Hello friends,
I have so much news to share with you! I’ve finished my 2022 calendar, created a giant poster, am selling off some early originals, and have plans for *in-person* art and nature classes this fall! All of these things are exciting developments in their own right and on the surface, it might look like I’m moving in a million different directions. But there is a common undercurrent to all of this.
Energy follows attention.
This is not a new idea, but I have been exploring it more – through all the developments listed above.
When I was a new mother with a baby and very limited time, a wise friend gave me some advice that I have held close to heart:
Whatever you do first gets done.
As an achiever, this was gold to me. I want to do it all. I plan to do it all and I used to – come hell or high water. But as soon as you have a kid, you just can’t do it all. There literally is no sleep to cut or time to be made. So you actually have to <gasp!> not do some things. I know. I’ve struggled with this for years.
As my kiddo has become more independent and I stopped working two jobs, I’ve slowly started trying to do all the things again. It’s not health and I’ve realized that giving my attention to one thing usually means not giving my attention to many other things. I would like to be more conscious and intentional about where I send my energy. So, I’ve started getting curious about this idea of energy flow. As I often do, I turned to the natural world for wisdom and guidance on how best to use this achiever “gift” of mine.
The natural world tends to be very intentional about attention and energy flow. Thousands of years of evolution have resulted in some seriously efficient uses of energy. Seeds are one of my favorite – and one of the most miraculous. But colonies of insects, spider webs, the flow of water, pollination, fire, and subsequent regeneration - all transfer energy in very integrated and important ways that contribute meaningfully to the rhythms of the natural world.
I’ve learned is that when it comes to energy flow:
What seems like an ending is often a beginning, and vice versa.
As we continue to ride the waves of this pandemic, this really struck a chord with me.
This is why I am giving my attention to the projects that I am. Some of these projects are new beginnings, some are endings, some are simply recycling energy, and others are using existing momentum to ride the flow.
I devoted my 2022 calendar to the exploration of how energy follows attention in nature. In May I devoted loads of energy and attention to making a giant (4’x3’) commissioned collage topo map of the Hood River Valley. And now I get to experience the return of that energy from all those hours of creative flow by offering poster reproductions of that piece. I’m closing one chapter in my artful journey, by releasing the energy of some of my earlier pieces. I’m ready to sell them (at discounted prices), to make more energetic room for new creative beginnings. And my dear friend Anna Diem and I feel inspired after all our weeks of summer camps to pour some more creative energy into after-school offerings at the Mt. Hood Town Hall this fall.
Please check out my Etsy site to shop my new designs – including the calendar and posters. There you can also find listings to purchase some of my early originals at a deep discount. And check out my classes page for details on our fall in-person art classes at the Mt. Hood Town Hall. Thank you for your continued support!
With love and gratitude,
Jordan