Thought for The Day - Talking

Sometimes it's scary isn't it? The idea of having to talk. Typically the idea of public speaking gets to many. I would say with approximately 28 years experience teaching and preaching, I'm nervous, but expectantly so. And the butterflies in my stomach are trained to fly in beautiful, regimented formation. But there are those times when I have to approach a stranger, someone who might have information. They have been identified as the source or a possible source and depending on the setting, it may take a few minutes or more to formulate my greeting!

Talking is a means of communicating; should be as easy as breathing. But sometimes we can communicate irrelevant details or worse, not be heard when we are talking. Either way, it seems like a waste of this precious gift. Talking, singing, poetry readings even speeches; containers for impressions, thoughts, opinions, the facts and deeper: the truth. I've looked at this gift of communication for a while now and taken note of the lyrics of songs and seen this to be true. I think most of us push music into a category of "entertainment," and assume it has very little to offer in the way of truth. But listen closely; there are ideals communicated that run deeper than simple love songs. Love songs alone, communicate truths that many find difficult to uphold, but they are ideal at best. Love someone, give your heart and devotion to that person primarily, everyone else falling to a lower priority. Now a question for you to truly consider: Why are there so many love songs?

You know, I can write in veiled and flowery expressions; it feels right to do so. It is not contrived and flows from my heart quite easily. But whether I write as if I'm writing a 'thesis' or in the language of a creative, are you listening?

Thought for The Day - You See it as an Entertainment

The Turn 9 x 12 Pastels

Of a feather 18 x 24 Pastels

I'm Listening 24 x 36 Oil painting

You watch a dancer, you hear a singer, a musician strumming a guitar and all is well. But they move acrobatically, turn a phrase or sing a note in a unique or funny way, play notes on the guitar from the neck and you clap in response. And somewhere along this path, the message gets distorted. Both audience and "messenger" alike are caught up in the miraculous and the amazing and like a child clamoring for more fun, the original intent can be lost.

We don't pay money for a message or to be told something true but unflattering about ourselves. And yet an artist's true purpose is to hold the mirror up to the world and say "see, this is who you truly are." At times, it is done by talking about themselves, their desires and wants and their loss. Sometimes it is a true message about the state of the world, the human condition. And sometimes, it's a message about the BIG picture of life and how it twists and turns. But words, body movement, the notes of a song are all messages.

You see pretty colors, I see a divine rendering, declaring the changes in the state of conscious. You see "abstract" or "scribbles." I see how we "flock" to those who are like us, but we never really find our mirror image. You see a blue orb surrounded by other blue lines; I see the mouth of someone speaking and respond "I'm listening..."

You "might want" entertainment, but when artists listen to the voice of God you get...

Thought for The Day - Searching to Find...

Looking up, focusing on nothing in particular, glancing over my left shoulder, watching the fish swim and play and the orange, blue, red and white of the painting sitting on the easel...I absorb it, listen to it and wait for an answer. The question, unspoken, hangs in the air...how will my arm extend to the world today? A candle in hand, a light shone on the common place, bringing light to details we know, but ignore.

There are many details, messages and truths to know. I'm shining the spotlight on the ugly as well refined beauty. Innocence and joy, love and faith. But there's always another side to all of this and especially from a human perspective.

Thought for The Day - Blogging Art, Pretty Pictures, Plain Words

It's a pleasure to present my work; to show the world my work.  And while it is readily available for viewing, and I write about the process, my work and I remain relatively obscure. But that's alright; those that know me, know my work and it appears regularly in this format.

I realize I don't have much to say about the purpose of my work. I can tell you it's driven more from my desire to express the layers of my mind, rather than to render beautiful renditions of life. That is "my current situation." I can easily get in a studio with a live model posing and paint as well. And one day I will. But for now, this is my heart's statement, my mind and body responding to the energy stored up inside.

Turbulence, like waves of water, rocks vibrating under the weight of sonic rumblings. bodies shaking under silk sheets...this is disturbance. This is quaking and violence!

No pretty pictures here...but the words say it all!

Thought for The Day - What was I saying?

Every image, every portrait, every face and movement of the body communicates and tells a story. Every note, the squeal of the guitar or wail of the horn, tells us something and in the core of our being, we understand completely. It is our conscious mind, deluged in the day-to-day grind of "debt, traffic" and "jobs" that doesn't get it. And only in quiet moments, does it permit "the truth" to filter into it's world.

