Organizing to Do



Step 1: The Sketch
Where to Next?

A fellow creative soul, as well as a dear friend, and I managed to exchange a couple of emails that somewhat constituted a conversation.  With our equally crazy schedules, it has become a rarity, indeed.

In her part of the initial conversation, she was able to take a break from her thriving craft business. Instead of pushing ahead with marketing tedium, she was taking the available time to reorganize her art studio and areas.

While in several ways this may seem as if it is procrastination, I can appreciate the need to regroup. It may not seem to be working towards a successful art business, the need to step back and look at your surroundings. But, it is actually crucial at times.

Often, it seems that when we just roll with the tide of life, we flounder, unable find a focus. When we stop, look and evaluate the direction of the tide, we can remind ourselves of where it is exactly we meant to go in the first place.

I’ve found myself doing a tremendous amount of reevaluating where I want to go with my art, and with Mike’s photography. In the rush to get our name out to the local circuit of craft outlets and art groups, I found myself  being approached to do things that were, honestly, not what I enjoyed doing.  It was not what I wanted Bronson Hill Arts to become.

I enjoyed trying new crafts and mediums, techniques and designs. But I  feel  as though  I have been sidetracked in developing the type of artwork for which  I am passionate.

So, yes, here’s to “procrastinating” enough to redirect and refocus.

It’s not only a necessity: it’s a wonderful thing to give one’s self.

Step 2: Watercolor Colorization 

 

Chaos

Grey Gold

 A theme often touched upon in this blog is learning to accept giving ourselves some slack in our lives. When there are so many details in your world that seem to need tending, a loss of enjoyment of your life can follow.

So, while allowing the little things slide so as indulge ourselves in the bigger and better aspects of our lives is tricky, learning to deal with the onslaught of chaos is an entirely different situation. And, much more difficult to tame.

Chaos can be induced by something as minor as a head cold, or as major as losing a job. The hassle of rearranging a week of activities and obligations can be overwhelming; fortunately, the possible off-putting of events for a week can help us to avoid having to do too much maneuvering immediately. Chaos can be ignored sometimes and, often, we are better to just do so.

But, when it is something as encompassing as loss of a job, a career, an income, the chaos that ensues can be overwhelming. A reevaluation of an entire lifestyle doesn’t come simply, nor is it something that can be pushed away in the hope that delay will make the chaos disappear.

The idea of just offering it up to the Universe begs the issue of bringing our lives back into a livable state. The tricky part of chaos descending is that it is like a violent, churning ocean storm in which you are caught without a usable vessel: you are not only treading water to stay afloat, but know that you need to be swimming toward shore before the waves overtake you. The shore is order, land under our feet the necessary control. The Universe may wash you onto the sand, but without your contribution of effort, the odds decrease significantly.

There are times when it seems like an entire front of chaos blows across your shoreline, tossing a new storm over your haven constantly, ripping the plywood you’ve just affixed for safety, off, in a single puff.

Other Side of the Door

Yep.

Been that way for a while now. Still have no system to bring chaos into line; still dealing with each crisis, unexpected expense, loss, illness, etc., at a time. Sometimes it’s relatively clear what needs to be done to move out of the storm. Other times, there is no obvious solution; or worse, any solution that you can implement as others hold the power, if you will.

Maybe it is as straightforward as letting the Universe decide for you. Maybe it is forgiving yourself for not having the ability to solve a situation brought about by chaos. Maybe it just is what it is and it’s okay to accept that. Maybe it is taking a lot of deep breaths, closing your eyes, opening them again and refocusing your energies.

It seems to most likely be the last one. And, that’s okay if that's what it has to be.

Expanse at Sunset
 

 

IF Snow

Fun in the Snow
4x6 Water Soluble Pencil on 140# Strathmore Paper
©2012 BEDeuel

With less than 2 weeks until the Christmas holiday, it’s beginning to look like it may be another Green Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not a huge fan of lots of snow. Recently, someone made the observation that the problem with snow is that it slows everything down. Which in our everyday lives, that makes things much more difficult.

