Thought for The Day - Pushing Aside

Pre-Dawn Flight 30 x 40 Oils

The season of "Spring Cleaning;" removing the clutter of the last two seasons, shedding the shell that held us fast till Winter's chill ebbed. Brutal was the repeated blows of cold, snow, wind and darkness and what survived, we that live, are waking and moving about.

I find myself busy, this Saturday morning, so much so, two hours go by without notice. Laundry, cleaning and planning occur and I haven't touched my work. Staring at the canvas, the image "Dance of Her Soul," laying on it's side and the blank, white canvas and wall, there is work to do. Energy isn't urgent, but like a stream of water, it flows as it always has; the source of it, endless and unseen. The shame would be, allowing this time and energy to be wasted by fear and frustration. While I'm planning -- a typical activity that can be the "ends" in itself -- I act; I push aside clutter on surfaces that have held energy and concentration for too long. Closet spaces also hold certain trauma, and they are cleaned out as well.

The process, the "cleaning" is as necessary as gathering and preserving. My friends, recognize the season.

Thought for The Day - Out for a Walk

Many days, I have to take a walk and sometimes it's just to get out in the air. Certainly, it's to get away from the desk and turn off the "software testing mechanism" in my head. But it's also to allow my other thoughts to circulate. My legs and arms move and my brain takes off to another place! Feeling the breeze on my face, considering the buildings, trees and people, it all combines in my head, an avalanche of information to fuel my thoughts. Now mind you, for the most part, my walk is less about "taking in the sights" and more about exercising my mind.

I laugh when I think about the periods of time when I didn't go out for a walk regularly. When work is demanding or worse, I'm in a suburban area with limited access to paths and sidewalks and I'm prone to drive through a restaurant for lunch. Then comes the 'opportunity' to exercise my legs...whew! Huffing and puffing and sweating! But when the opportunity comes again and again, I adjust, refocus and find my pace again.

Walking, going for a walk is cleansing and renewing. Whether I'm out for lunch with a coworker or going it alone, the process of letting go of 'office anxiety' and soaking in the big world around me makes me a better worker, man and artist.

Try it! Go for a walk!