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| WHAT IS ELEGANCE? When I was playing tennis regularly with graduate students and faculty in the Auburn University Math Department back in the 80's, I learned about the word "elegance." An idea or concept becomes elegant when it is explained in such a concise way that it illustrates a beautiful sublimeness. I like to think that my images of THE GREAT MYSTERY are elegant, embodying my experience with real women in hijabs and burkas from the Middle East and demonstrating all that I don't know about their lives and LIFE at LARGE. (art by Hallelujah Truth, aka Ruth Schowalter) |
Forget the limitations of that two-sided life equation that your perspective is either negatively DARK or optimistically BRIGHT! That equation is decidedly inelegant. Instead, I think we should all DO THE MATH and see what EQUATIONS we can formulate for our OWN LIVES....
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THE PINK EQUATION. Why have I photoshopped all of these images into PINK? Because I can! And it was fun. I choose to be the ultimate controller of my work--even if you dear Pilgrim, tell me you don't like what I have done with my art. And...PINK...well it represents FREEDOM to me. Let me explain.
Coming of age in the 70's was challenging for those of us who were trying to comprehend what feminism was and how to live our lives accordingly. We had been raised by traditional parents who unknowingly perpetuated a stifling patriarchy for their daughters. We dated men who diminished "girlie" things--among them--the color pink.
I had one friend, who when she divorced her macho, sexist, inconsiderate husband, painted the walls of her home pink and dressed in that same color until healing occurred at a later date.
Today, pink still represents a decidedly bold statement--I AM ALL GIRL! (art by Hallelujah Truth)
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WHAT IS THE ELEGANCE EQUATION FOR YOUR LIFE?
Right now, for me, Hallelujah Truth, I am in my prime like The Prime of Miss Jean Brody! Did you ever see that movie with Maggie Smith? Her character, Miss Jean Brody, an aging school teacher, keeps repeating, "I'm in the prime of my life," at least that's what I remember (I just discovered that the movie was based on the novel of the same name by Scottish author Muriel Sparks. She makes some decisions that don't work in her favor, but she was BRAVE, living her LIFE EQUATION as elegantly as she knew how, nonetheless.
Now, I am there, the PRIME of MY LIFE, and I, like you (and Jean Brody), can determine my LIFE'S EQUATION and how to live ELEGANTLY in the process of choosing, executing, and being in that EQUATION. I have the following questions:
Do I SUBTRACT? Leave my current job teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)at Georgia Tech?
Do I ADD? Take courses with The Coaches Training Institute and learn how to be a life/creativity coach? In addition to teaching ESL?
Do I DIVIDE? Reduce my teaching load at GT even more and slowly acquire the training I need to begin a profession in Life Coaching?
What EQUATION configures my LIFE AS AN ART MAKER? BLOGGER? WIFE OF A SCIENTIST AND COLLABORATOR? SCIENCE ADVOCATE? CHILDREN'S BOOK MAKER? EXPLORER OF THE SOUL?
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| THE ELEGANT PINK EQUATION. I am happy to post these images of THE GREAT MYSTERY here today. It thrills me to see the images transported from their original colors to PINK. I shed judgment. I play in pink. (art by Hallelujah Truth) |
I don't know the NEW EQUATION that I need to create to joyously BE in my life, right now. But I am asking the BIG QUESTIONS:
What is meaningful to me?
What makes me happy?
What works well with the life I share with my Chiboogamoo?
What stretches me and ensures I keep growing?
And, yes, how can I make money to contribute to my loving household?
For now, I will bid you adieu. It is a Sunday morning here in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and time to venture out in the overcast day to see what ARTMAKING I can drum up. I ask this of you dear PILGRIMS, FELLOW SOJOURNERS--What is the equation of your life?
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THE NOW OF THE PINK ELEGANCE EQUATION. In each of these images, there is a star or object to the right of THE GREAT MYSTERY. That star symbolizes the NOW. NOW is the place I want to BE. There I am not GOOD, not BAD, just IS. IS-NESS! (art by Hallelujah Truth)
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thanks to Lesly Fredman, my steadfast creativity coach, who asked me the question about the "elegance equation."
Elegance, for me, is within simple contradictions. These beautiful images you've posted, for example, are elegant: women in hijabs immersed in pink, a girlie and even sexy color, as you described. They are elegant images because they are simple contradictions.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your questions, the DIVIDE possibility is not a real division in a way. It may be in hours, in time, but not in content or goals. You would be adding.
In my life, I have currently added more time to taking care of my body, dancing and streching classes mainly. It's been a great decision, I needed that in my life equation! :)
Hallelujah Diana Elizabeth for adding time to care for one's body! I know that you are often "in your head" so much you might forget to dance or stretch!
ReplyDeleteI love moving inside and outside and through the contradictions. I find it interesting to be curious!
Thanks for the insights about my images of THE GREAT MYSTERY!
Some times I have feeling of addition and sometimes subtraction. I don't know how to live ELEGANTLY in the method of choosing, executing, and being in that EQUATION.
ReplyDeleteBEING IN THE EQUATION! What a wonderful concept dear Glan Deas! I desire to expand the equation beyond pluses and minuses! How about multiplication, division, and more complicated equations figured in calculus, algorithms...is there such a thing as nano-equations? And would understanding them help us expand the understanding of our lives?
ReplyDelete