it was while we were on our way home from our adventure when i told katy - "look at that tree, i have to take a photo!" it was like the universe was sending a gentle little reminder down my way... and i didn't have to explain a thing to my friend - she just got it.
back from an adventure with katy - one we both had been hoping would work out...and it did. many thanks to kelly and mati for their generosity, creativity and an inspiring workshop! and to l, d, and l -- it was wonderful to meet each of you. i was reminded again the incredible connections women can feel when they create together. (pictured above kelly's example from their workshop)
swimming through a busy week of traveling for training for work and now turning around to travel again but for pure pleasure and to clock some much needed catch-up time with a dear friend...thought i'd leave you with a glimpse of my wanderings through another city from last week. wishing you a lovely weekend.
isn't that what life essentially is all about - the seeking, the questioning, the exploring, the discovering and creating -- but all the while we long to be heard, understood, valued, loved, and sheltered a bit here and there when the weather takes a turn. here's to the brief respite a shelter can provide. and a lovely tune to listen to while you gain what you need to move on.
it was a beautiful morning, inspirational tunes playing in my ears, my feet meeting the pavement in a zen-like rhythm, my breath filling my lungs and reminding me of the life circulating through my veins. although it was not my best time speed wise, i was happy to finish strong, run the whole race without stopping or feeling wiped, and then reaching the finish to see my kai on the shoulders of his bumpa smiling and waving me in - i think i finished the last few yards on air alone. (thanks to j for the shot of the baptistery)
while wandering the streets of an inspiring old city, a casual glance downward reveals a scattering of random paper hearts. like tiny mini-reminders sprinkled along my path, they made me pause long enough to take in the experiences of my day, hold them close and then let them go into the streets like a scattering of pastel colored paper hearts floating in the breeze.
a little bit of travel to shake the dust off my soul. we spent the day wandering the city and throughout museums and churches. when i walk through a museum, i cannot help to wonder about all the stories that reside in there. what did those master artists think about as they painted or sculpted? i try to imagine what their studios must have looked like, felt like. i wonder how they worked - what thoughts, dreams, or doubts worked their way into their hands as the brushes met the canvas? i marvel at the collection of personal stories that are housed within the walls of a museum and i am thankful at the works they left behind.
"What is an artist? A provincial who finds himself somewhere between a physical reality and a metaphysical one. It's this in-between...this frontier country between the tangible world and the intangible one -- which is really the realm of the artist." ~Frederico Fellini
**many thanks to lovely misty for her video inspiration**
challenges have found me. they aren't impossible and certainly compared to others they are minor in scale. but they are challenges nonetheless and to my heart they feel what they feel, so i am working hard to focus on the light that filters into my days. for it is on the beams of sunlight that hope rides in. i gain strength in that and remind myself that absolutely anything is possible.
really, all you can do in this world is the best of your best, right? in all you take on - from marriage, motherhood, career, creative pursuits, friendships - just your best and leave it at that. own your mistakes and strive to grow from them, listen with an open heart, give what you can and be thankful for all you have, surround yourself with positive supportive people, remember to daydream, and spend some time just watching the clouds move or listening to the tide roll in -- and then gently remind yourself 'you're doing the best you can do'. some days that will simply feel easier than others. here's to the journey...
today i was able to carve some time out to paint a bit. it was just what my soul needed. my days and weeks have felt so busy lately, making me yearn for some time to focus the random thoughts in my head into a physical form. some recent challenges have added even more thoughts to the ever swirling collection in my head - and with them - have come the questioning and doubting. so to combat that, i am working hard to reach in there and grasp at a little bit of hope - and then hold on tight.
