June 18, 2019 Ponderings

I’m sorry to say that I have not been able to find sufficient Wi-Fi or cellular service to work on research and photos for this blog. I tried getting these done before I left but it got a bit chaotic and you know what they say about best-laid plans!  But here is another little story about passion that will hopefully hold you over until I return next weekend.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

I am on Kangaroo Island in South Australia right now. 2 days ago we were in Cairns off the Great Barrier Reef where we got to see a real passion bloom in our teenager. My step-daughter just graduated high school and this trip was her graduation present. Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, in particular, were chosen because she is entering college as a Marine Biology major. She had to declare a major when she applied but the truth is, she is not at all certain what she wants to do. She is interested in conservation and environmental issues so the reef and its survival through the ravages of global warming is something that resonates with her.

In Cairns, were lucky enough to find a snorkeling trip run by a very passionate marine biologist who took us out on the reefs and educated us for a good hour on the creatures of the reef, the ecology, and the efforts being made to save it. Our teenager soaked it all in, every word. You could see her interest blossoming into an intense passion before our eyes. She couldn’t stop talking about it. It was so lovely to see that. I nearly cried.

This is not to say that she might not change her mind later but I do think we witnessed the start of an intense journey out there in the aqua blue ocean. Do you remember when your passion for art or for polymer occurred? Do you remember the feeling? Is it still there?

If that same passion doesn’t still exist, it is okay to consider a change. I have had so many passionate excursions in my life although writing and creativity have always been out front. Sometimes we just need to get out and adventure to figure it out or find it again. Sometimes those adventures just reaffirm or invigorate a passion that already exists but perhaps those passions needed a new and novel experience to energize them again. Or perhaps it is not the subject that is in question but what you are doing with it.

The blog I had planned for this week was originally about that—figuring out if we are doing what we want with our passion and our love of art. It is a question that needs to be asked regularly. Sure, routine and inertia can keep you going even if you’re not completely happy with what you are doing, but shouldn’t we strive to do what we love if at all possible?

This week, I’d like to suggest that you try something new every day. Not just in your art but in your daily life. Drive a new way to work. Shop at a different grocery store. Take a day hike at a nearby park or area you’ve never been to. Wear your hair differently. Try a new food or restaurant. And in the studio, try a new technique, just once at least. Or try a new material even. Or a new form—so if you primarily do jewelry, try sculpture or wall art. Set yourself this challenge just to shake it up and see what you discover. You never know if a new passion will bloom inside of you from just one little different adventure.