Thought for The Day - Truth in Reflection

I'm back at it; I put paint on the palette, dipped the brush in the paint and dabbed at the canvas, just a couple days ago. There were moments of guilt, confusion and wonder. The sense of opening the doors of my soul, listening to the spirit's gentle guidance and working out the mysteries of life as they wrestled in my head. When I execute "morning pages," it is an opportunity to face my insecurities, my fears, pains and my hope. But standing in front of a canvas or sitting over paper, those same feelings hover above without the same sense of power. There are no gut wrenching revelations; only quandaries, pleasant puzzles and time to quietly contemplate.

The question: if I'm at peace, why wouldn't I paint and draw regularly? Why is it I lay aside my colors and quiet reasoning to worry and fret? An answer, like a shadow perceived in the mirror, avoids full disclosure to my conscious. When faced with my "shadow-side," my tendency is to run from it, like looking in the mirror and realizing the sag of my cheeks is an indicator I'm no longer 25. I want to "solve the problem," but the "dilemma" is as much a part of me as the spirt that animates my flesh. I fear I will remain stuck in the corporate hustle; that, because of some weakness in flesh, I will continue the morning routine of going to "work," and every now and then, "squeezing in" a few minutes at the canvas. The cruelty of life: what you love, you barely have time for. But what nags at you, persists near endlessly. It sits in your bones and slowly robs you of vitality.

Hope runs eternal; this is the same guy whose mom accused of being lazy and said he would never marry or hold a full-time job. This is the same guy, who, given a chance, would stay in the bed till 10:00 am or later, as a teen. And this is the same guy who thought he might never see a tube of oil paint in his hand. This is the same guy who finds it extremely difficult to stay in bed until dawn and has to write every day. This is the same guy who silently wars against his fears, the needs of family and the incessant demands for his time. Most of the time, I lose; laundry, errands and someone else's needs take precedent. But there is always a sense of hope; at some point, I will "turn a corner," pick up my brush and give my spirit the space and time needed to set me free.

Thought for The Day - Discovery

After the Dance 18 x 24 mixed media

We can never know all there is to know and yet it behooves us to know all we can...

Years ago, I dated a young lady who, before I met her, seemed like she would be a complete mystery. Being shy myself and unwilling to face rejection, I was hesitant, to say the least to approach her. I allowed her sophisticated persona to dazzle me. But in spite of all the barriers, I went for it, asked her out or at least offered her ride home from church. We talked on the way to her home and in little or no time, we were getting to know one another. For a few weeks, I would give her a ride from Bible study and even picked her up a few times and in the brief period we dated, I got to know a lot of facts about her life. I found out she wasn't as aloof and sophisticated as I thought. She was no slouch, had a good mind, but she was down-to-earth and very open to talk.

At some point, in one of our long conversations, I said to her: "you're telling all of these details about you, but I still feel like there's much more you're not telling me." Like so many people I talk with, I find it's easy to get the "facts" of our lives out on the table, but we never get to the heart of who we are. We can tell about "this", reveal a little of "that" ("except, I won't tell you about the heartache I suffered as a result of _____ and how that still haunts me at this very moment.") but it amounts to "surface details." I get it, I understand; I'm not an open book, though I hope through this format, a great deal of what I think about and how I feel is revealed. Funny: it just hit me this media is an opportunity to unveil the "secret life of Eddie."

Here's a couple more interesting truths I've discovered:

• For whatever reason, some people tell a great many "half-truths" about themselves, even when they tell you their being candid, open and honest. If you dig "around" what is said, you find there's far more to the story. It always leaves me wondering why the "whole truth" wasn't told. In sharing what is uttered, I wonder about what "you" want me to know and why it's necessary to withhold what is...
• The walls we erect and the parts of us we share are all one big picture. When we ignore or highlight only one part, the damage, pain and hurt we hide does not get healed. And like our bodies, these wonderful regenerative vessels we inhabit, what could be healing, when it is 'misapplied' (or should I say "when healing is refused") we create a place where hurt spreads like a cancer.

