Cold and Foggy

It has been a dark and damp day here, nothing much to speak of.

This week, I have found myself constantly refering to the following quote:

-  Mahatma Ghandi

Just like most things, I believe your mind will never truly grasp something until you are ready; either through experience, or needed background knowledge, or just simply repetition.  This still rings true for me.  I have heard this quote numerous times throughout my life.  I even studied Ghandi closely when I knew I would be visiting India earlier last year.  Although I am sure I always grasped the meaning of this phrase, it has only become a true inspiration and motivation in my daily life during this new year.

I have always struggled with the importance of others opinions in my life.  When I was very young, I often let the words of others dictate my own opinions and expressions of my personality.  Once I entered High School, I realized that I was allowing others to shape the person I wanted to be.  Although I still wanted to look up to those that I respected, I wanted to find myself, not just the mirror of the world that I had made myself.  My senior year of High School, I made a commitment to remember my past, but to forge a new freedom for my own self expression. 

Over the last 8 odd years, I have continued to struggle and persevere in finding the true person within.  Not just the one that people see, but the inner person.  The inner voice that shapes the external image.  That small cage where the beliefs, likes, dislikes, values, hopes, dreams and fears are created and nurtured and often released to wreck havoc or sometimes stir the soul.  I want to be strong in my convictions, but knew that I never could, without first knowing what I am and what I want to be.  Although this is a process I will never finish, and which will always require help from above and beside - I look forward as always to the continuing voyage.

On a daily basis, this means that I try to not only talk about the changes I want to see in the world - I also try daily to be that change.  If I really want and expect others to take pollution and the sacred beauty of the natural world, then I need to take actions that mirror those ideals. (even simple things like taking my re-usable grocery bags to the store and recycling whenever possible)  Also, if art and education are truly important to me and I believe they should be important to others - then I need to be sure that I am educated enough to talk about these issues intelligently, and be able to share this passion with others in ways that will inspire and en-noble, not degrade or ridicule.  If knowledge is power, then it comes with great responsibility.

On a lighter notes, a few things from the sketchbook: