Shine On

This might not be obvious from previous posts - in fact, this might run entirely contrary to previous posts, come to think of it - but I am a relatively happy person. With few breaks in continuity, I have primarily looked upon the world in general with a glass-three-quarters-full, anything-is-possible sort of attitude. It's no coincidence that the first tattoo I chose was a sunshine with a Northward-pointing compass directional above it. Sunny, happy-go-lucky, joyous, brighten-your-spirits - I identify deeply with those descriptors.

In my darkest of days (the ones that seem most often to find their outlet here), one or the other of the wonderful people whom I cherishingly (is that a word?) claim as friends nearly always manages to remind me that I am valuable, to them and to my boys and to others as well. In the throes of pain, it's not always easy to dredge up (or believe) that kind of information by myself. It's much, much easier to believe that my contribution to this world is so little as to be utterly insignificant, which invariably breeds the thought: "Then what's the point?"

There's always a point, to every life that exists then ceases to exist. How we perceive, receive, believe and allow those lives to achieve their ends provides us with the reason. When we stifle life, our own or others, we cause damage that's impossible to measure. Still, those times are ripe for learning, too, in the endless, formless, timeless way that existence simply happens.

As I continue to emerge from my current cycle, rising into the next one with just a little more grace, a little more wisdom, a little more experience, and just possibly a little less baggage, I can feel a radiance beginning to grow within. It's always been there, though it's been frightfully dim for too long. With continued nurturing, that light will once again have the chance to shine through - Future's so bright, we're all gonna need shades!

Aha-ha-ha-ha

Amazing the things we begin and allow to lapse and start over and forget about and try again...

I've been reading (and re-reading) a comforting book called "Making Your Creative Dreams REAL" by SARK. It's a very forgiving way of following your OWN path toward the dreams you have, be they outlandish or practical or somewhere in between.

From it I've been learning a lot about my own creative process - not only the measurement of my progress, but truly of the process itself. I dream of being a well-fed, published writer. I think I learned to be a storyteller when I was very young so it's a dream that's been nurtured since I can remember. It's also a dream that's ripe for moving into it's next phase, shifting its incarnation from a hidden, little-shared state to (at least) peeking out into the big, glorious, scary, wonderful world.

Another suggestion SARK offers is to make microMOVEments - these are small steps that eventually add up to bigger and bigger accomplishments. My past two weeks have been full of these small steps (plus a few of what I call macroMOVEments) and has resulted in my having a mostly clean, somewhat usable craft room for the first time in many, many, months.

Just in case I never get to say it anywhere else, thanks SARK!