First, Dear Reader… a note. Kind of a context clarification. I didn’t so much enjoy this “holiday” weekend. My neuro-system is NOT a fan of fireworks, though my neighborhood is. Lots of added sirens didn’t help. Neither did the news.
The traditional home fried chicken and potato salad – no pickles! – were absent, though we weren’t hungry, which is a blessing to be claimed aloud.
We moved a bit of furniture. Washed a zillion paintbrushes. And did a whole lot of plotting and hatching… of painting and writing. Those parts were thrilling, and I’m grateful.
Also, the Legendary Husband got Madam Secretary going again. Along with The West Wing. Oh, and my cousin, Kathleen… but that will take a bit of explaining!
As it happened, I was singing along with Joan Baez as I painted. The being you encountered, above. Officially, she’s my #Muse for this round of #COW, known officially as #Color2025. Or, she’s going to be! We’ll get to her story in a minute. First, though, she is huge teaching about how to keep going when it hurts. In this case, how to pat paint on canvas with wadded up plastic bags when your wrist and thumb emphatically decline the more traditional paths.
Not only did it work, it was fun!!! And, deep learning, which is totally my thing!
It’s important to know that she chose me, in a recent dream. A being who lives, as far as I can understand, somewhere between myth and history, between human and divine, depending on who told you her story. As I’m doing the writing, though, you get my best understanding!
You see, I come from a long line of tellers of stories. Way, way, way farther back than Gramma Elsie. The kinds of stories often thought of as legends, or myths, or fairy tales. Prophesy, even! Traditional stories… especially those concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings. And the story of my #wip painting friend is one of those!
I know her as a Melusine. As far as I can tell, her stories emerged in times when notions of the Divine Feminine were utterly unacceptable, according to the empires in power. There were, however, believers determined that their Littles should know these stories and so they told them, largely as bed-time tales. As dream food, if you will, for pre-abstract thought listeners of wonder.
And, as best I can tell, some of the wisdom-keepers telling those stories, ages and ages ago, were my ancestors. Stories of concrete passion and very large hope, as my more recent “uncle” and story-teller, Walter Brueggemann, might have said.
Stories I just spent a whole lot of time communing with as my recent #Quickening & #Legend paintings were birthed in a time when the context of our unfolding world does not seem to want them seen. Or heard.
Stories which need, perhaps, more telling now, than ever before. As author, Kathleen McGowan, reminds us… History is not what happened. It’s what got written down. (The Expected One)
And, yes, it’s totally a #Filter thing!!! A thing where I dreamed and stared and dreamed and stared, and she’s getting different!
Yes… often change is messy, yet we have hope! Also, a name! Her name is Destiny Joan! And here’s the thing she and Walter and Kathleen and I would all agree on…
Just tell the story!!!
I just happen to know two ways you might get started. Or take the next right steps…
You see, there’s been a whole lot of newness going on in the land of Intentional Creativity® and, because some people are still finding their way, there’s still time to join in a couple of my favorites! (But, not much!!!)
Tell the story in painting and writing on our 13-moon journey known as Red Madonna – Mother Nature. It’s all about ReBirthing and ReWilding! And, yes, you’d be a tiny bit behind, but we’ve got you! Here’s all the info…
Then, there’s the 6-week perspective adventure known as #Filters! It’s all about questions like… What stories are we telling and how did we learn to believe them and do they want editing and how might they help us more? (And, yes… I firmly believe that sometimes, run-on sentences are exactly what we need!) I promise, it’s all recorded, there’s plenty of time to catch up, and we get to paint, too! Even if you’ve never painted before! Just click here!
For this moment, though, an #inquiry for this day:
What story will YOU write down? Or paint? Or record?
ps… you can leave me a comment, below, or email me. I really want to know! suesvoice@gmail.com
