A Little Crack Leads to Freedom (1)

I am finding that after years, I have a ton of old ideas. Well, Elisa, I say to myself: of course it’s been 30 years, every new idea has become old. It’s an attempt to brush me away from noticing more closely the things bringing dis-ease and all that comes with it into my life. If I can see it, then I have a way of doing something about them. WE CAN’T HAVE THAT!!, chatters half of the itty bitty shitty committee in my head. The other half says OMG HOW HORRID, See we KNEW you weren’t doing it right (good enough) get to Work, obsess over it until enough is achieved. Sigh.

So, I was inspired to try sketching/drawing a pumpkin yesterday. Not just a pumpkin, I can do those. I mean a pumpkin, like from a sketch artist. You know a perfect one (rolling my eyes as itty bitty shitty committee agree including vigorous head nodding). So, I started to ruin the thought, and to sort of argue with the committee. This removed the joy of the thought.

It also became clear as the argument ensued, that old abusive voice from a parental unit: Drawings and Poetry are a waste of good wood. This is what these are good for…and crumpling them and tossing then into the wood stove in front of me. The person didn’t just do one or two. The person waited for a pile, so that the horror of who I believed I was and my child joy and wishing to be enough, for praise and love…was crushed.

The odd, or not so odd perhaps, thing about this is that I have been away from these people for More than 30 years. So, I noticed that while there is/was a real source of the idea that I cannot do art, or of it’s value, even to myself is just for burning. I put that onto myself now. I don’t believe a personal expression has no value. I do not believe what they said. I believe they were very sick people, who couldn’t have done it any other way and that I get to put that down.

How the hell do I put it down!?! It’s not a rock. The itty bitty chitty committee shouts we would have put it down if it were a thing to put down! We are NOT stupid! (Which I find funny since they do appear to love to cling to such things to use on me at all times, what would happen to them if I managed to put down the old idea?

So as I was muttering to myself and the committee, the idea came to mind that time I found YouTube videos about drawing flowers, which made things in such a perspective to get around what I thought drawing was and to remove a little crumb of the I cannot do this idea. Of course it felt nice, so I could not follow through. I learned to draw two flowers and suddenly I had no time or something. My committee is cunning, baffling, and powerful! Perhaps I could give them a kindergarten star chart for great cunning, baffling, and powerful ideas! (And then do what I really want or believe—while still practicing principles)

So I took a breath, got the paper and pencils, got super judgy about the stuff I noted in the paper tiny drawings FAILURES already present, and I said to them shhhh look at that effort.

So I found a video about a pumpkin, I did NOT have all the right pencils (a sin i know). And I set out to simple follow the directions of the dude in the video. This is also funny as sometimes I get guidance and good orderly direction from a dude I call Dude!

So I was so intent, in a good and free way following the video dude there was nearly no time for inner chatter. They did appear to be over my shoulder, this pumpkin doesn’t look like his, so I said that’s okay I’m just following directions, leaving it free to see what comes out at the end from being literal. I ENJOYED MYSELF! (I swear as I am writing the committee just said EEE GADS! The horror! We have too…).

The pumpkin will not win any art awards. The pumpkin will not be hung in The White House. What I got, in that moment from the pumpkin, nothing bad happened during or after. I shared it with a friend, and I thought at the time I wanted praise. This morning I know it is a badge of freedom. I did what I wanted to do and nothing bad happened to me. This stepping out of the normal to me misery, caused them for a bit to create jittery shaky tummy and body feelings. I said to them, it’s ok see, it only feels funny because for all these years we are waiting to be harmed. Doing things differently does feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable and Danger fear, to my body and the committee have so far registered from the brain to the body a vast gun to the head fear response. This will fade as I practice. Uncomfortable is NOT Danger.

I guess I did way more than drawing a pumpkin. I looked inside my pumpkin.

Midsummer Evenings–June First Friday in Downtown Williamsport, PA

Good Evening!  I felt forced–I can DO that to myself, can you imagine it?!?! (snorfle)

I went back to the car and got the camera and the parts pleased to have some enjoyment time where all of the kiddos were occupied, smiled at the bright blue sky, hefty camera in hand, and exhilarating and creative evening breeze.  The insistent upon forced bit just really seemed to wish to badger me and say no no get to work no exhilaration!  And THERE, under the trees was…

Pan laughing at me and digging in his lil goat heels...

And I laughed while frowning at this shot that still isn’t my taste as I’m writing now.  And I looked around for an idea to shoot, which if you have read of my image shooting before does tend to get me ‘flat’ images, rather than those that speak and breath life.  One important aspect to life for me is knowledge, stimulation, input, and pondering things.  I turned, felt the golden light and…

James V. Brown Library Main Entrance

I frowned and thought that two shots did not make a Midsummer’s Evening.  I thought to decide NOT to decide what I would post and to simply walk along taking images and let them form themselves or for me to pick and choose later and not tell anyone.  Music and art galleries and crowds pulled me to join them and so, I went.

Beautifully Restored Building Downtown

I heard piano music next!

Beautiful Piano Notes Floating On The Air

I was at Bloomington Gallery: Fine Art and Antiques

There were disconnected heads to be decorated with different hats and posh clothes in order to fit impressions, though it seemed the mask had cracked a bit from working so hard not to notice the myriad reflections in the handy mirror, of course just ever so helpfully out of view of the ever so prim and proper head.

Perfect Mask

Mirror for A Mask

I was very pleased with all of the things to see in this place.  And the amazing people that I met!  An artist was sketching and I realized that she was one of the first people to come and to look at my images at the first of these First Friday Events, when I had a table and JOY OF JOYS!!  She remembered me!  That felt very nice.

Her name is Aly Mitchell.  Tonight, I got to see her works and a portrait creation in progress.

I also met the one sitting for the portait and his friends and family, who are also connected to the owner of the shop, who was out of town for the evening.

The man’s name is Nellie Stutzman.  Someone referred to him as “The King of East End”.  East End is a section of town.  Before I could get more of that story, his wife said….did he tell you about the shirt?  And I said noooooooo….TELL ME ABOUT THE SHIRT!

I went and asked him about the shirt…he made his face very flat and he blinked and he said, “I got this shirt at Bar Harbor at an Irish Shop.”  I did not write down his exact words, but I was sniffing a funny.  He also mumbled about it being a perfectly FINE shirt as evidenced by the tuxedo bits.  He kept a straight face and asked me what I thought was the matter with his shirt.

I said oh NO, it was THOSE female type persons over THERE in that far corner.  He said oh yes I know them(was his wife) and said…”you go back over there and tell them that I do not like them.”

In between all of this I got pictures of Nellie sitting, mostly still and of Aly drawing him.

The King of East End

I had a really nice evening and I learned that I need to adjust for motion as I go along!  Wonder what I’ll find tomorrow night?

One–Creative Every Day 2011, January Cosmos Theme

One--by elisabeth connelley

Charcoal and Oil Pastel, I woke up and there it was. First thing I’ve ever done that was NOT a doodle. How I could have forgotten of it for the Cosmos theme OIE!!!