For real! You see, I am – predictably – learning another new thing. We’ll get to that in a bit. For now, though, Grandmother Moon has been whispering again.
This time it took me a while to interpret the message. And then, I knew!
HAROLD and the PURPLE CRAYON! The kids’ book, published in 1955. I’m not sure when Harold and I met. It certainly wasn’t when I was the age Crockett Johnson was probably imagining, wrapped in foot-y pj’s and listening to a bed time story. (Possibly because Mom didn’t know Harold when she was a kid!)
As Grandmother Moon tends to have very helpful messages, it was research time! And this one came with pictures!!! If you haven’t met Harold, or hung out with him in ages, I’m not going to blow the whole story line now.
Just imagine a little bald dude who goes on adventures and uses his purple crayon to create solutions to challenges.
And, yes… if Intentional Creativity® comes to mind, I’m right there with you! We’re in a bit of a transition time just now. Big things finishing. New big things starting. One of those things, for me, grew out of the ongoing saga of a painting I call Revelation! (aka Apothecary, 2023)
It is all the things I most love to teach on a 40×30″ canvas! It’s on the way to becoming a book. And, it’s a big part of what inspired me learn to record audio books.
Saturday was my first live workshop. (I’d be a bit behind if I believed in such things, but I’m sticking with perfect timing for me!)
There are plenty of tech things that still need sorting and I’ve asked for help. (Also some furniture things, but that part is easy!)
One of the things that I did understand from the set-up recordings is that the special sock-muffler that came with the mic is, literally, a cashmere blend… probably because I relate to cashmere much better than I would to some kind of faux poly toxic sort of invention.
Here’s the thing that makes me grin. Having claimed the connection between MIKE and the CASHMERE SOCK and the crayon-wielding kid named Harold, I showed up for my first chance to pretend-record totally ready, inside.
And, it went great!
It was also pretty emotional for me. The kind of emotional that happens when we show up real and do something that matters. A big leap, if you will, on the road to the place Frederick Buechner described as where our great joy and the world’s deep longing meet.
And, I have an even clearer idea of how to help people like us – people who relate to the notion that mattering matters – consciously use their Filters and some paint and an interesting navigational tool to claim that place and map out their personal journey from here to there!
And, who knows? Cashmere socks might be handy! (At least the symbolic ones…) For this moment, Mike is excited about the next steps. There’s another practice workshop coming!
First, though, I’m going to take advantage of all the work I did sorting bookshelves and go put the copy of HAROLD and the PURPLE CRAYON, which magically appeared in my driveway, on that shelf where Buechner and some more of my heroes hang out!
Then, more paint… and tree branches!
ps… it’s going to be a bit before I get a group together to do the paint and journey mapping magic but it works 1:1 too! In person or virtual. Your dream. Your timeline. Me and my medicine basket. Let’s talk! 30 min. My gift. The calendar elves will be thrilled to hook you up!
pps… curious about what’s behind the stuff in my medicine basket? Here’s some more info…