The road is never straight.
Trust you are on the right path, for life is filled with many twists and turns.
I’ve been working really hard on re-defining my brand and all the technical pieces of running an art business. Stay tuned for an official invitation to check out my new website.
Naturally all this thinking and doing takes using my left brain — logic, focus and analysis. Yet our intuition and creative abilities inhabit our right brains. During these past few months the imaginative, spontaneous and holistic side of my brain function has been limited to strategies, learning systems and creating order.
Our brains have incredible power. They govern our physical movement, intellect, memory and emotion. They do an amazing job interpreting the outside world but truly embody the essence of our minds and souls.
2020 has been filled with plenty of confusion, perplexity and bewilderment. We might feel trapped in a maze, days filled with false paths (abrupt routines) or dead ends (cancelled plans).
Recently I came across a labyrinth at a university arboretum. There is something inviting but mysterious about labyrinths. Labyrinths date back four thousand years. They are ancient symbols relating to “wholeness”. Unlike mazes (that are more like solving a puzzle), labyrinths are purposeful paths combining meandering circles and spirals. You can find an abundance of natural forms from plant tendrils and flower buds, to shells and whelks along with hurricanes, whirlpools and spirals in the galaxy that have inspired ancient and modern cultures. Visualize the beauty of forged antique ironwork gates in cities like Charleston or New Orleans, the majesty of classical filigree and scrollwork that kisses the facades in Italy, France and Germany or contemporary buildings like the Guggenheim museum or the outstanding double helix wedding chapel design by Hiroshi Nakamura in Japan. All places I have visited or wish to visit...one day!
Worldwide labyrinths occur in many forms, materials and sizes. You can find them in cathedrals, chapels, schools, gardens, hospitals, public spaces, spas and retreats just to name a few. Walking a labyrinth is about the journey as much as the destination. It is a meditative practice for body and spirit often providing insight, clarity and inspiration. Walk slowly and calmly — open your senses.
On this particular day I was walking at dusk. Twilight provided a sky filled with the last minutes of golden sunlight that turned into a fiery mountain backdrop through the trees. As I meandered the path, the world around me transitioned to dusty pinks and violets softly clearing any worries and anxieties of the day but also reminding me of the precious people and moments that are part of my world.
Two days later I traveled the labyrinth for a second time but this time at day break. I could see the path in full view. The way in, is the way out. The morning sun filtered through the trees like a sparkling divine light, the sound of my feet rustled the fallen leaves, the air was crisp and clean. How different the world feels at dawn — full of possibility and hopefulness.
Inspiration does not take a linear path. For me it resides in the mental, physical and spiritual.
If you are seeking creative ideas or ways to refresh your mind and spirit — go walking.
JJH