Artistic Adjustments
John Constable, Wivenhoe Park, Essex, 1816. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
This past week I joined my son for a day trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I love going to the art museum. Art is a subject about which I know very little and I am always interested in learning more. To me, there is something elevating in seeing a beautiful work of art: I think it is seeing the creative God at work through the creative human.
There are certain paintings that I enjoy viewing. They always make me smile and feel good. I love the paintings of Constable- how he captures the outdoors especially the sky and the clouds. Even though this painting was done in 1816 in England, I have seen cloud formations like these over two hundred years later here in the Mid-Atlantic.
I have seen this painting many times, but I did not know that this was not his “original”. He had painted the scene of this home, commissioned by the homeowners, General and Mrs. Rebow. However, when it was almost completed,Mrs. Rebow wanted additions to the canvas. Constable added about three inches of canvas to both sides. He “covered the seams” on the left hand side, by painting a cow in the foreground and on the right side by adding the fishing boat.
What I love about this story- even a fine artist like Constable had to make adjustments. He had spent a good amount of time already sketching, drawing and painting the scene. Yet how true for us, whether in small ways or large, whether we are almost done or not, we have to adjust to changes through nature, society, others’ decisions, or our own shortcomings. Sometimes we have to adjust because of our own health, or misjudgments. Other times we change due to obligation or responsibilities. Sometimes it is totally out of our control and we just have to adjust.
The thing about Constable’s new painting, the changes he had to make, elevated the canvas from a very good painting to a masterpiece. By adding the additional scenes, he had to also make adjustments to the perspective. The “new” canvas shows an entire panoramic scene that we would have seen with our visible eye if we were standing next to him- the canvas includes the entire view. If the same scene had been taken by a camera, it would be somewhat distorted due to the limitations of the camera’s panoramic view. He fiddled with perspective so that we, the viewer wouldn’t have to.
What about you? Have you ever had to make adjustments to a project? Were was it in the process? At the beginning? Middle? End? Have you ever had to make an adjustment to an attitude or thought process? By doing so, did you make it easier for another?
I wonder if Constable minded having to make the adjustments? The following is from the National Gallery of Art’s book on British Paintings:
The commission, which was executed in August and September 1816, is described by Constable in a series of letters to his fiancée, Maria Bicknell. "I am going to paint two small landscapes for the General, views one in the park of the house & a beautifull wood and peice [sic] of water, and another scene in a wood with a beautifull little fishing house," he wrote on 21 August. "They wish me to take my own time about them—but he will pay me for them when I please, as he tells me he understands from old Driffeild that we may soon want a little ready money. "
The next letter, written on 30 August, explains why he had to extend the canvas by over three inches on either side: "I am going on very well with my pictures . . . the park is the most forward. The great difficulty has been to get so much in as they wanted to make them acquainted with the scene. On my left is a grotto with some elms, at the head of a peice [sic] of water—in the centre is the house over a beautifull wood and very far to the right is a deer house, which it was necessary to add, so that my view comprehended too many [distances]. But to day I have got over the difficulty, and begin to like it myself. I think however I shall make a larger picture from what I am now about. .. . I live in the park and Mrs. Rebow says I am very unsociable." He reported on 19 September: "I have compleated [sic] my view of the Park for General Rebow." Constable received a payment of one hundred guineas for this picture.”
Did he have an inkling at the time that this canvas would someday grace the walls of a museum? The painting and his story reminds me that if I have to make changes, there is always the possibility that the adjustments just might transform what I am doing, thinking or saying from something ordinary to something wonderful.
Probably what he was initially thinking before Mrs. Rebow asked for the additional changes.
Small Changes
Last week on Hidden Brain the host and a guest were discussing strategies to change behavior in line with New Year’s resolutions. The agreement for sustainable change was to implement small changes. Not a new concept, yet still difficult to implement. As humans we get comfortable and complacent with how things are.
I don’t know about you but lately I am ready for change. In some ways I feel stuck in a rut. Every week I think that this week might be different that I will be able to change up my schedule to accomplish some things that have been on my to-do list of self-improvement/work. And every week, I find that the week unfolds as the last one and nothing has been accomplished that I would like to do and nothing has changed.
I want to redo all of that. And I want to change my attitude (which is mostly frustration and some despair) when things do not change as desired.
I have been thinking of the Bible verse: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).
