Winter Meditation...Reflections on the Unfolding Future

Winter Meditation No. 6

We had a wonderful visit with my family over the Christmas holiday and now we are settling back home, hunkered down as a blizzard blazes a trail across the midwest.  The year is winding down rapidly, even as I try to slow my pace to one that invites a bit of contemplation.  This is a time ripe for reflection, looking back and looking forward.  I am just so grateful for the changes that have happened in my life over the last year.  I have met an amazing number of people across the world, seen so much art work that has both humbled and inspired me, and reached people with my own work in ways I never dreamed possible! And to think, this year was just the beginning...so much more to learn, so much more to explore!  Thank you all for being a part of my unfolding future!

Apparently all those late night meetings I talked about in the blog a couple of weeks ago came quietly to an end.  I think everything resolved itself without my having to attend another one.  In fact, I got a simple memo in the wee hours a few nights ago and it barely disturbed my sleep.  It was the answer to the big unresolved question about A Walk Through The Universe and the final piece in the puzzle of how this blog will evolve in the coming year.  I think what I have in mind is exciting and I hope you'll think so too!  We'll try this out and see what we all think....if it's meaningful for readers and for me and if it provides a nice balance.  Here's the plan for the 2011 Missouri Bend Studio blog!

Monday: studio visit with Ms. P (that's me)....who knows what I'll share....what I'm making or thinking about making, joys, frustrations, inspirations, etc.

Tuesday: A Walk Through The Universe.  This feature is taking a fork in the road for a number of reasons.  While so rewarding to do, it has taken a lot of time and energy away from the studio, which is where I need to refocus my energy.  And, I'd like to expand the horizons and make connections across disciplines, including the sciences and humanties when possible.  The "memo" I got in my sleep the other night just had one word scrawled on it, which was "Color".  Voila! It's the linking topic that will provide the focus for each month.  Looking at a different color from lots of angles...through the arts, nature, history, etc.  I'm excited to begin!

Wednesday: Word of the Week. This will be a weekly linking look at words found in the dictionary.  Like the initial structure of A Walk Through The Universe, the idea is that each week's word/definition will lead the one for the following week. 

Thursday: Made By Hand.  Designed to be a tribute to the art and craft that is made by hand.  In a world increasingly monopolized by technology and speed, I want to honor the importance of things made by the human hand.  This will be a kind of visiting artist/craftperson feature.

Friday: another studio visit with Ms. P.

This may all sound rather more ambitious than what I've been doing, but I think I have a handle on it and can make it work...famous last words!  Hope you all have a fantastic year....work hard, enjoy life and watch for the little points of light along the way!  Cheers!