Emptiness on the surface
By Lonneke — March 22, 2017 10:58 am
I love me a good paradox. Like stillness and action belonging together. Like holding on (to a dream) and letting go (of what it'll exactly look like). Just like life itself: you have to place your focus and then you have to release, work toward something but not be attached to the way or the exact destination.
Travel works that way too and it's illuminating how literal the road and point of arrival, as well as the flow of spontaneity can be felt while exploring the world.
For me, the targeting of your goal happens in silence - on the surface there is emptiness and serenity, but on the inside you're pointing your arrows to your desired experience or process. Then, your actions begin to align with what's in your heart - they're two sides of the same coin.
Just like winter in nature, when the seeds are still deep in the ground, but always flowing into spring. After the withdrawal of nature, it's getting ready for yet another outburst. It's healthy to make room in your body, mind and soul, only to be filled again.
From the moment we got back from our worldtrip, my love has been working on his handlettering and designs, more specifically: on a way to bring them into the world through screen printing. Travelling for a year left a pretty big hole in our liquidity, hence making it impossible to invest in the appliances needed. So over the past months he built everything around those apparatuses from wood. He endlessly searched advertising sites to buy parts and specialized equipment (like an exposure unit) second hand for cheap. Not only did he need to be creative and draw, but also practical and build.
Our creative processes differ. I love words. Think about it: by producing a tone, you enter - through ears - a persons mind, who then sees an image in their head, understands something new, often accompanied by all kinds of feelings. All this from these sounds, made in different orders. Or someone reads your words, and through their eyes their mind transforms these funny looking shapes into a vivid show, picture or idea. How powerful these words are, how they're arranged, how they're spoken, what intention fuels them and gives them the right direction and meaning. By offering words, you turn the receiver into an artist, 'cause everyone will interpret or associate in their own unique way. When ten people process your words, you have ten works of art.
But I also love my love's drawings - the vibe they convey, the memories they trigger, hopefully the curiosity they evoke with the one who sees them. In fact, I love all creative outlet, because it gives us a glimpse of what we are deep down inside, you know, the seed in our souls, and what we can offer the world. Plus the fact that we can do this together, showing our children collaboration and contributing what you're good at to the whole.
This is how we've worked through this winter, besides jobs and raising boys. Sure, we've marvelled at the snow, the one second it covered our piece of earth: it's like the whole world had put on their most elegant white robe, accentuating their unique forms. The opportunity to throw snowballs had to be seized, but mostly, we liked retiring into our home and shed, brainstorming about our ideas and how to bring them to light this spring!
It's like broth boiling, like a flowerbulb in the ground, like a catterpillar in its cocoon, like a baby in the belly: it's not visible yet, but it does exist already, it just has to appear...
