I appreciated your honesty about the sadness that comes with loving everything intensely. It’s like a beautiful, bittersweet ache. Loving fiercely also means knowing that loss is inevitable. I sometimes feel like I carry the weight of the world’s beauty and its sorrows. When I see a stunning sunset, there's this pang of knowing it will fade. And when I witness human cruelty, it’s like a wound on my heart. It's a strange paradox, isn't it? This immense joy and this deep sorrow, all tangled together. It’s comforting, in a way, to know others experience this too. 🩵
If art and creativity live in your soul, then you are, and will always be, and artist, Jamie. Love this and I’m so pleased to have been connected to the inspiration for it, if only peripherally 💛✨
This was beautiful and almost brought me to tears! I agree with everything you wrote (it's so amazing when you find a song that twines into your heart like it was made to be there, or a few words from a book or a poem that haunt you like someone whispering in your ear), except that I can't believe you don't consider yourself to be an artist!?! Maybe this is just easier to recognize in others than in ourselves somehow, because it feels lofty and aspirational to call oneself an artist. But these posts ARE art - and so are your lovely photos, and your costume design, etc. etc. And even (as you point out) things like our gardens can become art. I don't think of myself as an artist either... but if being an artist means falling in love with everything all the time, maybe we should all think of ourselves that way :)
And now you're making me tear up. "... if being an artist means falling in love with everything all the time, maybe we should all think of ourselves that way ..." This is the whole thing in a nutshell. Yes. 1000 times yes.
And thank you for your gentle reminder to think of my creations as art. You're right that it's easier to see other people's work as art, while our own feels more like dabbling or pretending.
Let's all remember to acknowledge that we ARE artists. And remind each other when we forget. So lucky to have you here. Thanks. 💜
Such a beautiful and powerful post, Jamie! I hope you will consider reframing your self-assessment of being a lapsed artist. Your words are an expression of art - filled with love and heart. And you publish them three days a week, which does not say "lapsed" to me. In addition to that, you have a soul of an artist and that is the lens from which you view life. An artist falls in love with everything because of that lens. Unfortunately, falling in love with life amplifies the pain it can sometimes bring, but the joy that love brings is worth it. Your current artist focus may not hang on a wall or stand on a table, but it reaches so many of us and touches us heart to heart. Thank you for that! 💕
Thank you, Cathy. I hesitated to write that bit about being a "lapsed" artist because I didn't want to demean my writing (or anyone's!), but I eventually left it in because - while I love writing here on Substack - it doesn't always capture that feeling of Making Art that I'm after. I'm working on fixing that. 😉 In the meantime, I'm so grateful to have you here as a friend and cheerleader. It makes all the difference in the world.
I understand the differentiation between making art and the art of writing. I have a feeling that your writing will eventually prompt something new into the art you make.
I am grateful to have you in my life, Jamie, and I erred on the side of inserting myself to remind you of who you are - a talented artist in all that life offers. 😍
Such a beautiful love letter, Jamie. Your heart is so big and so open, and that makes you both exceedingly kind and achingly vulnerable. It is a way of being that feels to scary to me, and so I often choose anger or annoyance over love, better to put up defenses than risk sadness or disappointment. Art has opened the door for me to choose love, and what an endless, lovely, generous gift that has been, including finding you.
Vulnerability - so much in that one word. You have put your finger on one of the key elements of this love story that I didn't name outright, but which is kind of at the heart of the matter. It IS scary to walk in the world feeling all that love, and - even more dangerous - showing it. You're talking to a girl who used to watch The Wonderful World of Disney with her back to the rest of the family so no one would see her cry when one of the animal characters was hurt or in trouble.
You also call out the tradeoff between risk and safety, security and disappointment. Geesh. I'm feeling like I need to write this post over again so I can incorporate some of your clarity. 😁
I'm so glad that art is helping you choose love. I see your anger and annoyance, but I see it as a reflection of the love that you feel. It's not an either/or situation. The anger is the love, just from a different angle.
So glad to know you. Thank you for reading and for adding your thoughts. xo
Your art is nothing if not a jumping off point, and that is beautiful in and of itself. I appreciate the reframe on my anger. I know its an inherent part of who I am, and that it has served its purpose many times in my life, but you're right. It is often bred from love I don't know what to do with and fear of abandonment that is easier to hide than risk. Owning that has become a major part of what art has brought to my life, allowing others to see my vulnerability and love through my art instead of just the anger I'm capable of demonstrating on the outside. Thank you for bringing up the value of love in art and the artist. I feel like this is one that tumbles on and on and on of its own accord.
