April Skies

Posted on April 28, 2012 by randomyriad

A Month of Clouds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in capturing light, My Art, spring | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tossed About by Elephants

Posted on April 18, 2012 by randomyriad

This is the kind of thing that makes me laugh.

“Gentlemen,” returned Mr. Micawber, “do with me as you will! I am a straw upon the surface of the deep, and tossed in all directions by the elephants– I beg your pardon; I should have said the elements.” — Charles Dickens from “David Copperfield” ; introductory quote in Mark Strand‘s latest volume of poetry “Almost Invisible”.

I started to read the book and fell for that first quote, now I am too tired to read more. I am feeling optimistic about the rest of the book.

Posted in funny stuff, Other peoples words, poetry, Word play | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sketches and Scratches

Posted on April 14, 2012 by randomyriad

This is the outside of my current pocket sketch and scratch journal. I carry it with me everywhere. The cover will be a work in progress until I use the last page just like my other journals.

Lately I am in a more picture/less word space.

I think this is because I am adjusting to a new schedule and have been sick: scribbling shapes is much easier than organizing slippery and uncooperative thoughts into words.

I have spiral notebook of lined paper for my longer winded half baked thoughts, but that is not as nice to look at.

Posted in All part of the process, change, doodles, Drawing, My Art, my life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Commentary On the Unsettled Skies of March and Other Random Thoughts

Posted on March 31, 2012 by randomyriad

“People wish to be settled; only as far as they are

unsettled is there any hope for them.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I write or avoid writing, I look out the window and see the parade of storms and light passing on the horizon.

This March has been especially interesting with every possible expression of weather like a sampler of clouds.

Some days it is so changeable that even if I look out every five minutes I see a completely different arrangement of light and clouds.

It is easy to be pulled away from my work, but it is also my work to observe what is happening with the sky.

My work is whatever draws me to it. It is my magnet.

I am drawn to some thoughts and ideas. Anatomy and physiology was my main work in March. I am finished with my class but the study of the structures and processes of the human body still draw my attention. I am continually amazed at the complexity and simplicity of design and wonder at how it all fits together to make a creature capable of the complexity of thought and action, or simply appreciating clouds as they pass

What Emerson is talking about in the quote above is not being unsettled in body, but in mind and spirit, to be ever curious and amazed at the world and thoughtful of events in the world. The dangerous thinkers in our world are not usually the ones who are searching for truth but the ones who have settled on what they think is truth. There is a false peace in that kind of settling. The truth is more like clouds each situation demands that you look closely and use imagination to unlock what truth is there. Every day brings different clouds and patterns of light and shadow for you to sift through, if you only have one truth you will not appreciate or imagine new skies.

I am trying to balance my thoughts between my future and my present. I try not to worry too much about my past these days, just enough to avoid the pitfalls I have already experienced. I am focused on getting my paperwork and prerequisites for the physical therapist assistant program, but I am also trying to continue reading and writing and art. I have a new job at as an assistant teacher in a daycare, which suits me just fine. I love having the interactions with developing thinkers. They continually surprise me. How will I maneuver this conglomeration forward and keep my family connections strong is my challenge. It is a lot like trying to keep track of a herd of clouds in the windy March sky.

I will probably be moving my office space to a downstairs room with a more limited view to accommodate Mary’s redecorating plans. I wonder how that will affect my work. Maybe my thoughts will be more down to earth, less flighty and abstracted, but I doubt it. I am pretty sure most of the clouds are in my brain and the sky magnet draws my attention because it mirrors the ever shifting chaos that is my normal state of mind.

Posted in Art in Nature, capturing light, change, mindworks, My Art, my life, Other peoples words, Teaching and Learning, thinking in words, working world | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beginning a New Year: Three Dreams and A Poem

Posted on March 26, 2012 by randomyriad

 

1/2/2012

Part I

Dream Conversation:

“Someone who was really good with candles,” the round headed man said trying to convince me that he had no agenda. Sly sideways glances told me he was after something he didn’t want me to know about.

“The room is really bright and warm, and he can use energy to heal sickness and locate objects, raise the dead . . .” he said the last three words with peculiar emphasis.

“Oh, you don’t want to mess with that,” I said. “Don’t you remember the monkey’s paw. You would only want to use that on someone you didn’t like, someone you wanted information from.”

 

II

I am a caretaker at a college. I sleep in my office. I look around for a pair of blue jeans, but all I can find are a strange pair of pleather pants or bright blue plastic rain pants. Later, I am breaking down some cardboard boxes while skateboarders practice on the other side of a thin brick wall.

 

Poem:

To Do List

Desire toward fulfillment

And purple dye

Drop all pretense

Make obsessions that work

Dump run

 

1/3/12

I am backing a car out of a space in a twilight parking lot full of cars made in the sixties and seventies. I maneuver it out delicately out of a tight space and put on the brake which only makes the car back faster through the parking lot. I steer as well as I can twisting my neck and leaning over the bench seat. Finally, I guide it to a space with a chain link fence at the back which stops the car. All this is done without any panic or much thought on my part. I was just along for the ride.

It is as if my life is taking me somewhere. I can make adjustments, but I have to steer in reverse and avoid all the obstacles. I can only stop if I am able to find a barrier to run into. So I only a little control if I work really hard I may avoid smashing into something that matters. For now I have found a space, which are pretty much all the same. Some are in the middle where a few cars move nosing about for a space to park, or maybe trying to find the exit. For now I have a nice space out of the way facing the middle where I can see what little action is taking place. I would just like to figure out how to get this thing moving forward sometime soon. But, maybe that is just relative. All movement is just motion; position and direction are irrelevant. Where is that exit anyway?

Posted in conversations, Dreamtime, mindworks, my life, poetry, Questions and riddles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment