I am working on another large contemplative piece- 12 x 16 inch Fluid hot press watercolor paper.
đâď¸The mood is suiting the grey reflective December day. Funny, I started this in the late summer, and all those colorful zinnias were my models. Now, I’m compelled to add the many small hidden things that lurk around in the background, only venturing out when it’s safe to be seen,  and that’s not usually in the bright light of day, summer or reason… It’s lovely out in the woods today- đ§¸đťđ§¸đť
(Haven’t counted them yet, knowing there are more on the way. Dr. Sue- you’re counting I bet.)
đđŠâđ¨My intention for this is a full color, water-color, and colored pencil extravaganza. That’s my style/technique challenge for myself to improve my skills set. â¤ď¸My other intention, the one that eternally motivates me, is the creation of a space that can quietly open a door. A space that can lead to wonder, ponderings, curiosity, and maybe a little healthy lostness. That’s my experience anyway. Entertaining new possibilities in whatever form they may take verges on the adventurous.
late 14c., curacioun, “curing of disease, restoration to health,” from Old French curacion “treatment of illness,” from Latin curationem, “a taking care, attention, management,”
I happened across Bruce Liptons’ video on healing yesterday, and he’s made me wonder about the ultimate flexibility of my emotional attachments to my early behavioral patterns and beliefs. The very elements and images that compose the stories I whisper to myself.
It’s made me play around more deeply with the concept that my internal narration story is not all mine, never could have been all mine… and better yet, how I might be able to actually use this intel to reset my narrative to one that’s far kinder for me personally and for the world at large.
I tend to entertain the idea that my personal narrative expresses as “who-i-am-what-surrounds-me”.
Or, my self/world is a reflection. A very reciprocal arrangement.
In this sense, I’m already years deep into an effort to create a story that suits this “grown-up” (debatable) me, reflects how I feel now, with my adult size intellect, body, and emotions- all aligned in a healthy relationship.
So back to Bruce.
IF we are influenced by our mothers’ emotional state in utero, if she’s afraid or jubilant – or anywhere in between – she shares the chemical signature of that emotion with us through our shared blood. We learn the chemical signature of the emotion. According to Bruce, our brain is in a receptive theta brain wave state until the ripe old age of age 7. In utero and out, we simply absorb, without thinking, emotional feeling states and patterns of behavior. Little sponges.
As kids, we repeat what we are exposed to, so voila – here are my habits laid out before me. I suspect these habits are all nicely aligned with my beliefs at levels seen and unseen…and I can change them.
I add to all this intrigue Michael Egnors‘ observation on ‘free won’t’-
‘…it isn’t so much that you have free will but you have free wonât. That is, you have the ability to decide whether or not you are going to comply with what your brain is urging you to do.‘
So I wonder:
1) IF I am able to decide NOT to act on a brain urge (one of my ‘subconscious’ impulses) for example, a pattern/habit that I have inherited; let’s say fruitless worrying- it seems that by
2) noticing the urge/pattern as it arises and changing my behavior in response,
I would begin to effectively change/disrupt the ‘set’ habitual story/pattern I que up unconsciously and thus create a new experience for myself/world.
So my real-life experiment looks like this: I catch myself in my habitual act of fruitless worrying and consciously decide to NOT run this pattern/narrative, choosing to tend to a *new* non-conditioned version of myself. I stop and curate my experience with these questions:
What am I intending? Where am I directing my thoughts? Past? Present? Future? Here or There?
What vibe am I emitting? What is my chemical signature? More toward fear or love? Open or Closed?
I reason that if I can get clarity on my thoughts and emotions, I can choose a new pattern of behavior that will with practice, become the new me.
Re-writing my programming. Telling a new story. Forming new habits…
-and the kicker is I have no exactly no idea how this change will reflect back to me except in kind- if I am open and present, I will be pleasantly surprised.
If I’m closed and not present, it will be a different story altogether.
When my student is beyond excited. When they have that look in their eyes. When I know that something clicked, an alignment occurred with their soul. We are together for an instant in this blissed out moment that feels like the entire universe exhaled an immense and satisfied âYES!â
Last week, Jim asked if he could take his picture home to work on. He was so excited to show his parents his work in progress. Heâs been in class close to 16 weeks, developing his style; drawing, painting, penciling what he loves- reptiles, lizards and snakes. He is a walking encyclopedia on everything reptile. He is also a connoisseur of morning glories. His enthusiasm is contagious.
Recently, heâs adopted a new tool- Derwent Inktense Ink pencils. He uses an easel, inventing his style of working as he goes- experimenting with different papers, pencils, techniquesâŚand last Thursday- BOOM! Lightning struck and he was hooked. The muse had him by the tail and it was just the coolest thing to witness. He grew exponentially, expanded beyond his old story of his ability and I was able to see THAT MOMENT.
âOh wowâ he said to himself, looking at his picture, his hands full of pencils and paintbrushes, âI love this. I love this.â
When class was over, as heâs walking out the door, I saw that he also had the case of the studioâs Derwent pencils. Around $150 worth of these amazing things, cradled to his chest.
So Iâm like, âErâŚyouâre taking the pencils too?â A bit hesitant to let these things walk out the door.
His face was absolutely shining, as he said so seriously â âYes! I promise Iâll be careful with them. I promise! Is it ok if I borrow them, since no one else is using them?â
In that moment, I could see the monetary value of those pencils was absolutely nothing compared to the value that they had to him, this gifted 13-year-old artist who had just discovered an entire world of wonder and awe in a case of pencils. We had discussed the price of him buying the exact set earlier in class that day, so he knew what he was asking.
âYes.â I said.
He didnât even say thank you or goodbye, (which he does every time, because heâs a polite and gracious kid) he instead just turned and floated toward his mom, clutching the pencils and his drawing.
Is that not connection we’re all longing for? A direct pipeline to joy? This is what is sustainable. Find the things that expand you, that inspire you to become more of who you are. Itâs not about âAm I âgoodâ at this or any other external marker. Itâs about what fulfills you. And that is always an inside job. How do you find a way to let the radiance out? What is it that tickles your fancy, that you do just for the sheer delight of exploration and creativity?
âOh wowâ (you overhear your soul say), âI love this. I love this.â
And honestly, it feels exactly like the entire universe is exhaling an immense and satisfied âYES!â -through you.