It has been some time since I have written my blog. I have had quite a journey getting to this place and have come out looking back at my trials as true blessings.
I am grateful for where and who I am today.
I have grown greatly with the help of incredible dear people in my life.
I have grown greatly with the help of incredible dear people in my life.
Have I emerged a new person? Perhaps, I am a person that has integrated those loose parts of me that faced the challenges into one better person who has some nicks but much better compassion towards others and hopefully, more wisdom...
As an artist, I feel it is part of my soul's experiences, to take these experiences and translate them into my work.
At this year's 2016 NIADA Conference I was ask to be the keynote speaker. Susan Scogin had definite ideas of where she wanted this presentation to take the audience. We spoke quite in depth about the deeper meanings of being an artist and how to inspire others through their emotions and feelings to extend inwards and using this in their art.
So over the next month or so, I will share with you my presentation in this limited forum...The one thing that I thought was (and still is) interesting is the difference in not only the dolls but also in the photography of the two very talented photographers!
I started with my Four Seasons Dolls as follows...and in later postings transition into my Moth Dolls.
· I found that
we don’t create reality, it just is but it is our response to that reality that
we create our world that we live in.
· I also
discovered that how I responded to each part of my journey was directly related
to distinct parts of my being and that I was able to see a connection to my art
as the Four Seasons.
Winter ~ Snow
Flower
When one was
about to give up hope that the cold winter would never end, an angel spirit
appeared, transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers, proving
that winter eventually gives way to spring. This simple
little flower is a symbol of transformation, hope, purity and consolation.
Winter...in life everything is cyclical...everything has a
season...everything changes.
· My dear Dad said
"Nothing is permanent except for change".
· In our own lives, we may
be in the midst of a coldness and even perhaps deep darkness, but as time wears
on a light will appear within the darkness.
· A light that will bring
forth hope and calmness in knowing that nothing is permanent.
· I found the more I
reached for that beauty, the more I found the balance that was so needed at
that time.
· Hope does not come
naturally us humans, we must practice at it.
Spring ~ Delicate Blossom
New blossoms symbolize feminine beauty,
grace, gentility, and happiness. Pink blossoms convey youth, innocence, and
joy. It is the end of difficult period and the beginning of a new Life
cycle.
Spring...a fresh start...a new blossom.
· I find that in our hearts, Spring can
happen anytime, in any season, after any life changing or challenging
event.
· We have all heard the
words of Spring cleaning...to sweep out or get rid of the
unwanted.
· I fell that it important
to integrate these things that have touched or tortured my heart.
· They became a part of me
and now I could start spring forth with new knowledge of what makes us- us.
· Spring forth with those
new blossoms of wisdom and grace to learn more about me and who I am without
restrictions.
Summer, in most climates, is the warmest
of most seasons. The sun is a warming presence, so it heats up our passions, our desires, and warms our hearts to the potential
that we may bring to our life.
In China
· This was the
time when I was able to feel safe enough to start to feel things emotionally,
to shed tears of things that I never was able to have in my childhood or as an
adult.
· I was
becoming a woman, I was growing and I was stronger within myself.
Autumn ~ Beautiful Haven
Chinese lantern flowers symbolism - they have an endearing and
joyful emblem of warmth. Given that these flowers enfold and defend the small,
delicate fruit buried within their husks, they may be the perfect symbol for
protection. Their fiery orange red hue denotes a passion for life, amiability,
endurance and vitality.
During this part of my journey, I
felt fragile, exposed, and felt that I needed some emotional protection. I
researched many different things that bloom in China
· Through my
challenging life’s journey, I found that I was finally able to let things go.
· By letting go
I was now able create a new beauty even in the most challenging times. I was
able create my own life…my own haven.
· It has been
an incredible time of learning so much about myself and who I am.
Next week: Transition
