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Thursday, September 2, 2010

A storm is coming...

photo from this site

Since I decided to participate in NaBloPoMo as a category 4 hurricane looks like sideswiping my neighborhood, I'm setting up a couple of posts to post automatically, just in case we lose power for a day or two.
I've always been fascinated by storms. I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, and so I saw plenty of storms there, from summer squalls and waves of thunderstorms to any number of hurricanes and nor'easters and even a waterspout or two when I was in high school (while I didn't witness these personally, I saw lots of footage of them, and they were very cool looking!). There's something about the interplay of color in a storm cloud and in the ravages of weather that just mesmerizes me.
I suspect part of that comes from the subtleties of layers of clouds and the differing textures rain creates on land and sea. Those who know me will agree whole-heartedly that I don't really have a subtle bone in my body. Understanding nuance is a challenge sometimes, which makes both the act of creating art that satisfies me (and I do feel driven to create on a regular basis) and my calling as a pastor occasionally difficult--so I warn my church members that I need them to be direct if they need something from me, and I live knowing that my skills run more to the crafty than the arty. I'll never manage to paint some of the images I treasure--so I take pictures. I can imagine better than I can produce, but I keep trying, and I have made some things I am pretty proud of, and a few more that I don't feel the need to repeat.
Creating something, whether it's a picture or a blog post or an attempt at a sewing project, somehow makes me more myself. I've been taking a pottery class for the last month, and I've learned two things: I can't throw a pot to save me, and it's really a bit of a surprise to see what what comes out of the kiln. The process of firing clay and the interactions of the chemicals and the heat in the glaze produces subtleties of color and design that I could not come up with otherwise. I do NOT need another hobby, but I'm enjoying the surprise of seeing that something I make can capture depth and character in a way I couldn't accomplish with a paintbrush, rubber stamp, or sewing machine.

1 comment:

  1. Storms are great times for inner discernment and outward wonder. Enjoy the storm.

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