Dawning of a New Art Challenge

Dawning of a New Art Challenge

My newest self-imposed art challenge: I choose this moment to recognize the urge to push beyond some unseen boundary that has been keeping my blogging at bay. In 2013 I attempted a challenge to create and POST a new image everyday for a year. It was more than I could do. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about self-challenges, it’s that I do much better with those that I can succeed. So, this time, in an attempt to revitalize my art sharing efforts, I challenge myself to complete an image a day for one week. Then, I will re-evaluate and perhaps make another small scale challenge to myself.

I’ve been creating images and/or working on other creative projects some little bit everyday. The problem has been that I have not shared hardly any of them. The more I didn’t share, the more guilty I felt, and the more difficult it became to break free of my self-imposed limitation. It has now gotten so ridiculous that I’m going to break the down-spiraling cycle the only way that I can imagine doing so, by covering my eyes and blindly acting as if it’s not a big deal that I stopped and went on sharing hiatus for 2014. I intend to get back to sending out my newsletter the same way.

How about you? Do you have any invisible boundaries that have kept you from expressing, creating or sharing? Have you considered sharing your own art challenge? If so, share it with me on facebook. You might even win something. I’m thinking I would like to gift those that walk along the path with me.

Bunch of Hooey

A bunch of hooey!
(but not on my shooey)
Just throwing it around
as he relished the sound
of his own voice
All for the fun of it
like the Stooges woo-wooed it
or Laurel and Hardy danced it
when the camera was around
A lark in the park
or a laugh in the dark…
It all keeps us saying
Patooey!…

Squirrel Encounter

Big, fluffy squirrel
looked in at me
holding me still with her eyes
Paws gripping and ungripping
tail struggling not to flitter
Sunlight speckling
an abstract background
=======
Moments stretched 
to more and longer
My fingers wanting to tap
toes aching to dance
Wishing I had a tail to swish
Caught in the magic of the light
 squirrel encounter…

Wild Places

In the wild places
where civilization
and wilderness coincide
co-reside and co-exist
Bears take a stroll
in the parking lots
deer eat the pansies
and coyotes track kitty cats
=========
There in that place
wild artists chalked beauty
And a happy porcupine
observed with flying prickles
leaning on elbows
in his wild west wagon of joy…

Fierce Joy

The intensity of inspiration
rides on the bobbing heels
of fierce joy

Tumbles off lips with abandon

bursts into existence

before any loquacious editorial

———

Though any attempt
failed at capping the stream of it

Still, hearts all around
could not help rejoicing

In the pools and eddies
of residual epiphanies

Prayer

Each day a prayer
A walking prayer for all
rising up through the bones
circulating in the blood
infilling my being
Creator, open our eyes
that we may see the truth
Open our ears
that we may hear the truth
Make our hearts strong
that we may walk in a good way
on the rough and rocky road
of truth on this planet

Emotional Tsunami

A wave of emotion
an ocean tsunami
storms uprising
or deeper movement
Surprising the sun
with jewel-like reflections
Appearing playful
or angry or brutal
hiding fear in the reactions of others

When done, washed through

all is changed and clear…

Bless the Frog

Dreams awakened
by a frog on the forehead
have a whole different flavor
Than musings fraught
with idle moment’s fancies
or even whirring wheels
of worry’s wiles
=========
Bless the frog
Don’t throw him across the room

Shadows

The shadows play big
with the light from the side
Shade stretching and slithering
across the landscape

• • •

She pumped her feet
and leaned deep in the push
going higher and higher
-but never any lower-
As her shadow slid
like a water slick
across the dappled ground

Another Beginning

Rookie ‘til the end
For it’s an eternal
ever now beginning
And the “end” is actually
(let’s not mistake it for otherwise),
another beginning

• • •

A wise one said sagely
to stay in beginner’s mind
How could one not?
Since each and every single moment
is, in itself, a new beginning