I am wondering if my lack luster attitude has anything to do with feeling that I have deviated (even ever so slightly) from God’s will. I am wondering if I have gotten distracted by events and situations around me and not staying focused both for what God has called me to accomplish individually and societally.
I feel that in order for me to begin any changes in my life, I need a renewal of my mind. I want to choose what is good and acceptable to God. I need God’s help in this process so I am asking the following questions:
Is my schedule acceptable to Him? Are my chosen activities edifying to Him and to others? Am I promoting activities that aid in my development and improvement of society? Am I leaving room in my schedule for relationships? For obligations and responsibilities? Am I choosing a rhythm of life that He would choose for me?
One basic thing I need to figure out is how to increase exercise into my day. During this healing time of my broken wing I have had to stop exercising as I was accustomed and boy, do I feel it. I figure that it is a good time for me to add some new type of exercise into my routine. I found it interesting that the guest on Hidden Brain said that for her to get exercise in her life, she needed to run in the early am and in order to accomplish that, she would sleep in her running clothes. Not that I am advocating doing that per se, but it is interesting that a simple, small change could set her on the path for a larger one.
What about you? Have you ever felt stuck in a scheduling rut? How did you get out of it? Did you make small changes? Did they lead to larger ones? Do you feel that you are in a societal rut? What things can you do to help make changes in your community?
What changes would you like to make? How will you go about changing? How is your attitude? Do you need to make an adjustment? Do you need to renew your mind this year? If so, what are you planning?
For me, all change starts with getting back in God’s Word. For I find that when I have that foundational element in my life, I can keep things in perspective and have an improved attitude. I feel motivated to change in the places where God convicts me and feel at peace with where I am. I also feel encouraged and empowered to do His work, not because of my own abilities, but because He provides strength in my weakness.
I have found that sometimes many of the changes that God works in our lives are not that huge or that difficult. Yes, there are times of life-changing careers and lifestyle- one of the biggest in the Bible is the conversion of Saul/Paul. I also think of those individual’s who have given up one lifestyle for another- Albert Schweitzer, St. Augustine. But generally the changes that move us more in line with His purpose and plan are small. A divine tweaking of what is already in our lives. I think of God’s call to Abraham- He continued to be the nomadic livestock owner. Moses was already a leader from his upbringing as Pharaoh’s daughter’s son. And though Paul shifted his focus from a religious zealot to unwavering evangelist, he was still a leader/instructor/speaker.
The thing about ruts- it is hard to move forward. Have you ever tried to walk on a sidewalk that hasn’t been shoveled of snow? Once footprints are imprinted and thawing then refreezing occurs, it becomes very difficult and treacherous to traverse on that walk. While my rut doesn’t appear to be treacherous, I feel that I am not moving forward. In order to get my feet out of this standstill, I need to listen to God and hear His plan on moving to solid ground. For all I know, it might require a small change in my behavior.
I am praying for guidance on that divine tweaking.
1%
We have seen both our grown sons in the last couple of weeks. Quite a feat as they are busy young men. It is interesting their respective personalities- some things are similar to each other and us and some are not.
Both boys are pretty organized with their lives, not just the logistical organization of home and scheduling, but the organization of learning, growing, self-improvement. While they both are very active, they seemed to have a good balance on work/life.
Our one son is probably a little more scheduled than his brother. He has set timers on his computer to remind him of the different tasks in the morning. “workout”; “breakfast”, “shower”. Mh first thought is “oh no. a schedule?” (For as organized as I am and as often as I write a schedule, I find that I am too much of a free spirit to actually stick to a schedule.)
But for him the schedule gives him freedom: he doesn’t feel rushed or overwhelmed. He has wiggle room in his schedule so he is prepared for interruptions. I liken it to Financial Peace University. One of the goals of having financial peace is that one doesn’t have the extra stress of unpaid bills and worry over money. There is a freedom in knowing that things are generally covered and their is a freedom to have wiggle room and be financially generous.
As we were talking through a current scheduling dilemma I am in, he suggested- “1% Mom. Just do 1% or one thing extra each day. The idea is to slowly build into change.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
I have been saying this for YEARS and while I have practiced it before, in my overwhelming state of a packed to-do list of responsibilities, I had forgotten. I liked having someone else give me “permission” to break out of my norm and try something new.
