Thank you for stating that what I believe is true for all creative work "care" is at it heart. However for me as a Brit US immigrant your painting spoke to me in the confusion of our day and time. Thank you for sharing it.
I am so taken with this concept of care and the ways that we can consider its various faces in our creative work, Sam. Thanks for these words. I'm running a Scots webinar this afternoon (which as a creative project has gone through its own cringe stage) so can't come along at 3pm, but sure it'll be absolutely lovely.
Hi Samantha! I want to tell you I finished The Clearing last night. You may wonder why doing so required two months. Because I started reading your inspirational book! I had an urge at first to push through to the end. Racing to the last word while having no idea what I’d encounter along the way.
Instead I opted to sip the words and sentences, pausing to savor certain ideas you assembled from your childhood’s challenges. Then to find your discussion of dark matter and dark energy. Everything made sense! As I read, at times I felt like you had taken my hand to direct me to your Dad’s workshop. “See. The planes he cut from balsa? Below the window sill you can still see some shavings. Perfect!
Or this. The Clearing is unlike any other book I’ve read. So capable of giving rise to my feelings that mirrored those of you and your parents in the full sweep of living your respective lives. I believe you held a perfect key that unlocked a door for your reader’s mind, heart, and soul. Not unlike the one that turned so smoothly as you unlocked, then locked the front door for the last time. Ever so grateful our paths crossed for this Cosmic instant.
Wow did I need to read this right now, thank you for articulating this process with such attention and, yes, care. That was such a helpful reframe, the necessity of care in our works of art, and how we feel cared for by the books and paintings and music we most love. How we can feel their maker's care in them. I've been in a cringe moment with a big novel project; and actually something about just the reminder of caring attention is so helpful. Thank you for this, and all of your beautiful work. x
So great to have a name for that cringe factor. I know it well and am glad to be in good company! Also love your normalising of starting out and not living up to your own aspirations 💛
I hear this loud and clear! I’m fully aware that I’m in the discovery, process and skill building stages of mixed media work and that I just have to push on because the work is not going to magically turn that corner without working through the yuk stages. Sometimes it’s a hard go, but often I recognize that me and my work are both evolving and I settle in just fine to what I’m learning and how I’m improving as I go.
This really helped me. Flailing around, feeling angry with myself ... these words really resonated with me, buoyed me up. Thank you - it isn't just me !!
Thank you so much for this Sam! It landed at the perfect moment for me. I spent hours in the studio yesterday working on a painting that I thought - in a few fleeting moments - might be going somewhere good but which ultimately ran away from me..
This has been the perfect nudge to head back in there and try again! We all need to keep the faith, keep playing - and, yes, hold on to the love!
Thanks for this Sam, reading it has been a nice way into a day when my energy levels are feeling ‘meh’. We can lose sight of the fact that we learn more if we experiment and fail, than if we try to control all the permutations and get it right. And I know that you are a great advocate for paddling deeper, so I’m sure you won’t be drowning with this one for too long.
Thank you for stating that what I believe is true for all creative work "care" is at it heart. However for me as a Brit US immigrant your painting spoke to me in the confusion of our day and time. Thank you for sharing it.
I am so taken with this concept of care and the ways that we can consider its various faces in our creative work, Sam. Thanks for these words. I'm running a Scots webinar this afternoon (which as a creative project has gone through its own cringe stage) so can't come along at 3pm, but sure it'll be absolutely lovely.
Hi Samantha! I want to tell you I finished The Clearing last night. You may wonder why doing so required two months. Because I started reading your inspirational book! I had an urge at first to push through to the end. Racing to the last word while having no idea what I’d encounter along the way.
Instead I opted to sip the words and sentences, pausing to savor certain ideas you assembled from your childhood’s challenges. Then to find your discussion of dark matter and dark energy. Everything made sense! As I read, at times I felt like you had taken my hand to direct me to your Dad’s workshop. “See. The planes he cut from balsa? Below the window sill you can still see some shavings. Perfect!
Or this. The Clearing is unlike any other book I’ve read. So capable of giving rise to my feelings that mirrored those of you and your parents in the full sweep of living your respective lives. I believe you held a perfect key that unlocked a door for your reader’s mind, heart, and soul. Not unlike the one that turned so smoothly as you unlocked, then locked the front door for the last time. Ever so grateful our paths crossed for this Cosmic instant.
Wow did I need to read this right now, thank you for articulating this process with such attention and, yes, care. That was such a helpful reframe, the necessity of care in our works of art, and how we feel cared for by the books and paintings and music we most love. How we can feel their maker's care in them. I've been in a cringe moment with a big novel project; and actually something about just the reminder of caring attention is so helpful. Thank you for this, and all of your beautiful work. x
So great to have a name for that cringe factor. I know it well and am glad to be in good company! Also love your normalising of starting out and not living up to your own aspirations 💛
Thank you for these words. I see the profile of a dog looking to the left in about the center of your captivating painting.
Looking for the love and the 'work of care.'
In a storm, I'd always choose your boat, Sam. Thank you for another gorgeous post.
Also, can't make the zoom today. Have appointments. Later, my own cringe projects! Thanks for the encouragement to work through the cringe.
I hear this loud and clear! I’m fully aware that I’m in the discovery, process and skill building stages of mixed media work and that I just have to push on because the work is not going to magically turn that corner without working through the yuk stages. Sometimes it’s a hard go, but often I recognize that me and my work are both evolving and I settle in just fine to what I’m learning and how I’m improving as I go.
This really helped me. Flailing around, feeling angry with myself ... these words really resonated with me, buoyed me up. Thank you - it isn't just me !!
Thank you so much for this Sam! It landed at the perfect moment for me. I spent hours in the studio yesterday working on a painting that I thought - in a few fleeting moments - might be going somewhere good but which ultimately ran away from me..
This has been the perfect nudge to head back in there and try again! We all need to keep the faith, keep playing - and, yes, hold on to the love!
Thanks for this Sam, reading it has been a nice way into a day when my energy levels are feeling ‘meh’. We can lose sight of the fact that we learn more if we experiment and fail, than if we try to control all the permutations and get it right. And I know that you are a great advocate for paddling deeper, so I’m sure you won’t be drowning with this one for too long.