My Big Experiment - Mendocino March 10 2018
It's time to tell you about my big experiment in living. I call it running on the field of wonder (see my previous blog for details) & I’m excited and scared and I’m doing it anyway. To me, that is the definition of courageous living – being afraid and doing it anyway.
Here are the details and then I'll tell you the story. I'm volunteering part-time for the California State Parks system and the Mendocino Area Parks as a docent for the Ford House. In exchange, I have a beautiful campsite for my RV, whose name is BEE and she is my home, studio & center of operations where I endeavor to make the world a more beautiful & inspired place...straight from the magic of the forest & the sea. She is my world compressed into 20.5' of potential & possibility. I'll tell you about her in another post.She is remarkable!
Now - here is the story. The Honey Bear & I arrived in Mendocino & honestly, I am already so in love with this place that I feel a little shy about it. It’s that feeling when you have a new love and it feels precious & tender & you don’t want to mess it up because it’s everything I've ever dreamed of….and then some.This is where the wild ocean meets the redwood forest & the air sparkles with moisture & magic. There are even whales migrating & singing their blessings along the way.
When I consider everything that happened to make this experience possible, I am in awe and deeply grateful to the universe and to everyone who has supported me in this vision by buying my art, urging me on, giving me a shoulder to cry on, to laugh with - all of it. I love you.
Last august, when I stopped here to rest & re-imagine my life after an exhausting year, I discovered a sense of ‘belonging” here in the redwoods of Mendocino. After so much travel over the last few years and leaving my home in Boulder, CO, I wondered if there was some way that I could stay here & make a home. I asked the forest to help. One thing after another happened and I ended up with volunteer job and an address in the redwood forest that I mentioned. I’ll be doing all the things I love – talking to strangers, sharing my enthusiasm & connection with nature, taking people on nature walks, and learning the stories of this area. For myself, I get to live in the forest near the sea and discover this area, as I would a new lover, with wonder and tenderness & certainly a slower pace. For my art, I have a whole new realm of inspiration to tap into & I wonder what I’ll create immersed in all of this natural beauty.
I have been wondering a lot about my life, as a human, as an artist, as someone who deeply cares about this world – the earth, and all her inhabitants & elements. I think art can bless the world – I don’t know about saving it – too much self-importance there & I know too many people that are doing this & have forgotten how to be kind & caring. As I get older, I’ve discovered a few things – I want to get more involved in life and projects I care about it. I’ve also discovered that so many shows and constant travel aren't good for me or my art. That means my jewelry will have to find it's way into your hearts through other means. I’ll be creating new collections and telling the stories that go with them via social media and my website. I've met so many wonderful people over the years & I’m determined to give myself & my art, website and community the love and attention they deserve. Constant traveling makes that almost impossible, altho I sure gave it a good try and am proud of what I’ve created. For now, I'll keep my show schedule centered around the summer season & primarily in Jackson Hole.
Get ready for some beautiful new & reimagined collections and the stories that go with them. If you would like to help with my experiment, I'd love it if you bought something beautiful from me. You'll love it, too and who knows, it might make this world a little more beautiful & inspired place. The energy here is pure magic!
I’ll see you soon – running on the field of wonder where nature, imagination, caring & art make a comeback in this world. I know that many of you have your own stories to tell & I’d love to hear from you.
Most Days Require Adornment