So, I give you permission to break out of your norm or rut or whatever place you feel stuck. Try 1 %. Just one thing extra or different each day. It might be a small change to a bigger goal or it might be just something new you want to try.
I am giving it a try. For this week so far (as I write this it is three days in- not a routine yet), I have been able to stick to a small change in my schedule: write my journal pages first thing in the morning. And I have noticed that some of the other routines I have wanted to do are falling into place as well: daily yoga stretch, three hours of concentrated writing. Once again, when we prime the pump for change, it starts a flow of other change.
What about you? Where are you stuck in your life? What can you do to unstick? What would be your 1%?
Change
Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.
~Lady Sarah Ashley portrayed by Nicole Kidman in the movie "Australia" .
Sometimes I have to remind myself that just because things are so, doesn't mean it has to stay that way. It is so easy to get discouraged and settle for how situations are. When we do that it becomes a vicious circle: we are not happy with ourselves for passively allowing things to be. We then get more discouraged so we become more passive and don't even feel like trying which gets us even more discouraged. We don't have to do that. We don't have to live in that cycle.
For change to happen, a person, government or ideology has to be uncomfortable: the uncomfortableness of being where you are, makes you move. Our two Jack Russells are examples of how this works with their daily "discussion" of finding the best physical spot to lie down. Generally our male, Marley will be all settled in a spot. It is in that exact location that Millie, the female decides she needs to be. In order to make Marley move, Millie will sit in front of Marley and bark continually in his face. He will just turn his head away and pretend she is not there. Unfortunately, Millie can keep it up indefinitely with the result that Marley will eventually leave and she can move into the now unoccupied spot. Marley gets to the point that his litter mate is making life too uncomfortable for him to enjoy his nap so he will leave and find a new location.
Personally, we may not have someone barking in our face, but we may become so uncomfortable with a bad habit, a difficult job, or an unhealthy relationship that we decide to change our current position and have to move figuratively or literally.
Politically, I think we are in the same type of spot. I am concerned that terrible policies are being written and that no one is speaking out against injustice or speaking up for those who do not have a voice. It seems that we (I am in that collective too) are complacent with what is going on in our government. If we are vocal, we are not being heard. Where or how can we speak to be heard over the incessant barking of our leaders? Are we uncomfortable with what is going on politically? Are we ready to "move" in order to be heard or at least to speak up for others?
Spiritually we can be in a wallowing place of inertia. Places where we are just stuck in muck- feeling bad about ourselves and allowing that feeling to draw us under. We tell ourselves that the Creator isn't happy or interested in us. The father of lies likes us to think that way. He wants us to be settled with that "reality". Just because we are in that place doesn't mean that is it is so. God wants us to be out of that place, to move towards Him where He can tell us the truth: He loves each one of us and wants the best for us. He has created you and me for a purpose and with a plan. Somedays I have to begin my way out of this funk by renewing my mind through scripture. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:8: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." The other day I was wallowing in the muck of self-pity and was getting tired of my own barking thoughts. I had convinced myself that I was an outsider to every group in which I am involved and that I had nothing to offer. I had to change my attitude and the only way I could do it was to repeat these verses. I had to tell myself that my mucky thoughts were not true- that God was present in my life, I have purpose and that I did belong to a community of friends.
What about you? Do you find yourself stuck? Uncomfortable? Ready to move? If not, what would it take? Do you live in the reality of what is, is how it will always be? Or do you believe that just because it is, it doesn't mean it should be? How do you go about moving into that reality?
Open Or Closed To Change?
As I write this the house is shaking, the walls are rumbling and there is abounding general organized chaos. We are having some home maintenance projects done. Currently there are two men standing on scaffolding outside my bedroom window, chipping and drilling around our fireplace chimney and another drilling and chipping away at an outside former garage door which would lead to my office if we hadn't permanently shut it.
Our chimney and furnace flues need repair. It is a question of safety. We do not want any chimney fires nor carbon monoxide problems. We are also having an unused and probably never to be used outside door bricked in. In fact, from the inside, the door is covered over by book shelves and cannot be opened. We also will be redoing our basement space so that it will be a usable family room and redoing our outside deck so that the new deck footprint makes sense to our use of the space and will repair damaged wood. In addition I plan to paint the living room and dining room this winter.
