Day 19 // shadow & contrast

I thought the most beautiful thing in the world must be shadow. ~Sylvia Plath

I am abiding with shadow and contrast for Art Every Day Month. Seeking out reflections of darkness within light and contrasts each day during my walks.

There is strong shadow where there is much light. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I am finding sanctuary {shelter; safety} in the shadows; I am {my own} safe place … at the door step of my entrance.

So don’t be frightened, dear friend, if a sadness confronts you larger than any you have ever known, casting its shadow over all you do. You must think that something is happening within you, and remember that life has not forgotten you; it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall. ~Rilke

Emotions are messengers … Whispering secret messages to those who will listen … and those who will resist blaming others for what they feel. Feelings, like spot lights — bright light, shadow.

What do you see, Braveheart?

To the person in the bell jar … the world itself is the bad dream. ~Sylvia Plath

My years hold my {living}. I am acutely aware of my journey thus far: mile markers of decision and joy, of necessity and heartache … I am remembering conversations with my grandmother, especially when she was my age. She was my most beloved guide; a woman who was intentional with her words.

Her support was constant; her challenges to me inspiring … even when her words felt harsh, a canvas of contrasts. Because her love was true and her acceptance more than mere syllables … never trite, never pat answers.

remembering in the shadows with my grrl

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. ~Edgar Degas

This quotation cues various responses when I read it; when I posted it three weeks ago it meant “This is how I experienced the primary color of yellow, what do you see?”

Two weeks ago, these words felt more like, “My life is my art: how I experience maturation, chronic illness and exploring what is my Onward, my Next. What do you see?”

Last week … I realized I had chosen all three primary colors as a weekly focus, a color study; that the simplest of noticing is a complete work art in and of itself, Braveheart.

My realization this week: the contrast of {living} is not what I see as much as the contrasts of what others {my relationships} allow me to see — when I look.

Art Every Day Month//fostering creativity. AEDM 2013 for me will be intentional time for color and art and observation. Honoring rhythms and doing whatever works + accepting my decisions & outcomes, without each choice standing trial or proving its worth. Today is Day 19 in my countdown of 100 Days // a promise to myself