Tangling with Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a life-changing event for the world, by way of effecting the lives of billions of people the world  over. In some cases, sadly, it meant an end to life and mourning those lives to millions. However, this pandemic has also been a life lesson to many of us. The value of life, the freedoms we may have taken for granted, and the strands that tie us together have been front and center due to the absence of so much of what we had considered "normal." You all know all of this, so I will not add to that conversation. Instead, I want to speak of what many of us have discovered. 

Since so many of us have been tied to our home bases, working from home, watching our kids homeschool from home on their computer screens, we have had time to discover new activities. Some of these have included things such as doing household chores we have put off, remodeling projects, and finding games and puzzles to entertain us. Let's not forget, last but not least, how we streamed and binge-watched hours and hours of screen time.

I have indulged in all of the above, but I have also found activities that fed my soul in ways I had not experienced because of all this extra time I had on my hands. First, my faith was fed by spending hours in Bible study, including weekly Zoom time spent in group discussion, thanks to an internationally-known entity--the Community Bible Study organization 

Community Bible Study: Home

Second, as you will find in my previous blog post, I found Barbara Gray at Clarity Stamp in the UK, who virtually held my hand while I learned to draw in a way I hadn't before. 

Along the same line, I also found Zentangle through YouTube and Cyndee Pelley, "The Tireless Tangler" :

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTirelessTangler/featured

Also, through Cyndee and YouTube, I found the founders of Zentangle and their instructive videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Zentangle

I can't say enough about how much all of these activities centered me and countered all of the mixed messages, fear, and anxiety of 2020 and the first few months of 2021.  I hope that you found something that brought you peace during this time and taught you life lessons that you may not have learned otherwise. 

This too shall pass

It has been a long time since I have posted to this blog, but I felt the urge to write down some of what is going on in my life -- OUR lives -- in these unprecedented times. I will probably write more about this later. Just now, I am going to talk about an activity that I'm quite enjoying.

Barbara Gray is the face of Clarity Stamps, an art and craft stamp company in the UK. I recently discovered her in my adventures on YouTube. She is quite talented, has a very soothing British accent and persona, and she often pauses to drink tea during filming.  This week, she has been filming a short video each morning. Today was Day 3. In the stressful times we are living through, she has chosen to bring people together to do some "mindful" art exercises. It is quite fun and relaxing. The picture above is my version of today's exercise.

If anyone would like to try this, I'll direct you to the claritystamp channel on YouTube. Look for the videos entitled  "Clarity LIVE from the SHAC Shack."

I am already looking forward to tomorrow's video. This time, though, I will also have my own cup of tea.

Our Old Brown Dog

Hubby and I were walking through the grocery store when I noticed this image (Above right) on a 6-pack of beer. I was so surprised, because this was the spitting image of our old brown, since deceased, dog Renee (Above left). We never knew her "pedigree" since we adopted her from a local animal rescue group when she was about 18 months old. Vets guessed "weimereiner mix" and "chocolate Lab" (though we knew that German nose was NOT a Lab's). Now we are delighted to know that Renee had a sister in "Olive." Thanks for sharing your "Old Brown Dog," Smuttynose brewers. http://www.smuttynose.com/old_brown_dog_pinups/

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

This afternoon, I watched the episode of "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist" (Bravo) that I had DVR'd last night. I have a love/hate relationship with that show, but I just can't NOT watch it. I feel a real tie to the people on the show. I don't think that any one of them is exactly a GREAT artist, but ALL of them are trying to find their way. As artists, we have a need to create. Sometimes I think there are really two distinct kinds of artists, though: those who create because they must, for themselves...and those who must create, much like a performer must, for recognition and affirmation. There are all kinds of artists in this show. And I have my favorites, though some of them have been eliminated at this point. Only 6 of the 12 remain.

Today's show made me really sad. The challenge was to create something that showed how your childhood led to or influenced how or why you had become an artist. The materials they could use were restricted to those in the New York Children's Museum for Art. The artist took different ideas from this. Some actually tried to recreate childlike art, hoping to dredge up childhood feelings, I believe. Most were pretty confused about what to do, I think. As usual, Myles became a child himself, as he retreats into himself when he is anxious, which is most of the time. His creation turned out to be a large black and white panel made with black duct tape, which I can best describe as a blank crossword puzzle. He "enhanced" that by rolling piles of red, blue, and yellow rubber bands into balls and setting them in front of his panel. Ryan explored his childhood by drawing with his left hand, which produced very childlike art. The impression he left with me, though, was the feelings about his mother that were coming to the surface. Apparently, philosophical differences (ie., religion) had come between them, though he gave his mother all the credit for inspiring his artistic path. Mark chose to make a book, which was not a surprise. He seems to be very graphic minded and is most at home with Photoshop. Jacquelyn seemed really lost and spoke most poignantly about being alone and isolated during her childhood. Peregrine created a really WEIRD piece, reflecting her upbringing among a less than innocent San Francisco atmosphere. Nichole created a mobile-like hanging -- almost looked to me like TV dinners, since they were made of rectangular foam plates with items on each, covered by something that looked like waxed paper. I guess the one thing that really goads me about this show, really magnified in my mind in this episode. First, Simone, who seems to be the liaison, as it were, between the judges and the artists. He lets them know when time limits are approaching or gone. He also comes into the studio when the process is partway done and critiques the artists. Today that really bothered me, because a couple of the artists tossed what they had been doing and started over because of what he said to them. Both had disastrous pieces in the end. The judges are sometimes very haughty in my opinion, though, today they seemed very fair.

