The painting's arrival provided hope, courage, and a sense of turning a difficult corner - a testament to art's ability to heal and transform. Thank you for this reminder on art's influence Priya.
Priya - absolutely loved this piece. Thank you for sharing your stories. I find your writing quite often evocative... dredging up bits of lived experience for internal interrogation. This I consider to be fabulous writing.
Years ago, as I restarted my adult life solo, I began to collect and hang art that I liked. It was all abstract watercolors. Once a new friend was visiting my flat and remarked that I only had paintings of nothing. More, she noted the jazz music I enjoyed seemed to her like songs without words. I had surrounded myself with sights and sounds that represented how I felt then... complex, disorganized, experimental.
Richard, I really like the words internal interrogation. I think by doing so we get to recognize patterns and make meaning. The abstract art reminded me of a kind of dissolving.
I think art that has profound meaning for us reflects something within us - a situation, feelings, an archetype. Perhaps we are seeing something that is already within us.
Thank you, I appreciate your reading and commenting. Writing is how I make meaning and when it resonates with someone else, it makes my day.
Sometimes in movies there are interrogations where the police already know the facts, they just need the perpetrator to confirm the facts.
Today's writing excavated -- in this reader -- the ending of my first marriage. The internal interrogation consisted of the experienced me (now) berating the younger me for not having been aware of life's requirements (then). This --I think-- allows catharsis to mature, thereby deepening understanding.
I'm working on ideas for my Substack page that look at the fluidity of memory.
One time, more than 50 years ago, I was visiting one of my grandmothers who grew up in the decades bracketing the turn of the previous century. She was recalling various bits of her life 60 years prior. She was so vividly descriptive - as though she was telling something that happened just the previous week. I felt as though I was there with her, in the moment, as she recalled for example, the trials of automobile travel in 1912. They had a car, but without side curtains or heater, visiting her family 70 miles away was not an option in the winter. It was a two-day journey one way, and the stove-heated bricks positioned for keeping feet warm only held heat a short while.
I suspect the past is not discarded somewhere behind us, but rather alive somewhere within us.
Hello, Reena! Yes, talisman has both Arab and Greek roots with some of the earlier meanings including “completion, religious rites, and payment”. (https://bam.sites.uiowa.edu/its-greek-me/talisman)
I actually thought payment was really interesting: you bought a ring or an amulet, had a religious ceremony or magical spell done, and then you paid for it. The payment, I’m assuming, was something you gave up in order to not suffer ill effects. Language is so cool!
As for what I needed courage for- regardless of what the external situation looked like, I needed courage to step forward into my adulthood. I think one of the reasons why I don’t go into details is because in leaving them vague, I’m hoping the reader looks beyond the external differences and sees themselves in the story. Thank you, I always appreciate our conversations!
Symbols can be so important as we make sense of our twisting, sometimes up, sometimes down journeys through life. I love how you recognized and celebrated this one in the moment - they often aren’t seen until much later. Thank you for sharing!
Art, like a song, can bring about so many memories. What did the Goddess in the painting mean to you? This piece reminded me to re-appreciate the art hubby and I have. We take for granted that it’s always there, hanging on the wall and forget its meaning, history, the artist… Thank you for this reminder.
To me, it was a mother archetype and I kind of felt she had my back. I think art that really means something to us can either reflect something already within us that we recognize on the outside or it can be something we are looking for. Thanks for reading, Carissa, I appreciate it!
I love this story and the powerful image of the goddess, especially her eyes, and her talisman-like importance. And how you were drawn to her immediately in part one. I’ve had certain objects that have held power for me, but nothing with the potency of your goddess.
Jeanine, yes, I think the goddess figure answered some call from within me, one of needing support. The Jungians talk about the power of the images as a channel and I find a myself resonating with that. Thanks for reading, Jeanine, appreciate it!
Yes Priya. She called and you listened. That in itself shows both her power and your acceptance/readiness (in Spanish the word is ‘Listo’ which I love) to accept the call. Maybe in all things cosmic, it is our readiness to accept the call. The call to ‘adventure.’ What is it they say—when the student is ready the master will appear?
The painting's arrival provided hope, courage, and a sense of turning a difficult corner - a testament to art's ability to heal and transform. Thank you for this reminder on art's influence Priya.
Tinashe, thank you! You said it so well: art has a capacity to heal and transform. Appreciate your reading and commenting!
Priya - absolutely loved this piece. Thank you for sharing your stories. I find your writing quite often evocative... dredging up bits of lived experience for internal interrogation. This I consider to be fabulous writing.
