I had the opportunity to get together with friends yesterday. We talked about books and writing and books about writing. And then, our hostess brought out art supplies. You have to understand, just those words bring an immediate knot to my stomach. "Art" has never been my thing. But, with encouragement, I persevered.
My collage was a tribute to my girly-ness. Yes, I'm a fluffy girl surrounded by testosterone in my home. So in some ways I was staking my claim amidst the bats, balls, cleats, and various accouterments of the sporting world that have invaded my home.
Just as the parts of the collage, I also got to thinking about the bits and pieces that make up who we are. Some are more obvious than others: teacher, mother, wife. Others, perhaps, less so: poet, reader, artist, musician. Maybe it's part of being a woman, or for that matter, a human, that parts of ourselves get pushed into the shadows while we tend to the most pressing needs of ourselves and others. There comes a time though, when those bits and pieces in the shadows are asking, begging, screaming, to come into the light of day to share with others, or at least with ourselves. So we need to be true to that, to ourselves, and hear, really listen, to what they are telling us. Stop asking for permission and then, go for it.
I'm already envisioning my next collage. More bits and pieces of me....
I love this post. It is so important to give a 'voice' to what is so often unseen, the hidden selves that we have that make up who we are. Often, people want to label others, to comparmentalize, to place in a box. It is a form of identification as well as stereotype and as useful as it can be,at times it can be detrimental. I'm glad you were able to bring out your inner artist yesterday. It was a joy to watch. I am proud of you for trusting in yourself, your friends, your abilities, and letting that guard down to allow that flow of positive energy. Good times, my friend. I hope that there are many more.
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