Monday, March 23, 2009

Flying Girl Cuts it Away, or Let Go of All That Is Not Yours

Flying Girl Cuts it Away, or Let Go of All That Is Not Yours
3/22/09
Mixed Media, Golden Fluid Acrylic, Antique Book Pages, on paper, 7"x10"

I had no idea what I was going to do with this picture until I thought of using some of the old pages that came out of a book I altered about five years ago. And then I realized I also wanted to use the themes from Illustration Friday (Subtract) and Next Chapter: 12 Secrets book club (Subtract Serenity Stealers). How convenient that they dove tail so nicely. Who planned that?

Anyway, there is actually a fully painted flying girl underneath the paper collage. I guess in order to subtract things, you have to add first.

The idea I had here is that in order to find the heart of the matter, the center of the self, you often have to cut away all the things that do not matter. You find out what does not fit, what does not give you joy, what makes you feel bad about yourself or out of sorts, and you get rid of it.

A lot of people have been asking, here and there, how to find their passion. Really, I think it's first a matter of finding that spark, and then cutting away the excess around it. For instance, I discovered I loved writing when I was a kid, then I learned a lot about different kinds of literature, fiction, non fiction, poetry, epic tales, post modernism. I learned about reading and writing and teaching. I learned about various topics, art and science and culture and psychology. I followed breadcrumb trails down dark alleys and scrounged for bits and pieces of magic, or trash.

As time went on, I was able to eliminate what I did not want to focus on. Or I was able to take pieces of an idea and fit it into my passion. So here I am years later, realizing that I still love writing, but I don't need to be writing the next Pulitzer Prize winning serious literary novel. I like my Science Fiction and Fantasy, and my blogging and maybe I'll go somewhere further with it all.

I could just as easily have discovered my passion to be photography, or jewelry making or philosophy or geology. Actually, the truth is, there are many worthy pursuits and passions out there. How do you know which fits you best until you explore them?

On my journeys, especially in the last few years, I was also able to eliminate old outmoded ideas of thought that kept me down and kept me scared. One idea being that I should be a precocious young thing who becomes a literary sensation before the age of 30, or that only literary fiction is worthy. Another idea is that I can not have financial abundance, or that I can not earn a living with my art and/or writing. This is after years of collecting dustbunnies on those silly ideas. I began to figure out which ideas are just full of ego, which ones are full of fear, which ones were placed on me by other people but don't really have basis in my reality.

And I get out my scissors and I snip it all away.

In my mind, all the biggest serenity stealers are in the mind. Even if your life is full of people and things that clutter up your world, if you can find the right place to exist in your mind, you can live in peace. That doesn't mean we shouldn't purge old things (sometimes those things are laden with ideas) but the most important part of that is the getting rid of the mental, emotional and psychic clutter.

What mind clutter are you willing to let go of in order to live your passion and reach your dream?

Oh yeah, to buy a print of this you can go here.

12 comments:

Coreopsis said...

This is a lovely post--so true about cutting away all that doesn't matter. The problem is (for many people) that it's not always easy to determine what those things are. Many people (and it sounds like that includes you) are interested in LOTS of things--how does one choose? But I really like what you said about fitting them together.

I also really like the picture. Using the text makes her more mysterious somehow. She's just barely clearly the treetops, but often, that's really the best that one can hope for.

cjhardy said...

Very clever take on this week's subject.The "cutaway" is so effective and enchanting. Definitely good greeting card material. Loved it.

sema said...

well written post.our thoughts determine our attitude and they can create havoc when they go haywire.
control your mind and one will be able to enjoy life better.
thanks for visiting my blog

Anonymous said...

What a lovely image! And so funny how the two themes dovetailed so nicely. I found it helpful to hear what you are "snipping away." Thanks.

Valerie Lorimer said...

This is really awesome!

petrajanssen ♥ goldenfairycottage said...

"In my mind, all the biggest serenity stealers are in the mind. Even if your life is full of people and things that clutter up your world, if you can find the right place to exist in your mind, you can live in peace."

WOW - ... these are the most precious words ...!

Your print is brilliant ... YOU SHINE,

PEtra

Xovika said...

Free from chains you've made in your mind! that's awesome!

Genie Sea said...

I love science-fiction fantasy! It truly is my favorite genre because it is so full of ideas! To me, along with the way something is written, it is the mark of great literature. :)

When I first read that there was a fully painted flying girl underneath, I gasped. Then, I nodded in admiration. Kudos to you. You are most authentic in your process and vision. And that, my friend, money can't buy. :)

ConverseMomma said...

This is my favorite so far. I have fallen into the trap of thinking I need to be "literary." When I do, my writing is so false and stilted. When I just let go, write from the gut, things flow so much more beautifully. It is an important distinction for me to make and realize in my writing and in my life.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I love the way you've made her silhouette out of text. Very effective. i agree too with what you say about cutting out clutter.

Jamie Ridler said...

Beautiful picture! And how cool is that about the topics - Subtraction in the air!

I love the image of following breadcrumbs and the peace of being true to what you love.

paintandink said...

Fantastic post! I too have snipped away, and for all that I enjoyed trying so many things, it's actually a relief to feel more focused.

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