Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Cage of Misdirected Longing

I came across this the other day in an art gallery. I would have walked right by it (fake birds, blah!) if I hadn't noticed the title...and the messages each bird carried...That's me, I thought. I am a bird in a cage of misdirected longing. Complete with invisible ribbon thought cloud saying, how did I get here, how do I get out?

I have been wondering that a lot lately.


But let's not talk about that. When I start to feel adrift I try to remind myself I am the steady worker bee that never gives up, a fine artist restocking the supply, an author learning my craft, an animation story artist with a little time off.

If positive mind talk doesn't work, and it hasn't lately, there's always distraction. For instance, Dan Brown's Angels And Demons. It's popcorn, for sure. But I like popcorn. I need it in certain moods. So rather than a quickie movie experience I've been taking my time with it, reading a few chapters a night. The Illuminati plan to blow up the Vatican? Ha, ha, that's what I call entertainment. I also call it amazing how he can keep me reading and yet put me to sleep at the same time. Marvelous.

Another current distraction is Tucker's super creamed ice cream. I can go without ice cream for months. And then, as if to make up for it, I'll eat cartons of it and counting in a short space in time, most of it from Tucker's. You've probably never heard of Tucker's since it only exists here in my home town, but their motto is, "Life is uncertain....eat dessert first!" Ok! Turned down by Pixar? Oh well, time for some ice cream! My current favorite is their Strawberries and Cream. I love its pungent ripe berry aroma, the way it tastes more like fruit than sugar, and is filled with whole berries which are never so frozen they've lost their flavor. In fact they seem to have been spooned in there just minutes before I buy the carton. How they do that, I have no idea.

A perhaps better distraction is hiking which is why I belong to three different hiking groups. One thing I like about it is I sometimes get lost on the way there and instead of a morning of sustained and often strenuous exercise I get to play tourist in some part of this region I'd otherwise never bother to see. And if I do happen to make it, then I get to combine socializing with scenery gazing and ice cream fat burning. Because who wants to burn ice cream fat alone? (Fairfax, a sleepy, two block town somewhere in Marin County. Cute, and scenic. But I wouldn't want to live there.)(Montera, where I got horribly sunburned last Sunday.) (Heading into the waves, Pacifica. It's hard to make out in this low res photo but the water is crowded with surfers, at least one every ten feet riding the waves.) (I like this photo. It reminds me that being adrift is not necessarily a bad thing, a lesson this father may be inadvertently teaching his daughter.)

Arty events, especially ones in cafes and bars, are another useful distraction. Luckily there's an arty event every night of the week here, many of them free. Thursday I went to one called Storytime to hear (and draw) local authors read from their works.
I also like aimless wandering, usually on my way to or from an arty event because I never know what or who I'll see, meet or experience. This is similar to getting lost, except I know exactly where I am. I'm just not sure where I'm going...(inside the SF Ferry building) (police in SF's Mission district)(Shop endorsing big butts - like mine! thanks to too much ice cream and chocolate - on Mission St., SF)(Powell St. SF)

Next weekend L. and I are concocting an impromptu adventure in Seattle. Sure, it might be wiser to stay home to finish another painting or send out more resumes. Or figuring out why I crave distraction so much right now. But neither of us has ever been there before and the itch to distract is too strong to resist. We haven't reserved flights or hotel rooms yet but we have gotten a guide book. Will keep you posted on how it unfolds. Oh, and if anyone has any Seattle suggestions, I'd appreciate reading them.

28 comments:

  1. I love this line!
    “...aimless wandering...similar to getting lost, except I know exactly where I am. I'm just not sure where I'm going...”
    An apt description of how I feel some days about my life. ;)

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  2. Good Morning Cheryl!
    I'm happy to see you've found your misdirected longings... distraction can be a powerful psychic coping mechanism.
    The hiking club is my favorite. This just seems like a great way to exercise, get fresh air, stimulate the system to spark casual yet therapeutic socializing, clear the mind, and, yes, burn off that super creamy ice cream. I don't think there's a better place to belong to hiking clubs than where you live. Nice.
    The aimless wandering thing would work for me if limited to a couple hours a week, and only in times of relative stability. If I were in your shoes in your life right now, this wandering would have my subconscious waving at me from the periphery then slowly building to a crescendo of fear and possibly panic. But, again, that’s my own flawed psyche.
    Once more, your candid reveal got me thinking about my own life and thankful for my current 'right path' stability.
    Keep up the writing. It soothes me in a few important ways, the most so connecting with and possibly helping a friend, if only in minor ways…
    David

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  3. PS -- I love your drawing of the Storytime speaker... I like impromtu sketches like that, and you're talented at capturing the moment beautifully. Also that shot of the coastal hiking adventure... gorgeous, and brings me back to my time spent hiking in these inspiring environs (I can smell the fresh air).
    Have a great weekend!
    David

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  4. Thanks for sharing these reflections and insights, Cheryl. I have many days like these and I could so easily spend my life just dreaming. This stepping out is good for creativity. Spontaneity is too. It is the anticipation of an experience which can provide the spark for the next piece of work. Then the hard work begins. :-) Wishing you much magic, Cheryl. x

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  5. Hi Beth, thanks! Deepak Chopra says this is a good thing, this uncertainty. It's the wanting to know that's not good, or the cause of negativity. I'm trying, but distraction is easier at the moment...

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  6. Hi David, ah, you are too perceptive! Aimless wandering is something best enjoyed with others. I tried it yesterday on my own (when I took those SF photos) and my mind kept going over things I'd rather not think about. Even while listening to a book on Ipod in GG Park, I found myself turning into a grumpy, frustrated, lonely scared about the future type person. I think, like I mentioned to Beth, it's the wanting to know what will happen that creates the frustration. And I have to keep faith that with uncertainty comes the greatest possibility.

