Chasing Down the Muse: After festival, what’s next? Oh, so much
Row, row, row your boat…
“What are you going to do when the festival is over?” I cannot count how many times this question was asked as festival season neared its end in late August. The question changed only slightly when September arrived to “now that the festival is over.”
My answer was usually a non-committal one. There were many things to be done. Where to start? A revamp of marketing materials. New art projects that had been on hold. After 66 days on festival focus, cleaning house from top to bottom, including clearing out things that should have gone long ago, was near the top of the list. Exploring and experimenting once these were done were of course also on the agenda.
Recently on an overcast, early-morning October walk of upper Bluebird Canyon, my senses were attuned to what was there to see, smell and hear. Three rabbits scurried across the road. A murder of crows (they should be called a constancy, in my book) flew over. Pepper trees buzzed with the sound of bees. All the trees were filled with birdsong. Not one single car went by and not one person appeared.
This was definitely part of the answer to what was I going to do, whenever possible. The peace and quiet was stunning and I breathed it all in as I walked.
An abundance of questions appeared in my head to shatter the silence: What matters most? Will it rain this year? Will this heat ever break? Can we survive climate change? Can we get past petty politicking and lies to the truth?
Dismissing all the others for the moment, my focus turned to the question of what matters most. After all the work is done (and, yes, it does need doing), what will be the focus?
Time to create. Paint on my fingers. Because why not? (Yet another question, but one all about joy.) The colors, the movement of them, experimenting, trying new things — these matter most. Creating sculptural play with clay matters. Playtime!
And speaking of joy and playtime, I saw a video recently of 8-year-old Caden Burt on the drums at the TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) Harvest Festival. It seemed pure joy for him and ditto for the watcher. After seeing the video, it matters to me to see this kid play live. What a treat that will be.
More time with family. The grandkids grow up so fast. And it really matters to hear and see who they are as they develop.
Time with friends. Yes, this matters a lot, but what doesn’t seem to matter is what we do in that time. A walk around a museum or exhibit, a movie and a meal, time spent under a tree talking, a morning walk — all are precious time.
Time to read. Valuable time to explore other worlds in words matters too.
Time afoot, whether as exercise or the more leisurely afternoon stroll through a place like Sherman Gardens, is time to treasure. Watching the waves, noting the color and action of the water or listening to the birdsong along the trail can easily make my day.
In the end, I think what matters most is all about rowing your own little boat gently down the stream of the days and weeks and months. Whatever comes your way, whatever mind-boggling questions appear, just keep on rowing. That is how I focus on what matters most to me — my own kind of broad-focus bucket list. How about you?
CHERRIL DOTY is an artist, writer and teacher who embraces the mystery and magic of all that is life. You can reach her at (714) 745-9973 or by email at cherril@cherrildoty.com.