UPON FINISHING A SOUL TASK: WHO AM I NOW AFTER ILLUSTRATING THE (MIS)ADVENTURES OF MARIA THE HUTIA?

HOME AT LAST! Maria the Hutia returns home after a tumultuous journey at sea and being LOST. During the period of being separated from her home and all that is familiar, she makes new friends and engages their help to find her home--a pristine island where animals can live without intervention from humans. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the JOURNEY OF THE SOUL! The SOUL of Hallelujah Truth has pilgrimaged along with her Chiboogamoo's in the past 11 years and in doing so has grown volumes--up and down and sideways! As an artist befriending a scientist, I wanted to learn how to be with Chiboogamoo in his ichnological endeavors and still be HALLELUJAH. Becoming an illustrator for a children's story about an endangered animal in a threatened environment was one of the GREAT CHALLENGES I confronted along my way! Let me explain!

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE FINGER PAINTER! When Sandy Voegeli asked me to illustrate Ron Shaklee's story about the young lost hutia, I was a finger painting, acrylic wielding visionary artist painting from my gut. This was the first image/painting I produced about Maria the Hutia's journey. It was done so that the children of San Salvador, Bahamas, who were participating in the first science field camp on the Gerace Research Centre could have t-shirts celebrating the story!

SCIENCE CAMP FOR THE CHILDREN OF SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS.  Ron Shaklee's Maria the Hutia was featured on the first science camp t-shirt in the form of RuthTruth's artwork. See me (now Hallelujah Truth) on the right, third row from the front, first person (I'm clapping my hands.) Sandy Voegeli, mastermind in the creation and realization of science camp is directly behind me. Sandy, having lived on the island for a total of eight years, knew that the children of San Salvador needed an opportunity to learn about the ocean and coral reefs that surround their island. The science camp on the Gerace Research Centre allowed the San Sal children to ride on the large field station vehicles  that they had grown up seeing going around their island. In addition, they used field station equipment to snorkel, studied about their precious environment in the classroom facilities, ate in the field station cafeteria, and when I was there, they painted a scene or animal from their surroundings on a canvas! In this photo, we are all proudly wearing the t-shirt with the colorful Maria the Hutia painting that is posted above. My images of Maria the Hutia evolved from there.

GENESIS OF THE ILLUSTRATOR, HALLELUJAH TRUTH


In the beginning was RUTHTRUTH, self-acclaimed Georgia visionary artist. She became the companion of a scientist who travelled the world in the company of other scientists. Initially, while much fun was to be had out in NATURE and during meals after FIELD WORK, I felt separate from the scientists. I did not possess their knowledge. Nor did I have a GOAL for being in the specified location. Therefore, I felt like an EXTRA on a movie set, drifting on the periphery, performing only when summoned, and of not much value.

FRIEND CELEBRATE OUR JOURNEY! 

BUT, then it occurred to me to BE THE ARTIST amongst the scientists even when not engaged in my artmaking--to WEAR the SOUL of RUTHTRUTH proudly and loudly. I would engage anyone I spoke with in a discussion of their CREATIVE SOUL...and I would SPEAK of mine. 


MAGIC HAPPENED. As it turned out, most scientists have large expansive minds; in fact, many are artists or intensive admirers of art. Geologists, paleontologists, biologists, botanists, geographers, etc. truly understand that ART informs their science and their SPIRITS (whatever spirit may be to a scientist). I STRUCK GOLD in BEING ME--my AUTHENTIC SELF!


TIME PROGRESSED and I went farther and further in my JOURNEY as an ARTIST. I determined that I needed to draw and set about drawing three images every day in micron pens. No mistakes were allowed. No erasing. I accepted every line my archival pen made. I made each drawing a success. I meditated during these drawings. I concentrated on the outer perimeter of my consciousness. I DREW and GREW. The JOURNEY of Maria the Hutia demanded it!