Years ago, as I restarted my adult life solo, I began to collect and hang art that I liked. It was all abstract watercolors. Once a new friend was visiting my flat and remarked that I only had paintings of nothing. More, she noted the jazz music I enjoyed seemed to her like songs without words. I had surrounded myself with sights and sounds that represented how I felt then... complex, disorganized, experimental.
Richard, I really like the words internal interrogation. I think by doing so we get to recognize patterns and make meaning. The abstract art reminded me of a kind of dissolving.
I think art that has profound meaning for us reflects something within us - a situation, feelings, an archetype. Perhaps we are seeing something that is already within us.
Thank you, I appreciate your reading and commenting. Writing is how I make meaning and when it resonates with someone else, it makes my day.
Sometimes in movies there are interrogations where the police already know the facts, they just need the perpetrator to confirm the facts.
Today's writing excavated -- in this reader -- the ending of my first marriage. The internal interrogation consisted of the experienced me (now) berating the younger me for not having been aware of life's requirements (then). This --I think-- allows catharsis to mature, thereby deepening understanding.
Retrospect can be such a know-it-all! Thanks, Richard!
It definitely can be!
I'm working on ideas for my Substack page that look at the fluidity of memory.
One time, more than 50 years ago, I was visiting one of my grandmothers who grew up in the decades bracketing the turn of the previous century. She was recalling various bits of her life 60 years prior. She was so vividly descriptive - as though she was telling something that happened just the previous week. I felt as though I was there with her, in the moment, as she recalled for example, the trials of automobile travel in 1912. They had a car, but without side curtains or heater, visiting her family 70 miles away was not an option in the winter. It was a two-day journey one way, and the stove-heated bricks positioned for keeping feet warm only held heat a short while.
I suspect the past is not discarded somewhere behind us, but rather alive somewhere within us.
The idea that the past isn’t in the past reminded me of James Hollis’ book Hauntings.
Thank you for the tip: I'll add Hauntings to my reading list.
Lovely Priya! This story made me want to know more. What were you seeking courage for or relief from?
Also I assume you know Talisman is a word directly derived from the urdu work "tilism", which means spell or magic.
Hello, Reena! Yes, talisman has both Arab and Greek roots with some of the earlier meanings including “completion, religious rites, and payment”. (https://bam.sites.uiowa.edu/its-greek-me/talisman)
I actually thought payment was really interesting: you bought a ring or an amulet, had a religious ceremony or magical spell done, and then you paid for it. The payment, I’m assuming, was something you gave up in order to not suffer ill effects. Language is so cool!
As for what I needed courage for- regardless of what the external situation looked like, I needed courage to step forward into my adulthood. I think one of the reasons why I don’t go into details is because in leaving them vague, I’m hoping the reader looks beyond the external differences and sees themselves in the story. Thank you, I always appreciate our conversations!
Symbols can be so important as we make sense of our twisting, sometimes up, sometimes down journeys through life. I love how you recognized and celebrated this one in the moment - they often aren’t seen until much later. Thank you for sharing!
Stace, thank you! There is so much power in symbols and images. I appreciate your reading and commenting!
Dying for a pic of the painting.
Art, like a song, can bring about so many memories. What did the Goddess in the painting mean to you? This piece reminded me to re-appreciate the art hubby and I have. We take for granted that it’s always there, hanging on the wall and forget its meaning, history, the artist… Thank you for this reminder.
To me, it was a mother archetype and I kind of felt she had my back. I think art that really means something to us can either reflect something already within us that we recognize on the outside or it can be something we are looking for. Thanks for reading, Carissa, I appreciate it!
I love this story and the powerful image of the goddess, especially her eyes, and her talisman-like importance. And how you were drawn to her immediately in part one. I’ve had certain objects that have held power for me, but nothing with the potency of your goddess.
Jeanine, yes, I think the goddess figure answered some call from within me, one of needing support. The Jungians talk about the power of the images as a channel and I find a myself resonating with that. Thanks for reading, Jeanine, appreciate it!
Yes Priya. She called and you listened. That in itself shows both her power and your acceptance/readiness (in Spanish the word is ‘Listo’ which I love) to accept the call. Maybe in all things cosmic, it is our readiness to accept the call. The call to ‘adventure.’ What is it they say—when the student is ready the master will appear?
Wonderful writing, Priya. I found some of your descriptions and the way they captured the awe and wonder you felt towards the painting fantastic :)
Thank you, Michael!