joy

Fast and Slow

There are things you ought to do quickly: running races and putting out fires come to mind.

But most things are better done slowly and with full presence: eating, visiting with friends and family, petting your dog, folding laundry, washing dishes, drawing scary rabbits…these daily activities are what make up the vast portion of your life.

 

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Drawing practice #25

 

Twigs and Bones

When I walk among the trees,

I drink in the rays of light

that peek through the leaves

and my feet crunch the “dead” things

but they are not lifeless

see here?

insects march and work

fungus and lichen exchange food

the twigs lie in wait

to service fires and soil

and you are not dead – never were –

your spirit lives on in everyone you ever met

 

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Twigs – Drawing Practice

 

Is That a Sheep?

I shared my drawing of llamas today with my fifth graders.

llamas

I got a rousing, “Not bad!”

 

For some reason, they loved yesterday’s 5 minute timed writing prompt:

“Describe how to drive your teacher crazy.”

Ahhhh. Kids.

 

Each morning, I open my drawing book, 20 Ways to Draw Everything. I make myself draw whatever is in front of me. I am always tempted to draw the easiest figures. I might start with the easiest, but I know that I will not get better if I stick to the simple ones. My initial goal was to draw all 20, but because I have only 45 minutes to draw before I go to work, I choose about six: a few easy, a few difficult.

It’s become my morning meditation.

C’est La Vie

Student Council member: “We didn’t get out Student Council t-shirts in time for Club Picture Day?”

Me: “No, they haven’t arrived.”

StuCo member: “Wow. That’s a problem. That’s a real issue.”

Me: “No, it’s not. We’ll get them when we get them. We will take our pictures wearing what we’re wearing and smile. It is what it is.”

At first blush, this sounds like a negative and cold response. But diving deeper, you can see that “It is what it is” is actually a great way to deflect negativity. Why stew about something that we cannot help? Why feel bad and see “no t-shirts” as a problem? There is no solution except to accept it, happily.

This doesn’t apply to areas where there might be a solution of course. I am a proponent of seeking creative solutions to any and all problems. But in cases where there is nothing to be done, why fret?

 

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Drawing #4 – “A Few Look Like Otters”

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