Outside my studio window is a bird that sings at night. I don't know what kind of bird it is, i've never seen it. I only hear it singing. And only at night. This bird sings because it is what it does, naturally.
As i sit here in my studio I'm thinking about this bird and i'm pondering on a question that was posed to me recently. What is it that i want to do? What is it that makes my heart sing? What is it that i do because i do it naturally?
You know the age old question: if money wasn't the issue, what would you be doing? That's the one. Are you just doing the job or is the job you? Is it work? Do you love what you do, and do what you love? Think about it.
I've come up with a list of things i really like to do. Things that i loose myself in. Things that are a meditation when i do them.
Cooking and feeding people. I enjoy watching them eat the food that i've prepared for them as they enjoy it and are nourished. Planning the meals, putting myself and prayer into the food as i prepare it. The conversations that come up while they are gathered, i enjoy listening to them, participating. Laughing. Pausing. Hearing. Tasting. Considering. Sharing.
Creating my art. The paints and inks, the texture of the papers, the suppleness of the clay, the coldness of the glass, the smell of the wood, the metal as i carve it - the silence that i become as i immerse myself into my creating. I usually end up with ink stains and paint colors all over me but i love it. Soldering. Painting. Folding. Smoothing. Forming.
Music. Listening to music of all kinds. Drumming. The Blues. I can listen to music all day. I like to turn it up loud and bask in the sound. The only musical instrument i play is the drum. The djembe drum. Sometimes by myself but mostly within a group at a drum circle. I usually just close my eyes and let the music move me. Gabrielle Roth. James Asher. Mickey Hart. The Blues make me dance. Some days I just have to get up and move with it. Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Susan Tedeschi, Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, John Coltrane. These days i've also added some local artists - i'm not sure what type of music they play - Spirit Music perhaps? It does move my Spirit. Kyle Shiver, Dale Worley and James King, Prema Hara, Richard Hite, Matt Venuti. Artists that have come to my church and made beautiful music. Right now i'm listening to Annie Lennox's newest album, Nostalgia.
Writing. I journal. I'm an author. Local history has been a passion of mine for quite a while. It mostly returns to listening to people tell their stories and documenting it. How we got here from there and remembering the people that came before us. Remembering our ancestors. Recently i've had a thought to write another type of book, and someone suggested i write about the same type of thing, just a different subject. I like that idea. And i think i'm going to do it. It might involve some Skyping or traveling. What an adventure!
Photography. I'm one of those random picture people. I don't take very many pictures of people that are posed. I'm more of the click, click, oh i like that, click click, look how the light is over there, click, click, click. Did you just take my picture? Click click click. Quietly observing click, click, click. I've taken thousands and thousands of photographs. And i have most of them - i've probably only deleted maybe 20 of the thousands in my collection. They live on external hard drives. A few of them get printed so i look at them. Or i'll send them to people, sharing them.
Teaching. All of these things that i do - i love to share with other people how to do them. If they ask and want me to teach them, i will. That spark that people have when you are teaching them something new, it is invigorating. When you show them how to blend a color, tear a piece of paper or solder metal - and that moment that they get it - that they become immersed in the creating - it is joyous.
Feeding my Spirit. All of these things feed my Spirit. I also Meditate. Listen to people. Read. Family. Community. Being with people that challenge me. Make me think and spell out my beliefs - because when i do that - i usually realize that they've changed from the last time i'd sat down and done that. They've grown because i've grown. Change is the constant.
I'm moving into myself. Becoming. Being myself. Shaping my future. And i'm excited about what comes next. I am constantly evolving and growing into the Spirit that I AM.
What is it that you like to do? What moves you. What makes you sing because you're happy?
2 comments:
Love you very much Lesta Sue, and am very proud to see and read your blog! I know that this is just a beginning of your sharing with the world!
Thank you Kyle. I was inspired. It is an interesting feeling to expose yourself to the world. Love you too!
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