CREATIVE INSPIRATION
Somewhere there is Love
These are some of the descriptors I read last week, written by literary journals that were calling for submissions:
“We’re seeking something vengeful, bitter.”
“We publish edgy, gritty realism (poetry).”
“We want fiction with incendiary plots.”
We can’t seem to help ourselves. We’re fascinated by grizzly death, terror, the horrific, the ghastly, the dark. Journalism thrives on it, as does the movie industry. We are constantly exposed to true crime, and lots of folks seem to want even more.
None of this is new or surprising.
What is remarkable is the way every news and social media source is force feeding us a steady diet of hate mongering, fomenting, insurgent and sociopathic language that our ears can’t unhear. It would seem that the literature industry is following suit.
Not all of us are swallowing it.
Somewhere the sun is shining, free of charge. Somewhere artists are making, athletes are playing, water is flowing, Somewhere life is beginning. Somewhere there is Love.
Poem of the Atoms by Rumi O day, arise! The atoms are dancing The universe is dancing The souls are dancing, overcome with ecstasy I'll whisper in your ear where their dance is taking them All the atoms in the air and in the desert know well, they are in a frenzy Every single atom, happy or miserable Becomes enamoured of the sun, of which nothing can be said
My message this week isn’t to eliminate all the hate, the darkness, the terrible. Even if we wanted to, we could not eradicate all of that. Besides, opposites are necessary.
What I do advocate is balance. Because our world is dangerously out of balance.
It starts with the individual.
It could include a commitment to start each day by looking out a window or stepping outside every morning before initiating your first task. This simple routine permits light to enter your body, awakens your senses, resets intention, restores gratitude.
My two-pass erasure poem, made by two passes through James Wright’s The Blessing.
I’m gradually sweeping out cobwebs and clearing my body of memories, identities, references, and lessons that no longer match what I know about myself. Letting go old beliefs that were based on someone else’s fears or prejudices. Letting my natural joy, wonder, and curiosity power up.
I revisited my archived art of the past five years. Some of the ideas and colors still feel representative of who I am now. This is a sampler of collage, acrylic paint, watercolor, mixed media works on paper.
This week I’m kicking back and sunning myself each morning. I mean that physically, emotionally, and metaphorically. Will you join me, wherever you are? Will you make an effort to restore balance between
light| dark,
silence | noise,
creativity | indifference
in your own life?
Thank you for reading, commenting, and subscribing. Writing for myself and inviting you in is one way I commit to balance every week.
Please visit my new website, https://CelestePfisterArts.com
One more thing to think about:
Finding that balance is so important. Love your erasure poetry too.