Sometimes abstract art may not always be understood and perhaps it wasn’t necessarily meant to be. Like dancing, you glide through the ebb and flow of textures, colors, randomization, or even haphazardness, feeling something that may be sublime or unmoving. Perhaps abstract art doesn’t have to make sense, it just invites a conversation that probably never would have happened before you encountered it. Maybe it is a shock to your creative system that disrupts your “normal” order of things, and introduces you to an extravaganza of cultural delight.
Sometimes, you have to shake up your creative juices with a new flavor of artistic spices. Instead of the same ole, same ole day-to-day, bland serving of boredom, you would not believe what a pop of color and a little pattern disruption would do to your attitude, your atmosphere, and your conversation. Maybe, just maybe, abstract art is not created to be understood but felt. That’s the beauty of artistic poetry.
Some people think I am going crazy…the joke is on them, I went there years ago, fell in love with the place and decided to stay!
You know, there are those days when being serious is way too serious for me sometimes. When I watched the movie “Forrest Gump,” in the scene when he was running, he stepped in a pile of poop but kept on running. That scene reminded me of an incident that happened at work many years ago that I was sweating over. Another employee walked by me and said, “Shit happens, and then you die!” Then, they continued doing whatever it was that they were doing, without skipping a beat.
Whoa, I thought, “How dark and morbid can they be?” But, in my shock, I started laughing. For the rest of the day, I faced whatever it was that was jerking my chain of sanity, with a lighthearted and jovial attitude. I didn’t take that frustrating situation I was dealing with seriously, and things worked out just fine. But the next day, I told the person who said something that I wanted to correct them on what they told me the day before. I told them “Shit happens and then you live!” What doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but sometimes crazy can be a lifesaver, depending on what context you put it in and where you’re standing at the time. 😝 Lighten up. Have a “crazy-licious” day y’all!
You know, let’s face it, there are days when you feel blah! 😝 You can relate to the type of days when you don’t know if you’re going or coming, or just plain ole stuck. There are days when you feel exhausted or depressed because it seems like you can’t get your gear shifted in drive so you can see and make some progress.
Then it seems like everyone else is going somewhere and you are stuck in nowhere. I think all of us can identify with that feeling at some given point or points in our life. Sometimes we find ourselves in the same old position feeling like we are on the same conveyor belt going in circles with the lack of motivation to make colossal improvements.
Sometimes we don’t know what to do or how to do it, but find ourselves bearing a moody, crappy disposition because we’re stuck. So if you feel like you are that residue in the bottom of the cup, add a little something to that residue, shake it up and make something new. I’ve mentioned this before, when you’re tired of being sick and tired, you have no choice but to do something positively grand. If not, you’ll still be sitting in the same spot, singing the same old sad tune, when the only thing that changes is the time of the day. Take a grand leap of faith! Now, shake some things up!
Do you ever run into those days when you feel like you’re trapped in a funk? You know what I mean, being in that mood of feeling sad and down, not really knowing why? Sometimes you may not understand but you just know that you’re there, in that place that seems to have you strapped down, so you cannot escape.
To be in a funk means feeling sad, down, and not knowing why. I occasionally enter that place when I feel I landed in a funk and am clueless about how I got there and why. I have a tendency to expect to be productive almost every day, and sometimes productivity may mean doing absolutely nothing at all. Yet this does not register in me because when productivity doesn’t happen, I feel out of sorts like I failed to get something important done in a timely fashion.
So in my recent funk, I needed an escape, and usually, music does it for me. Then, I thought about one of my favorite songs by the Brothers Johnson (circa 1976), “Get the Funk Out Ma’ Face.” While this song sends the message that if you don’t like their funky style of music it’s no problem, just don’t rain on their parade.
Many of us face some type of negativity when we are excited about producing something so special through our art, photography, writing, designing, cooking, and other projects we are excited about. So, let me say, while people may not be excited about your projects or as supportive as you may want them to be, don’t sweat the small stuff. Let them take their moodiness or jealousies somewhere else, and get their funk out of your face! So, let’s move on now, shall we?
Just before the night completely engulfed the day last evening, as I was closing my blinds I saw something move in my neighbor’s backyard. As I looked closer, it was an adorable sable-colored rabbit. What a pleasant surprise just before the day ended. Oh, how nature has an unselfish ability to make me smile, once again.
Each day, even in the midst of despair, there is something unexpected that will somehow make us smile. Whether it’s the laugh of a baby, something quirky that your pet did, seeing a new blossom as you walked along a trail, or a couple of birds sitting outside your window engaging in bird talk, something today will make you smile. Let it happen, don’t try to suffocate that moment of a pleasant encounter. Don’t allow someone to take away your joy from such a simple pleasure. If you are like me, I can take all of the pleasant encounters I can get, like a sunset fading in the west, or a fuzzy rabbit enjoying a sniff of wild curiosity at that moment.
