D.Katie Powell Art

New Moon, a day of silence.

Sundays I talk about tools, and the biggest tool
is our own bodies and hearts and minds.
(Why do I think this is so dang funny — oh wait — the English call people tools!)

Being creative doesn’t just happen.
You have to take care of your body and heart and mind so it is
regenerated, rested, and at peace or excited with the next leg of the journey. 
There are many daily or weekly things I do to care for my own tool,
this life form I inhabit: eating well, sleeping on a schedule that works for your pace
(I struggle with this as I am an insomniac but I do work at it),
exercise (okay I’ve fallen down there but I am starting again),
writing daily, painting or sketching daily.
We watch comedy and British mystery.
I read soul-filling books. 
I retreat into “silence.” 

On the New Moon, I take a day
(or two or three before if I am really lucky — during the Dark of the Moon)
and retreat into silence.  I say “silence” because what works for everyone is not the same.
I want no schedule, may stay in pajamas, don’t talk much,
and pray for no phone or electronic  interference
(which admittedly is problematic because we run our own business and we have to have money to buy paints and journals and musical instruments, a reason to live!)
I sleep or draw or write longhand or paint.
I play with all my other tools and see where it takes me.
Sometimes, as in this important time of the earth regenerating and
turning toward spring and the New Year of the Fire Rooster, I set intentions….

I will write more about New Moon silence, but know that it doesn’t always go smoothly.  Sometimes my creative energies are zapped.  Yesterday was one of those days.
I have been so fried over the election, fearful for the future of our Earth and our lives and our countries principles and our children, and sick over my Mac not working AGAIN —
ARGH —
which has led to me being behind three weeks that I had trouble dropping into it.

But you show up.  Like the wise gambling gods of Las Vegas say,
“You have to be present to win.”
I read a bit of a manuscript I am writing.
Set it aside after having a good cry…
I read another chapter in Krista Tibbett’s book, “Einstein’s God.”
I opened my journal to jot down a good quote, and began to draw.

It wasn’t ground breaking art, but I greased the wheel.
Most think artists sit down and the art flows.
NO!
Creativity only flows if you grease the wheel even when, as Mitchell says, “I got nothing.”
There are crummy sketches, and always, your favorite doodle or two…
Doodles are comforting, and Mind’s don’t comment much because it is not serious,
they know this, because you’ve done THAT so many times without judgement.

In the end, I worked through my block and was back on track for setting intentions.
I even liked my additions to my journal, though not ground breaking.
More tomorrow.
I had time to play with used tea bags,
experiment ways to insert them and draw and paint on them. 

I seem to always go back to one doodle-figure,
the gurl meditating beneath a palm tree under the moon.
Total comfort for me.  Home.

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