What's your big dream? decisions~

My big dreams;
looked at, confessed, professed, held, written, believed.

so what now?

I've made one decision.

My art is for me.
For the next year,
starting with my residency in Australia and carrying me through for as long as it does,
my art is for me.
Not that it hasn't been:
I paint because there is something I want to explore, experiment with, test, express....
but it always becomes something I start thinking of
in terms of its potential in sharing,
in become a show,
in processing into a great workshop....

But not this year.

My art is for me.
Experimenting. Playing. Testing. Learning.
regardless if it fits into wax,
if it involves painting,
or stitching,
sewing
dyeing
tearing
decomposing
or rebuilding.
doesn't matter what it looks like.
the only prerequisite is that it makes me come alive with potential.

What now, for you? 

My art is for me.

I'm sure I'll share tidbits.....it's my nature ;)
in love. trish

What's it really mean to dream? ii

This is one in a series of posts in which Trish attempts to dissect the purpose and meaning of dreaming; of looking beyond what is to what if~
Working my way towards the answer myself....and here's the part II-dream I put on paper before me~


Back to my original post, my intent from the start of this search and query.

I'm risking.
I'm tossing my dreams out there.
Not to get responses. Not to hear the naysayers-neither the
encouragers.

I'm dreaming in pen and ink so I can see it
so I can live it
And so I can be it.

I'm tossing my dreams out there.
out here.

'Do the hard work to find a superior answer'

Dream part two
Monastic
introspective
introverted (look up the true definition before you judge)
contemplative
lifestyle-
or something as yet
intangible,
and similar~
that lives in this
sensibility
realm.

That's all I know.

Dream bigger than myself,
unattainable in who I am alone,
unclear on how it fits into where I am
what I do
who I support
and where I look to be going.


But that's it; dream part ii:
to explore and pursue.

I've heard tell it can fit into
a 'real life'.
I've never had a real life
so I look forward to seeing how it
fits into my life....
truth be told,
it's already lurking
around the edges....

If Doris Day can do it.
in love. trish

October 07, 2012

What's your world look like today?

a blessed reminder....

the delight-surprise of a rarely seen journaling male...

an adorable puppy pining for attention over my glasses and green tea~

my finished 'busy-hands' work

a beautiful city

inspiring ceilings

the Atlanta night sky; devoid of stars....

what my world looks like today~
in love. trish.

One final summer fling~

Hood Canal Cabin one more time before fall hits us head-on~

departing views

Patrick's provocative reading material for the ferry ride

a man and his stump....

and he discovers he can't fly....

My VIP visionaries~

beautiful food; awful photo

the most heart-capturing harbor

the studio stump :)

Off to San Antonio in the morning. I feel as if 'next' has begun; summer is officially over and....here we go~

in love. trish

 

acceptance solitude

A beautiful youtube video and a wonderful EncaustiCampers post to share; then my own thoughts!

http://youtu.be/k7X7sZzSXYs

From beautiful blogger and EncaustiCamper Lee Spangler of www.Studiolightblue.com

The Benefits of Solitude

The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: it’s only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts.

My best writing, and in fact the best of anything I’ve done, was created in solitude.

Just a few of the benefits I’ve found from solitude:

• time for thought

• in being alone, we get to know ourselves

we face our demons, and deal with them
• space to create
• space to unwind, and find peace
• time to reflect on what we’ve done, and learn from it
• isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice
• quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

I've been getting a lot of input relating to solitude lately. I hold a curious wonder at why this is all coming at me, seemingly, at once. I am due for some time in creative retreat mind you; the past 8 months, with a good 10 weeks more to go, of teaching and not being available to the studio for more than a three week block of time-paired with housekeeping and home keeping as well-has me aching for some devoted, distraction less studio time to get creative!
But solitude, I think-despite this pace, has been happening. As I teach far and near, I have moments of alone; in which I sit quietly and listen, walk and reflect, take breaks in between classes and explore-alone. This to me has been valuable, necessary solitude within the furious, sometimes harried days of connecting with like-minded souls across the states :)
I even get ample solitude on the homefront-on a daily basis. For those of you who know my habits, or watch my posts on facebook, twitter and blogging, duly note that I am an early riser!
These precious, before-the-sun, morning moments are blessed with utterly quiet, restful hours of reading and journaling before thoughts and actions that will become my days 'doing' begin to invade.

In the summer months these early hours are enhanced by the just going down minutes of communication with my youngest son as he signs off of his day and I begin my next; a little gift in these last years of children at home.
But the solitude that has been speaking to me in verse
and commentary
and blogging
is different than these captured, treasured moments in between the 'stuff' of my days.

The solitude speaking to me is one of investment, and planning and preparedness. It is one of intention and acceptance. I say acceptance because committing to solitude is difficult; and I don't believe this is true just for me.
It is hard to gift oneself time to oneself. To separate from the demands of job, or family, children or church, craft or commitments and just be in the alone that is required in proper solitude.

It is necessary to get to a place of personal commitment, and strength, courage and acceptance that will supplant the guilt, sense of self indulgence and doubt that is sure to invade the psyche upon determining a need for a block of solitude.

I mean really...if we are built for relationship, then how dare we step aside to take time in quite, absolute, exquisite!, solitary confinement right?!
But it is necessary, truly required I've found, in order to be properly 'all in' for the rest of ones' life: For this relationship-created life we've been called to.

The unfortunate element in this is that it is rare in youth that we discover this necessity.
Youthfulness is consumed by doing and finding, establishing and building.
There is rarely time and space to allow for rest and regrouping.
Often times this leads to the unfortunate breakdown of relationships, abilities-as we stretch ourselves too thin, and in some cases, when not checked in time,
ourselves.
Yet, perhaps it is in this learning that can only happen in the gathering of years on our calendar of life that we can truly breathe deep and relinquish ourselves to the necessity and unselfish side of taking time out to accumulate the nothingness of solitude.

And with that nothingness~
deep peace and wisdom to step back into the doing we've spent our years creating.
And embrace it with the same fervor and anticipation that came at its inception. Thereby, re birthing our youthful stamina and zeal, with this added balance of peace and acceptance.
Ah. That's the joy so spoken of.
Bring it on. I am ready. Unselfishly ready.
To solitude.
Check me on the other side of November :)
in love. trish.

take time

today. to lie in the grass and feel the july sun soak your skin. to gaze up through the canopy of a sky-reaching tree at the passing, gentle clouds. to listen, really listen, to the summer soaked laughter of children dancing through the sprinkler. a toast to summer. to this one and only day. in love. trish

prayers to perseverance

Sometimes the best we can do is whisper a prayer and hold on.
_____________________________________________________________________
I need to hear it. The arguing-the jabs of sibling rivalry-the commanding claims of big brother superiority. Oh, I need to hear it.
But for now, this quiet. Peaceful at times, in some manifestations. Currently-deeply resonating and achingly absent.
My blessing's in discord: I need to hear it. Bring on the noisome brawling dear Lord. Give me my peace. ____________________________________________________________________

Hope springs eternal. Where God closes one door...
____________________________________________________________________
My self leveling state of being, of living, has had the plug pulled and spills haphazardly around the ticking of my minutes. Patch work has been performed and holds, provisionally, fast. A new life level is needed. A new 'normal' defined. A new 'trish is....'
The absence that in its infant days was a 24 carat gold wrapped gift full of discovery and wonder has become a burdensome anxiety and need. The tender pain of life changes is compiling much too quickly in this all at once of my summer. Minutely controlled breaths, exhaling, inhaling, from my first waking moment through to my final nightly sigh hold the patch fast.
Definitively clinging to 'To Dos' and walking with my faith forward. Facing the quiet, the compiling, the sometimes hollow anguish, with regulated resolve. Plundering forward until it all makes sense. Stepping where the road leads until the light illuminates. 200 ft Lord God. Keep my walking. in love. trish
____________________________________________________________________
Sometimes miracles occur only when you jump.

even a tiny blessing can be found in every day

Seeds sprouting, sun shining, studio beckoning! in love. trish

messages

Messages. Such as the one that fell from my dresser as I was going to bed last night. A card; a birthday card I'd purchased just for its beauty, intending to give it to someone when it felt right, floated down from the file atop my dresser in which it had been resting, snugly, since I purchased it almost three years ago. As it landed, open to the vivid interior greeting on the boring beige of my carpet, I bent to retrieve it and was given goosebumps by its words. 'Now is where you live, here is your heart.' I'd been embattled, for the zillionth time, in doubt, frustration and angst over my place in the universe, my heart's connection to anothers in this world, my soul's true path in this life. The message-so simple, so real, so easy-took my breath away. It brought tears to my eyes and sent my heart racing. It was a 'duh' reminder to live the 200 feet in front of you-the next five minutes-and not the unpredictable future. It will fall into place as I live fully in the space I am in right now. We are not here to live in angst and fear, but to move in and grow in love, gratitude and compassionate connecting. The path each of us is here to follow is clearly defined, if only we use our eyes to see it. Messages fluttering off of the tops of dressers remind us this is so. And it reminds me to always remember the three things that rule living well:
Love like everyone you meet is God in disguise.
Listen to the voice of your heart.
Give thanks. every hour.
And, that my life's job is to love well, care well and live well.
Happy Monday. Happy start to new possibilities. Happy 200 feet. Trish