GREETINGS! When Maria arrives home, her parents run down to the shore to great her. Nothing like returning home. But remember Pilgrims, everything has been changed after the journey!

I LIVED on ISLAND TIME. In fact, I discovered a jacket that proclaimed this sentiment in a St. Simons Island gift shop along the Georgia coast, and every morning, I donned that jacket to create my three drawings. I was developing MY PRACTICE. It was my WAY to the DEEPER SENSE of SELF that I think is the purpose or meaning of LIFE.

LIVING ON ISLAND TIME. photo taken by Chiboogamoo on Jekyll Island 2011

The JOURNEY of drawing 27 images in micron pens and india ink has not been easy. I have suffered from doubt, quit several times, and felt inadequate. However, now "I've got peace like an ocean in my soul" (Elizabeth Mitchell, folk singer), because I allowed myself to fail and flounder but not indefinitely!


Instead, I gave birth to a new ME--HALLELUJAH TRUTH. The old ME, RuthTruth, still inhabits this new SELF. She is inside the TRUTH, just compartmentalized. The old me, like my name, RUTH TRUTH, is a little didactic and resisted the JOURNEY into not knowing. Yet, I desired a new way of BEING...something that only a multisyllabic name could honor. I tried on Arabella, Isabella, Hosanna, Hannah, and other "ah" sounding names until discovering HALLELUJAH!


My RENAMING solidified this JOURNEY of drawing, going deeper into the self, and recognizing the ME of now without restricting the ME of the FUTURE.

Listen to Elizabeth Mitchell sing, "I've Got Peace Like a River." The second stanza is "I've got peace like an ocean in my soul." We are all unique and meant to live this one life that is uniquely ours. My JOURNEY to self has been deeply informed by taking on the task of illustrating this children's story about Maria the Hutia. Thank you Ron and Sandy! How will you ALL travel along your PATH to GREATER KNOWING? Soul Blog with me at Coffee with Hallelujah!

JOYFUL WORK IN PROGRESS: ART MAKING IN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY

INTRODUCING MYRTLE THE TURTLE, Art by Hallelujah Truth

Hallelujah for the MAGIC OF POSSIBILITY! Hallelujah for stories we tell about our beautiful MOTHER EARTH! Here you see my rendering of a sea turtle from Ron Shaklee's story,  "The (Mis)adventures of Maria the Hutia." Myrtle the Turtle is squealing with delight at reuniting with the ocean after years of captivity in the zoo. Myrtle is the wise woman of the sea, and with her years of experience, she is going to help poor lost Maria the Hutia find her pristine island where Bahamian hutias still exist.


In the "(Mis)adventures of Maria the Hutia," Maria is cast into the vast ocean and swept away from her home. She is alone in an open sea of POSSIBILITIES! Her story is one of discovery and friendship as she JOURNEYS forth in her life. 
Like Maria, Ron Shaklee and I (Ruth Schowalter) are dwelling in POSSIBILITY! We are looking for a way to publish this story in order to "teach" about Bahamian hutias and endangered species. We want to wake people up and get their creative juices flowing about what each one of us can to do to nurture MOTHER EARTH. 


If any of you PILGRIMS know of available funding to help us publish this story, please SOUL BLOG with me. Our current plan is to publish the story with the Gerace Research Centre on the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas. "The (Mis)adventures of Maria the Hutia" will be made available to researchers and university students for purchase. Our primary goal is to give a book to each child on the island of San Salvador. To do that, we need funding!


JOYFULLY I make may way on this EARTH. I am a PILGRIM looking for FELLOW TRAVELERS. Our JOURNEYS are works in progress. I live in the REALM OF POSSIBILITIES. Hallelujah! That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Write me and share your stories about caring for MOTHER EARTH and ideas for getting "The (Mis)adventures of Maria the Hutia" out into the sea of life!

HAPPY TALK or MISERABLE WHINES?: WHAT KIND OF INNER DIALOGUE WILL YOU CHOOSE?

