Where the artists are

While we were in Massachusetts we visited an community of artist. Well, it was really more like a district where artists worked and/ or lived and sold their art. I find it simply exhilarating wandering the sidewalks and peeking at all that has been created.

It's permission to snoop and investigate and become a detective of sorts- or maybe that is just the journalist in me.

Walking by studio after studio after boutique after barn turned into gallery, I create these hypotheticals and stories. I imagine the lives of the artists that have made something from nothing. Each photograph, sculpture, pottery, painting started just as an idea. Started maybe as just an inspiration or an afterthought or a late night one-more-chance last ditch effort. But with
time and vision and much intentional thought something beautiful and unique was created.

Intention. Intentional. This is something that I have been wrestling with somewhat lately. This leaves no room for laziness. This means work and purpose and that I ask myself the hard questions and I'm willing to admit when I just don't know.

I'm willing to learn, to be diligent, to grow, to better myself and not just let life happen to me, but to do something to make life happen.

....

Right now I'm reading Walden and I love it. I should have read it sooner. It may just be all this concrete and the fact that NYC is plugged in all the time--- but it's like breathing in warm eucalyptus to these frozen lungs of mine. I think it's resuscitating me in a way.

...

The weekend "with nothing on the calender" was glorious. It just felt right. I'm pretty sure I said about ten times between Saturday and Sunday, "this just feels good." I haven't felt great about just being in the city in quite some time. I'm always finding places to go and people to go with and not nurturing my soul like I should. This weekend I finally hung photographs and paintings and things in our little Manhattan apartment. Chris and I moved some furniture, turned some over, and put a screen in our window. (Well, he did that.... and most of the hanging too.)

But it made me happy to go to Home Depot and to walk down the aisles of switches and electrical tape and knobs. There are also endless amounts cleaning supplies to get you in the mood if you're not. My best friend in Texas loves cleaning supplies. She has all the gadgets and solvents and solutions. Which is why fresh scent Clorox cleaning wipes remind me of my wedding day... but that's another story.

Chris and I didn't go too crazy in Home Depot, but we did buy special duster to clean our ceiling fan, which I am now afraid to use- lest my entire living room become covered with black specks. I should probably just trust that this product will do what it says it will do----

Chris also made a cover for our radiator... I will attach pictures soon. It looks great, and not like anything I'd throw together. There is just something about watching your man work with his hands!!! Between building a window screen and a radiator cover, moving furniture, and hanging pictures- Chris worked hard this weekend. But overall, I think we both had a wonderful time.

I've missed using that part of my brain that glues and colors and creates and can open the refrigerator and throw together a meal from whatever I might find.

Saturday was a good day, and Sunday was too. Glorious fall weekend in New York- cool, crisp weather in which I get to wear my winter-white coat. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.