Marilyn Hurst - Canadian Artist
Golden Cactus Studio - White Rock Art Gallery

Blog

(posted on 6 Jun 2021)

Hi Everyone and thanks for tuning in.

I set this blog up several years ago, intending to dole out little pithy articles around art and living the life as...etc.

My muse was unamused and promptly dried up...until today.  Meditation has been very important in my work and life since 1990 and I guess this dry spell was a lesson because it seems the drought has ended.  This blog by the way, is the fourth one I've tried since this morning....somehow I'm not getting the hang of this new computer and they haven't managed to stick.  They disappear into the vault of blue I know not where.  Anyway, I digress....

We closed the doors on our studio when our lease expired,  after 2 years on the waterfront and now we have "left the building" we are our own artists in residence in our residence.  Funny, we agonized over taking the space, the rent seemed exorbitant and we were iffy on Marine Dr. to begin with but we believed our energy could pull it off and we started off doing ok.---- then the Global Pandemic hit and it went downhill fast after that.  We hung in there, though obviously we had lessons to learn, and did our best to keep things interesting and welcoming.  The Studio became a sacturary of sorts so we dug our heels in and rode it out, gratefully, (what else would we do anyway)without losing our shirts.  

The point of all this is that as artists we are at the mercy, even more so if we are sensitive, of the "world".  As a serious meditator since 1991 I spent a lot of time trying to avoid the more ugly aspects of "this world".  When we open our doors, the world enters---hello???--we are the world and can't avoid it's messiness.  This is a major lesson and one of the hardest to reconcile with oneself.  Being naive about what's happening can lead one down dead end paths or into a polyannish attitude which is irritating, to others and self,  in the extreme.  

Here's a few principles we learned:

1.  Nothing that happens is worth losing your cool. Being centered reduces stress. (always working on this one)

2.  Everything you do matters---to you. (don't try to get everyone on your bus)

3.  Do everything with heart---no expectations

4.  Have gratitude for your blessings and gifts

5.  Know what your blessings and gifts ARE!

I have a good feeling about our times----we are learning lessons and taking names.!!! Thank you to all our clients, friends and fellow artists---I will keep posting when the urge from within strikes and let's keep communicating---we need to remember that we are what we are because it's GOOD ENOUGH.   hugs. m