Let it be forgotten...

"Mariposa" is something I treasured for a portion of my life, it brought me strength when I felt as though I was crumbling, empowering me to feel confident in something even if only for myself.  Writing helped me to stay alive.  This statement may sound dramatic, however I believe it to be true and a constant truth in my life.  Writing has always been something I've enjoyed and been proud of.  Now I see the reflection of myself in the writing and the health that glows outward and within.  So, once again I will lock my secrets, my dreams, my soul inside of this butterfly jar, allowing glimpses within the glass where flutterings are.

Frank Smith, an artist to admire

When touring the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte I discovered a new favorite artist, Frank Smith. Check out his work and develop your own opinion.

"Frank Smith, a native of Chicago, and former Howard University Professor, became a member of Africobra in1973. The artistic ideology of afrocrobra springs from the ethos of African American and Pan-African spiritual and political culture. Smith's work is improvisational, and embraces colorful geometric forms, and African inspired symbols and imagery. The versatility of Smith's works on canvas give way to the formation of two-dimensional soft sculptural images derived through an extemporaneous process of draping. By working on several pieces simultaneously, Smith combines disjointed rhythms and syncopated patterns of paint and mixed media by sewing the canvas together. Bright zigzag stitching joins colorful patches of painted patterns and found objects. Smith has had more than seventy exhibitions in museums and galleries across the US, and Africa. His works can be found in many public, private, and corporate collections including the Smithsonian Institution, The DuSable Museum in Chicago, Washington Convention Center, and the Oakland Museum."

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.inter-visions.com/Images/FrankSmith_6.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inter-visions.com/current_exhibit_Cole_Smith.asp&usg=__faPgzzNsXsYAN3gdwAAb1qvRwu8=&h=476&w=360&sz=76&hl=en&start=7&zoom=1&tbnid=SlkTIemk5etUNM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=98&ei=zrK-T86bNY3pgAfm_4nhCQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfrank%2Bsmith%2Bcharlotte%2Bart%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

"Sustainability: A Process Not an End"

This piece is entitled, “The power of love and money”. Both can be used for good or evil, but the choice is ours. I have studied the life of Jesus, and am humbled by what is believed to be one of his last actions on earth. Jesus chose to wash the feet of his disciples, even though some had and would betray him. This serves to me as a beautiful example of grace and humility, both of which are necessary to create a more sustainable world. I have drawn images of the washing of feet on recycled pieces of old journals. Other recycled media include, found luggage tags, discarded doodles and stickers, price tags, wrappers, etc. We all must make the choice of what to value love or money?

                                    

My first piece “My underwear aren’t trash.”, was made in attempts to hold onto a dying craft, quilting. The different materials used to make the piece include, my great grandmother’s fabrics, thread, and other miscellaneous sewing tools, my old underwear, found buttons, old hair wraps, used dresses, and so forth. This piece was created on a retreat with friends in the Gracyn Highlands. The goal of the retreat was to embrace the New Year, in nature with true community. Every day each of us led an activity, and I led quilt square making. We all created the squares together, and then I sewed them together by hand. This piece exemplifies the power of diversity and creativity, as it requires the combined efforts and beauty of a group of people. Such qualities I believe are essential to progress towards a more sustainable future. We plan to make the retreat an annual event. Therefore, the quilt will grow each year with inclusion of new friends, new thought and appreciation for life, and creativity in relying on our energy to create something good.

 — atAppalachian State University.

My third piece is my my process journal. I would love to submit the entire journal, as it is the most accurate reflection of my love for recycled art and life’s journey. My work displays process, hope, and belief in a better world. Such mindset I consider not naïve, but necessary for moves towards a sustainable future. The old phrase, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Holds true to me, I choose to see with fresh eyes, and inspire others to do the same.

 — at Appalachian State University.

This piece displays my reaction to the recent "pop-culture" phenomenon "The Hunger Games". We are all trapped in something. We are all controlled some how. How do we desire to be free?

 — at Appalachian State University.

However, I selected a drawing of a girl who I claim as myself. The girl screams in frustration with the evils of the world. However, this frustration sets a fire within to fight for change. “Starting” is written at the bottom of the drawing for I choose to start living with a dream of hope instead of running away. Also the metal piece at the bottom of the drawing was a found piece. Discarding or ignoring the things we find when they can be used to inspire is unfortunate.

 — at Appalachian State University.

The more I learn about the harmful effects we as human beings have on the Earth the more I want to abandon it all and live in a cave. However, there is something supremely powerful about embracing life with knowledge of how to best care for the earth with all of the world’s people. In a world propelled by money and greed, I believe creativity and love have the power to overcome the darkness. I choose to be inspired by life and represent the good things I see with art.

 — at Appalachian State University.

