Hello My Fellow Art Lovers-
Listen here to my interview with poet, Julia Fehrenbacher
Are you inspired by poetry? For me whenever I can't sleep at night I pick up a book of poetry. Good poetry can lead you back to your center.
Two of my favorites are...
The Illuminated Rumi Translated by Coleman Barks
and Staying in Love by Julia Fehrenbacher
This book isn't about romantic love. It is about staying in love with life.
After I interviewed Julia on the Studio Alchemy Podcast. I was inspired to take her writing class, Write Yourself Free.
For my final project I wrote about this painting.
I Brought Abundance Inside
Heavy with blossoms
this branch of roses fell over onto the street.
The stem broke
in my old garden, an oasis in the paved city.
Usually, when she blooms in May,
I pick just one soft pink girly princess of a flower
leaving the rest to enjoy the wild wind
until rain taps the petals off again.
But this time I brought abundance inside.
Filling the cup with water,
I placed her on our community table
and wrapped her around the central beam.
Then the flowers unlocked,
the tight buds relaxed and
opened to possibilities.
She expected bees and sunshine.
In the glass jar white roots slowly formed,
entwining with one another.
From the severed cut she grew again.
She didn’t give up and neither should you.
Later after I held my breath and
placed her delicately into a pot of fresh dirt,
we moved together
over the mountains to our new soil.
In the back of the truck
surrounded by my bulky furniture
she shook with anticipation.
And so did I.
I love this plant.
I carry her with me to each new home.
And this painting holds the memory.
It might seem that you are cut and broken.
But there is always next spring,
when you can show off how beautiful you are again.
The process of writing was so therapeutic! And it helped me to clarify why this plant is such a treasure to me.
I've also been experimenting with adding poetry to artwork.
This one is by M.C. Richards
Closing Hymn
Sweetness stores in the root,
Sap rises and descends.
The rhythms of our nature
Round us round.
Human Beings, risen,
Take eternal life in hand.
Our creative light
Shares in worlds creation.
The Life-Line of our Schooling
In its golden vein.
These two shetchbook pieces have a poem by Hafiz
Clarity can be found when seeing our feelings made tangible in images and writing.
Said another way...
Sometimes we need to create in the outside world to better understand our inner world.
If you want to clarify your goals join us for the New Year's Reset Online Workshop!
This is not an art class but a fun and surprising brainstorming session. Together we will get our ideas out of our head and onto paper so that we are ready to start something fresh and new.
May this message inspire you! Feel free to share
