Intersections

I never cease to be amazed & surprised by the way intersections affect my life. 
Every now and then, I tend to think I have things figured out and I find myself at a cross roads, making a  decision I didn't know was going to need to be made right then. Or I receive a phone call that there was no way I could have expected. These intersections come in all forms. Some are challenging or disappointing and some are refreshing or surprisingly good opportunities flying your way. 

Intersections are necessary for change & growth, but they are also unavoidable. I know that in every painting I make, there will come that fateful intersection where I ask myself, "Is this finished?" There is a definite period of time when I feel that it is most certainly not finished. And then a more foggy period of time where I struggle to find that resolve of whether or not it could be finished. 

There are intersections where I need to decide if there is too much on my plate and what needs to go, along with times I must face the fact that I am not challenging myself enough. 

I used to really focus on whether or not something was right or wrong in decision making, like applying to this program or living here or there. It is good to weigh and consider in your own way, but no good to stay standing at the intersection forever, wondering and waiting and not moving your feet forward at all. 

In my visual art practice it is a lesson I learn over and over again, it is better to make a mark then to make no marks. It is better to make 10 bad paintings on your journey to making 1 sweet painting then to say to yourself that you are worried about your paintings being bad, so you are just going to not step forward in the journey. 

The sweet stuff lies in the tension at the intersection. 

I suppose I've always had a sense of adventure, desiring to travel and see new things and people and places and to taste new food.... so, though the stress and anxiety of the creative life are daily friends of mine... I like the joy and exhilaration that awaits me on the other side of the intersection. 

How about you?

Look forward to hearing from you,

Court