Hallelujah for the Creative Dialogue! Here I am with Maria the Hutia, the Long-Tailed Tropic Bird, Amber, and my magical companion, Wandjina! Art by Hallelujah Truth

Greetings PILGRIMS!  Welcome to my CREATIVE JOURNEY! OR NOT!  Today, you find me in a maelstrom of my own mind chatter--a noisy storm blowing me back and forth between two opposing mental states: FAILURE and SUCCESS. I am SOUL BLOGGING right now to summon COURAGE to WALK MY PATH in accordance with my beliefs about CREATIVITY. I believe that process is more important than product and that the lessons we learn along the WAY are invaluable. My current CREATIVE maelstrom involves a Bahamian hutia, a story written about this endangered animal by a geographer, and my process of illustrating that geographer's story.



In 2008,  I agreed to illustrate "The (Mis)Adventures of Maria the Hutia" even though I couldn't draw. I said YES because I believe in the power of ART to engage people in important matters, like science education. We can all make a difference by teaching others what we know about this AMAZING BEAUTIFUL WORLD. I did think I was going to paint my way through this story until it became apparent that the project's zero-funding meant color images were out. Instead, I would draw easy to produce black-and-white images of Maria Hutia. I would do this so that Bahamian children would be introduced to a young lost animal in search of her pristine island in hopes that they would learn more about their surrounding environment, including iguanas, sea turtles, crayfish, and coral.  


Fast forward 3 years, and I have have learned to draw! I tell Maria the Hutia's story visually in 27 illustrations. I have TRAVELED through numerous doubts about my ARTISTIC skills and vision while making these pencil drawings of Maria's adventures.  Currently, I have "finished" 15 images using micron pens and india ink. Have I experienced SUCCESS in this CREATIVE endeavor? 


Maybe...Maybe Not...I can explain my inner struggle by sharing lyrics from old musicals that I was listening to last night and today. First, are the lyrics from Show Boat that express my feelings of "hard work" and "agony" I have encountered in the process. I recommend you click on the link and listen to Paul Robeson sing it.

You an'me, we sweat an' strain,

Body all achin' an' racket wid pain,

Tote dat barge!

Lif' dat bale!

From the musical Show Boat, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein


I totally immersed myself in "toting that barge" and "lifting that bale" while I worked with a size 8 micron pen outlining the story's characters escaping from the zoo. I felt miserable. I whined all kinds of things: 

HALLELUJAH IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST, Art by Hallelujah Truth

I can't draw.
My drawing takes me too long.
My illustrations are boring.
My illustrations aren't skillful enough.
I'm not ever going to finish.
No one will like these images.
What a waste of time.
My neck and back hurt.


Then when my CD of Show Boat finished, I changed to the show tune, South Pacific. I always love listening to the song, "Some Enchanted Evening"! As the songs continued and I heard the song, "Happy Talk,"  I started laughing! Here was the attitude I CELEBRATE and strive for as HALLELUJAH TRUTH! Do listen to this sweet song! I have linked it below for you!


Happy talk, keep talking happy talk
Talk about things you like to do
You got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream
how you gonna have a dream come true?


From the musical South Pacific, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein

HALLELUJAH TO JOYFUL JOURNEY AND TO YESes!

Shifting to the magical space called POSSIBILITY made me laugh! I have a dream of making a difference through my ART. I believe in the power of ART to HEAL, ART to TEACH. I dream that we can HEAL the EARTH by learning more about it. 


I believe our inner dialogues matter! What will you do today? I suggest HAPPY TALK! Listen to the song, Living Jewels of the Land, The Sky and Sea , that the geographer Ronald Shaklee wrote about Maria the Hutia. What a beautiful song about some of the life in the Bahamas!

Introducing Launa the Iguana. Launa thought of the family she had left behind. A tear came to her eye. In the story,  The (Mis)Adventures of Maria the Hutia, she is responsible for leading the other animals out of the zoo and to their journeys to find home. Art by Hallelujah Truth