Art responding….making art in response to other art!

Often, when i see great art, i make art responses as a way of listening more deeply to it, and allowing myself to be transformed by the painting. To I-thou with one’s art in order to engage my own imagination in encountering the art in love. This is one way to be transformed by one another’s art.

Art response is my favorite way of knowing. Art is epistemology for me. Or at least one way encounter more deeply-with more of myself.

Here’s a poem i wrote in response to Mark Rothko’s painting called “Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea”! Regardless, making art in response to art, helps me interpret and listen well to other-to encounter rather than use or consume.

Here’s an art response, to that tender painting I put up earlier. Getting back into art responding! Fun! Next time you see art, make art in response—it opens a deeper dialogue! Even if the poems not good, it takes you into a deeper encounter, and more understanding of the piece, i think. Art challenge, your way today!

My art response to Rothko’s painting:

There is sea, sky, and
the unseen swirl between
two worlds,
two lovers…on an edge
between- that
is,
us
all.
That
kingdom
is always
in our midst;
but too
rarely
seen.
much less
lived in.
For only
Love
can live
there-
by that
Sea.

From an evening, and many others, I’m sure….(working on a few little poems this week; good to listen to the older rhythms (like what park holds in evening) in turbulent times like ours, i think… thanks for your patience, as i try to listen to older things, like evening; helps me stay in Peace anyways) What evening holds….this one written in a european park we once lived near:

Evenings here, are matured. As when a park has listened to a neighborhood for generations and they know one another, and gathered all that conversation into the roots of her trees. Each bench holds in deco shaped curved steel what trees can only feel. Like the sound of listening itself, across many generations. Or two content lovers in a park, leaning into one another, just doting in wonder, endlessly. I’ve always liked the sound of listening. I’ve often heard it in my favorite paintings. Evening holds at least that much.

And there was morning, and there was evening….

Morning talks:
The bear shaped tree on the hill out my window, is always talking to some sea, i can’t quiet see through the brighter sudden-flashed pastels of morning glory. The sturdiness of bear, the transparency of the sky, while the sea is just listening to them talk, starting a good conversation—at least at dawn.
Morning knows the art of to how to start a conversation well.

Evening’s job:
That pastel glow of evening, how does it know when to go? After making the day remember itself so well, it just vanishes…each color having done their job for the day, trail off into night.
Evening knows the art of timely vanishing!

Windsong:
And even if,
our harps are hanging
on strange bushes, with
strings vibrating alone,
they must still play; as chimes do, and
as we must,
to be.
For,
if we don’t play
them (our instruments which we are)-the Wind will sing without us!
And we’ll be less
ourselves
for not having lamented
with them
and one another
forever.
At least that’s
what chimes teach.

Complete Your Handiwork, God!

Psalm 138 ends with this great idea: God will complete His art—the art which we each are. Been thinking about how God always completes His symbols, and that we are those poems, signs and wonders, symbols, He is writing.

Psalm 139 goes on of course to reveal just how thoroughly He knows us, even before we barely knew ourselves—ie in the womb. That we, like nature, are wonderfully made; and that He sings us as a celebration of Himself—these song are the true songs of ourselves. The Namer, naming us out loud for pleasure.

These two songs taken together, reveal how much God celebrates true identity! And that the Author is also the Finisher of His Own Art—that art which we are! He who began a good poem in you, will finish it! And pronounce it forever!

Confessions of an extroverted monk:
When you love people, and can’t be with them…what then….
Of course, i love people, encouraging and being with them, so times of social isolation are challenging for us “people, people”. My friend used to ask—just how many people did you see today! Many, i assure you. I like people. My best poems are written in people, i’m sure.

Yet, I also find it exciting to develop more contemplative practices—taking slow gazing walks, looking more deeply into my wife’s eyes. Watching Spring return, each flower an overcoming statement, a declaration of Life. Paying better attention to my dog’s needs. And listening for that still small Voice, which is like a symphony inside a whisper! That one Elijah heard.

We will all return to one another soon enough, but while away, we pray each day, and come closer to one another in that deeper heart- waiting, and common vulnerability. In that house of prayer not built with hands!
There are many spiritual opportunities now. Stillness, learning silence, gazing more deeply. Expressing more thoroughly…

So stillness, silence and aloneness aren’t my primary spirituality-i was never cut out for monkhood, nor was i for celibacy! And yet, this period of forced isolation is allowing me to develop my inner life.

That quiet space of just being-that I AM to i am space. The un-busy me. I think that is a great fruit coming from this pull back time we are currently all in.
Plus, i can hear the birds better and listen to the sound of slow falling rain on tree leaves again. Thankful. More holiness is formed from here, this enforced Sabbath, I’m sure. Be quick to listen, and slow to speak, as the old wisdom put it!

