What is an artist?  What is like to live as an artist?

To me an artist feels and sees deeply into their inner life.  Is willing to take risks, be open and vulnerable, expose oneself to slings and arrows ... and yet ... NEED to create, to bring forth from deep within.  To express your unique version of art that is cajoled and seduced from within to make an appearance in the outer world ... requires a fierce heart which protects the more fragile heart while losing nothing in the translation.  

Art is the hardest work I have ever done.  It has brought me the most frustration and the most rewards of anything I have ever done.  It helps me process and work through things, it mirrors for me and shows me different aspects of myself.  I paint women so it makes it very personal work for me.  Art helped me work through the loss of my husband and the grief that felt insurmountable.  Art is my therapy, my religion, my joy and has changed my life and given me a life.  I hate to think where I would be now without art ... we all need art.

Why is art important for the world?

Art holds transmissions from the soul. It shares from the depths. Image is the purest form of communication, words can't get in the way or be misunderstood.  Art heals, it is a salve for the world.

Artist:  Jackie Morris - East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Love Letter to Myself

I love you
How often do
I tell you
I see you?
as you were
and as you are
in all stages
and the in-betweens
when you were confused
felt so all alone
you wanted
so desperately
to be loved
to be held
to be comforted
just for someone
to care
to know that you exist
to see you

When you felt undeserving
unlovable, flawed
as if your life
was jut a mistake
that you didn't belong here
that you made
no difference
being in the world
I was there whispering
I love you madly
the times you wanted
to leave it all
I hugged you fiercely
screaming that is
just a lie
don't believe it
the worlds needs you
just the way you are
I see you as
perfection
a work of art
in progress
trust the process
there's a lot more art
for you to create

I haven't posted on my blog since just before my husband died.  I wanted to share some of the art I did since his passing to help me process the grief and to honor my love for him.  He was my biggest supporter and I know he still watches me paint and inspires some of my decisions as he did in life.

This painting is called "The Guardian" and she is very comforting to me and lets me know that we are never alone and are always love and watched over.

This one is Spirit Bear.  I originally called it "Going in for Courage" and it also allowed me to work through the loss and grief with the bear for strength and the full moon for power.

Sharing more art ….

I am doing a series of Frida paintings because I feel such a connection to her and her passion.  She was a woman ahead of her time, adventurous, fiery and creative.

Restoration

Loving myself means

gathering up all 

the bits of me

I left behind

disowned

ran away from

turned my back on

ridiculed

bullied

taunted 

shamed

condemned

judged

locked in a box

buried it deep

The bits of me 

someone else didn’t like

or approve of

or think was good enough

I traded ME

for conditional acceptance

for conditional love

that is temporary at best

until they find

the next thing they want different

that isn’t quite 

what they want me to be

or look like

or act like

I am reclaiming myself

stepping up and out

looking within

fueling the fire of self love

creating a roaring bonfire 

feeding it with the old

self sacrifice

chameleon-like behavior

I gave away my power

because who was I

to be ME?

I place the crown of Self Sacrifice 

onto the bonfire 

and watch it turn to ashes

I claim my sovereignty

gathering my power to me

wrapping myself in self acceptance

I place the crown of Love 

upon my head

and reclamation is mine.