Pruning Back a Life

Sometimes there comes a year in a person’s life that feels rather catastrophic. Many times one finds, after the dust has settled, that there is opportunity hidden within the catastrophe. I have written in a previous post of the sudden changes in my life and it has been quite a journey.

To give a quick update, the house is pending and, if all goes well, will close in two weeks. That closing will be the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life and I am looking forward to it. I am currently living in my little trailer which is parked on the property of generous friends. I am getting the final touches done that will allow me to paint and create in my little trailer. I will be there for a bit while I rest, recuperate, plan and work for my future.

Reflecting on this new start, in between packing and dealing with the process of untangling my life from the man I had been married to for 35 years, I realized that I needed to do a bit of pruning of the old life. I feel the pruning analogy is apt. When one prunes back the old dead growth and weak or misdirected limbs of a tree, it often is healthier and more productive. Come spring, the tree blooms anew and healthy new growth is made.

I am excited about this time in my life. For the first time, I will have the opportunity to not only focus on my own personal healing and growth, but to focus on my art full time. I will have my own personal art residency and I plan to make the most of it.

2019 has been a tough year, perhaps the hardest year in my entire life. I am planning to make 2020 a year of growth and change. I am committing to my art as well as my vision of sustainable living. There is a lot packed into that sentence and it will take the rest of my life to unpack it. I will be unfolding all of this here on this blog and my website, starting in two weeks if all goes well. I hope you will join me on this journey into art and creating a life!

-Renee