Somewhere along the journey of my life I've picked up this idea that there is a "right" way to do everything. And in my mind, this right way seems to always elude me in the moment. So I am left consumed with the past...I should've said this or said it this way, or I should've done that or done it that way...the perfect way. It's like a game my mind plays with itself because no matter what I do, it always tells me there was a better, more perfect way to have done it. Yikes!
A friend of mine owns a store where she sells crystals and gemstones. It's my favorite place to go when I want to treat myself. What has fascinated me about her is that she loves the stones that have little "imperfections" in them...inclusions, discolorations, nicks and scratches. And I've started to see the beauty in this as well. How each little "imperfection" gives that stone its own personality and magic and in a sense, makes it perfect.
So I am daring to be imperfect. I am choosing to accept what I perceive as my imperfections, to live in the now, and to stop analyzing everything because it's quite exhausting! Maybe perfection only exists within embracing the imperfections in life...and I know there is a perfect way to end this blog, but it's eluding me right now! :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Creative Possibilities
I couldn't sleep last night so I got up around midnight, pulled out my sketch book and opened my box of pastels. My favorite way to draw is to have no expectations of what I want the final piece to look like; maybe an inspiration, but no desired outcome, no particular image, no preconceived idea of how I think it should be in the end. I stare at the paper for a bit as I allow myself to fully feel the anticipation of creation, the excitement of all the possibilities that could exist upon that blank page. I am still for a moment, breathing and releasing thought from my mind until I am ready to reach for the first color.
This drawing for me is never so much about the end product as it is about the magnificence of being completely present in the moment. The vividness of bold colors, the scent of the chalk, the subtle vibration and sound of it gliding over the paper, that chalky feel on my fingertips, and the heightened awareness inherent in allowing the images to unfold as I draw. The best part is that it's not possible to make a mistake...I can create anything I want with this piece of paper and chalk! The only rule is to let my heart guide me; to feel the energy of creation extend from the center of my being, down my arms, to my hands, out through the chalk and onto the paper. From there, I create one step at a time. And even when the basic outlines and shapes are finished, the image will continue to change and shift as I start shading and blending the lines and colors.
And then I start to think...with so much possibility in this 9x12 piece of paper and 24 colors of chalk...imagine the creative possibilities that exist in my life!
This drawing for me is never so much about the end product as it is about the magnificence of being completely present in the moment. The vividness of bold colors, the scent of the chalk, the subtle vibration and sound of it gliding over the paper, that chalky feel on my fingertips, and the heightened awareness inherent in allowing the images to unfold as I draw. The best part is that it's not possible to make a mistake...I can create anything I want with this piece of paper and chalk! The only rule is to let my heart guide me; to feel the energy of creation extend from the center of my being, down my arms, to my hands, out through the chalk and onto the paper. From there, I create one step at a time. And even when the basic outlines and shapes are finished, the image will continue to change and shift as I start shading and blending the lines and colors.
And then I start to think...with so much possibility in this 9x12 piece of paper and 24 colors of chalk...imagine the creative possibilities that exist in my life!
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