True Freedom

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” -Shel Silverstein


I recognize that I have true freedom in my present situation. I have love, intellect, and curiosity.  These attributes of freedom allow me to embrace the opportunities I see in my life.  Such as, asking questions, and learning to love others in a more authentic way.  Freedom to ask questions allows me to understand other's personal place of freedom, and equips me to best serve them.  
      I have a strong aquatics background that I attribute to my family's love of water.  So, through much practice and respect for the power of water, I have come to embrace it and feel completely comfortable with it.  This comfort led me to pursue certifications through the Red Cross as a lifeguard, WSI, FIT, and first aid.  When explaining my teaching methods to my swimming students I tell them I work to give them the tools they need to best swim.  In order to swim one needs to understand their body.  Therefore, I try to teach my students to trust their bodies, knowing they have air, and they are capable of controlling the air if they can understand it.  In order to understand the air they must utilize their pilot, better known as their brain, trusting it to keep them safe. They must also understand the other tools they use to aid them in learning swimming, such as a kick board, goggles, lane lines etc.  Despite the power of these tools I teach my students they must first trust their bodies, or their tools will only cripple them. For if one does not first learn to trust their body, they will struggle to use the other tools properly.  All of that being said, as a person raised in the Christian faith, I must be cautious of my desire to "save" people.  This is a difficult task considering the enormous strength the Christian faith possesses here in the South.  When explaining my philosophy of "saving" to a group of trusted friends, I related it to swimming and life guarding because it is a gradual process dependent on the individuals present situation. This takes critical judgement, practice, exploration, and time, all qualities I believe a free person possesses.  
      So, all of this analysis leaves me with questions, what skills do my future students in life need that I can provide? What skills do I still need? Lastly, how can we work together to acquire these tools? I'm grateful for the freedom to question, and use my creativity in doing so.


In trusting myself, I'd love to stay up all night and write, but I need sleep.  Therefore, soon to come some pictures of why I love water.


Here they are...

 

Maybe?

So, I've given up, and in that have begun to try. To try and answer life's most true questions with a question.  For in trying to be "right" every waking moment is exhausting, and limits one in their ability.  This does not mean I've decided to forfeit all that I know to be true, but it does mean faith and trust are authentic too. Someone who says this a little better in their own way worth watching is this guy....
Check it out if you so desire, http://www.ted.com/talks/jer_thorp_make_data_more_human.html

And of course some other writing...

Maybe oh maybe, I am a dreamer, a lover, and sure as hell no saint.
But maybe oh maybe my baby, I think life is great.
To live in the spirit, my intuition, my light,
Suits me well (and as always a good thing), makes me less uptight
For I can dwell in the unknown and not be condemned or ashamed
The mystical potential and my life plays like a game
So I dare to dream and declare for I know my timing to be true,
and never forget to say bless you
If you believe it to be true

Mania or Genius?

"I believe that curiosity, wonder, and passion are defining qualities of imaginative minds and great teachers; that restlessness and discontent are vital things; and that intense experience and suffering instruct us in ways less intense emotions can never do.  I believe, in short, we are equally beholden to heart and mind, and that those who have particularly passionate temperaments and questioning minds leave the world a different place for their having been there.  It is important to value intellect and discipline, of course, but it is also important to recognize the power of irrationality, enthusiasm, and vast energy...It is best to acknowledge this, to accept it, and to admire the diversity of temperaments Nature has dealt us."-Kay Redfield Jamison

There are so many rules that guide us every day and for good reasons. However, when rules begin to affront what is morally good, true, and loving, it is here that I have a problem. When rules require us to abandon creativity, or intuition, kindness, and mercy, we must follow a different set of rules.  We must live as awakened souls, free to dream, learn, and wander without fear of failure.  For life's "failures" are just lessons requiring more thought and dedication.  Embrace difference, for it is within our differences we are able to see our most sincere similarities.  Elizabeth Gilbert supports similar embraces of creativity and speaks her truth with amazing clarity and grace.
Check it out!
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Homeward Bound

"There are few things pure in this world anymore, and home is just one of the few." -OAR

To me there is nothing like home. As I've grown I realize I have many different places I can call home, favorite coffee shops, church, the library, school, favorite trails etc, but there is still nothing like the original.

"Homeward Bound"
Driving down the highway I reach and scratch my hand
I scream at the top of my lungs!
My voice shakes octaves much higher than the music blaring
or air entering through the car door
I zig zag down the mountain and I long to feel REAL
to break FREE from this entrapped car and FLY
Fly to the peaks of the blue ridges
Stretch my soul to the heavens and meet my ancestors
where they first stood
To know of a time when real hard work was valued
Work on and of the land
When music was made from the voices of the woods,
and community was felt not in texts or calls but in true mammal warmth
I long to sleep under the stars and feel the rain
For without these true sensations I return to the same familiar places
In cars trapped and wanting
In a mind that screams to be free

This is a photograph of one of my homes...Long Beach Island, NJ "The Shore"