And I promise when we do return to the table, i will love you even more, and playfully, listen to you more deeply, having sat more patiently alone in that silent knowing of Love. Plus, i’ve learned to hear the layerings of bird songs and church bells i didn’t know were nearby during this time of contemplation and retreat.

Love is always busy being, doing her shinanigans!

Let’s all do some miraculous shinanigans right now for one another! As my dear friend put it today!

Loving one another, might be the first one! Speaking words of encouragement and kindness, might be the next, doing spontaneous and inventive or creative acts of kindness, might follow….who knows how many Love stunts are possible. But we need them now!

For, Love rustles things awake! Let’s do at least that much for one another friends! Love is always busy doing its shenanigans! Keeping us thankful and alive!

Let’s speak in new mediums of Love to one another friends! Make it up! It will work to remind us of how much we really Love one another. Love is foolish like that. And needed like that. Love doesn’t mind, or is embarrassed by, writing a love letter!

Love doesn’t care what it looks like!

As we are all wandering the alleys! Talked to this friend today…

“Generation X is made for times like these. We were unplugged for our youth, then learned, and sort of mastered it.
We can actually surf with long hard boards!
We didn’t first find our intimacy on internet.
We still like the hard copy version of life. I’m enjoying the fast from frequency!”
A creative comrade today.
“Plus, we aren’t in competition to produce, like the boomers-our identity isn’t based on branding (like those younger) or production (like those just above us),” he went on.
We are a watershed generation! One’s meant to interpret in both directions! I added, as he continued….
“So we can enjoy our gardens. And share real tomatoes with our neighbors.
I’m actually using my real camera again and playing through warmly tubed fender amps again! I forgot, that slow glow as they warm up into sound! Maybe we are like those tubes!”
Nice to hear this fellow sharing from the gifts of his generation.
Perhaps, it is our time to shine, or warmly glow.

We’ve moved from an action film to a more silent observational film. Can we sit and just watch without being constantly entertained or stimulated. Can we become art life appreciators, while the action is on pause? Can we ourselves become better art while in the dark, so when shown on the big screen, people are blown away!

Yet, if you must watch action films right now however, i suggest prayer! There’s lots of action there this season! And lots to “do” for one another! Prayer is another great response to seasons like this.

Even if we can’t “touch” one another, we can touch one another’s hearts through praying! And even sharing on line what we see or feel for that person in prayer. Great time for that sort of unseen precious encouragement! If you don’t pray, this is a great time to start. What else, you gonna do. Why not try it! It’s genuinely helpful to you and others.

Ready? Action!

“If God’s heart socially distanced from us, we would be in big trouble! Thank God our hearts can still be close to one another, even when our bodies can’t for a while.”

Thinking of ways to keep our hearts close while we are physically apart. And ways to work on developing our hearts while apart. So here’s….

A bit more from that article (since i have more time to write, and less to counsel face to face this week) i’m working on about some responses to the times we are in, for those who now have a bit more time to read those longer entries you always wanted to finish, but just didn’t have the time….

Dear friends everywhere!

Since we have so much time to contemplate and consider the times right now! Each of us in our little monastic huts, but still together by heart….here are some opportunities i see during this particular crisis- just a few which have popped to top of my heart in prayer, during this latest global trauma: What happens when everyday is suddenly Sunday? As we have all become monks now! Or on a forced social fast….what are some opportunities for us all? Here’s a few I see.

In our little neighborhood everyone is gardening, taking walks, and greeting one another with their eyes; making little piles of extra un-needed things, in case others need them. Making sure the elderly are getting groceries, and trying to support local business in any way now possible. Here were some other ideas which came to me about what we can “work” on while in this forced social fast.

My wife and I are kinda fortunate because we already work out of the house, but many others don’t, and are having to sharply adjust their lifestyles—especially families of course, with schooling etc. But I was trying to think of things we all could benefit from this season. Here were a few which popped into my heart in prayer:

To work on be when we can’t do—not easy in “do” cultures, i know. To work on our inner lives in living hope that when we return more to the outer, we will be able to give more deeply to one another! When we can’t “do” we can work on “be” so that when we can “do” again, it will be done with more love, more true caring, and from more of our deeper real selves.

Since you asked what opportunities i see in this current situation, or what i hoped to learn, or have formed through it.

My hope is to be or become more, while i can’t “do” as much in this season; to have learned Love more deeply, when returning from this social fast, or enforced sabbath.

Everyday is now a Sunday, and we have all become monks! So let’s get monastic! Let’s not waste our night! Let’s glow in the dark, so we can shine brighter when the day returns! For the dawn is always already breaking in our hearts!

