Balancing the edge

When my friend Linda was in town recently, she asked me 2 questions: how do I achieve balance? That one’s easy, I said. I tell students to practice balancing postures. You feel out of balance? Try balancing on one foot. The other ways I try to seek balance in my life is by being in all the ways I want each day. And sometimes I like to use a timer to simply get in 20-30 minutes of what I want to do for myself and my own health and well-being, what I need to do, for work, or the household. In that way I can balance how I spend my day. In this way I don't spend hours at the computer, or cleaning or creating artwork, or practicing yoga or anything else. I seek balance by doing some of each. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!

And why do I paint?

I was just finishing up a mixed media piece for the SPCA show Feb. 22. I had really found my edge with this. First of all, I want to do a painting—it’s for a good cause…to benefit the animals. I am taking a new class with Tracy Budd at the Studio School that is very exciting, creating lots of surface and putting found objects in our pieces.  I have done collages forever and mixed media previously, but this seems really new to me. A true challenge. A stepping outside the box for me.

I have really been meeting my edge, going beyond what I know. I’m in a class with true artists, and artists far more experienced with different media and techniques than I am. I missed the first class by the time I found out about the class. And I struggle with time. It’s like the only block of time I really have to put effort into art and creating, and yet I then have to rush off to teach. So I go to class because I am very excited and interested to see what we will play with next! And I got into this process of creating a painting of my cat for this show, so I had a goal and a deadline, both good motivators.

What I found most challenging was being patient…with myself…with the process. I started working in photography because that felt more “instant” to me than painting. SO to wait for paint to dry and now, to work a piece and then re-work it…and then work it again! Oh my! My need to be finished quickly was stretched. I found myself working on the piece in my head, in my dreams, and working out things with my cat Zoey during this process, not always finding the outcome in the way I would have preferred, I might add (you cat lovers get it!).

When I finally finished, and it was outside the classroom, I was really proud, and appreciated staying with the goal and touching my edge.

 

It’s about the process, patiently waiting, just like yoga. Waiting for the work to be finished. Working on the pose. I realized that what I was doing painting was what I do on the yoga mat. Only on the mat it seems more familiar than at the art table. I may be more relaxed and even go into habits on the yoga mat. What a challenge! To just come to the mat, show up and try to do your best and meet your edge and see what happens. Day after day. Time after time. The edge shifts. Our abilities change. We can do more. We can hold that balancing Tree pose longer, lunge deeper into Warrior one, work on Shoulder Stand toward that Head Stand. It’s all about patience, and seeking to push beyond what we know we can do and reach new places.

May you be inspired in your practice. May you seek to reach your edge and then go beyond that.