Soulful Moments

Photo: Stolen Moment.

We've been working on the constant daily tasks of getting ourselves ready to immigrate to New Zealand. Over the weekend we have wrapped up a few loose ends and dotted a few "i's." It hasn't been impossible, but we're just not acustomed to all we have needed to do. Although I remember doing something similar when I transferred from the University of Wisconsin to Ringling School of Art and Design. No different, maybe some additional paperwork and three cats to worry about, but nothing we can't handle. Maybe we just got complacent in our daily lives, that adding additional chores seemed like alot of work. Keep our eyes on the prize.

I was reminded of an old passion this weekend. A drive to be creative, to be a part of a bigger picture. It was a "lightbulb" moment to quote my friend Jessica. Suddenly the lights came on and I realized that I function here in a vacuum. Self employed freelance designer. I get to be my own boss, create what I want for my clients but something is lacking. While in college, I found myself surrounded by creative and expressive people. There was a culture that was in a constant state of flux. There were all types of people there, actors, dramaheads, painters, sculptors, musicians, designers and so on. Everywhere I went on campus something was HAPPENING! There was dance, movement, performances, practice rooms filled with talented people. I could sit, in the symphony rehearals, in front of the brass section and FEEL the music inside of me - just sitting, experiencing, while sketching or doing homework. I really miss being surrounded by creative people. I long to be a part of a dynamic, functioning team of creatives. A place where I can feel tapped into to the best of my abilities, where I can create using what was given to me. I enjoy writing music, photography, drawing, designing, I miss being challenged everyday to do something original and creative. I miss feeding off of that energy. Perhaps I need to explore teaching. I do need to search out those kinds of envirnments and build the kinds of relationships I used to have as a part of that. Perhaps that is my lesson here in Sarasota. I didn't do that at all. There were opportunities, but I always found an excuse not to do it. I had what I felt I needed to focus on and I made my own choices and I have no regrets, what I have filled my life with I did so by my own freewill. But I think I now know where I need to go and what will ultimately fill my soul.

Getting the Call

It's been 10 days since my last post and I'm sorry it's been so long. Some of you have left great remarks on my blog and I appreciate that very much, sorry I haven't had the time to return comments yet.

The time is swiftly approaching where we will find ourselves in another country. We've been gathering information from every possible source we can, everywhere we look we find someone who knows or knew someone who lived in New Zealand and absolutely loved it and can't stop talking about it, whether it was 20 years ago or 2 months ago. It's been a wholly universal sign that points us to New Zealand. And now, last night, my wife was offered a position in New Zealand, MONTHS ahead of our original plan. Offering relocation assistance, a generous timeline for arrival, a place to stay temporarily, and a decent salary. The offer would end up saving us more money than if we went through with our original plan of spending a few months in Finland then making our own way to New Zealand. It's intriguing and we're both thinking it may be the right time. We're both a little nervous! Know anyone interested in buying our house? www.thisisbruce.com/home

Just in writing this, I think I know what my answer is.

Image: The city of Sarasota blanketed and dissappearing behind a bank of fog - a nice metaphore to the path I am on.

Defined and Refined

(Photo taken, 3pm on a sunny Florida afternoon of a kayaker paddling into a sudden and freak afternoon sea fog. I was in bright sunlight while shooting.)

You could say I've been a bit consumed lately. Work has taken off and the phone keeps ringing, moving plans to make and follow through on, the house sale and people coming to look at it (and it needs to look it's best). The idea of running a business is great, but the actually running of it takes time, in the end, I think I have a couple of minutes a day to actually create something and dammit, it better be GOOD! HA!

I recently put the words together to define art for myself. It was a long time coming, but it feels good to have reached the mark. I'm sure this will only be fleeting as creative and spiritual growth is inevitable!

My art defined & refined:
Oscar Wilde states, "We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless." That quote drove me inward since discovering it a couple of years ago. I have since been determined to define art for myself. It has not been easy, but I believe that art surrounds us. My father, a lifetime carpenter, used to ask me how I became an artist, no one else in our family can do what I do. I looked at him with astonishment and said, "You're an artist that creates sculptures that are grand and huge in scale, you create art that people live in." In the Orient, in some traditional sects, most people consider everything thing they do as an art. Daily chores such as sweeping or cleaning must be done with the exactness and intensity as a master craftsman. That tells us that anything done with intention, care and deliberation, can be considered art. I also believe, with these three things, comes a soul level connection to your work. If you have proper intent, act deliberately and with great care in your work, you create art. My two cents anyway

Sign of the Times

I wasn't sure just how I was going to feel about putting the "For Sale" sign in the front yard. Designing the sign, putting the posts together, digging the hole was all a surreal task. Now I look at it, and the website (link to the right) and I feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment. And momentum forward.

Perfect Morning Light

Great morning fog today, so I had to grab my camera this morning and snap off a few so I can share it. The light was so perfect this morning! These are just shots around our yard as the sun was burning through. I find myself snapping photos like a tourist now that we're leaving. I'll have at least a nice visual record of Florida by the time we go. Still so many more pictures to take! Enjoy!

Orange You Glad?

I think I'm going to miss our orange trees, even though they really only provide a couple of gallons of OJ each season.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody!

I'm back, exasperated by the thought of having to go back to work after having the last week and change off. It felt great to have such a dedicated amount of time to doing nothing - well almost nothing, we still squeezed several holidays in there four days with my parents and four parties! I hope you all have survived and enjoyed good health over the break.

I made several "resolutions" this year. I try not to succomb to the "trend" where the only time of the year we decide to make life changes, I try to focus on that daily, throughout the year, but this year, right at this time in my life, it was appropriate to make some decisions.

I decided to exercise as many opportunities to take artful, meaningful pictures, even if it at first means an inconvenience. (The above photo is one in a series of pictures I took of the Tanjerines in a tree on our property. They taste better than they look.)

I decided to keep pursuing my own definition of art, my own expression of art and to stop questioning what I am doing, and simply just create. The meaning of it all will come together some day soon enough.

No more huge portions of food. Eat only what I need, only when I need. I'm surprised I'm not 400 pounds by now.

Run as often as I can.

I also have decided to cut off the TV. No more dish, no more evenings nested on the sofa, late nights watching CSI reruns eating huge plates of fatty foods. I still watch the news on the local channels and an occasional movie or two, but I want my TV watching to be meaningful and rare. We watched "What the Bleep..." last night. It was a great way to start off the new year, reminding myself that we are all perfect and so amazingly complex and wonderful. Everything that happens, happens for a reason, there is no good or bad choice, there is only our path. Whether we are connected to it or not, we are all part of a larger whole.

Well, have a great day, the start of a great year and a more evolved life. Love those in your life, friend and stranger. Everyone is special, a cosmically unique gift. Our journey a blessing full of diversity, challenges and growth.

Be well.