I guess what really hit me was how our childhoods and the people who are important to us during that phase are so instrumental or derogatory in what we do as adults. For some reason, when I was a kid, people told me I should be an artist. That's when my grandfather wasn't telling me I should be a nurse. I always liked making things. I loved scissors, particularly. And I remember loving to make little scenes with animals and trees, etc. with just paper, crayons, scissors and glue or tape. I remember getting an oil painting set when I was 11 or 12, and not knowing really what to do with it. I remember taking an art class at the community center and having the teacher finish it (pastels) and sign my name on it. My mother still has that piece. She always liked it, though I knew I didn't really do it. I remember having my high school art teacher take my clay pot and smash it on the table in front of me into a pile of mush. I also remember getting a red ribbon for a tissue collage I made and displayed at the county art and science fair. I resisted having an art major in college, because I had absolutely no self esteem and no direction in my life, only other people's expectations. (My dad enrolled me in the math program at Radford -- BAD idea!)

Now, here I am, 59 years old. I still don't know who I am as an artist. I keep grasping at things, but not quite getting into anything for long. Sometimes I just want to chuck it all, but I have this strong pull to create that I just cannot ignore. When I think about it, everything I do seems to be for recognition from others. Maybe it has something to do with being a first child. It also has to do with how I get mad at Bill when he acknowledges very little about what I do creatively. He is also a first child, craving affirmation. He gets some of that as a result of his work though.

So, what am I to conclude from this rant? I am lost as an artist, though I long to find a focus. I am clueless about what to do, though I long to master something. I admire people who create art and, at the same time, feel sorry for them because it opens them for such criticism. I have sought safety in crafts (scrapbooking, cross-stitching, jewelry making), partly because it seemed less selfish, partly because it gave me companionship of others with the same interest. But seeking safety in crafts makes me feel like I am still a child, coloring in the lines, when what I really long to do is break out.

A couple of years ago, I took some art classes, hoping I could find myself. Though I enjoyed aspects of the classes, especially the drawing class, I gave up for some reason and retreated back to crafts (scrapbooking and jewelry making). I am still in the Scrap Artz group (mixed media art), though I have always felt out of place there. I stay with it, simply because I do not have any other people with whom I can share the creative spark.

So, what now? This "Work of Art" program inspires me. The only way I'm going to find a focus is by going deep into myself and by doing the work, success or failure that it may be. I'm great at talking about stuff. Not so good at the follow-up. I have a "studio." I need to be in there more and less in front of the TV. I keep thinking to myself: "You've got all that stuff. You could make a hundred things just out what you have!" The Nike commercial says it best: "Just DO it!" And then I say to myself, "Self, what are you afraid of?"

Anticipation...

Yesterday was a GREAT day! I received an answer to my email to tickets@StyxWorld.com. I wrote a note of concern that I had not yet received seat assignments for Bill and I for the big night in Manassas, Virginia on June 12th, where we are going to see my favorite group in the whole world --- STYX! After a very bad experience back in November, when I had two FRONT ROW SEATS at the Richmond Coliseum for a Styx concert -- and the concert was CANCELLED ..... at the last minute-- I was so bummed out and depressed for a whole day that I couldn't think of anything else. I cried puddles! So, when I got notice in a StyxWorld email that Styx was again coming to Virginia, I was beside myself!!! So now we have tickets for the concert at the Jiffy Lube Live! (yeah, I thought so too). When I got word today that our seats are just six rows from the stage, I was both elated and apprehensive. Having been burned once, I have that little kernel of doubt in the back of my mind that this thing will not happen. But, deep in my heart, I am jumping up and down; because now I can dream again about seeing my guitar heroes up close, especially to watch Tommy Shaw woo me with his twelve-string.

For our family

Just when I need it, this song comes to mind. Watch and let it lift you up:



Click on the button second from the right on the bottom of the video, to enlarge.

Thanks to mhcaillesrn on YouTube.

Love to all,
Susie

New Beginnings

There is something about getting away from the everyday that helps to re-order the soul. Retreating on a vacation to another place, another climate, another lifestyle stimulates creativity and possibility-thinking.

Bill and I returned last night from such a get-away. Nine days of travel and relaxation. A full week of warm clime, balmy breezes, sunshine, quietness and bird song. My mom and dad are experienced at being hosts. They have created their own island of tranquility in the desert in southern California. We are privileged to have visited there on three occasions so far. This last one was the most relaxing.

Bill seemed so sad to be going home. He truly enjoyed himself and was dreading the return to problems and conflict at the office. The only other time I remember him stating a similar soulful sigh was when we returned from Hawaii.

But I degress. Back to my original thought. Possibilities. Creativity. What now? Return to the "same old, same old"? Or follow the new path set before you? Can you relate? So, this morning I have been on the internet, as I often am, exploring things like art and gardens and flowers and discipleship. Hmmm. That last one happened, kinda by "accident." Southern Living, Big Picture Scrapbooking, ELCA.org. Don't ask me why. A bit of the quiet balmy breeze left in me. The article I read in "Charisma" magazine on the plane last night. So, elca.org it was. And there, in front of me was "Daily Discipleship." Sounds interesting. {Click} Hmmm... [reading] Gee, I miss our Koinonia group. We've talked about small groups in the Bridge Builders group. I wonder if this could work for our church. So, I am pondering this new thing. The Web pages created just for this "online lectionary Bible study" lays out objectives to be considered and a plan. My compulsive side says, "Rush right on in! Do something now! Let's go!" The Web page says "Count Down..... Week 8..... Week 7..... Week 4: Temple Talks.... Week3: Orientation and sign ups.... Week 1: Sermon on Discipleship... then GO!" Bummer! So, I'm thinking I could talk with someone else about this. Donna, Bill, Lois, Pastor Tim -- anyone else who might see the possibilities. Guess I'll spread the word and see what comes of it.

Check it out: http://www.elca.org/evangelism/dailydiscipleship/

Check back later..... at least 8 weeks later.