March is only the middle of winter here in Maine. I half-jokingly call this place my exile in the “Siberia” of America. Despite Spring’s calendar arrival in only two weeks, we may have another three major snowstorms before the forsythias bloom bright yellow. Mainers have a saying when it comes to the weather and anything else that's hard to swallow, “It is what it is,” which roughly translates, “It sucks now get over it!”
Today, I woke up with a frog in my throat and my husband’s head cold. Lucky me. My body is telling me it would rather be on the beach down in Florida, so I hop on the treadmill and attempt to sweat it out. My pedometer tells me I’ve achieved 70% of my daily step count. One of many small goals that helps me pass the long winter season in New England. Thumbing through Instagram, I see pictures of beautiful people enjoying life in warm, sunny places where I’d rather be. It is what it is.
They say Spring is the season of hope, rebirth, and new beginnings. I try to keep that promise close when I’m tired and the view from my window is cloudy and gray. I feel out of place here in Maine, where the sunlight is diluted and rarely seen. In the corner of my studio, I glare disapprovingly at a once small mountain of “stuff” I’ve been avoiding that has now grown to Kilimanjaro heights. I hate clutter and my art suffers for it. Spring cleaning always gives me a sense of accomplishment and control as Mother Nature takes her sweet time turning up the heat out-of-doors. Feeling a little overwhelmed by my mess, I console myself, “Just take a few minutes to tidy up. A little cleaning is better than nothing." A few minutes later, the studio feels better, not perfect but better, and I sit down at my drawing easel with a fresh, clean focus. I feel lighter and even a little lucky, despite my runny nose, that I can always choose to create better conditions for myself and my artistic discipline despite the weather.
“Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are,” the affirmation reads above my writing desk. Good advice when I feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges and I'm distracted by everyone else’s apparent good fortune. Perhaps more important than waiting for good fortune to land in our laps is our ability to create our own luck by making use of what agency we already have? When we pull back the bow of adversity, (like Eros in my most recent drawing, "True North,") we use resistance to propel the arrow of our greatest and highest intentions out into the universe. Wherever you are today, take a minute, stop comparing yourself to others, and focus on your surroundings. What small changes can you make in your space that will help point you in a more positive direction? Each of us has a True North, a higher purpose for our lives waiting for us to aim and take action. Sometimes all it takes is a little Spring cleaning to help clear the air and refocus our energy on shooting for the stars.
My Best,
Dan
"True North" - 8" X 10" Limited Edition Prints Available Here
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