As usual, spring has renewed my energy and I have quite a schedule of activities in the next two months. In fact, I had to draw up a calendar on paper so Tod can keep track of me.
- I’ll be planting rice with Oyama Senmaida at least nine times this season, and participating in the Mud Volleyball weekend (as a workshop teacher, not in the mud).
- Drawing Meditations workshops are on the calendar four times in May and at least twice in June. From retreats to open studios, I am delighted to be sharing this work again. Is it my “lifework” as they say in Japan? Maybe.
- Satoyama Yoga continues daily on Zoom; and we are also doing a special session, Yoga At Oyama Senmaida, to celebrate International Day of Yoga on June 21.
- And the Osaka Expo is on our list, too!
Plus there are guests coming, woodworking projects, more botanical color making and my own art, never-ending garden maintenance, barn repairs, client work, the Ending Note project, and all the whims that take me off in various directions and keep my life lively.
I love it! My inner extrovert is delighted by all this outward facing activity. I’ll be connecting more deeply to my community. Finding more members of my tribe. Challenging myself in my second language.
I’m worried! I feel a bit like the fava beans above – beautiful, huge pods with lots of promise but the disappointment of only a single bean inside. I’m a natural introvert and an old lady with relaxed sense of time and high sensitivity to my minor aches and pains. It’s not easy to keep my energy consistent, so I’ve made sure there are naps and zero days mixed into my schedule.
I thrive in minimalism. I feel most capable when clutter is hidden away, surfaces are clear, and rooms look (and sound) quiet. Yet I am inspired by maximalism of nature, a glory of colors and patterns, the joy of music, and having materials at hand. It’s a challenging balance.
At the moment, my house and studio spaces are in are a clutter of projects I have picked up then put down without finishing. I want to do it all, now. But sometimes I only do some of it before something urgently calls me away or my brain refuses to focus. And now I have a half-sewn skirt, several paintings waiting for attention, a pile of boxes, two color experiments waiting in the shed (where I started to rearrange the work tables), and the ordinary mess of art supplies not put away neatly.
Today I am going to spend the day tidying up and/or finishing some of these projects to make space in my mind and my environment for all the things that are on the horizon.
I’ve got this. And if you want to join me for any of the events or support me with a kind word, I’d love to see you in person or hear from you.