    And, ha, ha, ha! I'm glad my psychic coping mechanisms and the fear and panic behind them are of good use somehow! I will definitely keep writing because it helps me put things in perspective. (As do your insightful comments.) And I am really grateful for the connections I'm making by it.

    Thanks, I drew a few others, but that was the only one I finished up enough to post.

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  7. Oh, and hope you have a great weekend too!

    Hi Carol Anne, Thanks! It does help the creativity, a lot. Many of my paintings have sprung from my wanderings. The writing, maybe not so much, but it does clear my head enough to let whatever it is I want to say flow out easier. Thanks, gratitude and love in return, Cheryl

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  8. I agree with you about the value of uncertainty. In fact, I think it's essential in realizing the promise of pure potentiality. Big fan of my man Deepak. Your writing, in fact, has me mixing a healthy dose of uncertainty back into my life.

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  9. Hi Cheryl,
    I agree about positive thinking, distractions can enhance that make sure that we don't get stuck. I love your creativity and the photos are a visual treat. Made my morning!
    Enjoy your day.

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  10. Aimless wandering, hiking and ice cream eating are all wonderful activities, especially in the SF Bay area. You will get yourself sorted out when it's time. Love your photos and your drawing!

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  11. Hi Cheryl, Thanks for following, I love your blog! I'm so glad you enjoyed my photos. It's my artistic addiction, I suppose, to want to reframe the world I see around me.

    Hi Dedene,thanks for saying that (and for appreciating my work). I think/hope so too. I love being an artist and have experienced ups and downs before.

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  12. yuppers, i totally feel like that bird but i try not think too much. thinking gets my lushious ass into trouble and gives me the frowns.

    you should toally get a cat. they are perfect and so easy to care for and you could get one of the cool cat scratchers!

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  13. Hi Awesome Sara, ha, ha, I totally agree. Hmm, maybe a cute little Persian? They're so cute.

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  14. I love that bird exhibit...it is lovely.

    What a fabulous motto for an ice cream shop!

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  15. Hi Hanoko66, thanks for stopping by. I love the sense of style you share on your blog.

    It is a great motto, even better ice cream! The best, I have to say, I've ever tried anywhere.

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  16. Great post - such imagery! Felt like I was there...

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  17. In a world where everyone seems so tied to a schedule, it's nice to hear somebody appreciates being aimless and ready to embrace what chance might have to offer. San Francisco, and Seattle, two great cities to be sure. (I was born in the latter) Have fun.

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  18. I want to live somewhere I can walk or ride around. I ride around my little hamlet of Houston, and I love it here, but it's not the city- where the art/music/tattoo shops/vintage clothing is, so I still have to drive into Houston. It makes me so angry having to drive to that stuff!
    I love those bike cops! So funny! If I was a cop, I'd want to be on a bike or a horse :)

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  19. For a caged bird you have a life filled with beauty, movement, sensual pleasures, travel and ice cream. Not a bad life. ;-)

    The bad thing about knowing where you are going is that you often miss a lot of unexpected destinations you might have seen if you didn't.

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  20. Hi Shantser, I'm glad you enjoyed them, I love taking photos.

    Hi Elizabeth, Thanks, I do enjoy my freedom from schedules for the most part. It helps that I know this is a temporary situation. But I'm a planner and scheduler by nature. So, I'm trying to make the best use of my time off by completing as many paintings and projects as possible. Otherwise, I have to say, I'd be drowning in boredom.

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  21. Hi Pen, Pen, I really get a kick out of reading your responses! I bet you're like the energizer bunny. Houston must be a lot like L.A. everything spread out over a wide area. I would love to see the Museum of Fine Arts there.

    The bike cops, yeah, imagine that group cycling after you.

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  22. Hi La Belette Rouge, thank you! I do try to keep the true reality of my situation in perspective. I may feel down about it from time to time, but only because I had become attached to how I had expected things to be. At this point in my life this is not where I thought I would be. I thought I'd have a family by now and be further along in my career. Then again, I suppose if I'd gone the straight route, I would have never taken up painting or writing (well, maybe I would have, but not his seriously). Oh well, at least I have Seattle to look forward to....

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  23. Loved to read all this, describing your different moods.... something we all experience - more or less of course!

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  24. Hi Peter, thanks, as always, I'm glad you stopped by.

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  25. The case of mis-directed longing - what a concept! And I am the same way about ice cream - hardly ever eat it, but when I do, I enjoy it. Although I am a big fan of gelato and sorbet too. I like the contrasting photos in this post. I'm sure some lucky company will make you an offer too good to refuse! The road trip to Seattle sounds fun. Nice to see these shots of Montera and Pacifica. So homesick for San Fran these days!

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  26. Hi Paris Parfait, thanks for the encouragement. Some days it can be harder to stay positive than others, with the seemingly endless drumbeat of rejection. I think, yes the economy, especially for an industry like mine, lots of others like me, - but someone is getting hired by Pixar, why not me? Then I return to my work, whether writing, painting or sketching, and I enjoy the process of creativity. I think, I can so do this, this is what I do best, some company out there will recognize that sooner or later. And one day, at Pixar or other, I'll think, pffft! all that worry for nothing!

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  27. The cage of misdirected longing was a fabulous find. I loved the reminder ...to focus on the good ...the abundance rather than what's missing.

    I love your blog.

    Thank you for following mine.

    I'm going to enjoy you ...I can tell.

    Sarah Lulu

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  28. I really enjoyed reading this post and looking through your pictures!

    Your title is sublime, I shall to try to remember that sentence at the right moment, hopefully! :-)

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