Following Your Bliss Never Gets Outdated

Silverspring Studio could be called Springboard Studio, because writing here seems to launch my mind and spirit into exhilarating new heights. I have practiced seeking ideas and artwork that excite and challenge me. They are out there in droves. I LOVE being amazed, and seldom have to look far to achieve that feeling.

But every once in a while I trip into a sense of being overwhelmed ~ with all I want to understand and achieve. Many others seem so adept at promoting their art careers and I wonder how they can manage to do all that and still find the time and energy to create art. When such feelings arise, I know it is a signal to turn off the computer and fill the tea kettle with water. While the water is coming to a boil, I sit quietly and breathe consciously.

I recognize that I have let myself move to a vantage point of fear. From there, I peer outward, to someone else’s way, rather than adhering to my personal guidance system. This produces discomfort, and is actually a helpful reminder to get back on my own track. I have a very reliable intuition that not only offers me excellent suggestions ~ it provides an array of alternatives, all of which have potential.  When the path that leads before me appears obscure, I only have to glance back to realize that it has always been there, and is perfectly suited to me.

I remind myself that I have much to be grateful for, and that I have built this artful life, for myself, to be a source of meaning and joy. I pour my tea.

With my spirit soothed and my concentration redirected, I regain my eagerness to create. Without creating, there is nothing to promote. I prefer the term advocacy. I advocate for my art because I believe it has something to say. I am so grateful for the ability to translate what I see, feel and learn into a tangible form. Paying attention to my environment, both outer and inner, I gather many of the the elements I need.  But when that brush is in my hand, I am not concentrating on any prior “research.” I let myself drift into an altered state, a kind of floating sensation. Time does not press me. Doubts do not assail me. My hands surprise and delight me ~ shapes and colors emerge. Suggestions jump into my mind, but not through analysis or decision making. “More orange”  might present itself, and I grab the red to work it into part of a yellow section.

I meditate on all these thoughts as I drink my tea. My priorities have been reset, my fears allayed.  I head back into my studio.

As artists, we must learn to be self nourishing. We must become alert enough to consciously replenish our creative resources as we draw on them – to restock the trout pond, so to speak.  ~ Julia Cameron

The way to find out about happiness is to keep your mind on those moments when you feel most happy, when you are really happy — not excited, not just thrilled, but deeply happy. This requires a little bit of self-analysis. What is it that makes you happy? Stay with it, no matter what people tell you. This is what is called following your bliss. ~ Joseph Campbell

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