delighting in the spaces of our home.

life stories: creating love in the corners of our home.

i'm giving some of the corners of my home a fresh look. some art will move around the house. projects & ideas in process will be resurrected and some created from scratch. i've been interested in pairing down to see what's beautiful and functional in our home, releasing what's unnecessary and simply "stuff".

this week i'm inspired by the wall in our small hall. when we first moved into our home i painted this tree on the wall. a sweet young carson painted the bird when visiting us with our new baby boy (who is turning five! this spring). i've wanted to stretch the tree to the ceiling and cover it with images of my family. it's held two frames since i deemed the wall a family tree wall, but that's all.

here's one of the two framed pieces. you see my maternal grandmother and grandfather in their younger years. i want to connect our ancestory to my son, giving him a space to look up and be to amazed.

here you see the second framed piece along with other frames saved and stacked. photos have been waiting to be framed and hung. more to gather and print and frame.

a 'high hopes' ramblings framed by dottieangel

we've lived in our cozy home five years. five years is a long time to dream about this wall. i'm taking action {this} moment. i've asked pals on Facebook for frames of varying sizes. i'm completely in love with this blue framed work by dottieangel and i think it's the perfect color for some of the frames. some will be natural brown, others black, others this shade of robin's egg blue. perhaps. the process will tell the tale.

this post isn't simply about a wall. it's about those wishes and ideas we have and hold on to. some are just meant to be fleeting while others are meaningful enough to come to fruition. we all have a project list or wish list somewhere in our minds, taped to our fridge, or in our ideas file. we do. we sit on them and we wait for the right time. we tell ourselves we're too busy. we occupy our time with other tasks. i'm looking to these lists of mine to see what's beautiful and functional and will bring life to the corners of our home. i will also recognize some as more "stuff" that's on the list that will be unnecessary.

we also know that there is a recognition when we use our words to name something. whether we whisper truths to ourselves or share it with the universe. we put our words before ourselves and others and proclaim it is time they come into being. we birth creativity in these spaces. we birth what has been growing within. some ideas need that time to mature. others just get lost and we need to stop and breathe deeply, discovering what we should labor over and what we should release.

in a sense, i am moving into knowing myself a little better, trying to allow what i love to see before me to shine forth in the corners of our cozy home. trying to live well and love well.

life stories: inner wisdom

i trust my inner wisdom. i do not always listen. i trust my own voice. i do not always use it. i trust my heart. i share love. i trust my gut instincts. i do not always take risks. i believe in the power of goodness and kindness, knowing they are not always easily shared but in sharing them make life so much better. i believe in naming what is. naming what is not. naming without labeling. i believe in sharing myself as i am, in whatever form that is. i believe in the space and beauty of silence. the silence of not speaking. the silence of knowing. the silence of being known. i believe that we are called to certain spaces, faces, and tasks. i believe in giving of one's self freely. i believe in loving.

in the space of this moment, this day i create a manifesto for myself. i create it to name what is within my thoughts this moment, this day.

you may know that i love to analyze. i love self-awareness. i love balancing and centering practices in each day. i love to be me. in being me, i can over-analyze, become too focused on my own life experiences, and find myself annoyed when i think too hard about how my language influences others. so i stop, take a deep breath, and move on. i look into my own breath for the source of life. it's my breath that runs through this body, that connects with my spirit. i release breath into the space that surrounds me.

because i believe that the energy within us moves beyond ourselves to the space around us and has the potential to impact others, i practice mindfulness. i set aside the head space and plant my feet in the earth, rooting myself to the present moment. i am successful. sometimes i make mud pies with the earth and tears that pour from my spirit. other times i am watering the soil so that i can grow. yet, sometimes i am in a space of needing to quiet myself from the inside and rest.

i am where i am meant to be in this moment. i allow my thoughts to circle before me. i write what i am inspired to write. i move into my day with full awareness and gratitude. i move into february knowing there are tasks before me that will bring joy and awareness. i move into the month with plans and tasks. i am called to create. i am called to share. i am called to use my voice. may we each listen to inner wisdom, to the spaces of quiet and to our own voice.

