My He(ART)-Full Life



Sunday, May 22, 2011

what is good for us

                                                      (work in progress-huge painting!)
"...From the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape...we must pick out what is good for us where we can find it."   -Picasso
I don't know about you, but as I get older, I know what is good for me. I mean...really good for me...my heart and soul, my spirit, my physical being and mind and heart...my whole being. When I was younger...oh! it was a different story altogether. The choices I made, the meanderings and sidesteps, mazes and poor choices. Of course now I can see how every single piece has brought me to this place but...boy! did I have to go the long way around!!!??? Now I know that what is good for me right now, may change tomorrow. That life is constantly in flux...and so are we. A few things that are oh! so so good for me right now...
 * painting, creating, working with my hands. After a month of flus and colds and resting...it feels so deliciously good to paint again.
*my marriage. To think that I spent most of my life running away from commitment only to find out that...I love marriage! Of course I had to be the right person and meet the right person but...I love all the small moments of ordinary-ness, the shared memories and heart, the partnership and building dreams together...the trusting of  ourSELVES to be completely who we are.
                                                      (sassy girl Tara in our backyard)
* motherhood. watching my Tara grow and bloom and ...just loving her to pieces. All these small moments of caring for her...reading to her, preparing her fave. foods, giggling and being silly and ...setting boundaries and listening to her say fantastic new words every day. Being a witness to this... miracle.
*crocheting and sewing. Just love all the fabrics out there now...lush, bold prints just begging to be turned into pillows or tablecloths or...
                                                          (morning walks at the lake)  
*immersing ourSELVES in nature over here. Going to the beach as much as possible, watching the birds and dogs and ducks...our morning walks around the lake. And I am loving the luxury of walking out the back door and cutting bouquets of roses anytime I want. And oh! There's a gorgeous peach tree in our backyard!!
* community-of kindred spirits, artists, writers, sculptors, bloggers...wise and craft mammas, nature-lovers, quilters...Amazing, wonderfully fire-hearted women everywhere! Just loving it!
*poetry...lush and lusty...gorgeous words dripping with life. I am reading lots of poetry to Tara now...Sonia Sanchez, Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver and of course...Dr. Suess!!
what are some of the things that are good for you right now? I would love it if you shared.

9 comments:

Šolanje na domu-Waldorf said...

I agree with you totaly. Wish I knew what I know today back in the teen years. :) Oh, well can't change it so no use sweating about it. But changes are good.

And right now painting is good for me. And making choices I didn't have the guts to make them before. :)

jane said...

What is good for me right now, Soraya...since you asked (!)...painting and collaging old postcards, making pancakes for my granddaughters, warm weather...looking forward to swimming in the ocean just cheers me! Reading and walking. Making strawberry jam...reading art blogs!

scrapwordsmom said...

Beautiful post and painting.

Right now I need to remember to rest. I am committed to several things that aren't really what I want to be doing at all...so very stressed about that:(

Very soon...I will be on track again.

But in the meantime trying to look at life with a positive attitude, time with my family and squeezing in creative time when I can. Doing lost of lists and planning!

Lis said...

I always know I will come here and be refreshed, inspired and challenged to think about things in a meaningful way. This was the perfect post to read on a Monday morning! That Picasso quote will go in my journal!

What is good for me? So much of what you describe fits the bill! I see things in terms of balancing opposites: my need for me-time, my need for family time; quiet stillness and acitivity; retreat within (probably painting, writing or doodling!) and time outside just being physical. Being a mother and a wife - learning more about myself in those relationships; recovering the girl within me who was so afraid ... but not any more!

My goodness, Tara has grown! Wednesday is our last day of kindergarten - talk about shock! I think our daughters help rekindle the dreams and ambitions we held as children (when I believed I could become Pippi Longstocking) and the gift is sharing with them that spirit of growth and adventure.

Enjoy the ocean for me!
xo Lis

Jen @ By Jen ❤️ said...

I completely agree! SO much of what you say is what is good for me and I am finding that is becoming clearer and clearer with age. Thank you so much for putting into words what my heart is learning =)

jane said...

Oh I really hope you can attend Patty's Inner Gardening retreat...it's going to be lovely!
xx jane

patty said...

Hmmmm..... although I've been trying to fight against it, my mind has taken me to some negative places lately. Negative in terms of self esteem, confidence, etc. I'm finding that what is good for me is the practices I have set in place. Disciplined creative practice, journaling, meditation, gratitude, etc. As a younger person, I had no such practices, just went willy-nilly trying to make it through each day and missing so much of what life had to offer. Still learning, but so glad to have come this far!! Great question!!

ArtPropelled said...

Just what I needed to read today. I'm finding that staying in, being quiet and getting on with my work are exactly the things I need right now. Tara is looking so sweet.... and mischievous. What a joy!

kelly said...

Good for me right now, is having a friend like you! :) This post made me cry...don't ask me why, maybe it's because I'm so happy for you.