Whew. A lot of delayed projects and planning. I am trying to be organized and smart with how we go about this set-up. Should I move all the books from the office to this corner or will I have to get into that corner before the project is complete? Where do I put the items from our basement? In the dining room or living room? Will I be painting those rooms before that basement project is finished? If possible I am trying to prevent moving boxes over and over again.
As you see, we are going through changes to some of the rooms and features in our house. Some are quite necessary like the chimney and furnace flues. We do not want fires or poisoning. Our door project is necessary since the door frame is starting to rot. We will never use that as a door, so why not make it one continual wall of brick and never have to worry about rot again. Our basement redo and our deck redo will help us when the time comes to sell our home. In the meantime, we can enjoy the extra rooms and the redone projects. The repainting of the living and dining room are ways for me to freshen up the space without having to do a major redecoration. In some ways it is not a necessity but rather a want. Again, it will be a good feature for selling but also allow us to enjoy the current fruits of our labor.
All this disruption makes me think about change; the reasons and how I handle it.
Sometimes change is necessary for our safety and wellbeing. We have to change our diet or increase exercise because if we don't, inevitable diseases might happen. Change happens too when situations occur outside our control. We may experience a family death or chronic illness and we just have to go on and figure out how to move forward and live into the new "normal".
Other change takes place because our circumstances no longer require what we used to do. Once our children were old enough to chew and swallow food, we no longer needed to give them pureed food. If we had continued to do so, they most likely would've developed significant mouth and digestive problems. Like our no longer used door. If we kept the door, there was potential for all sorts of problems- rot of the surrounding door frame or critters living inside.
Change also takes place for growth and development. In my tennis game, if I want to improve my serve I will have to make some changes to my grip, my stance, my ball toss and my contact with the ball. With a good serve, I can develop into a halfway decent player but I must change some things that I currently do. It is not a necessity. Currently I play and have an enjoyable time but if I want to play at a different level I need to make some changes.
In whatever circumstance of change I find myself, I still have an option if I will be open or closed to that change. I find that if it is a change that I initiated, e.g. painting the room, I am more likely to embrace it than a change I feel has been thrust upon me, e.g. fixing the chimney. Which is rather silly when you think about it: just because I didn't initiate or think of it on my own, doesn't mean that it won't be beneficial to me. I can think of people who have had to change their diets from unhealthy eating to healthy. Most times they will grumble as they go through it, but once it becomes a part of who they are, the general consensus is that they feel so much better.
Of course, when change happens without any warning, it is extremely difficult to be open to it. And it would be insensitive of me to say that we should be. I really do not have any answer for the type of change that occurs through sudden death and loss.
But I am wondering if we learn to be good with change in other situations, when those sudden ones occur, we can draw upon the knowledge of what has worked in the past.
Reminds me of the time as a child I attended a music convention with my mom. One of the workshops included a time for singing through the newly arranged/composed choral works that were available for ordering. I remember being flabbergasted that once the director raised her hands all the attendees sang in their respective parts and it sounded great. No stopping for correction or wrong notes. I asked my mother how could everyone sound so good? To which she replied, "But we are all professionals and can read music." Those in attendance had never seen the music but they had the foundational elements of reading music and singing techniques so that they could get through a choral piece without too much difficulty.
I do feel that most of the time our call to change is not an overt situation but rather a series of subtle, little moments which add up. If we can try to be open to change, we are more resilient to whatever comes our way. All of us can practice developing resiliency in our daily lives. It is a skill that can be developed which can help us when we are faced with various types of change. In his book Resilience: A Change for the Better, Daryl R. Conner outlines five characteristics of resilient people. They are positive, focused, flexible, organized, and proactive. I thought we might want to explore those five areas in the next couple of postings.
What about you? How are you with change in your life? Are you embracing change or are you kicking and screaming wanting things the way they were? What types of changes are you experiencing? A necessity? A want or desire? A "have-to"? A thrust-upon-you, didn't-ask-for-this type? Do you want to change?
Before we go any further with exploring change and resiliency, think about your past- were you open or closed to change?
Stink Bugs, Security & Smart Phones
As I was cleaning the screened porch the other day I noticed a small dark blot on the screen. Upon closer inspection I realized, "Yikes, they are back." It was a brown mamorated stink bug, the relatively new invader to our area of the country having initially come from Asia. At first, it was thought to have no natural predators and so has become quite prolific. There has been some evidence that katydids, crickets, ground beetles, earwigs and jumping spiders are eaters of stink bug egg masses. Glad that they are adapting to this new diet but they have a lot of work to do. It took me a while to remember a time when we did not have stink bugs walking on every screen and flat surface of the porch.
