Drawing by Artist Paul Foxton, from "Learning to See".
By Mildred Wilson.
Today, May 5th 2016, by "accident" I opened this blog from "Learning to See" that I have saved on my pages a while back, and received a gift at the end of a touching story – not without making me reflect on my daily life and perhaps on a couple of occasions that I have gone through a similar experience, although not as serious as this, but bad enough to trap YOU into a body pain for a consistent period of time making you oblivious to the body and almost pushing away your awareness and spiritual traits that enable you to have a fruitful living experience and a meaningful life to say the least.
It is fair to say that this applies to my ordinary days as well; where one is sometimes sucked into the daily obligations and routines, blinding you enough to not notice the small and infinite number of things, people, situations and moments that make up the quality of everyday living and which, if noticed otherwise, would make our lives richer and fuller – and the lives of those around us. Thanks, Paul and I hope you get well soon.
A gift
My little moment with my clementine this morning made such an impression on me that I decided to take the time to draw it. I know no better way to slow down enough to notice something fully, no better way to be grateful.
And since today feels like a new day, I’m starting a new drawing practice: a simple drawing a day, with a simple word or two a day, something to carry with me (and to carry me) through the day. It’s my way to take time out and breathe, and to remind myself to notice and to be grateful. Not to rush. Not to miss the important things.
Each drawing, each word, represents a way for me to find my way into the present moment. Present. It also means a gift, as each moment taken to notice something fully is a gift, to be held and treasured.
Join me? — By artist Paul Foxton, "Learning to See". (More reflections).
Drawing by Artist Paul Foxton, from "Learning to See".
I love your drawings!
And I'll be joining you –I have subscribed to your daily gifts and have adopted your practice; I think this is a great idea and here is my first (as I learn how to draw better!): a charcoal pencil, my current best friend.
Every day I battle to keep the momentum going for a starting art career as I share time between art and working & studying obligations. Yet, I'm working at taking advantage of these "constraints" which ultimately I believe are necessary in an artist's life – and most probably in everyone's life, everyone with their own. So I am thankful for those and the pencil.
This is going to be great to keep the momentum going nicely — a small and sweet dose of gratitude every day, magic!
Quick charcoal drawing of my Conte Pencil.
Lastly, a 4 minute reflection on being a good listener —By Alain De Botton, whom I think is a great product of our time.
"It seems to me that today, if the artist wishes to be serious -- to cut out a little original niche for himself, or at least preserve his own innocence of personality -- he must once more sink himself in solitude. There is too much talk and gossip; pictures are apparently made, like stock-market prices, by competition of people eager for profit; in order to do anything at all we need (so to speak) the wit and ideas of our neighbors as much as the businessmen need the funds of others to win on the market. All this traffic sharpens our intelligence and falsifies our judgment."
— Edgar Degas, French artist (1834-1917).
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