This is a time to quiet and breathe.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
And fair warning,
This one's salty.
I have many artists in my life,
And being surrounded by folks who are committed to creation is inspiring.
It's a gift to get a glimpse into how they see the world.
For instance,
A potter who uses a wood kiln once told me that he could trace the fire's narrative on each and every piece.
The fire's narrative.
I thought of that phrase often when things were bad,
And maybe you've felt that way too.
Burned inside and out.
Inhale.
Exhale.
My degree is in writing poetry,
And I've often wished that I'd pursued a more practical or tangible art form.
To that end,
I asked one of my artist friends who teaches a 3D art class if I could sit in on it and learn how to draw.
She happily agreed.
To say a drunk hippo could have done a better job capturing what we were supposed to draw is not an overstatement.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Now,
The phrase,
Stay in your own lane,
Comes to mind.
Perhaps this was a reminder that I shouldn't try and do everything.
But since it was humbling to look at my drawing,
Beginner's mind also applies.
No matter how hard I tried,
I could not get my hand to do what my eyes were seeing.
Well,
Duh,
Because it takes practice,
Which is what I spout off every damn day when I'm teaching yoga.
If you fall,
Get back up.
If your drawing is that bad,
Pick up the fucking pencil and try,
Try again.
But as we all know,
Time is limited.
If I wanted to get better at drawing,
I was going to need to practice,
Which would take time.
So the question was,
Did I want to give time to learning how to draw?
Therefore,
Having less time for other things.
The answer,
At least now,
Is no.
Which leads us to that wise sage,
Popeye,
Who says,
I am what I am and that's all that I am.
Just as you are who you are.
And isn't that fucking wonderful?
Seriously,
You have your gifts.
You really do.
And the world is better,
Richer because of it.
What makes you the most you?
Do that.
Celebrate that.
Share it with others.
What brings you joy?
What are you willing to suck at and practice so you can get better?
Do that.
And try not to fall into the trap of doing everything or feeling as if you are lacking because you can't do something someone else can because that too is a gift.
The ability to surround yourself with others who enrich you and your view of the world because of their gifts.
This very thing happened recently on a walk with my daughter.
We had just crested a hill and it was snowy and beautiful and around us we saw all kinds of tiny evergreen trees.
Each tree had a small piece of white paper wrapped and I assume stapled around the top of it.
Oh,
I said,
I wonder if those are people's wishes because that's how I see the world.
My daughter,
Who is in grad school for studying trees,
Said,
Well,
I bet they are so the deer don't eat the apical meristems.
As we walked on,
The world was richer.
My daughter is smart and those trees might grow into a brand new forest because someone had done research into deer and apical meristems.
And even if she didn't,
I remembered what my daughter declared to me when she was three years old.
Mommy,
When I grow up,
I want to be a tree.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Apical meristems.
Fire narratives.
Wishes stapled to trees.
The world needs scientists now more than ever.
The world needs artists now more than ever.
The world needs realistical and practical thinking.
The world needs caring and kindness,
Bravery and courage.
The world needs wonder.
The world needs you and your rich and unique perspective now more than ever.
So,
Off you go.
Out into the world with interest and intention.
May you bring your wondrous self to everyone you meet.
And may the world be all the richer because of it.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Live light.