I leave you with this quote, apply it liberally to you life: "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part, You will make me to know wisdom." Psalms 51:6 (NKJV)

Thought for The Day - What is It You're Trying to Say?

Add Caption (working title) 11 x 17 pastels

The language isn't unknown, neither are the words; it's our acceptance that requires an adjustment...

At the moment, I'm listening to a recording by John Coltrane from 1965: "Ascension (Edition I)." Recorded after "Love Supreme," some would call it an "epic fail," still others would call it the "primer for free jazz." Quite honestly, it is a recording, on many occasions I can barely stomach. Not that it isn't an excellent recording, but often my mind is in the "nomenclature" and "designation," framework. In other words, I need traditional structure to fence in my mind and prevent it from "going on an adventure."

In that respect, I am so much like those who look at my work and wonder "what is it you're trying to say?" Early on when I presented my visual work, one Facebook friend challenged me by asking for a name and further "what does it mean?" Now given her nature, a highly spiritual and grounded woman, she wasn't questioning my authenticity or casting doubts on the value of the work, what I quickly discovered is she was helping me understand what was being said. A lesson learned from that early process is the message is often so primal and so true, my "carnal mind" avoids its energy. Yesterday, my daughter said to me: "I'm not into abstract art;" little does she know, neither am I, but it is in me.

We prefer our message to be crystal clear, "tell me what I should get out of this." We are certain, in any given moment we possess the capacity to understand whatever it is being said to us. "How right you are my friend!" You can understand, you can comprehend, but more importantly, are you listening or are you trying to mold the message to fit your current thinking? All too often, the message is simple and profound, meaning its "application" could be spread and applied in multiple ways throughout our lives. In that moment, the minute your unconscious mind receives 'TRUTH,' comprehension begins. But it is the next moment, when "we consciously" choose to accept the message or reject it, that's the moment of decision. I'm sorry to say, so often we choose too quickly to ignore what is being said.

Thought for The Day - Pipeline

Living this life, we are bombarded and overloaded with conflicting needs. In a given day, regardless how you try to limit the exposure you have to the "outside world," the sources of entry are beating at your door. But little do we know, we are also a 'source' of input for others.

We are like pipes or conduits where energy in the form of thoughts, feelings and responses flow. Back and forth, all day, each day and even in our dreams, we flow full of information. This energy, this information is not mindless or without emotions, and not every emotion is wrong or sinful. Our lives are full of good and constructive and positive energy. A small thing like - speaking of my country and where I live - streets constructed of concrete and asphalt. Someone had the idea that this material could support an endless supply of vehicular traffic with minimal repairs. Now we have miles of roads that connect to nearly everywhere you would want to go. We have created vehicles that 'could' take us "off road" if we needed, though they aren't quite tough enough to take up rocky climbs as commercials would have us believe. We have offices, where business is conducted nearly 24 hours a day, to support and communicate with other businesses and individual. We are a huge construct of connection and support and need. We are a grid "system."

But it starts with a pipeline, an idea, a concept of connecting. While we don't like to "receive" destructive and negative energy, we should give careful consideration to what output comes from us and what we mindlessly receive. I am a conduit of energy and information and truth. How I choose to manage and disseminate it, is up to me.

We have this treasure (Filtered Divinity)

Amazing, it is, that life altering truth comes from the places it does. Our tendency is to assume light, or revelation only comes by way of those who spend long hours, head bowed in contemplation or in books. But truth, spiritual knowledge doesn't have to have a "willing body;" all it takes is a mind, a heart, and a soul, and God's infinite wisdom will find you!

In the above piece, you will note the bands of earth tones, particularly browns, clay and oranges, primarily below. That's us. But wait, what's this breaking through the bottom? Seems like light is interrupting the thick dark tones. Yeah, well that happens around us and to us more often than we know.

It is said that artist transmit the will of the creator. Whether it's singing, writing, acting, or rendering in paint or marble, to the world, we convey 'messages.' But have you ever watched a child at play? Especially children who play with great effort? If you've ever seen one who laughed, twirled, jumped and ran, then you've also noted that they "huff and puff" and sweat like us crotchety adults :) But they are expressing joy without separating play from work. They are creating joy with great effort - rather than waiting to be entertained. God, through them, expresses his joy - for joy's sake.

We have a treasure hidden in are "earthen vessels..."