Spring is in Full Bloom in Austin, Texas. The Cactus flowers are so magnificent and outrageous this year–I even saw a cholla “rose” in a yard in Barton Hills the other day. I am grateful for these clear, cool days, a prelude to the coming heat. Everything is green and filled with possibilities. My mind is waking up from a long and restless sleep. It has been awhile since I have FELT inspired or thought new thoughts. I have dragged through my days and now, I am breathing again. Art saves the world and it certainly saves me. A daily journal–whether filled with deep thoughts or doodles–is a WAY back into my energy and inspiration. Funny that I teach what I want to learn myself.
I read a book recently which reminded me of so much I have neglected in myself. Sue Monk Kidd’s autobiographical book, “Dance of A Dissident Daughter” was like finding an old friend or discovering something that has long been shoved in a corner and piled over with junk. I have read all of her sources for the book, and experienced so much of the discontent she describes. The missing part for me has been a commitment to a WAY, a practice. That said, I quote Walt Whitman, who wrote, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I am large, I contain multitudes.” I believe I do have a practice: it includes calligraphy and art, running and being a wife and mother. I certainly believe that spirituality does not need to be so narrowly defined, and I am realizing that maybe I have been following a WAY all along, just didn’t recognize it as such. Thanks to Kidd’s book–and the author herself–which articulates so beautifully my own experience of relationship to divinity I am able to move forward in my life with renewed zest and inspiration.
The wonderful challenge which I am taking on this year is to create a “Book of my own,” the working title of which is the “Feminine Face of Calligraphy”. I envision the book to be non-linear, with excerpts from my many journals, as well as essays on my approach to making art. I will also include personal reflections, poetry and other musings.
My hope is to inspire others who like myself want to find their own voice and their own place in the world of calligraphy, the Western tradition of which has largely been developed and influenced by men.
More on that topic to follow….
