The Portal
(collage & embroidery on Japanese paper dipped in beeswax, 13 x 9 3/4"
Maybe it's the winter blues, maybe it's a stage of life, but I find myself with a restless energy wondering what's next. I'm sure many of you can identify, especially if you are in your mid-50s and still in awe that you could have come to be such a ripe age, wondering what you are going to do when you grow up. Sometimes I look around and see that I have all the trappings of a grown up, including a wonderful husband (although no children), a too-big house full of too much stuff, more than enough responsibilities, financial worries, never enough time...the list goes on. But I certainly don't feel like a full-fledged adult. I haven't gotten it right yet....there is still something else...the next thing.
My father had a saying that has stayed with me through the years and which I find resonating even now, providing a push of courage to keep moving forward. He was fond of saying, at just the right moments, "It's never as late as you think." In some circles, these are known as the encore years and people often switch gears at my age and even older, to give themselves to another career entirely.
I think this is why the notion of portals are coming to mind. Gateways, entrances to the next thing. A curiosity to discover more, to continue learning and to grow. I'll be posting this new series at Missouri Bend Studio . In the meantime, I am summoning the trust to move through the next portal, just to see if I can become more fully me.
The Portal (detail)