But, for a moment, let’s take that idea, and a deep breath, and imagine our lives being leisurely enough to enjoy going slower. Let’s think of all the good things we could relish on a lovely, snowy day.

An easy walk, feeling the cool touch of the flakes landing on your face. The clean, white coating of purity on the world before you. Coming into a warm and cozy home with nothing more than relaxation on your agenda. Hot chocolate, of course. Lots of it. The feeling that there is nothing that needs to be done.

One of the most wonderful feelings in the world.

So, in spite of the lack of snow, it might be time to pretend: pretend that it’s okay to slow down and do nothing but stroll through a day.

I’m sure you’ve earned it!

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There is no possible way to offer anything to those this past week, in Oregon and Connecticut, who have lost loved ones. Just that you are all in our hearts and we cannot help but to cry with you.

 

Man In the Moon- Monday Art Day

Man In the Moon
5x7 Graphite & Watercolor
©BEDeuel/ Bronson Hill Arts

The topic for Monday Art Day is Man In the Moon (www.mondayartday.blogspot.com). There are always 3 things that come to mind whenever I think of the Man In the Moon: Andy Kaufman and REM; Jackie Gleason's face on the moon in the introduction to "The Honeymooners"; and, of course, especially this past month, Neil Armstrong and the moon landing in 1969.

As noted in the blurb with my Monday Art Day posting, I am still- so very many years later- in complete awe of the landing of Apollo 11. The reaching for and the success of conquering the "impossible" was never so clearly presented to the world, to the U.S., to the then-youth of the day.

We may have been tainted by this achievement in feeling that the world was ours to take. Of course, the economy, the expectations and the reality of life rarely make it that easy for us. Few of us have accomplished all the goals we thought we could. Not for lack of trying or working hard for those goals, but often just simply thwarted by unforseen circumstances.

Yet, paradoxically, perhaps we're all the tougher for having witnessed the "impossible" becoming possible. We know that, with the right investment of time and effort, all things can be possible. At least, that's how we were taught to think.

Maybe that's why we never give in and let life roll over us. We can't and we won't.

We can't all be heroes like Neil Armstrong, but we can take a piece of his accomplishments, a piece of his moon, and hold on the hope it represents and continue to strive to succeed.

RIP, Neil. Thank you for all you've given us. Thank you for being the Man in the Moon.



 

IF Puzzle

Man's Greatest Puzzle
Graphite on 6x9 60# Paper
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

The topic for this week's Illustration Friday is "Puzzle". It strikes a nerve for me this week: the puzzle of human nature is a neverending challenge.

So many people throw away a good situation reaching for the recreation of a glorified past relationship. A lot of us take for granted a wonderful person in our lives because "something" is "missing". As for men and women, well, John Gray's made a fortune trying to reconcile the male/female conundrum! And, many more authors will continue to make money this way.

But, the puzzle will never be solved.

Because, people always want more than they perceive that they possess. This is an important and positive trait that has made man alter his environment, always looking to improve his lot. It's a destructive and negative tendency in that it blinds us to what we do possess that does make us happy.

I guess all I really want to say today is this: Take a look at your life and do whatever you can to enhance the presence of the good things in your world and expand on them. Don't toss them in pursuit of something different; work to make your life better with what you already have.

You have the pieces to the puzzle. Just take the time and effort to put them in the right places!

IF Yield

Never Yield
6x6 Watercolor on Smooth Bristol
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

With the winds of March upon us, particularly here on the Hill, the vision of mightily fighting the gusts came to mind.

A damaged, broken umbrella has lost its purpose, while a swept-back coat offers little, if any, protection against the force she faces.

Yet, she still moves into the wind, determined to get to her destination.

From this point, I could launch a parable describing how this scene represents so many days in our lives. But, there really isn't any need, is there?

We can all see ourselves pushing to overcome the many hindrances that life throws at us.

And, thus the title: Never Yield.

Have a great and, however you might measure it, success-filled week!