"SWEET DREAMS" - OCTOBER

LOOKING FOR THE "BIGGER" PICTURE...

In the thick of things

I fail to see

how all the parts

form the whole.

THE CHOICE IS MINE...

Whether I'm wallowing in the dark

or focusing on the light...

I'm accutely aware that I have the ability 

to create my own illusions.  

DON'T FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS...

I was depending on the guy 

with the flashlight to show me 

where to go.  

He says his only job is to help me 

put one foot in front of the other.  

NOW WHAT?

FLASHLIGHT ANYONE?

I'm trying to spread light

out into the world, 

but it's stuck on my face.

BORED OUT OF MY MIND...

Someone is telling me a story about their daughter and 

her trip to the grocery store.  It's a boring story 

but I'm trying hard to tell my face to listen 

while my mind takes off in another direction.  

My face is refusing to honor my request and runs after my mind.  

I apologize to the lady telling the boring story 

and run off to catch them both.

STUCK ON YOU

I don't understand.

Why can't you see we're the perfect pair?

So what if he's a little sharp?

I'm so tough,

I don't feel a thing.

DEAD FLOWERS VS USED CRAYONS

Will the crayons last forever

if I don't use them - 

or will I simply grow bored

looking at their perfect shapes and colors?

Maybe I'll appreciate them more

knowing they will eventually 

be gone.

 

STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND .....ANOTHER ROCK?

I'm stuck.

Can't move.

Well...that's not entirely true.

I get a choice...

but only ONE choice.

Once I make it - that's it.

If I don't make the RIGHT choice...

then...

I'm stuck for good.

That's what I think, anyway.

HIDING FROM "THE CALL"

I hide in the forest

listening to the sound 

of distant thunder, 

wondering if it will

find me

and force me to go home.

 

OH NO...NOT ROSES

I was expecting asparagus but got roses instead.

I don't want to seem ungrateful but how

do I pretend to be happy with roses?
Perhaps if I take off the rose;
I can pretend the stems are asparagus.
 I feel better now that I've arrived at a solution.

WHEN THE ROOF CAVES IN...

It's obvious I'm going to have to dig

my way out, but for now,

I'd rather just pretend that I didn't

click on the command that 

wiped out my entire hard drive.

 

 

 

PLEASE...DON'T CALL ME THE 'EARLY BIRD'

While the bed of lettuce 
feels soft, I'm distracted

by the thought of
sharing it with
a worm.

MISSING THE BOAT

I know I should get on the boat, 

but my feet feel so good in the sand.

As it pulls away from the dock,

I change my mind;

 too late...

as the concrete 

hardens around my toes.

LOOKING FOR CLUES

If I trusted my feet 

to know where to go, 

perhaps I'd see the obstacles 

that stand in my way.

A PUTTER'S NOT A PAINT BRUSH

There's fog on the lake.
It lifts in spots making the night
like a person with skin disease.
I try using my golf club; 
waving it around in the air 
to no avail.
The putter is just too small to make
a difference.
I don't care
I do it anyway...
just to say I tried.

STUMPED

The test is to see how long I can hold my breath.  

I'm cheating because I can breath through 

my ears but, of course, no one is aware of this.  

The only problem is, I don't know how to turn blue.

THE "hide and please find" GAME

I'm aware that I look like I'm in my own little world

but, really, I'm not.  Hidden... yet seen.  Obscured by the corn tails; 

exposed when the wind blows.  I pretend to be unaware and look away -  

all the while hoping you'll see me.

"Ho Hum" The Race Is Won

It's so hard to move on when I know the rabbit
only has three paws and will never catch me.
There's no sense of urgency.
No reason to race ahead.
No "life or death" feeling.
I think this must be good
but then why does it feel so "blah?"

The "Beast" Always Wins

I'd like to enjoy the beautiful scenery but

I'm too wrapped up in my ugly thoughts.

The Desperate Race to "Enable"

I'm so proud of myself

as I dive into the water fully clothed, 

purse on my shoulder,
shoes on my feet

to rescue someone who 

has absolutely no need for my help.

A Bad Acting Job

I look silly as I pretend to feel

comfortable on a bed of thorns.

The "LOVE" Prison

While love and support may feel good,

it may also hold me hostage

in its lovely woven net.

Contrasting Values

The darker the surroundings, 

the brighter I have to shine; 

lest I be swallowed up by the night.

A Revlon Moment

What if the lipstick I wear as I sleep, 

doesn't match the outfit in my dream?

THE BEST LAID PLANS

THE DREAMING MUSE SERIES

October 6, 2010 proved to be one of the most memorable birthdays of my life for several reasons.  First, it marked the end of a project I had started on my 59th and second, it marked the end of my loving sister's life.  

I was so proud that I would be completing the 365 Talking Heads project; creating one clay head a day for one full year starting on my 59th birthday and ending on my 60th.  I was suppose to be in the South of France on that birthday, celebrating the beginning of a new decade and a new creative outlet.  Instead, I found myself at my sister's bedside as she gracefully passed from the living into the unknown.  She died on October 9, 2010.  I still miss her.

It's been a difficult year.  Yet, in spite of the trauma of losing my sister AND my mother within three months of each other, I feel the loss has brought me closer to finding my creative self in ways I never expected.

As October 6, 2011 approaches, I feel compelled to begin yet another project; picking up where I left off with the original 365 Talking Heads.  I miss the daily practice.  I miss creating the clay heads that seem to speak to me through my subconscious; providing me with food for thought and challenging me to stay true to the daily, creative meditation.  

My dreams have often proven to be the guiding light as I navigated through the emotional roller coaster of events this past year.  I've been fortunate to have had dreams of both my mother and my sister; an unexpected gift.  As a result, I am fascinated with the effect dreams may have on my daily life and often wonder how they influence my creativity.  Hence, my next project.

On October 6, 2011, I'll begin the process of recording the essence of my nightly dreams.  Not necessarily the dream itself, but the images and feelings I have upon waking.  I'll move from that to creating a "sleeping" face out of polymer clay and, as I did from 2009 - 2010, let it "speak its truth" to me.  What does it mean?  I have no idea!  How will it unfold?  I'm stumped!  But as usual, I'm sure the journey will be more than I could have ever bargained for!

I hope you'll join me for the next adventure; 365 Talking Heads; The Dreaming Muse Series

Three Sleeping Moons

Three Sleeping Moons is very near completion.  I have been working on it for almost a year and had hopes of competing it by October 9th as that is the anniversary date of my sister's death.  I don't know if that's going to be possible but perhaps it's really not that important anyway. Completing the piece won't be nearly as meaningful as the process of creating it has been.

From the moment I positioned the three sleeping faces onto the fabric, I realized their significance. It was clear to me they represented my relationship with the two most important and influential women in my life; both of whom died within three months of each other in 2010.

I have learned over this past year that grief can open the door to creativity and along with it the opportunity to reconnect (in a different way) with someone who is no longer in physical form.

How fortunate I am to have had 60 years with two amazing women who always had my back and who will continue to live on in my heart.