Oh, the weather in our area is screaming with a desire so deep for us to step outside and spend time in the great outdoors. Honey, I am all in. The benefits are invaluable, and for those of us who can spend time outdoors, do so, because its effect on our mind, body, and spirit is immeasurable. I have heard stories from people who are confined indoors for various reasons, like those in nursing care facilities or dealing with long-term hospitalization stating that if they could only go outside, they think they would recover faster or feel so much better.
But research has shown that spending time outside is critical to our physical and mental states. First, according to Dr. Allison Edwards, MD, the medical director of Sesame, missing out on your daily dose of sunshine has several deleterious impacts—including offsetting your body’s circadian rhythms and melatonin levels. Secondly, Dr. Edwards pointed out that exposure to the outdoors and nature has been linked with improved mood and less anxiety.
Another point Dr. Edwards noted was exercising in nature reduces symptoms of depression. Don’t forget your sunscreen. Lastly, Dr. Mahmud Kara, MD, the creator of KaraMD stated that not engaging with the outdoors during light hours, then, blurs the line between day and night—which results in too-little melatonin production and less sleep.
I gotta tell ya, after being outside, even if I am mowing my lawn, I feel like I’ve been on a mini-vacation. I feel renewed even if I am tired. I also found that being in the great outdoors works as a sleeping agent when I get ready to crawl into bed. Even the smell and sound of rain do wonders for my sleep deprivation. So what do ya think? Shall we take this outside? It appears that spending time outdoors can be a cheap drug, medicine to improve our mind, body, and soul. Have an awesome day everyone! 🌞
Image Credit: Sheila Brown
Image Credit: George Hodan
Image Credit: De an Sun
Image Credit: Sylvia Szekely
Image Credit: Ben White
Image Credit: Jared RiceImage Credit: Tamarcus Brown
I remember reading this message decades ago, and while I don’t know who the author is, the message resonates with the right attitude and hope. I’m sure you probably ran across this bit of motivation somewhere in your journey of inspiration. There are days when I give myself a free pass to take a chill pill because I need to pull the Eveready battery out of my back and give myself a well-deserved break! I get so wired sometimes due to the excitement of tackling a project. I must also admit I experience a little bit of anxiousness to hurry and get the project completed.
It saddens me to see so many falling into that trap of the “If I coulda, woulda, shoulda” syndrome with little energy to snap out of this trance. But today, reacquaint yourself with the blessed gifts and talents you’ve been given. You don’t have to wait to make a new year’s resolution just to get started! Think about your attitude as you approach a project, task, or life in general, today and in the days ahead. 😊
To be grateful should not be an emotion that is summoned up at a specific time for a specific reason. Gratefulness should be a natural and instinctive daily mantra, a timeless lifestyle! If you’re going to have an attitude, make it a recipe of gratitude.
Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit I have to constantly work on. Impatience and aggravation are prime ingredients contributing to stress. Today’s culture dictates how easy it is to get quick answers for just about anything you want. Yet, when we can’t get a quick solution to a dilemma or a need, we tend to become bent out of shape, and more often become outraged. Impatience throws us off balance. In essence, patience can be damaging, hurt others as well as yourself.
I was talking to my husband about how I compare the levels of employing patience to that of taking various modes of transportation. For example, if I want to travel cross country from North Carolina to California, I would more than likely elect to take an airplane. It gets to my destination faster. If I didn’t want to drive, I could choose to take a train or a bus to get there. Although these modes of transportation wouldn’t get me to California as fast as an airplane would, I wouldn’t have to worry about driving, and I could enjoy watching the places we pass by. If I wanted to take the scenic route, I would probably elect to drive my car. Yes, that would take me longer to get there, but there is an advantage to that. I would be able to drive leisurely and have the ability to stop and sightsee along the way. While the traffic may sometimes become congested, I would still be able to pull off, eat at a local restaurant, rest, or shop at some local outlets.
My point is, patience allows us to be more aware, to observe and notice the tiniest of details, to be in the present moment, to sense an awakening in your spirit, allows you to be introspective, nurturing, courageous, and promotes balance and well-being. Patience renders a peace we can’t seem to understand, but we can accept it lovingly.
Image Credit: johnhain, Pixabay
Even if you’re not traveling cross-country, what if you’re traveling locally? If you drive, more than likely, you would be rushing to get somewhere, focusing primarily on your route to where you’re going and how quickly you can get there. If you’re traveling by bike or scooter, you tend to pay more attention to your surroundings for safety’s sake. If you’re walking, however, you tend to notice details like birds, butterflies, trees, flowers, creeks, or lakes, and you feel calmer.
While my patience quotient has greatly improved over the years, it is still something I have to work on. Now mind you, I am not patient with things mired with mediocrity, lackadaisical behavior, greed, selfishness, arrogance, bullies, diabolical intent, or passivity. Yet, in the same sense, I have to examine my “jackrabbit” responses when making critical decisions that may end with regrettable consequences.
Have you been able to perfect your level of patience? How do you do it?
From Behind the Pen 
