Go With the Flow of the Universe

The universe flows, I flow with the universe.

"Being of service is merely being in flow with the Universe. The quickest way to fall into flow with The Universe is to allow it to use you."

https://rebeccacampbell.me/being-of-service-is-merely-being-in-flow-with-the-universe/

The Signature of All Things

     For those of you readers who enjoy novels about science and/or art, here is an excellent book. "The Signature of All Things," is a well-researched book about botany and early botanical art. The author is Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote the book "Eat, Pray, Love," that so many of us read or watched on film. The Signature of All Things taps into the questing nature of nineteenth century naturalists. This is a time when naturalists have moved beyond the medieval mind and have started to observe and explore the world as the newly coined word, "science."
     The book explores the early sixteenth century writings of Jacob Boehme and the medieval connection between religion and all of nature. Writers and philosophers looked at items of the natural world as though the hand of God touched them all. They strove to discover this connected "signature" in all things. Seventeenth century naturalists, like Newton, began to focus more on observation of facts. Philosophers, naturalists were still often theologians by scholarship and nature. But by the early to mid 1800s, the world of information exploded to the point where one person, through study, could no longer learn it all. Individuals began to specialize in areas such as botany, geology, etc. Writers such as Goethe began to be interested in this new area of science. And forward thinkers, such as Darwin began to make connections and observations ushering in the brave new world of science.
     In her book, Gilbert follows the life and career of a Alma Whittaker, a woman caught up in the center of the botany world, and her relationship to an eccentric Ambrose Pike, extraordinary botanical artist of orchids. Taking place in settings around the world, this book is substantial and thought provoking. It is a sweet read.
Ah, Nature and art...could there be a sweeter combination?

Haiku and Nature

Haiku is a very good way to keep in touch with nature. Haiku poetry is immediate and direct. You write about something striking you see in nature. The poem expresses how the event in nature moves you. The poetry form can be 5-7-5 syllables, or 3-5-3 syllables, or free syllables. This short poetry takes much time and care to find the right words. It must be both simple and expressive. It is a very attractive writing form for minimalists like myself. Here are some examples:

Apples fall
Sweet moldy dampness
Fog enfolds.

Empty nest up high
In a thousand bare branches
Smoky blue forest.

Poetry like this is great for outdoorsy people. Sit at the beach and watch the waves while you write. Think about it as you ride your bike. You can compose it in your head as you hike. I like to speak it out loud as I drive long distances in my car. If you want to learn the form and become a poet, read this SimpleTens article: How to Write a Haiku Poem.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and I would love to see some of your poetry.
O, Sweet Nature

Follow Your Joy Into Balance

Living a good life is very much about health. It’s about eating right and about exercise and fitness. And yet, there is really so much more to a healthy life; it’s about our activities, what we do with our lives on a daily basis, and about the people we have in our lives. Paying attention to all these things is what allows a balance in life. Some of the daily activities that make up the bulk of our lives are some kind of engaging work, family and social connections, active entertainment, healthy eating and exercise, spirituality, the arts, and travel. We need all these elements in our lives and for the best quality in life we need them in balance. That doesn’t mean that we spend the same amount of time in each area, but that we don’t allow any one area to be overwhelmingly dominant of our time and efforts.

     I struggle, like all of us, to find that balance. Whenever I focus too much on any one area, I begin to feel the unbalance. Whenever I neglect any one area, I feel unbalanced. For many years, as I wanted to be a professional artist, I focused almost all of my time solely on art: making art, looking at art, studying art and artists. I learned a lot about art, yes, but also about myself since art is a foray into self. I did many other things, such as travel through various areas of Asia. I studied lots of interesting topics, such as history of plants and world religions.

     But art by necessity is a solitary occupation, and I focused on art to the exclusion of allowing people into my life. And any activities I did, I only wanted them to be connected to art. I did travel paintings. I would hike, but only far enough in to paint a scene. I neglected exercise to better spend my time on studying art. “Unbalanced” rang high.

     Now I’m spending more time at tai chi and meditation. I’m running again and exercising. I’m connecting more with family and rejuvenating old friendships. While studying art, I learned the importance of following my joy. And this is something I can recommend for everyone. Follow your joy into a balanced life.

Art is Broken

I came across Art is Broken many months ago. It makes so much sense and I have been struggling with the questions since. In my studio in front of me at all times, I have posted in large letters:
Why do I paint this subject?
Why do I paint the way I do?
Why should anybody care?

I'm still trying to answer these questions. It's tough, but until I do, I think MY art will be 'broken' and not do what I want it to do. I've tried out every which way to paint, in many mediums, I feel accomplished in working and can do what I want with any materials. But the art has no meaning, it feels unconnected, and doesn't capture people in a strong way. It's like--oh it's one more pretty landscape out there. I mean boring! Then I start to question Why do I care about my art??? I can do it and just enjoy the process, but I feel the need for it to mean something more. I can't seem to find a topic or subject or purpose that continually works for me. So Why do I exist? So if anyone has any comments or suggestions as to how I can better make my art have meaning both for me, and for other people, I would love to hear it!!!!

Art is Broken

I came across Art is Broken many months ago. It makes so much sense and I have been struggling with the questions since. In my studio in front of me at all times, I have posted in large letters:
Why do I paint this subject?
Why do I paint the way I do?
Why should anybody care?

I'm still trying to answer these questions. It's tough, but until I do, I think MY art will be 'broken' and not do what I want it to do. I've tried out every which way to paint, in many mediums, I feel accomplished in working and can do what I want with any materials. But the art has no meaning, it feels unconnected, and doesn't capture people in a strong way. It's like--oh it's one more pretty landscape out there. I mean boring! Then I start to question Why do I care about my art??? I can do it and just enjoy the process, but I feel the need for it to mean something more. I can't seem to find a topic or subject or purpose that continually works for me. So Why do I exist? So if anyone has any comments or suggestions as to how I can better make my art have meaning both for me, and for other people, I would love to hear it!!!!

Back Alley Grandma, Varanasi

This is a finished graphite drawing of another travel photo from India. The subject was a grandmother and family who lived in one of the alleys of Varanasi. Like most women of India, the colors worn in the Sari were outstanding. The continuous tone blending of the graphite helps to soften the impact of the black-and-white image. This image was juried into the 5th Annual Colorado Drawing Exhibition May 23-June 27, 2008.

Renewal of Artistic License

I'mmmm Back! Always remember that there is no stoplight at the intersection of art and nature.