings me Art Every Day Month. Daily art means let go, get loose, don’t plan. It means using supplies as if there will be more tomorrow. It is making mistakes on purpose to see where they will lead or letting my hand move without my head. I think I’m in my fifth year, and while I haven’t managed art every day for all those years, for the last two I made the commitment and did something every day.
Let this be this year’s commitment.
Not only to art but to letting go and seeing what happens when my illusion of control is released.
It means pushing myself to honor my commitments to myself – first. It means finding out how that feels and what it looks like.
It also always means discovering that I am capable of way more than I think I am.
Sometimes we have to drop back in order to move forward.
What are you doing today?
6 Comments
Rita – aren’t you doing another challenge now? You can only do so many at one time! Art Every Day in November is a touchstone for me. It’s my end of year reveiw and New Year planning. I LOVE it!
I did it last year, but won’t be able to participate this year. Best of luck. It does push you, that’s for sure. In a good way. 🙂
the other part of this is letting my voice out on the page without
editing – because there has to be a blog along with the art (usually).
I’ve been practicing that in another venue and it’s really an
awesome exercise!
Thanks for your kind words!
This post is lovely and of particular interest to me at this time and this rings out to my spirit “… Daily art means let go, get loose, don’t plan. It means using supplies as if there will be more tomorrow. It is making mistakes on purpose to see where they will lead or letting my hand move without my head.”
That’s what it should be about, whether our art or our overall approach to life – living without fear, knowing and believing that everything will be all right.
Thank you for always writing words that need to be read and for such inspiring art.
Hi Sue – thanks for slowing down and stopping in to visit!
Much appreciated!
I agree we do need time to reflect and this means slowing down. Nature knows a thing or two:)
xx