I love sculpting. When I began sculpting, dolphins absorbed my attention and I
studied everything I could about them. I watched movies, read books, drew
pictures and of course sculpted dolphins jumping in the water. It became an
obsession with me. Then one night the unexpected happened. I had a dream
and in the dream I WAS a dolphin. Swimming in the ocean and jumping and
diving. It was as real as my everyday life. I will never forget it. Now how cool
is that! I would suggest that if your attention is intent on any one subject, the
unexpected can happen. I will never forget the experience and suggest that
something unexpected can happen for each and everyone of us. Hold your
dreams close to your heart and life will respond in the most amazing ways.
The Zen of Seeing by Frederick Franck taught me to sit quietly and focus on one thing. I chose to sit outside and explore a blade of grass, a leaf or a blossom. Of course, you can choose whatever you wish. In those moments I began to become ONE with the smallest of life's miracles. I began to realize that all of life is connected. It was as if the object of my focus spoke to me and I spoke back. Sometimes it took a while to quiet down but when it happened all the cares and worries in life faded away like an ebbing tide. In those moments of peace I began to draw while keeping my focus on the blossom. Again, it didn't matter how wonderful the drawing looked. What mattered was my connection to it and my connection with my mind and my hand. It was worth every moment!
Yes, let's just try it for fun. Imagine a picture in your mind and draw it with
your eyes closed. In your mind's eye, allow yourself to see your image in
detail. It really doesn't matter how great the drawing turns out. What matters
is that you are making a mind - hand connection in your brain. Well, no
promises here but why not give it a try for five or ten minutes a day for a
couple of weeks. Only wonderful can happen.
When I signed up to take a botanical drawing class at UC Berkeley, I didn't
know I would be in for such a treat. The unexpected treat was learning to do
the opposite of how we usually approach life in general. If our drawings were
precise and tight we were instructed to buy newsprint and free hand draw with
a huge crayon and then throw it away. If our life was wild and out of control
we did just the opposite. The wild thing required drawing with precision within
an outlined box. Learning the disciplined mind was the challenge. Within a
week or two everyone in the class found a new lease on life and art! I've
never seen such remarkable change in my own abilities. I was jazzed! I
learned to step out of my own limitations into a world of new possibilities. I'll
talk more about the class in another post. For now, I highly recommend doing
something out of the ordinary today. It may just surprise you.
