To be still.....

By Lori D. Bowers

A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. As another weekend comes to a close, my mind is swirling with all I have been planning and doing. My marketplace page is up and running, both of my upcoming junk journaling classes have been posted as events by the venues, and I have been trying to find time for painting. Lately, I have been driving to Pikeville more often, as my new space has proven difficult to set up properly. Despite numerous re-positioning of my art and lack of sales lately, it is always a pleasant experience walking into Grinning Possum. The working studio/gallery vibe is definitely a unique addition to small town Pikeville and one that is gaining a following rather quickly. 

Grinning Possum's blue door


Despite the good vibes at both FACS and Grinning Possum, I am feeling stretched "thin....like butter scraped over too much bread". Tolkien has the best quotes. Over the last few weeks I have created a web site, applied for online commerce, opened my online shop, and created extra journaling items for my classes. And then this weekend arrived. Everything urgent has been completed, nothing is required for the moment. But yet that urgency is still in my mind, making me feel restless and overly tired. Have you ever experienced that feeling? Knowing that you have been going so fast, barely stopping to rest, and then stillness. I think it takes a few days for the mind and body to settle down and realize that only a few little things need doing here and there. So today, being a Sunday, I decided it was time for me to be still. I decided to do what makes me relaxed and calm. So out came the paints and some papers. I began antiquing book pages, ephemera, and wall paper patterns. No stress, no planning, just an hour of quite art therapy. The finished product wasn't a masterpiece, or of great artistic value to anyone else, but to me it stilled my mind, slowed it. In doing this, I was allowed to catch my breath and to actually do what this journey was supposed to be about. 


I began this journey in order to create during chaos, art therapy for my spirit, and to meet other like minded travelers. And I have. But despite telling myself that I was going to take it slow, only showcase my art in two local collectives, I have accelerated faster than planned. Now with a web site, online shop, and teaching classes in different towns, I realize that no more should be thrown into the mix for the time being. I want to continue growing as a painter. I feel like my ability is waning. I need to practice different techniques, and finally learn how to paint those darn difficult barns! 😂  Basically, my spirit for painting feels deflated. I do not want that feeling to gain any further strength, so it is time for me to slow myself. Time to be still and look to those things that lighten my spirit and inspire me to create. 

So, I will end with another cute story from Crows Chase. The little wild turkey has grown quite tame and now stands at my feet begging for treats. One morning I had placed a bowl down in the grass for a moment and this turkey began pecking at the crow food inside. It then wandered over to our little garden pond, waded in, and began drinking. Encouraged by this, later in the day I placed some cracked corn in my hand and presented it to 'Turkey Lurkey'. And Yes! It began taking the corn from my hand. This crazy wild turkey had officially been tamed ❤ I will leave you with a photo taken the next morning. Happy creating everyone! With kindest regards, from the cottage at Crows Chase!

My now tamed wild turkey








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