REVERB11:FROM HUMILITY TO DANCE--THE DIFFERENCE A YEAR CAN MAKE

SELF PORTRAIT OF HALLELUJAH TRUTH

#REVERB11: December 2, Catch UP, Day 1 Prompt: Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why you are choosing that one word. Now imagine it is one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?


Hallelujah PILGRIMS for times of TRANSFORMATION when we can be retrospective and claim what is ours before venturing on again in our precious JOURNEYS! 


HUMILITY is the word that encapsulates the year 2011 for me! I submitted myself again and again to TRYING. I jumped through hoops of new experiences willingly, ferociously at times. The result? Falling, stumbling, laughing, and trying again. 


Oh I was ambitious! I would write fantastic blogs, teach inspirational ESL classes, and reach new exalted heights of artistic accomplishments in my media of water color pencils and micron pens! Hungry for the fullness of life's flavors as if it were one big banana split with extra strawberries and chocolate sauce,  I wanted to eat the MAGIC of CREATIVITY!


I longed for my CREATIVE LIFE to be like the Douglas County Cultural Arts Center exhibit buffet--sausage sizzling in sweet sauce, dates stuffed with cream cheese, bacon, pineapple, macaroons, and an abundance of wine!


Yet, instead of eating comfortably, I found myself being stared at while I held my overloaded plate from the feast! Suddenly everyone is staring at me and judging my CONSUMPTION and the WEIGHT GAIN resulting from my indulgence! Oh! I have felt UGLY in 2011!

FIERCELY SUPPORTING MY CREATIVE ENDEAVORS. When I asked the juror of the Douglas County Culture Arts Center exhibit why she had selected my work, "The Mystery of the Burka and Hijab," she answered, "It was timely." No words of praise--secretly something I longed for. (photo by Chiboogamoo, November 2011)

Each step of my PILGRIMAGE, each endeavor, and every one I met on my PATH in 2011 became my TEACHER. I felt mortified because of my expectations. In 2012, I am surrendering these expectations. 


DANCE is the word that I am selecting to "capture" my experience of 2012 one year from now. Oh PILGRIMS! I will not abandon my struggles and adventures into the unknown! Yet, I see myself being JOYFUL as I twirl with my paintings, tango with my students, and twist with my writing. I envision myself being a large, long-legged bird dancing on the ice! I will slip, slide, fall, and get up to dance again, perhaps--even changing the music!


The art group (Artist Conference Network) that I belong to has a saying: A BREAKDOWN is an opportunity for a BREAKTHROUGH! 2012 offers me the opportunity to be my JOYFUL AUTHENTIC SELF! Hallelujah! Hooray!


Thanks to my wonderful creative writing students at the Georgia Tech Language Institute who did this writing exercise with me in class yesterday. I hope your 2012 will become the word that you envisioned in this #REVERB11 day one writing exercise!


That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Soul Blog with me! Tell me what you envision for 2012 and how you sum up 2011!