I’m back in the wilds of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, at Amadell, and magic is unquestionably afoot. Remember my first astonishing attempt at painting back in August?
How else to explain the astonishing transformation of a blank canvas to this:
Step 1 – Photo: L. Weikel
To this:
Step 2 – Photo: L. Weikel
To this:
Step 3 – Photo: L. Weikel
To this:
Step 4 – Photo: L. Weikel
To this:
Step 5 – Photo: L. Weikel
To this:
Step 6 – Photo: L. Weikel
To the final product, which you see as the main photo of this post, all in the span of about 4.5 hours?
It’s the Teacher
I’m convinced I could not create in this manner if I were not here where I am and if I didn’t have my friend Luz standing beside me, painting, cajoling, giving me hints, and encouraging me every step of the way.
If you want to feel a startling sense of accomplishment and take a blasting cap to your creativity, come to Amadell and book yourself some Luz time.
The other night I entitled my blog post “Phoning It In.” At the time I wrote it, I was beyond tired, and it felt like anything I might write would be rote and vapid.
But as soon as I started writing, I knew the post wouldn’t be boring or average. (Short, yes. But that’s because it was after 4:00 a.m. when I started writing it.) I’ll admit it: I was giddy.
I was buzzing – literally – from giving myself permission to try something new and just diving right in. As I described in that post, I was sorta kinda pressured into trusting my friend Luz. She swore up and down that I could create a painting I’d be excited about – and she could show me how, if I would only trust her. If I would show a little courage and just immerse myself in the experience.
Immersion Theory
If I really think about it, it was this immersion in the experience that really juiced me. And what’s also intriguing is the connection between what I’ve taught Luz and what she taught me: I do believe that the skills I’ve honed in learning how to journey, as well as the further practice of cultivating the ability to take notes during my process of straddling the worlds, have cultivated my ability to immerse myself in a task.
The process of journeying takes a great deal of focus and attention – especially when receiving a lot of specific information or guidance. And I’ve found through the years that if I doubt, if a significant enough portion of my consciousness stands outside of the work, observing with arms folded and skepticism (and doubt) coloring my experience, my perceptions and ability to receive and process information from other realms is seriously compromised.
As Above So Below
Or in other words, trusting myself and just surrendering to the experience almost assuredly makes any such experience itself exponentially richer. As a result, I figured, “What the heck?” I could feel it. I needed to either be ‘all in’ or not do it at all. That’s because I could very easily have allowed a huge part of myself to stand slightly aside as I painted, with arms folded and ego fully engaged, criticizing and worrying about every single stroke I made on the canvas. And I knew, I could feel, that would buckle my ability to create.
But Luz had asked me to trust her, to trust her process – a process she’s developed and practiced herself for several years. So it was only fair.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve asked Luz to trust me many times. To trust my description of the process of journeying and to trust her ability to see, receive, and perceive other realms.
So I went ‘all in.’ As she assured me over and over, “Lisa, you can always paint over it and start again. Don’t over-think it.”
“Just go for it.”
So I did.
Beginner’s Luck
My very first creation was “First Owl,” above. I could barely believe my eyes.
My second creation, below, I call BearWolf, perhaps for obvious reasons, depending upon your perspective, perhaps not. While I don’t feel it’s nearly as amazing as First Owl (which I still attribute a bit – OK, a lot – to ‘Beginner’s Luck,’ much to Luz’s annoyance), it’s still a piece I will enthusiastically hang in my office.
Wider Application
I’m getting a feeling that there’s a lesson here, a wider application for this Immersion Theory. I need to ponder it.
In the meantime, I offer you the fruits of my courage and trust. Thank you, Luz. Worthy investments – and a ton of fun.
I’m not phoning this in. It’s actually ridiculously early in the morning (4:10 a.m. or thereabouts) (shhhh – don’t tell Karl!) and I’m only just now getting to bed. But I am not phoning it in. Nope. I’m sitting here perched on the covers of my bed writing this and will not allow myself to fall asleep until I post something.
As it happens, I think I’ve been riding a creative high and we got carried away, watching a movie and then even some comedy by Robin Williams. (Damn, he was hilarious. The world really is a darker place without his light.)
I was already running a day late – meaning even though I’ve posted every night (on FB), I was hitting <<publish>> right around 1:00 a.m. and the post wasn’t going out via the email subscription until the next night. So some of you have been able to keep up by reading me on FB and others of you have simply been receiving posts a day late.
That trend is obviously continuing tonight. Or I should say this early, early morning.
Late For a Good Reason
My friend Luz has been cajoling me for days to indulge my inner artist and join her in painting in her garage here at Amadell. Mind you – I do not paint. I do not draw. I’ve harbored fantasies of playing with color, but I’ve always known my focus was best placed on the written word if I were to indulge my creativity.
I have to admit, her enthusiasm is nearly impossible to resist. And how could I deny her this one single thingshe was begging me to do? I couldn’t.
It also felt like a greater test: I ask her to trust me all the time when it comes to listening and journeying and all sorts of metaphysical pursuits. The least I could do is trust her and her undeniable insistence that she could show me how to create a painting I’d love.
Never a Better Teacher
First and foremost, Luz is an incredible artist. Her paintings, which hang on most of the walls throughout the buildings of Amadell, are captivating and heartwarming.
And wow. Let me tell you: this woman can teach. My goodness. I’m simply astonished, not only by the fun I had but even more so by the actual results I achieved. I couldn’t be more delighted or astounded.
Luz: I’m a believer. And I’m completely smitten by the fun we had tonight.
Thank you!
P.S.: I was planning on posting photos of the two – TWO! – paintings I created this evening with Luz. But I am so over-the-moon delighted with the fact that I actually painted these paintings that I do not want to post a photo of either before I sign them. And that – believe it or not – is what’s actually the reason why I’m not going to share my creations with you until tomorrow night.
I’m that excited. I’m that tremendously delighted with my work that I do not want to post a photo of them without signing my name to both of them.
