The importance of disruption….
Sitting here with my youngest sons head in my lap. Waiting for our plane to take us back home. We spent the past three days in the most beautiful place…Colorado. My oldest son is a sophomore at CU and if ever there was a time be to be student at Boulder…it’s NOW!
We woke up at 5am Thursday morning. Flew into CO….walked pearl st and met up with Q for lunch. From there we drove to Red Rocks to go see Tyler Childers. If you haven’t seen him yet, it’s a must! Seeing him perform is like going to church, you are sure to be touched by the Holy Spirit while in his presence. Not to mention we were sleep deprived, so that puts a whole other spin on it.
He had an opener by the name of S.G. Goodman, who he wrote the song, “space and time” with. She sang a haunting version of, “which side are you on” a cappella and it moved me to tears. All under a full moon. Couldn’t have ordered up a more perfect evening..well, maybe a little less smoke would have been cool.
WE followed that by going to see the Colorado Buff’s and all that Deion Sanders has created…dare I say I enjoyed this more than live music? First of all…FOLSOM Field….An incredible place to sit. If all you did was sit in that stadium, it is enough. With its backdrop…the Rocky Mountains. Also, we were on the shady side, which, when you’re that close to the sun is a blessing. The ENERGY in that stadium was so intoxicatingly intense!!!!!!! We played USC, they won…but not by much. The Buff’s didn’t give up, even with their best player on the bench…I never liked football before this. I am all in on Deion. He is so special. In a broken world, it is so nice to see incredible leadership and inspiration.
On Thursday I am headed to California to be with Jacki Carr, to retreat in the trees. I am so excited be teaching “polaroid tarot” while I am there. This is a new modality I have created to tap into the subconscious as a jumping off point for creativity that is connected and tied to the depths of the artist. It’s exciting to share these tools with others. I love creating and I love sharing and teaching others how to access their own innate creativity by way of intuition. I have experimented teaching to others a few times and every time it is met with awe and wonder. It gives me great joy to help adults break free of there own limitations and tap back into there own well of inspiration. It is all within us….BUT….we have to DISRUPT the schedule and the day to day habits.
All this travel and new experiences provide me with a LOT of disruption in my normal everyday scheduled life. It is uncomfortable. It is also SO necessary to my own creative process. I have to take time to disrupt habits and same ole same ole. I crave new sights, sounds, QUIET, tastes, textures, new people,and connecting with others in a real way. Distance from all that I know and my habits brings me more fully present into my one life.
Disruption creates opportunities for personal growth and deeper insights. For example, I haven’t been to this place, I don’t know any of the people other than Jacki, I’ve never taught this class on polaroid tarot. I am taking risks. I am putting myself in uncomfortable situations to challenge myself and even PUSH my own creativity. There will be GROWTH. I can absolutely guarantee it.
Disruption of your norm makes you vulnerable. It gives you obstacles to overcome which in turn grants you new gifts.
I am sure it will change my own art as well, for example, after seeing the Rocky Mountains, I want to paint them and the pink color of the CO sunset. I am sure the energy of that concert and. the game will also be working it’s way into my work. I can’t know for sure how it will all manifest, but it will. I have come to rely upon it.
I remember when I did a retreat in Morocco. I flew to Morocco alone…that in and of itself was HUGE! I had a lay over in France and Casablanca. I only speak English, a bit of Spanish and a tiny bit of French..not any of that was useful in these places. French would have been helpful as would Arabic and Berber…talk about vulnerable! BUT…I did it. I found ways to navigate. I saw myself in a whole new light. Not to mention the series of work that followed that trip!!!!!!!! Some of my favorite work to date! I used salmon as a neutral because that was the backdrop to all the patterns and colors of Morocco! I can still taste the food and the mint tea and hear the “call to prayer that was amplified six times a day. NEW SENSORY INPUT disrupts habits and connects you to the present moment. Not speaking the language and not knowing your way around makes you SUPER present! Makes you own to new experiences and people…it’s beautiful. I find it essential to being an intuitive painter.
So, have I inspired you to allow for more DISRUPTION in your own life? Do you do this too? How does the word DISRUPTION land on you? TELL ME!
Be back on the other side of the trees retreat. Until then…allow for a little disruption in your own life. Even if it’s just taking a new route to work, or eating meal outside in the grass, or saying no to an obligation so you can sit in the sun….let me know if you need suggestions, I got plenty!
Much love on your “one precious life”,
L E S L I E