Cultivating a Garden of Creative Awareness

We often don't realize that life and art are like gardens, a mix of the things we like to grow. I like to think of a garden like a batch of salsa, looking at key ingredients: ripe, juicy tomatoes with seeds oozing out of them, tiny bits of fresh jalapeño, chopped onion, fresh squeezed lime juice, and a dash of garlic powder. These are what I like to dip a chip into, crunch and munch. So I grow these vegetables in the right environment of fresh soil loaded with nutrients in the right combination of sun and shade.

In the same way goes with life and art. I like to place top ingredients in the center of my garden, and spend my time and energy there. Dance, music, getting in the water, quality time with family and friends, being outdoors, taking myself out to explore new ideas in art making, getting time in the studio to make a mess - these are all things that come first for me. These are the plants I water daily because they fuel me and make me feel good.

Sometimes I come across a weed - a great big hairy vine that does not fit in the garden box. Icky people, silly rules, conditions that just don't work for me. I've been around long enough to spot a coyote in the field. Clear out what no longer serves you, steer clear of animals that want to devour you, and put energy into people, things and places that matter most. The universe is vast and abundant, and will respond with more of what you like. But you have to be very specific and clear on what that is.

I absolutely love music - house music, downtempo, chill beats, funky bass lines, interesting vocal samples, 80's nostalgia, europop, and independent artists. Color captivates me, as well as gritty texture, rusty metal, and weathered paint and stain on wood. I love wild architecture, buildings so modern and unimaginable they take your breath away. I love dark roast coffee, sweaty, greasy beans. I love dance, and how it makes you feel. The more you place your focus on what you love, the more those things expand in your awareness and day to day life. This is the garden we all have within us, and it is reflected all around us. Let the weeds shrivel, and the fruits grow ripe, fragrant and sweet.