Rearranged (and Blue)

Rearranged

"Rearranged" - charcoal and pencil on toned paper, 18" x 24"   "Blue" - acrylic and charcoal on paper, 11" x 14" . Ready to frame.   Each available here and at Artfinder.

"Inevitably, certain experiences rearrange us."
MARK NEPO

Oh, Mark Nepo!  How did you know?  Rearranged.  I have been rearranged.  And still sorting out where the pieces fit well together.

This puddling into the new year is a bit off-putting for me.  Plans?  Schedules? Calendars?  These have always been my crutches.  They're still here, of course, but I am keeping them just out of reach.  Careening through each day like a drunken bull and letting the terrain beneath my feet determine which way I will meander. 

This isn't a graceful method for navigating through life.  But it is something new, which leads to, well, more new things.  Like an urban hike after dark with my sisters - standing on the muddy bluff of Overlook, peering down at the sparkly lights of the rail yard and the glistening Willamette river, navigating flooded back alleyways and streets.  Graceful?  No.  Exhilarating?  Yes.

Blue

As I contemplate the muddy waters of being rearranged, seeking meaning and direction, Nepo's words whisper soothingly: ​"despite what we're taught, we don't have to choose between meanings.  Rather, we can absorb and integrate many meanings."   The world wants us to choose a direction, a meaning, a purpose, a path.  But there is just this one wild life and so many meanings to choose from.  I am happy to absorb and integrate them all, gathering them in baskets and boxes and with open arms and heart.  

A wise Irishman once told me all of these experiences are puzzle pieces.  Only I never knew the puzzle itself could change size and shape.  Whoa.  I'm gonna need more baskets.

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For those who attended my "Once Upon an Artist" demonstrations this past fall (or anyone else who is interested), Andrew Simonet, author of Making Your Life as an Artist​ now has a workbook you can download for FREE here.   The book is also available for download.  It's a little roadmap toward making your artsy dreams come true.