Sailboats at Sunset, Hope, Peace, & The Shift
Cedar July 30th, 2007
Here’s a new painting for you:
Sailboats at Sunset
18″ x 36″ Oil on Canvas
It’s at times like these I wish I were a better writer. I’ve been undergoing a transformation that is hard to describe. There is an amorphous blob of energy building…in my mind? my body? (somewhere, it’s hard to say…maybe in my spirit, whatever that is.) This blob of energy is hard to define, but I know I’ve never quite felt anything like it in my life, and I know it is an impetus to action. And I know I am definitely going to use it as soon as I figure out what to do with it.
Maybe it will come out through my artwork, or maybe in other areas of my life. Maybe I’m using it already just by talking about it. It is big and it is positive! Maybe what I’m describing is just HOPE, plain and simple.
If you haven’t seen this yet, it’s worth watching, and it touches on this thing that has been happening inside me:
(It’s a video, about 5 minutes long.)
http://theshiftmovie.com/index2.html
Also, if you have not seen the movie The U.S. vs. John Lennon, I recommend it. If you’re just a little bit older than me, you were there when John Lennon was alive. When he died, I was a 6-week-old fetus in the womb.
Ever since I was a teenager I have envied the previous generation for having things like John Lennon. When compared to the previous generation, I think my generation is just as angry about war and injustice and all the evil things we see and hear about, and I think we’re just as good and we want good changes to happen just as much.
The difference is, we have somehow been conditioned to believe there is nothing we can do, and we don’t seem to have many people like John Lennon to remind us that feelings of anger and futility just exacerbate the problem, and that channeling our energy constructively, even if it doesn’t result in direct change (which it can) is still a lot better than feeling hopeless all the time.
Feelings of hopelessness have been festering inside me for years, fueled every time I hear about or see lives destroyed for no reason, the environment damaged for greed, people in power stepping on everyone else to get ahead–and on a smaller, more localized level, people around me full of hatred, disgust and apathy, fighting with each other over petty differences.
Ignorance, violence, greed and hatred–nasty, terrible things are everywhere I look, and it’s easy to get into the habit of believing that I’m just an ordinary person and there’s nothing I can do about any of it. But I am now starting to believe that ordinary people can make real changes by doing ordinary things. These things can be as simple as changing our attitudes or encouraging others to be positive. It can be as simple as recognizing that you have a voice and deciding to use it.
Check out this website: http://www.gratefulness.org/p/worldpeace.cfm
I don’t know specifically how to help create world peace, preserve our Earth, and eliminate inequality, but I know that I want to, and I know I’m not alone. Maybe humanity is not doomed after all.
If none of this blog resonates with you, then I’m probably just doing a poor job of saying it, because this desire for change is so strong in me and so evident in a lot of the people I know.
You can do something positive today, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential. You have probably seen this before (it’s been emailed back and forth for the last decade) but it doesn’t hurt to read it again: The Global Village
I’ve grown up during the 60’s, and yes I loved John Lennon and a good many of our famous artist of the then. It had it’s good and bad even then. World is always in turmoil, from the times of the early Greeks to WWII and even now. I believe there is God, and will help turn this around. The sad thing is so many people are turning away from our morality and going to the extremes. As a native NY’er I lost many of good friends during 911. I lucky I didn’t loose my husband, he was a NYFD, now thank god retired. He lost over 20 very close friends that day, because of fanatism. We are hated among many and will do more is we are not careful. This was not the first time. ‘93 was another. My best friend’s husband nearly lost both his legs in the Tower explosion. We are now a country that should take better care and protects it’s people so we can still live free to help other countries in need as we during the recent tsunami in Malasyia. But no other country came to our aid when Katrina hit, we just blamed Bush for a natural disaster. It’s sad. We are not the bad guys. And no we are not perfect, but we are of land where people do still care. And we shouldn’t think it is the end of the world, because it’s not. We have to remember to keep on top of the system that can work. We are a democracy, we are not evil as others will think. Be proud of our young Americans that stand for our freedom, don’t make them feel like s—, like we did in the 60’s. We have to make the difference. We are a country that does more than any other in the world and don’t let others tell you different.
Sorry for such a long piece. It’s very sensitive to me as you know now.
Keep the peace, but also keep safe.
Jenny (myspace.com/jblartworks)
I am with you Cedar, I am finding my voice. I may anger or upset people on my Journey ~ but, that is not my intention. We all have our role in life. Channel your energy. Love your painting by the way. Tina
Thanks for sharing Cedar.
Others will affect the way I personally choose to live my life and that in turn will affect others’
I have been feeling “the shift” - I didn’t have a name for it as such but “shift” will do
There have been a lot of synchronicites in my life lately that have helped me become more aware and open to change and opportunities.
My anger at what is happening in this world is changing into more “productive” emotions..(Thats for lack of a better word). Some of these feelings will no doubt effect my work & my Art, I believe for the better
My last blog entry here: http://sonjareynolds.zaadz.com/blog might interest you also…
Take Care,
Sonja
Join “Move on. org”. Help make simple changes. We had the Vietnam war in my generation (the 60s), and a lot of people focused on 1 issue that helped to make changes. You have 1 small voice but your voice combined with hundreds of others can create a deafening roar. Join the ACLU, and Greenpeace. Read and watch the news make sure your informed “Think Globally act Locally” Work for Peace everyday. Question authority. Your either part of the solution or your part of the problem. Choose wisely Grass hopper.
Our lives are constantly shifting. Sometimes the shift is so sutble we are unaware of it. Other times we feel it so strong it brings intense emotions. Like giving birth to a new child, you can resist and fight the natural process or go with the flow and trust. One thing for sure is that change will happen. You are aware things are changing, trust your desires to be more involved. You are a “doer” Cedar and will contribute wonderful things to the world around you as a result of your compassions for life.