I appreciated your honesty about the sadness that comes with loving everything intensely. It’s like a beautiful, bittersweet ache. Loving fiercely also means knowing that loss is inevitable. I sometimes feel like I carry the weight of the world’s beauty and its sorrows. When I see a stunning sunset, there's this pang of knowing it will fade. And when I witness human cruelty, it’s like a wound on my heart. It's a strange paradox, isn't it? This immense joy and this deep sorrow, all tangled together. It’s comforting, in a way, to know others experience this too. 🩵
If art and creativity live in your soul, then you are, and will always be, and artist, Jamie. Love this and I’m so pleased to have been connected to the inspiration for it, if only peripherally 💛✨
This was beautiful and almost brought me to tears! I agree with everything you wrote (it's so amazing when you find a song that twines into your heart like it was made to be there, or a few words from a book or a poem that haunt you like someone whispering in your ear), except that I can't believe you don't consider yourself to be an artist!?! Maybe this is just easier to recognize in others than in ourselves somehow, because it feels lofty and aspirational to call oneself an artist. But these posts ARE art - and so are your lovely photos, and your costume design, etc. etc. And even (as you point out) things like our gardens can become art. I don't think of myself as an artist either... but if being an artist means falling in love with everything all the time, maybe we should all think of ourselves that way :)
And now you're making me tear up. "... if being an artist means falling in love with everything all the time, maybe we should all think of ourselves that way ..." This is the whole thing in a nutshell. Yes. 1000 times yes.
And thank you for your gentle reminder to think of my creations as art. You're right that it's easier to see other people's work as art, while our own feels more like dabbling or pretending.
Let's all remember to acknowledge that we ARE artists. And remind each other when we forget. So lucky to have you here. Thanks. 💜
Hate to tell you this, Jamie, but these posts ARE works of art. 🙂 Keep 'em coming, please!
I am always so happy to see you here, Liz. Thank you so much for your encouragement. It always arrives just when I need it most! 💜
Such a beautiful and powerful post, Jamie! I hope you will consider reframing your self-assessment of being a lapsed artist. Your words are an expression of art - filled with love and heart. And you publish them three days a week, which does not say "lapsed" to me. In addition to that, you have a soul of an artist and that is the lens from which you view life. An artist falls in love with everything because of that lens. Unfortunately, falling in love with life amplifies the pain it can sometimes bring, but the joy that love brings is worth it. Your current artist focus may not hang on a wall or stand on a table, but it reaches so many of us and touches us heart to heart. Thank you for that! 💕
Thank you, Cathy. I hesitated to write that bit about being a "lapsed" artist because I didn't want to demean my writing (or anyone's!), but I eventually left it in because - while I love writing here on Substack - it doesn't always capture that feeling of Making Art that I'm after. I'm working on fixing that. 😉 In the meantime, I'm so grateful to have you here as a friend and cheerleader. It makes all the difference in the world.
I understand the differentiation between making art and the art of writing. I have a feeling that your writing will eventually prompt something new into the art you make.
I am grateful to have you in my life, Jamie, and I erred on the side of inserting myself to remind you of who you are - a talented artist in all that life offers. 😍
You could never err on the side of anything, Cathy.
And I hope you are right ... I believe you are right. We all need more art! xo
Yes, we all need more art!!! --XX!!
Such a beautiful love letter, Jamie. Your heart is so big and so open, and that makes you both exceedingly kind and achingly vulnerable. It is a way of being that feels to scary to me, and so I often choose anger or annoyance over love, better to put up defenses than risk sadness or disappointment. Art has opened the door for me to choose love, and what an endless, lovely, generous gift that has been, including finding you.
Vulnerability - so much in that one word. You have put your finger on one of the key elements of this love story that I didn't name outright, but which is kind of at the heart of the matter. It IS scary to walk in the world feeling all that love, and - even more dangerous - showing it. You're talking to a girl who used to watch The Wonderful World of Disney with her back to the rest of the family so no one would see her cry when one of the animal characters was hurt or in trouble.
You also call out the tradeoff between risk and safety, security and disappointment. Geesh. I'm feeling like I need to write this post over again so I can incorporate some of your clarity. 😁
I'm so glad that art is helping you choose love. I see your anger and annoyance, but I see it as a reflection of the love that you feel. It's not an either/or situation. The anger is the love, just from a different angle.
So glad to know you. Thank you for reading and for adding your thoughts. xo
Your art is nothing if not a jumping off point, and that is beautiful in and of itself. I appreciate the reframe on my anger. I know its an inherent part of who I am, and that it has served its purpose many times in my life, but you're right. It is often bred from love I don't know what to do with and fear of abandonment that is easier to hide than risk. Owning that has become a major part of what art has brought to my life, allowing others to see my vulnerability and love through my art instead of just the anger I'm capable of demonstrating on the outside. Thank you for bringing up the value of love in art and the artist. I feel like this is one that tumbles on and on and on of its own accord.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do ... the only thing we can do ... is just tumble on and on. 😉 xo