One door closes, another opens

I am a wimp for cold water but I don’t mind cold rain or cold air on my face. I looked out across the pool today. I swam outside. When I arrived, steam was rising off of the water. I don’t keep up with outdoor temperature or even most weather, but I do notice the effects of it.

I’ve been swimming, this week. It has been a pretty solid twenty-five years since I have been lap swimming. I occasionally swim in the waters of Galveston but, aside from that, my swimming has been dry. It’s a big deal for me this week. Four years ago, almost to the date, I purchased a swim suit and goggles in Santa Fe, New Mexico and told myself that when I moved to Texas I would begin swimming again. Who knows what happened to the goggles but my swimsuit was still waiting for me.

I’m swimming in an outdoor pool that is eighty-five degrees. I think this is going to help my painting. Something about diving into the water and seeing the underworld of an older pool is mystical, mysterious, amusing to me. I watch the bubbles cling to my hands as I begin each stroke. I’m working on endurance but I found, on the first day, that after 500 yards I wasn’t ready to stop. So, three days this week I swam 800 yards. I am working on endurance but I definitely have the energy for swimming.

I am feeling a quietness in my life after many markets. I am feeling a little lost after being turned down for two of the larger art festivals I applied for. That’s OK, I can handle a change in direction. For my experience in life tells me that is all it is, a change in direction. One door closes, another opens and we go where we are supposed to be. I think I am supposed to be in more beach towns, not necessarily the large markets.

I’m rearranging my furniture. Well, I did that yesterday. I’ve noticed my painting has changed since rearranging it four months ago. I want to paint near the window again. I want to again experience how that feels. Much of how I feel comes through in my painting. It is a surprise to me, though, or at least it used to be that there is calm and peacefulness in art I created when feeling the edge of distress. When I went through divorce, people would say of my art they felt so much peace within it. Sometimes there is stress and peacefulness transcends it.

That’s what I want right now. I want peace to transcend stress. For me and for you. We all have stress. I tell myself there are no terrible days in my life. I have no Africa stress, I have no one in my life ill or dying. My largest stress is financial as I continue to learn how to earn an income from my art and sometimes real estate.

Yesterday was a day of intense personal growth. It was challenging, enlightening and wonderful. I referred to it as a terrible day, between that and the finances .. but it was a wonderful day, just challenging. Today, I start again. with new perspective and optimism. I have new information. I wish I could tell you everything I have experienced but I can’t right now. I am spending the rest of the day, before I get my youngest child from school, learning about Etsy and how to better market my art online. I can do something about my financial stress .. I don’t always know what yet but opportunities continue to present themselves and I am deeply touched by the many people who visit with me at art markets, purchase my art, and share with me what my art means to them. If I have not met you, yet, please stop by and introduce yourself.

Blessings,

c.s.