Energy draining in color

Tuesday, May 26, 2020
My hands are a mess. They're full of paint. I am a messy artist. I splatter paint splattered around and need tissues or paper towels nearby to scrape or wash the colors off my work surface and hands.

Going on Zoom calls has become a lot more focused since I started doodling in an art journal. I remember SO much more about a meeting if my hands stay busy.

You know how much I love our team when this emerges from a weekly meeting. The first question today was, "What was the most fun you've had or what fun stuff are you looking forward to this week?"

My latest "play" is on a big canvas (50X75cm/20"X30"). Whatever feels good goes over the surface. I started with a basic botanical sketch of a plant that I lost interest in months ago. It was so ugly. Now I'm covering it up color by white by color, getting happier with it. It's slowly getting there (wherever "there" is). I hope to know when it's done. Not yet. Not yet.

 

I promise myself with each canvas that I'll limit the colors. That's almost impossible. I love color so much. Opening tubes of reds and yellows and blues makes me smile. One of the last paintings was just as bright. And it makes me just as happy.

I start with something real as the first layer - and then my moods take me away. If I'm not careful, that whole back bedroom may be filled with wild color and movement before this pandemic is over.

For me and those like me, art is an explosive release of energy. It's a "live-in-the-moment" that drains off much of the "oh-oh-we-can't-plan-a-thing" momentum that builds up inside.

My mom can tell you that energy has always been a thing for me. As a kid, it crested in meltdowns and tantrums, or kicking all the stain off the piano in my room. (Yeah, seeing that when I was 12 shocked me - there was not a lick of stain from my 4-yr-old reach to the floor! I got a lot of spanking for kicking the piano. Guess the boom boom boom wasn't as satisfying for my parents as for me. haha) 

Perhaps it's safer to throw paint around. Can I ask you parents to have patience with kids or teens who release their surges in rage or anxiety or a barrage of words? It's not something that we can always contain, though it can be channeled.

Even as adults, those of us with the surges that come from an "artist temperament" or a "soul in motion" (or maybe ADD?) need ways to let the wave crest. We're exhausted as it goes out so that's time we rest. I still catch a lot of quiet time when those waves recede.

Both art and writing sure make a mess of my office. While in process, I couldn't care less. But I try to clear out, put away everything, and clean up the surface of my desk before leaving in the afternoon. That way, I'm inspired to create a new disaster zone out of a neat space every morning!

Most of our friends and peers are exhausted. We hear it over and over. This transition to a new kind of thinking, being, and working is hard on everyone. Their kids are crabby or climbing the walls. The adults are trying to avoid as many online meetings as possible. It's a crazy in-between time, isn't it?

Each of us needs to establish new rhythms. We need new habits of spiritual renewal and soul care. We also need to foster healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise.

How are you doing on that? You holding your own?

Saturday, May 30, 2020
It's a grandson's 5th birthday - Happy Birthday, Isaac! He waited two days after his dad's birthday, to enter the world. We were all impatient for his arrival. Happy Birthday, Timothy, too! We are blessed - and amused when T tells us, "Oh yes, I'm getting my birthday request." Kids crawling over him, lots of snuggles, and generally being told what to do by his 4 kids. Smiles. Good dad.

The offset in time zones (14 hours) makes a special-day call awkward - we're ready to celebrate but have to wait for the next day when people are awake and alert - or else call when we're ready for sleep.

On our morning walk, I stop by the office to clean the paludarium. Oh yuck - after 5 months of water changes and weekly cleanings, it's time for a thorough scrape-down. There's mud behind the aquarium algae tied to the back panel. (Great compost, but there are no plants in the office.)

It's nice and clean when I'm done - but W has to pry out the paper towel I poke in to clean the drip piping along the back rim. I need a long brush or pipe cleaner!

For lunch, I make homemade Navaho fry bread. I' decide on the bread as I glance through recipes scribbled onto a paper a few weeks ago. What goes with that bread? Maybe ground chicken and ... ? I raid the fridge and freezer by smell memory. As usual, it turns into a "little of this and that." It's tasty though.

I deep-fry chicken meatballs. Meanwhile the frozen chicken broth from W's suis vide chicken is thawing. To the broth, I add Asian-fried onions, kale, and seafood mushrooms along with Braggs Aminos, garlic salt, and a generous helping of Trader Joe 21-Seasoning. We toss the fried meatballs in at the end.

When the afternoon rain is done, the light shines through water droplets dangling from the tip of each leaf. It looks like the trees are strung with pearls.

 On our walks, the 14' tall New Zealand ferns are putting out fresh tips. (The wall is 4 meters high, for scale.)

 One front garden is a mass of color that stretches up and up.

 I see something fun in passing - how to make coasters from toilet paper rolls. Of course I have to try it. In 2 minutes, here it is.The top soaks condensation from my drink.

Our supper salad topples onto the stone tiles in the kitchen and the bowl smashes. But Waldemar's pizza is the best ever - a new 18-hr crust. He does enjoy an experiment. And he's getting better and better at this.

What did you eat today? Are you as grateful for a God who provides as I feel? Night is falling and the dogs snooze quietly, on guard in the yard.

Tomorrow's Sunday - the Lord's Day for us. Join us by clicking here. W's figured out how to get us translated into about 20 languages. If you have a heart-language or mother tongue, let us know how good the translations are, ok?

Read more:
*The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. Psalm 14:2

*My tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long. Psalm 35:28
The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God. Luke 24:52-53

*Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Moravian Prayer: Risen Lord, thank you for the many blessings you bestow on us daily. May we be reminded of your greatest gift—your triumph over death that leads us to our own eternal life. 

Heavenly Lord, it is all too easy to choose our own path instead of following you. Grant us the wisdom to see past the temptations of this world in order to walk more closely with you. Amen.