Beech Trunks

©Robin Edmundson, 'Beech trunks', watercolor, 16 x 12 inches.  Framed $395.  

 

The trees never fail to bring me in.   My daily walk takes me through some heavily forested areas, some pastureland, some open fields, some small wetland - all within just a couple of miles of here.   

The flora and fauna vary according to the habitat, which makes me very happy.  I love the variety and endless flow of new things to get to know. 

The trees along the road are targets for the county bush hog so most of them have multiple trunks.   The bush hog got them one year, but during hard times, the county didn't mow them the following year.  If the weather is right, that's enough time for a strong root system to put up multiple trunks.   

They're beautiful and interesting and full of surprises. 

[This is another version of 'Place to Rest', which I posted in May]

Perspective

This month I've been talking a lot about how to deal with obstacles.  A very useful tool for tackling obstacles is perspective.  A change in perspective allows you to look at things from different vantage points.  Here are three simple ways to practice using perspective.

1. You've heard the expression about not being able to see the forest for the trees.  This is when you're so focused on the details that you forget to take a step back to see the bigger picture.  Maybe things aren't about you. Maybe this obstacle will direct you onto a path that will take you somewhere better. Maybe this delay or hardship really isn't very important in the eternal scheme of things and it's OK to let it go.

2.  Look more closely.  When you're feeling frustrated because nothing is happening!... what if you stepped in for a closer look?  Progress is happening, but it's happening incrementally, like dew forming on the grass.  You just need to give it time.

3. Finally remember that we can rarely see all of something from just one vantage point. Sometimes taking a few steps to the left or right, or walking around to see what's in back is enough to shake something loose in your thinking and give you an idea for how to proceed when you feel stuck.

What are your favorite ways of dealing with obstacles?


I'd like to invite you to join our Best Self facebook group where we can talk freely about becoming our best selves - and all the messy work that entails.  In addition, I have another group, The Well Balanced Artist, for creatives of all kinds and in all stages of their creative lives, who are trying to balance their art, business and personal lives.