Breakfast in Ann ArborI have the hardest time being open. Open to life. I find that I'm a nester, a hunker-down-and-get-cozy kind of person. A make-do-and-be-satisfied type of person. I'm not very adventurous. I have to talk myself into being open to new experiences.
I get set in my ways. No. I crave being set in my ways. I like my routines, my little corners of the room. My prime time tv schedule and my regular dinner menus.
But that does not mean that there is no room for being open.
Being open to life, to ideas, to new experiences or new media, well, that is what it means to be an artist, I think. Creative thinking is open thinking. Taking chances creatively translates into living life creatively and being open to seeing the world through those creative eyes. Even this photograph I posted... I turned away from the pretty street scene, which would be the expected photograph, and tried to see the beauty of the sign in the window. I practiced thinking creatively, seeing things in a new way, through the lens of my camera. For me, it's kind of practice for life.
You know, I'm going through a lot of changes. Everyone goes through changes, although maybe there are periods of time when it seems like nothing changes and everything is set and comfy... that is an illusion. The very nature of life is transitory... which is why we should value what we have right now, even if it is not what we have set our minds on. And why we should take advantage of the opportunities that come our way, even if they are scary and strange and different from what we have known before.
Open.
Taking chances on life.
Open.
Having faith that we are strong enough to handle whatever comes our way. Whether it is living in a new town or selling our creative work, or trying something new with our paintbrush on that blank empty page.
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2 comments:
Rowena, that is very eloquently put. I have put some of those very items on your list to the real life test. And one vacillates between both hesitance to take leaps and fighting not to take the running jump. Living in a new town - I feel you. Valuing the here-and-now, for it is our life. Getting hung up on the desired plan can make you miss what's really there to be experienced. And even in times of discomfort, when we burrow down deep, the creative vision, the brew is bubbling deep within, and is present in everything we do,the dishes, paint a mural, dance, knit something... due to our very nature. It is lovely to read your blog.
Thank you Kirsten. And exactly.
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