Dear Becky, Can Dry Bones Live?
I was picking up a print in OKC and made an interesting observation while at a stop light. As I sat there my eyes wandered to a 50-something woman hobbling back and forth, with a cane, carrying a sign that said “Family in need, anything helps”. I found myself asking if there could be a better way. Granted this is not a profound question—and I am in no way profound for asking. But, if I were to spring into action, what would that look like? What could I possibly have to offer this woman, or any other person for that matter, that might help for more than just a day?
Dear Becky,
Hey Girl, it’s been a hot minute hasn’t it? First it was thanksgiving, next it was Christmas, then my solo show, and now I’m preparing for a whole list of events this spring. I have felt a smidge flooded. Would you believe I even photographed an image with video and it’s been two weeks and I haven’t even laid the groundwork for completion? These are busy days, but momentum is building and it feels good.
At any rate, while I was picking up a print in OKC and made an interesting observation while at a stop light. As I sat there my eyes wandered to a 50-something woman hobbling back and forth, with a cane, carrying a sign that said “Family in need, anything helps”. It’s funny the things you notice when you choose to be present. First I observed how she hobbled, carrying a cane. It looked painful. But then I noticed how clean her clothes and hair looked. I thanked God that whatever circumstances had brought her to this point, she still had access to clean clothes. I also noticed another woman across the intersection, slightly younger and likely related because she had similar build and clothing. I wondered again what sequence of events would lead these two individuals to choose to beg for handouts on a street corner?
You know me well, Becky, so you must have guessed that I would try to put myself in their shoes; that I opened my mind and heart to the voice of God as I inquired what He might be whispering at that moment. Were these circumstances truly out of their control? Was it a result of their own poor choices? Was it laziness or entitlement? Could it be poor health? You know--all the things —fair or not—that go through the head of a middle-class white woman, who’s never known the sort of circumstance these two were facing. A million thoughts filled my head as I tried to stretch my mind to understand. I could think of at least a thousand things I would choose before coming to a street corner, but is that privilege talking? What cascade of events would drive a person to the point of deciding that panhandling was the best option? I found myself asking if there could be a better way. Granted this is not a profound question—and I am in no way profound for asking. But, if I were to spring into action, what would that look like? What could I possibly have to offer this woman, or any other person for that matter, that might help for more than just a day? That’s when I heard a whisper. What if I could teach her some practical skill, craft, or form of creativity that she could put in the service of others? What if I could provide a platform for apprenticeships for needy individuals that could turn their products into income? Something that would bend and flex to their particular needs or limitations? Something they might perhaps enjoy? The only thing I really have to give is creativity!--and at first glance might seem to fall desperately short, but does it? Does it really?
For me creativity has been a life sustaining force. It has offered me an avenue to push past my self-imposed boundaries and explore the wilderness spaces both inside and out. It has granted me connection and community. Most importantly, the practice of creativity has allowed me to encounter the most tangible, inextricable, and experiential encounter with who I call Jesus.
Do you follow me, Becky?
Creativity is breath. It is life. It gives purpose. We were all born with it--in the image of it. It is only circumstance and misunderstanding that steals it from us little by little, day by day, until we are left destitute and driven to... panhandle maybe?
When we are prevented from using our creativity, we forget who we were made to be, Becky! Don’t you see??? Imagination and creativity are the language of the Spirit—that’s why art is universal. By reminding this woman what she was born with and helping her cultivate what’s already inside her, could her dry bones live again? Could flesh and sinews be reformed into lucrative purpose? I wonder what she could bring to the table that this world is desperately lacking?
I don’t know, Becky. I just don’t know. But by asking these questions, I felt the breath of inspiration wash over me like a bucket of ice cold water. Had an idea just taken hold of me? I think so. Who knows if it's viable, practical, or possible. I don't even know where to begin. But I know now what I have to give and it's one of the most valuable things I possess.
Creativity.
All my blessings, Becky!
-Lauren
PSA: Look for the Helpers
We’ve all heard the term “starving artist”. I remember my first week as an art major at Texas Tech, I was required to take some new “intro to arts” course where they discussed in a brief summation of why no artist should have to starve. Whether you consider yourself an artist or creative, making a living at a creative entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. The world of a creative can often be a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and lest you be nestled snugly in one of the lows, here is your PSA to look for the helpers.
“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping”
We’ve all heard the term “starving artist”. I remember my first week as an art major at Texas Tech, I was required to take some new “intro to arts” course where they discussed in a brief summation of why no artist should have to starve. Well, I wish I’d been more intentional about taking notes, because that info might better serve me now. Whether you consider yourself an artist or creative, making a living as a creative entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. The world of a creative can often be a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and lest you be nestled snugly in one of the lows, here is your PSA to look for the helpers.
This gorgeous piece of advice actually came from the mother of one Mr. Rogers.
Do you remember?
Mr. Rogers talked about when he was scared as a little boy about things going on in the world, his mom would encourage him to “Look for the helpers. There will always be helpers”. He went on to say that often times they are in the background where it’s not obvious, but if you look, you will always find them.
The life of the creative is often filled with the highest of highs and the lowest lows. It’s sudden bursts of inspiration so powerful that concentration can be challenging.The exhilaration of taking an idea from concept to reality is unsustainable and can often give way to temporary valleys when expectation of return takes longer than you thought. It takes grit and long uncompensated hours of trial and error. Earning living creatively comes with a cost that is often great--and I’m not necessarily talking about money, though that is part of it.
In my own experience I often relate to the story of Nehemiah when he was building with one hand and using a sword to fight off enemies with the other. My enemies aren’t the same as Nehemiah’s; In my line of work, they look like busyness, the struggle for resources, tedious daily responsibilities that build up, the struggle to land exhibitions, or a failed concept.