where are you called today? does inner wisdom speak in this moment?

reverberations: wisdom: day 10

December 10 – Wisdom Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

wisest decision of 2010 must lean toward the decision to move my studio from home into it's own space. much like the previous post, the space is filled with light and life. the colors, textures of the space itself are inspiring to me. what's most inspiring are the individuals and groups who come to create in the space. a remarkably wonderful experience for me, filled with the collective wisdom of others.

i am thankful my love is one who encourages each step, who encouraged me to find the space, to make the space beyond our home when we were packed in like sardines over the summer. it's been great breathing room for myself and our family.

while i take work home, yes "home work", i enjoy the moments spent in the space itself creating. there's so much to come. i look forward to each of the moments in our home and in the studio nest.

reverberations: one word: day 1.

a new task for the month of December.

December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word.

as i encounter a new task for myself this month, one that will flow nicely into my natural rhythms of reflection, i add the imagery that is taking shape: a pebble is dropped in a pool of water. the circles surrounding the space made in the water for the pebble move beyond. the pebble's presence is felt and moves throughout for an unknown space. the pebble has an effect that's seen and felt, even if the pebble is no longer visible.

2010's word has been without a doubt: CREATE.

from the Called To Create journey to capturing the light in the new studio space, the path of the year has been to create. to create spaces where stories can be shared. to create spaces of safety and truth where healing can happen through grief, anger, and despair. to create time for my family and for myself. to create a path of my own, all for me. to create steps that lead into the next. to create a life that is lived well, loved well, and present in each moment, each step. to create art. to create love. to create peace and good energy. to create using the richness of color and materials already present in the world. to create stories with those i love. to create through my wisdom and to hear her voice more clearly each time she speaks. to create a space for the child within me to be loved and supported as herself.

for 2011's word, i can only hope that i am able to BE. to be present. to be wild. to be free. to BE me. to be.

this day. this moment. i create spaces within myself for the creative births that take shape. i reflect on hope and where hope is met. i create using words, sounds, and colors. i stitch something special that i hope creates a connection between my son and his parents as we journey apart some of this month. i create memories. for each step, each moment, each hope fulfilled. i give thanks.

reverb10

life stories: a little paint & a lotta love

day 1: creating space.

these are a few of the highlights from the day's

work preparing the new studio space.

the first rolls, testing the color in the morning light.

returning to the space, painting with my boy.

i love the help from these hands of my son. what a sweet moment.

we took turns, so i could smooth over what his hands helped create.

soon half of one wall was complete, with a little more edging on the corner.

and a little afternoon light graced us with its presence.

i hear the studio will get roasty toasty in the summer heat.

good thing we're moving in the fall

and will have time for those preparations.

i'm beginning to think of this as a robin's nest. lovely.

thanks be for my sweet one and his eager help, for friends who offer support and cheer colors, and for the hands to come who will bless the space with their participation and presence. ah, these are good moments, in a good space, with so much more to come...

Journey With Grief Fall Support Group for Mothers

if you or someone you know could benefit from this group, please pass along this information. peace be with you. peace.

life stories: {this moment} stepping into myself

there is power in naming. there is movement within each step, however small.

once upon a time i didn't call myself an artist. during that time i would say i was creative, yes. but mostly i let others name me. i listened to my friends talk about how creative i was and sometimes i was able to say thank you rather than just passively listen to their good words. it was hard to hear. sometimes compliments are.

as i was listening to the shared story of a kindred spirit, i was hearing her struggle with naming herself as an artist. i hear you! her words took me back to the days that i was wavering in my own definition of who i was.

another friend has commented on her desire to be free to just BE, letting go of what others might think of her. to be present in the world without that restraint would be freedom for her.

as i walked this morning, these two conversations met in my reflections. i let my mind wander and i began to remember those voices calling my name as artist before i did. i remember those dear souls who called me a pastor and a preacher before i ever did. their voices and impressions of me made an impact. their voices return to me today as i take one step and another. their voices became midwives to the birthing that was taking shape within me. birthing to say YES to myself, to say YES to the spirit at work within me, to say YES to the presence of something good that is me.

