Beginning again

There are points in time when the planets line up and the universe dictates that no matter how much you know, you don't know anything...and the situation requires that you 'begin again'.  There's a quote from Albert Camus that I have long cherished and continue to carry with me into day-to-day life:  'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.'  In the last week or so, there has been a card making the rounds on facebook that paraphrases the Camus quote, and adds '...and at this point I should be able to bench press a Buick.'  Julia Cameron, in her book The artist's way, maintains that to be successful one must be willing to begin again.  In my worklife, I have had just such an opportunity in the last month that has proven to be frustrating, challenging, sometimes overwhelming, but nonetheless a chance to grow and to learn...and to begin again.

In an effort to give a visual impression of this concept, I took an old, unsuccessful painting of the lighthouse at Los Pinos and...began again.  I was very intrigued by the patterns that its dome and windows created as I brayered thin layers of paint to break up the original image.  It reminded me of photographs I had seen of carvings made into the sides of mountains in the Far East.  With this memory, and the lyrics of the song 'Pilgrim steps' in my mind, I decided to build on this image, and to flesh it out on the surface of this painting.  Continuing on the Asian line of thought, I became curious to know what the kanji for 'Pilgrim steps' might be.  I was very intrigued by the calligraphic form of the characters, and decided to integrate them into the painting.  The colors I chose are deep and dramatic, much like the emotions that accompany 'beginning again'...but if you look closely, to the left of what appears to be carvings in stone, there is a bridge, a visual sign of 'the path'. 

Pilgrim Steps

In closing, let me share one more quote, from Sir Ken Robinson.  He says, 'Being creative has all kinds of manifestations.  It's not just in the arts.  It's not just in music, or dance, or theatre, or writing, or painting, though it is in all of those things.  You can be creative at anything.  You can be creative in business.  You can be creative in technology and science - in anything that involves your intelligence.  But being creative, which is about having original ideas, requires actual skills in the field in which you are working - and an openness of mind, a willingness to explore, a confidence in your imagination, a willingness to try things out and make mistakes and try again.'

To get past fear and anxiety, and to be a true pilgrim, carving a way through uncharted territory, we must learn to breathe and have confidence that the skills we hold within, along with our creative energies, will be enough to see us through.

To hear the song 'Pilgrim steps', written and performed by my friend, Larry Looney, click on the 'play' arrow below...