It can be overwhelming. And when it is, take a step back, breathe deep and look for the helpers in your life. They are always there.
Last week it looked like an unexpected phone call that connected me to a new friend and a group of artists/moms more established than I to learn from. I am ecstatically grateful for the opportunity to connect and hopefully give back in one way or another.
This week, it was an email that contained a tiny deposit of hope in my dream bank.
So should you find yourself struggling...remember Mr. Rogers and remember to look for the helpers.
3 Steps for Harnessing Inspiration in Your Creative Process
When I was growing up my childhood bestie (and best friend of nearly 30 years) had an infatuation with Winnie the Pooh that I could never fully understand. In middle school, she carried a Pooh-themed diaper bag as a purse, because that’s what you do when you’re just dipping your toes into your own individuality--and she wore it proudly. I suppose my gray hairs have lent me the ability to hear the profound intertwined with the simple, because some of the quotes from the movie “Christopher Robin” brought my whole house of cards tumbling down... and those are the moments when I know a new image is being birthed. This is how I cultivate my creative process. These are my 3 steps to harnessing inspiration in your creative process and photography.
“I always get where I am going, by walking away from where I’ve been”
When I was growing up, my childhood bestie (and best friend of nearly 30 years) had an infatuation with Winnie the Pooh that I could never fully understand. In middle school, she carried a Pooh-themed diaper bag as a purse, because that’s what you do when you’re just dipping your toes into your own individuality--and she wore it proudly. I always admired her conviction of things. But as it was, you might say that my older influences had me prematurely “outgrow” anything that might have been considered “juvenile” in order to avoid any consequential heckling from my two, older, rough and tumble brothers. But time is a funny thing, and as it would have it, even things you once couldn’t understand can become nostalgic when given enough of it.
When the movie “Christopher Robin” came out, I immediately thought of my sweet friend. Though, to my greatest surprise I found it impacted and inspired me on so many levels, that I wonder how this was so sorely bypassed in my youth! I mean, how did I not see Pooh’s wisdom? I suppose my gray hairs have lent me the ability to hear the profound intertwined with the simple, because some of the quotes brought my whole house of cards tumbling down... and those are the moments when I know a new image is being birthed. A lot of what I create comes very simply from the shaking--the moments that God brings the cards down and clears my line of sight. It’s the pain and discomfort of the labor that births forth a beautiful story to tell. This is how I cultivate my creative process. These are my 3 steps to harnessing inspiration in your creative process and photography:
Step 1: Recognizing your houses of cards.
Now, you may be thinking I’m nuts. It’s all good--I’m learning to own it. But hear me out. We’ve all developed little houses of cards--and by that, I mean fragile little ways of thinking that aren’t built from solid wholehearted thought patterns. Nope. These fragile structures are toxic ways of thinking that are built on lies or false beliefs that come about often because of pain or disappointment. Most of the time, we don’t know they are there until the truth begins to shake underneath them. You’ve felt it. It feels like resonance; waves of truth that amplify and reverberate deep within your soul when you hear them. Learn to be sensitive to those.
Step 2: Let the cards fall.
So many people are scared or even paralyzed when the cards fall, because where do you go from there? But I’m here to tell you, let them fall! Let every last wrong way of thinking come down. Sure it’s unsettling and I am no stranger to it. But when that big fragile structure is leveled...you’ve just cleared your line of sight. You now have a new foundation from which to build truth upon. You take that wrong way of thinking, identify what the truth is, and now you have a story to tell.
Step 3: Tell the story
Now that you’ve identified your shifty house, weathered the storm, and endured the discomfort of the cards falling...now you begin to tell your story. This is where the magic happens. This is where I begin to think of ways that I can symbolically represent a chapter of my story in a single image. What elements or props could you use to represent your chosen them? What body position, colors, or lack thereof would set the tone for the story you are telling? Think about ways that you can intertwine literal interpretations with symbolic ones. But tell your story.
In this piece, I wanted to show the sense of vulnerability, joy and melancholy of waiting for dreams to come to pass. I used the balloons to represent my many dreams, the color red to provoke a sense of strength in vulnerability and my daughter’s bear to represent my choice to approach my journey with child-like faith as I wait for my dreams to come to pass.
As I watched Christopher Robin, several parts struck me in profound ways, but among them is a part when Christopher Robin is trying to send Pooh back to the 100 acre wood in an attempt to protect his own house of cards per-sey. We all do it. It is only natural to act in self preservation when we feel the shaking. But embrace it. And as pooh steps into the doorway he is met by his disappointment of being sent away and having to face his journey potentially alone. Instead of walking away from those hard feelings, he embraces them, stops and waits. When Christopher Robin asks, “Pooh what are you doing”. Pooh responds, “ Sometimes when I’m going somewhere, I wait. And then a somewhere comes to me.” This is the moment when Christopher Robin chooses to embrace the shaking and let his cards fall. Upon entering the 100 acre wood, in the quest to find Pooh’s friends, they must overcome the fear of being lost--the same feeling we feel when our expectations have been leveled. Instead of becoming paralyzed in this place, they both choose to move through it, when Pooh offers this invitation...
“I always get where I am going, by walking away from where I’ve been”
Artist
Wonder + Light, LLC
Lauren Midgley is a conceptual fine art photographer who shares stream-of-consciousness writings around topics of fine art photography, the convergence of art + faith, and cultivation of the creative process. She is a multifaceted artist, teacher, and mentor whose expertise speak to both the spiritual and human condition while broadening the practice of artistic expression. Her works have been shown in Galleries in Austin, New York City, Denver, North Carolina and Oklahoma CIty.