This quote, from the unlikely source of Mel Gibson, struck home. I chuckled aloud at my Starbucks table, then looked up to find people glancing over at me. Some grinning, others curious, one perhaps perturbed. It didn't matter. Finding this quote was a continuation of the adventure.
Mid-November, I stopped writing in this blog. I don't know why. I simply couldn't focus, couldn't motivate myself to put fingers to keyboard and type. No prominent reason to explain it. Was it entropy? Was it inertia? Was it depression? As far as I can tell, it was none of these. Life itself stepped in front of me and we began a slightly different dance.
Every person I know is on an artistic journey. Every. Single. Person. It's part of our human nature to create, to nurture, to nourish. All of those are art. Our definition of "art" can be as narrow or as broad as we want. We can define it with characteristics, such as it has to look like Gauguin painted it or sound like Etta James sang it or move like Bob Fosse or Adele Astaire danced it. The fact that we know these names, that they conjure up images, is a tribute to their individual talents ~~~ which each of us has.
In my search for an aptly descriptive word, I came across cynosure ~ defined as: 1) something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.; 2) something serving for guidance or direction. Perfect. The reason for my hiatus was to reconnect with my personal cynosure. Whatever it is in my soul that calls me to write. To do any kind of art.
From what have you recently taken a hiatus? Conversely, what in your life would benefit from taking a hiatus? What is the cynosure in your artistic journey? What do you do to nourish it? to keep it alive? How does it nurture you?
