Saturday, February 6, 2016

Migrations, Dreams & Habits

new work 16"x20"
I am part of a migration, not one guided by the moon or involving birds or butterflies. No one has fixed a metal band round my leg or tagged my ear as part of a study, but still it's happening out there. I suspect you are aware of it too.  It's a technological migration of sorts, one where I sense small currents quietly causing people to drift from the blog world over to facebook or follow the shifting breezes to instagram. Robyn Gordon's lovely curated collections have migrated from her Art Propelled blog to facebook. Jeane Myer's moved house from her blog, Art It to Instagram and I have joined her there for no other reason than to see her amazing work as she creates and shares it.

There are many other bloggers, that were part of community when I ventured here with my first post in December 2008, that like me, simply post less often. I am not leaving quite yet, but it's more of a second home than a primary residence these days. I sense this is true for blogger friends like Lynette Monteiro of 108Zenbooks and Lynne Hoppe (who is also sharing her work on instagram).  Do I have less to say? Do I think about painting and practice less? Not really. It's just that those thoughts don't make it to these pages so often anymore. The excitement of sharing on a blog has met time and they have wandered off together. The Buddha talked about this (not blogs, facebook and instagram) but change. It's the one thing we can always count on. Change is a constant.

Noticing the virtual migratory patterns did give me cause to think about why and what I post. There are artists that share what materials they're using or simply post the work they've been doing. There are those that write about where their practice is at the moment. It's about connecting, sharing what they know in the spirit of offering help and inspiration to others. When I thought about what I want to share these days, it's the things that excite me most, things that I think others might be interested in discovering too.
Trails 12"x12"

So here's a little goody bag of what I've been exploring lately. There's lucid dreaming with Charlie Morley. Lucid dreaming just seems like such a good thing to me and Morley talks about it with passion and clarity. We sleep 1/3 of our lives so being lucid in our dreams expands the time available to us and offers a connection to our inner life that the conscious mind doesn't. Probably most importantly, if you believe in any intermediate state between this life and the next, it prepares you to navigate that.

We listened to this great series of talks , called Awake in our Bones by Martin Aylward on a short home retreat. They were inspiring and expanding, a great companion to a few days of sitting. He has a fresh and clear way of speaking about life and the dharma.

I am curious about all the new brainwave technology and ended up on a site called iAwake that has lots of little samples to listen to and a freebie if you care to share your email address.
Canyon Rain 6"x6"
I've also been re-reading "Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself" by Joe Dispenza and doing some of his meditations. His work is part of the quantum consciousness movement that focuses on how our thoughts create our world. That belief is part of basic Buddhist thought but Dispenza and others focus on using this to create conditions we might want to find in our lives. I'm not talking about "let's get a new car" but working with more stubborn mind states that might affect our health, how we use our time, our worldview and our happiness. I am finding it particularly helpful in my attitude to my painting. In Buddhist thought we might call it trust or faith. For athletes an aspect of performance is wrapped up in mental attitude. Is it any different for artists?

On January 1st I kidnapped a vintage mason jar from the cupboard and made it in to my gratitude jar. I cut up cute little pieces of paper and find things to be grateful for each evening and pop them in the jar. I find the physical act of having a jar a much more powerful reminder than a journal for recording these tidbits. I am finding that simply turning the mind from grumbling over little things to appreciation is a powerful reorientation for a somewhat aversive mind. Here's a lovely little website on gratitude.

And back in the world of things the wood stove in my studio finally got hooked up so other than some storage and a comfy chair my studio can take a bow and pronounce itself finished. It is amazing to have this space to work in. I can while away the hours, listening to the rain on the metal roof or keep company with the big trees out my windows and the ducks on the pond. I look forward to warmer days when I can throw open the door and windows.

And you, what have you been up to that fills your days with joy and passion?





20 comments:

  1. Thank you for all the interesting links! I'm glad some people are sticking with their blogs. I do enjoy Instagram for looking at art, but I find blogs to be a more in-depth window into an artist's ideas. Facebook... there is just too much other crap going on there!
    I also read your first post and your idea of the inner barking dog gave me a good laugh... such a funny and utterly accurate way of describing the mind's antics! I have 2 large dogs, and my youngest only barks when alarmed, just like the sharp bark in the mind when faced with an uncomfortable thought. My oldest barks for what I'd long thought was no reason at all, until I figured out that she enjoys barking. She barks for fun, for the sheer joy of it! Contrary beast... just like my mind.
    Anyhow thank you for sharing your thoughts hete, I look forward to your posts.