For extroverts as well as all personalities i’m sure, it’s hard to not be out with everyone! But there are opportunities! “Silence breeds good meaningful speech!” as they say! If we can be more, we will be able to do later with more depth of being! If we can be quieter, we will be able to speak the right words with more weight later. As the poets say, true poetry just between the lines. So maybe we can work more on the spaces between words this season.

It’s a forced monastic season; many are uncomfortable with Sabbath Rest, or the idea of just being. But as we “enter into that inner Rest”, we will be able to give more deeply, when the time comes! Nice advice from a friend. It may not solve all our logistic problems with finances, home schooling, delays in travel etc; but it does solve a heart problem of having meaning while we wait. In the concentration camps, as Victor Frankl pointed out, those who made it through, had to find meaning in their daily waiting to be released. Character is formed in waiting well.

What are you guys learning through these challenging times. Let’s keep collaborating in Hope and Joy!

Until we meet again friends,
Derek

PS:
We’ve moved from an action film to a more silent observational film. Can we sit and just watch without being constantly entertained or stimulated. Can we become art life appreciators, while the action is on pause? Can we ourselves become better art while in the dark, so when shown on the big screen, people are blown away!

Yet, if you must watch action films right now however, i suggest prayer! There’s lots of action there this season! And lots to “do” for one another! Prayer is another great response to seasons like this. Even if we can’t “touch” one another, we can touch one another’s hearts through praying! And even sharing on line what we see or feel for that person in prayer. Great time for that sort of unseen precious encouragement! If you don’t pray, this is a great time to start. What else, you gonna do. Why not try it! It’s genuinely helpful to you and others.

Another practical one i see, is to share our best recipes with one another, so we have food communion. Did this one last night. We have time to share other’s favorite dishes! Maybe for the first time, we can say to one another after this passes, hey i really liked that one recipe you sent me! Food is the most direct way to commune of course! Of course, we could also share our favorite books and poetry with one another, to keep the soul fed! There are all sorts of food!

What are you guys learning? Great time to collaborate in Hope and even Joy with one another, during these times of isolation. The heart is never isolated.

One other which came to me was the potential to grow intimate with our kids, despite the stress of the change of schedule. I know this one is hard, as many are having to home school now, but what if even that was an opportunity to grow in intimacy with our kids, and really tune into their learning processes and love language in a fresh way, before they return to structures of care in other houses. You guys would know much more than me on this. But, i was praying that it would be a time where families actually deepen by being constantly together. Just a thought!

Of course, for some of us extroverts, it’s hard to wait to bless others-to get back out in our social pools; but what if our blessing will be deeper once we have been more in-formed by Rest. What if we let Love grow in stillness or less activity, or different activities, so that when we return, we bring and are, more into our circles of influence and care. Let’s not waste our rest! Or time “off”!

Another fruit i’m seeing is, each person we do get to meet, becomes more singularly seen and loved. We are more thankful for “each” neighbor, in times of isolation. Even yesterday, the postman—it was such a joy to see him, even through the door, and say hi, and this too shall pass….

Another cool thing now, the opportunity to exercise our creativity for solutions to how to keep love flowing in community while separated physically. It requires inventiveness to bless one another in times like these. Let’s be creative friends in being friends! Maybe even social media will become more meaningful, with more weighty conversations in this mutually vulnerable period.

Maybe even our internet words and expressions, will take on a different density, as they become a more important medium of expressing real care in times when we can’t see one another as easily.

Another nice opportunity a friend made me think of: Great time to learn each other’s blessings and greetings when we meet. Today, my friend’s taught me theirs, from their country.

It’s important to practice actively blessing on another in times of isolation. Let’s teach one another our favorite blessings and practice by actively blessing one another.

One rabbi put it:
We are hoping that to dwell more in a social Sabbath or forced fast, will allow the other normal rhythms of our days, when they return, to become more meaningful, the food of friendship and community, tasting even better!

In short, every situation can become a spiritual growth point, or living tabernacle if we stay attuned to what matters, and walk in Peace. And though these are extremely challenging and socially disorienting times, it is possible to grow through them. To come out the other side, caring more for our neighbors, ourselves and one another. Let’s let it form us like that friends! What is formed in the night, is seen in the Day! This is certainly night for most of us, let’s glow in the dark, and then shine again in the coming days together.

Look forward to hearing your ideas friends, of potential ways to live well in these challenging times, or things your learning already through these tumultuous and sometimes isolating, or even boring for some, nights and days friends. Let’s collaborate with that Hope and even boldly with Joy, and one another, during and then after this current crisis! And let me know what you’re learning! Night gleanings from one another, are the best! Roots aren’t seen, but the tree is impossible without them.

Until we meet again-thinking and praying for you all;
Your always friend,
Derek