Category: Spirituality

A Positive Turn

~ candiceblackwales ~ Leave a comment

Beat me,

Shout and yell.

I’m a tough cookie,

I’ve been through hell.

I forgive all

Who take my kindness

For weakness

Except you, I guess.

Control me,

Excuse your ignorance

For a child of three

Who became a king.

The little girl

Who separated right from wrong,

Who said no more,

Who fought to be strong.

It would take a king

For you to listen.

I wear no ring.

My throne, my rights.

I sit here,

I am not your queen.

My life, my story.

A future never been.

***

As I wrote last month I wanted to post on the 1st October. A lot has happened since I last posted and I feel a crucial change happening in my life that might change the direction of my art work completely.

I recently rediscovered my love of pixel art which I remember from being young. I feel as though I’m reaching an age where enough time has elapsed to overcome the difficulties I’ve faced. I live in a new space and as time moves on I feel more settled, stable and secure. What is particularly important to me right at this moment is that I am able to decide what I’m willing and not willing to tolerate. I have some ideas of how this might be reflected in my art work. I’ll be visiting craft fairs over the winter and making things in time for spring.

I’m looking for studio space over the winter too, moving beyond my dining table and desk to make art making easier, but I’m also focusing on photography more. I want to reflect upon a feeling of comfort, calm and trust that is new to me, something I feel in my gut and which might be the result of the work put in.

I will post on the 1st November. May you have a brilliant Halloween!

Change Is In The Air

~ candiceblackwales ~ Leave a comment

September has arrived and so autumn is on the horizon. As the summer comes to an end I am thinking about what the signs are and how the symbols continue to bring meaning to my life. I’ve travelled, met many different types of people, had ups and downs, and very difficult experiences which led to feelings of distress and confusion.

During the summer I started to create items for my Folksy store and a different creative attitude was required. Applying art to interpret memory, events and experiences in your own life isn’t the same as creating for another person. This is where I began to have fun. Over the summer the search for meaning became the practice of finding and interpreting signs and symbols. Books and art works that have helped me along the way have become sources of inspiration that I can explore further. I’m creating so that the signs and symbols can be interpreted by the individual for the individual. As I began to create for others the element of water, the insect the fly, and the object the feather revealed themselves. Water is cleansing, washing away the dirt. The feather represents hope. The fly symbolises decay. All three create a sense of change, transformation, moving forward. Which symbols will revealed themselves in the coming months is an exciting prospect.

The 23rd September is the Autumnal Equinox and the start of Autumn. The harvest will be collected and so I plan to enjoy local produce during this period. In the months that follow the hours of light will get shorter and the darkness will last longer. The air will become chillier, the trees will lose their leaves as they turn hues of gold and then brown, before falling to the ground. It’s a time for hot chocolate and wrapping up warm, maybe in a scarf you’ve knitted or one you’ve found at a craft fair.

With the longer periods of darkness it’s important to feel safe. Increasing your sense of personal safety in a uncertain world can improve your well being. Try to think of the people you know, the times you’ve had, the places you’ve been and the activities you’ve taken part in where you have felt the most safe. Write them down and visualise them. Even take part in them again. I found this to be very effective.

I will be posting again on the 1st October. I hope that you really enjoy the last bit of summer we have and catch as much sun as is possible before things turn colder. To keep updated please select the follow button.