I'm starting to feel funny about blogging, because most of the entries I've written discuss art projects I intend to start, emphasis on "intend." Months later, they're projects I STILL have yet to start, haha! My apologies for preaching daily creativity and then not doing it myself...
However, in similar vein with my last entry, I think I've been overlooking life, not paying enough attention to the everyday. Perhaps I should be saying to myself, "You are the artist! You are the master craftsman, shaping your existence from the cradle to the grave. You wield the tools, dream the dreams, see the visions, draw the plans, take the time and do the work in everything you say, and think every moment of the day. As a sculptor takes his raw materials and begins to realize his ideal, as a painter takes his brush and gives form to his creative idea, so in total life you are the artist" (Church of Perfect Liberty website). Perhaps all my life, each of my days, every hour is a work of art? I'd like to think so. For as Anais Nin says, "We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are." I'll admit that I've been wrapped up in me lately, too cloudy-visioned to see that everyday is a stroll in the museum...
And so from here on out, I'm gonna focus. I'm gonna see my pink lemonade, the black straw swirling, rearranging the bubbles on the sides of the tall glass; I'm gonna pay attention to how I make my morning latte--tablespoon after tablespoon of black, finely-ground espresso--the smokey, earthy smell of it--hot water, a large, chunky mug filled 3/4 with espresso and 1/4 milk, creating a creamy, caramel-colored concoction; I'm going to meticulously arrange the food on my plate, each color and texture taking its place in the spotlight (sorry for all the food examples, haha). The point is, I'm gonna see the art in everything that I do, because it's a fact that it's there...I just have to see it. The way my stack of completed work grows over the course of the day, how a lighter stack lies in the bin versus how a heavier stack lies. How the murmur of voices travels overtop of my cubicle walls, merging into one mish-mashed conversation--Cough. / What's the part number? / Let me get you transferred to Roadside. / Don't be calling me up to pay. / Cough. / HAHAHA! / Claims, this is Darrell. How the mirror in my cubicle vibrates when people walk by, shimmering their reflections. The sterile and vacant office breakroom with a microwavable meal at lunch? That'll take some effort on my part, but I'll find the art there, too :) And maybe, just maybe, I'll draw a picture, write a sweet little message, and leave it in a surprise location for A to find. Because life itself is an art project, and I've not been living artistically...
P.S. I can't help myself. Someone on the phone today asked me this random question. It caught me off guard and I didn't know how to answer. But I'm thinking our answers could tell us a lot about ourselves, so here goes: If you won the lottery, what would you do?
My answer: 1. I'd put enough of it in savings to stop working for awhile so that I could focus on actually LIVING. 2. I'd pay off any of mine or my family's loans/outstanding debt (A's med school bills, haha) so that they, too, could focus on just LIVING. 3. I'd donate some money to a local charity/cause so that they could spend more time LIVING instead of fundraising. 4. And, last but not least, I'd travel like I've never traveled before (with tons of family in stow), hitting every continent, and writing a book about our experiences :) LOVING & LIVING AT ITS BEST!
Please post your answer as a comment...
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