At this time of year, I am excited to get outside and garden. Anticipating, planning and preparing for all of natures beauty. I love nature and also creating a beautiful garden, sometimes they are in harmony and at times those things are at odds. Many of you know we are blessed (or burdened, depending on the moment) with a fairly large property with a creek, lawns, woods and lots of wildlife. Today, as I filled a couple of wheel barrels full of weeds that I pulled (knowing there will be many more) and planted pounds of grass seed a thought struck me. My husband and I spend a lot of time and energy planting and replanting things were we want them to grow and continuously removing them from the places we don’t want them. So I am wondering is it “gardening “or a lesson in futility? If we surrender and just stop will they have to rescue us with chain saws and machetes, everything covered by a multitude of weeds, blackberry and grape vines, mulberry trees, garlic mustard, creeping Charlie and poison ivy?

I know there is a lesson in this somewhere but I am too exhausted from all the work to even think. Oh wait, I think I have it...We need to find balance in life and though sometimes doing art seems futile and a waste of time we need to listen to our innate need to create. We need to direct our energy towards these things and take the time to appreciate and celebrate the beauty around us, weed out the things that are not important or hinder us (maybe creating something that will endure even after we are gone) because life will just take over and engulf us. So maybe I’ll take a break and paint my garden now because by August I usually run out of steam, sit on the deck with an iced-tea and look forward to Fall and Winter, at least until January when I’m wishing for Spring, it’s all perspective I guess, Ah… another metaphor and lesson for art and life.

Warmly!

Michelle