recognizing and naming who we are is a holy task in any moment. i think we need to shed some of the negative notions of how we view ourselves in order to see what's really present. my imagery returns to the concentric circles, moving closer to the sacred center by moving into a deeper understanding of our soul, allowing our spirit freedom and space to grow and to BE.

some days centering takes place around these moments where remembering brings enlightenment in the present. sometimes it takes listening to the good words from others to enable us to name for ourselves what is within us. for me: artist. mother. minister.

as i approach the three year anniversary of this blog, i am reminded again of why i named it reverend artist mother. first, i was completely inspired by a fellow clergy woman whose blog kept ringing in my ears: reverend mother. second, a recognition in who i am called to be. in naming this blog, i named a part of how i identify with myself and work in the world. i named what i couldn't for so long, but needed to type it, speak it, and practice the words. within a sacred circle of voices of young clergy women, who encouraged me as much as the wise ones from many moments in life, i created a space to practice the words. i created this space as a means to move within my remembrances, name within the present, and to share with others in this journey.

often that is what friends and kindred spirits and creativity circles can be about: naming what needs to be named, saying what needs to be said, even if it's just practicing the words to see how they feel, how they fit within the circle of life that surrounds us.

there's wisdom that is present in doubt, believe it or not. i've learned that my inner critic sometimes has something worth hearing. yet there are other moments when it's a bit crippling and unhelpful. we use wisdom to discerning which is which.

there are midwives among us whose words resonate well. there are also some folks who just want to poop all over everything. (forgive me, but it's true.) so we develop the wisdom and presence within ourselves in the moment to take in what is healthy, to release what is not healthy or beneficial, and we move on. we structure our days to bring life balance, joy, gratitude. we encircle those who need care, prayers, and good love. we make do with what we have and we learn to find peace in what is and work toward the dreamy goodness that can be found in other moments.

and we create a sacred circle of kindred spirits to encircle us, folks we know and love and trust. folks that can sometimes be the soft side of velcro and sometimes the rough. i know that i need truth telling and compassion. to see life and death. to know that there is a wide world moving beneath our feet and that the world can be changed with the smallest steps taken on a morning walk.

in the studio: works in process

aah. printing a freshly completed block print.

a prayer for a fertile land. ©suzanne l. vinson, 2010.

canvases in three sizes in process. each contain a layer of acrylic paints.

atop that vintage laces & one with layered ink drawings. more to come...

two more canvases containing the base layer of acrylic paints and an additional layer of vintage lace. the lace adds such a lovely element. i could stop here and enjoy these, but they are on a journey. more to come...

the work of our gardening hands, part i

i've realized how much daily routines have shifted for me: the sun is out and i'm near it. i'm also: weeding & working in the yard, vending more often at art shows & markets... my hands are at work, indeed. so, i highlight a bit of the work of our hands in the yard. we participate in growing things as a family. enjoy these images & take delight in the work of our gardening hands:daffodils i have nothing to do with. their presence is welcomed and enjoyed, wherever the wind carries them.

a partial view of the back yard with our huge hydrangea, one of three

representing something different.

plums.

a partial view of the front with clematis, rosemary and abundant hostas.

ice plant.

coral bells.

oh, the gardenia.

the glorious gardenia.

sometimes i spend a few minutes returning to posts of yesterday. it's a good practice, i think, and one that some of you share with me. i appreciate that there's a flow to writing and a flow to reading that is natural and appreciated. here are a few past posts highlighting what's 'in our garden': making gardens magic beans garden glimpses

weekend retreat: green spaces & trees

returning after creating space on the edge of a mountain for creative rest, silence, renewal, and peace. guiding myself and others into this process with the Creative Spirit, receiving goodness from their presence. eating good, wholesome, local foods prepared by a culinary artist. truly, truly a good time away. thankful for these opportunities to lead, using the gifts given to me through my ancestors and life's experiences. thankful to my loves for giving me the space to go and the space to return.