Brave Beauty
Late spring snow
melts
velvet purple petals
preen
eager green grasses
shoot
out of winter moist soil
And the seasons turn
and the sun shines
warm
and Mother Nature
dances
as my heart
expands
to embrace
brave beauty
budding
up
out of the ground.
As I sit at my desk this morning I watch two robins chase each other through the trees. An opportunistic squirrel, taking advantage of what I assume to be their amorous intentions, raids the birdfeeder while chickadees hop along the fence, tweeting and twittering. I think they’re telling the squirrel to get lost.
A man in an inflatable raft drifts into view on the river. He drifts with the current, a fishing line trailing behind him as he uses one oar to gently guide him along. He passes in front of my window, under the bridge and out of sight. I imagine him full of hope.
And the trees stand still. Yesterday’s breezes gone. Buds are appearing along their branches, tiny shoots of hope leafing out in possibility.
High above, the blue sky is dotted with islands of fluffy white clouds that lay seemingly motionless, like a warm woolly blanket covering the earth below.
And I awaken.
There is much to be done today. I am in spring cleaning mode.
The deck. The storage area in the back of our basement. Both done.
Today, after my prerequisite morning walk with Beaumont the Sheepadoodle, I tackle the granddaddy of all cleaning chores. The garage. There are closets and cupboards that also need my ministrations but they can wait for a rainy day. The weather folk have promised a warm, almost hot for this time of year in this northern clime, day. It’s a good day to clean the garage.
Later, after I’ve soaked off the dust and grime from the garage in a leisurely bath, I shall venture into my studio and keep working on pieces for an art show I’m in this June.
I have a lot to do. My body of ‘saleable’ work not yet big enough.
I used to joke that you could always tell when I was writing. My toilet was sparkling!
It was my avoidance tactic.
And I wonder…
Is cleaning out the garage (or scrubbing the toilet for that matter) avoidance or preparation?
I’m choosing to reframe it as ‘brave preparation’.
Creative expression requires presence.
Presence requires full embodiment in the moment.
Embodiment calls for ridding my thinking mind of clutter.
So… I clean and clear and declutter.
It is a brave thing to do.
To create I must dare to release myself from thinking mind directives and allow myself to flow, unguided, along the river of creativity that courses through my veins and the air around me. I must allow myself to be carried on the current, like the fisherman in his raft. Trolling for nothing but a little nibble of an idea to seed itself in the fertile soils of my imagination.
I am cleaning out the garage this morning.
I am stepping into the beauty of brave creativity.
I was watching this little bird fly from tree to bush, back and forth, in the sunshine this morning. Now the wind is blowing and the sky is darkening. The forecast says no rain but I think that little bird was getting busy before the rain comes!
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How lovely! Little birds are so endearing to watch! My father used to always say when he saw swallows flying low, “Swallows fly low before the rain.” – thank you for that memory prompt. ❤
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Crocuses have come and gone here but the trees as usual bare taking their time to leaf out. I see you’ve regained your footing today as I have. Good for us till the next time we get hit in the face with this pandemic. Go enjoy the cleaning and the creativity.
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Yup — that leafing out is definitely a process the trees have down to an art! Slow and steady.
I am not sure why I thought cleaning out the garage would be a couple of hour job… lol — six hours later I finally quit — had a bath, dinner with my husband, watched another episode of The Good Karma Hospital… and went to bed! I did not get into my studio other than to walk through it a few times while carrying things back and forth to to the patio! 🙂
And yes, those waves come and go. I find that I need to let myself be pulled out into the sea of ‘angst’ sometimes so I can flow back to sure, centered and accepting that no matter what others are doing, I must still stay grounded in doing what I know is right and best for the world around me, and find the joy in every moment – this morning, I am grateful for the joy the clear blue sky soaring above brings me — and that when I go out to the garage, it will look and feel so tidy! 🙂
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Garages never last clean – now why is that? Ours is such a construction area that often oniy the good vehicle has space and sometimes not even room for it. To tired to figure out the analogy to life there! Take care.
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I think your question is sort of like — who stole the other sock from the washing machine? Ineffably mysterious and seemingly unanswerable — we still can only fit one car in our garage — but I think that’s mostly because my husband doesn’t trust my parking skills! 🙂 Silly man! I’ve only scraped the sides once or twice…. 🙂
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Nothing feels better than a clean garage or finding that missing sock!
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Your posts are always an inspiration
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Oh Max. Thank you. I think of you often my friend. You inspire Me. ❤
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Another inspiring post
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Thank you Joanne! ❤
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What a lovely and uplifting post, Louise! It’s a lovely 65 F in my neighborhood and the trees are full of birds singing their songs.
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Thank you Eugenia! Your neighbourhood sounds lovely! ❤
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It is, Louise. There are huge trees right outside our balcony and there are critters and birds everywhere. I can’t wait for the fireflies!❤️
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Oh my… fireflies. We don’t get them here in Calgary — I absolutely love them. One night, while visiting a friends’ cottage near Algonquin Park, we went skinny dipping late at night. High above, stars studded the sky while around our heads where we bobbed in the ink-black water, fireflies fluttered — it was absolutely glorious! I hope they arrive soon! ❤
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Me too! June or July!
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Your writing is beautiful – it just flows!
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Thank you Megan — my heart dances with gratitude for your words. ❤
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I think cleaning is a way to keep your hands busy and your mind clear to receive whatever you are meant to…
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I like those thoughts! Thanks. ❤
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💞
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Yes! I also clean when I am in a creative slump, or just need to take a break, otherwise, I hate cleaning, but it really does help clear the mind and boost creativity!
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