This Intentional Winter-Slow-Down of January 2022 and the Intentional Meditation-Slow-Down have become inseparable.
I’ve always heard that winter is a time of reflection. It’s more about self-reflection. A time to be honest with yourself - to be a better friend to yourself. To become more balanced in the stillness.
In many of the new pieces in my collage series, a seated figure made of clouds can be found meditating somewhere in the scene. I never made two the same. Then they transformed (as clouds often do) into a more specific shape - more defined, more clear. So, I made more. This group of “Cloud Friends” became The Seated Homies (a name given by an inspired collector). They were created to share with people who are attracted to mindful moments and things.
I have one on my own meditation stand, next to my ceramic sage bowl and a rising mountain of well-dripped candles. So, whether you’re just starting to meditate or have a mindful friend (who seems to talk about it as much as I do) these cloud friends might ad a bit more BoHo Chic to the space.
Each one is unique, on sturdy wooden backings and coated with resin to bring out the shine and depth of the papers.
THE SEATED HOMIES ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
2021 was a big one in terms of personal and creative growth. I owe so much to meditation and all the people I’ve been meeting both online and as safety and protocol permit, IRL (In Real Life). They are all teachers.
The intentions I set in December to be lightly carried- without falling into the Hustle Culture Trap - include:
Do more collaborations with other artists
Reach out to more people on a one-on-one level (more video chats)
Continue to be aware of the balance of everything in my life - Family, Work, Art, Me
Continue to be aware of the energy level (or mode) that I’m in at any given moment
Create a series of large pieces with the depth of work like “Sunset” and “Isle of Calm”
Read for enjoyment everyday
Give everybody the value they should get from me
Write about my art (I guess that’s what this is)
Document my art and process in creative and new ways
Work to identify painful parts and give them what they need to be free
2022 is here and it’s time we find what works for ourselves. No one person can tell you what works across the board. We each have to do some self-reflecting. We need to be honest and unapologetic (at least to ourselves) about what we love and what we don’t. I know what I want to make and that’s enough. The rest will come as it will.
Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading this.
-Rick