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    1. thanks for the response! your words help reinforce my decision to stay here. very funny about your dog and interesting to a non dog sort!

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  2. I appreciate all these links to explore, too, and the whole post about what you've been doing. I, too, find FB too full of junk and sharing the same thing over and over - and Likes that mean nothing when it comes to art. Wouldn't you rather have someone say, This means to much to me and I'm glad you created it"? I would, so I'll keep my blog going and am less interesting in FB now after just joining a few months ago. Anyway, thanks for posting and sharing here for a while longer.

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    1. I must say fb is also not holding my interest these days. And instagram is not really for sharing more than a quote with an image. And of course I always appreciate the feedback (and sometimes the conversations that develop in the comments ! :)

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  3. I hope you don't totally give up blogging...because I've nearly totally given up Facebook! xo

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    1. after a few days away from fb on retreat it kind of lost it's call for me. now that you mention it I have noticed your absence from fb <3 :)

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  4. carole, you are such a damn good writer.

    LOVE this orangey-red!!

    and happy you're on instagram... : )

    xoxo

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  5. :) Lynne, and nice to keep your good company on instagram

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  6. I'll throw in my bark as I really appreciate the other 'please stay!' comments.

    Artbiz pal Alyson Stanfield reminds artists to recognize that your blog and your Instagram accounts are your real estate. These are places that you own...unlike twitter feeds, Face Book and other 'feeds'.
    I stopped my Blogger blog and switched to Word Press several years ago and found there to be much less interaction and connection...though there have also been upsides to the shift.

    On our blog we can build community. Others of like heart/mind come to know us and we actually can develop relationships.

    NOT possible in the same way on the 'feeds'...though they too hold their purpose.

    I vote for your staying the course...even if your posts go to once a month...your writing is sublime and holds deep value.

    Happy Year of the Fire Monkey...new path/calm mind.

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    1. thanks Donna for that info about blogging and instagram. when I think back I started blogging because etsy suggested that was good way to attract buyers. instantly it turned into much more and that aim was forgotten as what I blogged about had nothing to do with promoting my etsy shop.

      thanks for the vote <3 happy fire monkey too!

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  7. Hi Carole. It's me Carole. Coming to visit you here today to read your words, to see your art and even to see your wood stove again warmed my heart and reminded me why I love the world of blogging. Thank you.

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    1. well hello Carole! It's been a while! As well as not blogging, seems I visit other blogs less too. So nice to see you here and it reminds me of why I loved blogging, that sense of a community of artists that travelled around together

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  8. Love the orange! Thank you for all the links. I have studio envy for sure.
    I have been spending time helping a friend, submitting to galleries and working on an art project while listening to Matt kahn who I feel has changed my life. I still blog, though not a lot and I don't have the tech toys to do instagram, I think FB is surface and I kind of hate it, though I use it a little.
    Time marches on, though some changes don't make sense to me, I do actually love change for the most part. XOXO

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    1. thanks Annie! It can feel wonderful to listen to spiritual teachings while working sometimes. I still haven't heard Matt Kahn yet! yeah, about fb

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  9. I'm right with you on this one. I too started blogging in 2008 it was the start of a great journey for me. Today I blog less, FB more, haven't yet got into instagram but probably will. This year is the culmination of that full circle and I look forward to all the change that will bring.
    I hope we keep a link going no matter how tenuous that may turn out to be. I have been inspired greatly by like minds over the years, not least you, and it has been a huge benefit to me x

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  10. it does seem there are those of us that even though we blog less, still feel and manage to stay connected. yes, good to see you on fb and hope to find you on instagram when you land!

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  11. Dearest Carole - As you know, I have always thoroughly enjoyed your blog posts. You never cease to inspire me, to interrupt my crazy mind, to remind me of the good in life and in me, and your many links are always a welcome exploration. And yet again, you are reminding me that change is good and change is inevitable, but alas I must confess to missing your posts. I'm sure there's another lesson in there on grasping! But thus far, I have been able to satiate my ZenDot blog needs by going back in time and re-reading every blog post you have so beautifully written over the years, so for now, I am content. Just wanted to ensure you knew how very much your writings and musings are appreciated, my friend!

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  12. how nice to see you here Laurie! And thanks so much for your kind comments.

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  13. It's pleasure to see your studio. I love the the view from the window. It looks like the most peacful place for art.

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