Time and momments

Too many days have slipped away in the connected momments of interaction. Conversations, meals, critiques and lectures have filled the past four weeks. The space to write was lost in the rich personal flood of realationships deepened and new born. This is but a brief window of a momment to reflect on the recent space of time.

Re-enchantment of hope

Art made with a sense of hope provides a potent factor at the deepest levels of an artist's consciousness, since hope radically alters one's inner intention and feeling of purpose. (Gablik, 1991) Now may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Letter to the Christians in Rome 15:13) v. to have a wish for something to be true. n. a feeling that something desirable is likely to happen. n (archaic) a feeling of trust.

As people of faith, we have hope in the Divine, we have hope in the power of goodness, we have hope in the positive transformation of people's lives, we have hope in a beter future and a more fulfilled present.

As artists, we have hope that our work will make a difference, we have hope that the time in our studios brings honor to the God we serve, we have hope that the success we experience rests in the hands of someone greater than ourselves, we have hope that a life spent in service to the materials and people of art is of value.

Hope.

Blindness in the midst

It was at the end a very difficult day that clarity struck with a vengeance. The moment when the day could have shifted out of hyperdrive and into a calm flow of work that both invigorated and "made a difference." The light shown upon the email like it was radiant with warning and advice. The words spoke of acceptance and embracing the results of the machine of command that grinds onward in spite of what may be right or fair. The bigger picture of institutional culture moves forward like a steam roller over voices of quiet and distressed concern. Taking a deep breadth of remorse and planning out next steps focused on the larger engagement of interactions brings some relief from the blindness. Seeing clearly allows for a different future and a letting go of the past, not in defeat, but rather with a learned understanding of the signs to look for right before the bicycle leans too far and the ground sweeps up to meet me.