My day started at an ungodly hour this morning. It may not have been quite so significant had I not battled insomnia beforehand. So, with about two hours of shut eye under my belt, I arose to wait for Super Shuttle to pick me up from my hotel in Alexandria and take me to Dulles International airport. Thankfully, the driver today was cheerful and friendly (so many of these drivers are, well, just not that) and most importantly, on time! The last experience I had with this service left me a bit frantic in the end. This time, however, it was quite a pleasure, regardless of my bleary state.
Nature was incredibly generous with her beautiful dislays of fall color during my stay in northern Virginia. In fact, there are six rolls of color film anxiously awaiting delivery to the lab for processing. Well, okay, it's actually me who is "anxiously awaiting." It's such a delight to see how the images on the film I expose result...especially the pinholes! But in any case, it was a lovely time...quintesentially autumnal, being just chilly enough but not unpleasant...just windy enough to allow the leaves to float down on the breeze in gentle congregations. And color, yes, still plenty of color even if slightly past the peak. Being from California, I was certainly not disappointed.
In addition to my reveling in the season, I had an incredibly substantive meeting with a life coach during my east coast stay. I have to admit that the idea of such a professional has been sort of puzzling to me in the past. But after having a long conversation on the phone and then an intensive two hour meeting with her in person (she's in the D.C. area), I feel very confident that this is the right course for me. The ideas I have for exactly the kind of steps I need to be taking at this time are anything but exact. They may be plentiful, yet amorphous. Having someone to whom to be accountable, to be my champion and also my critic (when that's called for), who knows the right questions to ask that will help crystallize my thoughts, all these things can only be of benefit to me. I have homework, the bones of a plan and now all I need is to learn to have patience (and compassion) towards myself as I make my way.
There are a number of areas to where my energy needs to be focused. Firstly, is my artmaking. Because of depression that spawned due to my circumstances (both outwardly and from hormonal transitions) art has been pushed down low on the list of priorities. It's time to change that, to allocate and devote time to creative endeavors. I've been waiting...waiting for things to change, waiting on certain things that are outside of my control, to make sure everything is "just right" and then, yes then, I'll make art. Phooey. I can't afford that any more. I've realized it doesn't show respect to the opportunities life has given me and discounts the value of art in my life (which is great). So...that's one reason to get that film in, no? Other things on the list have to do with groundwork, reorganization and mindful attention to all facets of the genre of art making I practice. I do believe the darkroom will finally be getting some attention!
Right now, though, I'm a little out of it. I came home and ate a tender, jammy persimmon with home made yogurt (one of my favorite treats), brewed and enjoyed a cup of my Baba Yaga's blend tea, pulled a few tarot cards and have since been putting together this post. The birch tree is just outside the window, waving its slender, hanging branches of mostly gold leaves. There's a wonderful assortment of ripe and ripening persimmons on the dining room table (some just picked today...a lovely act of grounding for me). The house is fragrant with cinnomon besoms and Japanese incense. This is a humble moment to be savored and I'm grateful.
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