I was talking to my sister recently who has always been a bit of an expert when it comes to plants. I encourage her critical eye and am quick to take her advice to save my green darlings from perishing. I'm ashamed to say I've lost too many!
She was trying to explain to me the reason why trimming a plant back can have such a renewing effect - the energy of the plant goes into the roots and from this strong foundation it can revive and thrive. I thought - that's very interesting.
I started thinking about how we need to do the same sometimes. As painful as it might seem, as tough as it is to make a change, to let go of something that just isn't making you feel great, this is sometimes what you must do. In doing that you make room and space for something new or something different to take hold. There can be a time of quiet, of the feeling that things have stopped, it can be a little strange but wait... listen... watch...
Relating this to creativity and art making I feel as though I've been asked to learn this lesson over and over again. Many times I've ignored it and thought, no, I'm not giving up! I've learned that if you keep blasting away at it, forcing it, like a tired piece of clay, the cracks begin to show.
They say that people are notoriously hopeless at estimating how long things can take - we always run on the best case scenario like green lights all the way, no traffic, no delay at the service station and so on. Our positive perception can trip us up when we keep plugging away at something that no longer serves us. Something to think about when you're trimming the roses.
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