It made me think of other things that have changed seemingly quickly in our lives. I started reminiscing what it was like before 9/11 and all the security; walking unattended into a museum, theater or sports game with no handbag check by a tired looking security person and his stick poking into the bottom of one's handbag; sharing a meal with your loved one in the "tickets only" area before an airline departure; being at the end of the jet bridge ready with a hug, kiss and flowers for your family members as they walked out of the plane. In some ways it is hard to remember a time without suspicion and looking at all whom you meet in a crowd as a possible terrorist. Yet I do find that there is a collective "we are in this togetherness" whenever I have had to stand in line for some type of security detail.
Do you remember phone trees? They were especially helpful if you had to impart some information to a collection of people. Everyone in the group was on a specific list. When the first person on the list received the information, he/she was to call the next person in order and relay that message and so on until the end of the list. Group emails vastly changed that tedious work.
Just over a decade ago when I did substitute nursing in the public schools, it seemed like a big time saver to have an automated call system. No longer would an individual have to make multiple back and forth phone calls to find a replacement. The computer made the phone calls and all the substitute would have to do was push a numerical phone button to say "yes". I am sure that by now, the "at the time high-tech" system was short-lived with the advent of universal smart phones and texts.
Or, do you remember having to use email that required that you had to go online to your server, sign on, wait for the dial up connection, usually try again and finally "you got mail" would be heard. The use of texting and automatic email to one's phone has really quickened communication.
Seems to me we do adapt to things whether we like the change or not. I think that we can find positive and negative with any change. And, as in the case of the communication via smart phones, some change is an improvement.
What about you? What do you remember? I won't call them the "good ole days" because I think every day has components of good and bad. There are things that are nice to remember and possibly resurrect or at least try to do every once and awhile (e.g. sending a hand-written note to someone). But as you reflect on the past and changes, what benefits have you experienced due to that change? What situation (s) are you going through now that might require some change? Can you find some type of benefit to the change? Maybe embracing the change will help in embracing the future. My world might now contain annoying stink bugs, but I am sure unforeseen that it was, that if I asked katydids or crickets, they would say that the stink bug diet change is good.
Sisyphus Syndrome
Have you ever felt like Sisyphus? In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the incorrigible king of Corinth who was condemned to hard labor for all eternity. His task was to roll a stone up a hill only to have it roll back down once he reached the summit and his energy was spent.
Not that I am calling you incorrigible. Rather I wonder if you feel like Sisyphus as you go about your life. Like Sisyphus and his ever-needing-to-be-carried boulder, do you feel the heaviness of the burdens of responsibility coupled with the futility of repeating the same thing time and time again? Do you feel like Sisyphus as your life repeats itself with worry, lack of sleep, too much to do in too short amount of time and with life situations and decisions spinning out of control?
Sisyphus by Titan, 1549. Museo Nacional del Prado. This is a photograph of a faithful production of a 2-D work of art.
There are many people whom I know and love who suffer from the Sisyphus syndrome. The syndrome begins mildly by agreeing to carry a small responsibility such as a few volunteer days, a couple of social outings, membership in a group or class, a change in work schedule, an increase of job responsibilities, a commitment to assist friends or family. Before one realizes it, one has come down with a full case of the Sisyphus syndrome; extreme tiredness, exhaustion and feelings of futility due to the repeated carrying of boulders of responsibility which never seem to get placed or resolved.
I think all of us at one time feel the pressures of a heavy boulder/burden. We carry it all by ourselves, up a steep hill only to watch it roll back down. Try and try as we might we can never get the boulder to stay in place. Our burdens never seem to be lifted, if anything there appears to be more burdens to carry. If we are not careful the boulder can smother us on its descent.
What to do about it? Is life a Sisyphus situation? Can we ever break the cycle? Can we ever feel that we have shouldered our burdens and have now earned a place of reprieve or rest from that particular one?
I think it takes some soul searching and some answering of tough questions:
Do you want to continue life as you know it? Just like the pattern of Sisyphus, life will continue as it always does. That is one of the universal laws of motion: a body in motion stays in motion. We will continue the path we have chosen unless we choose differently. Do you want to stay on your current path? For how long? For this week? For this month? For this year? For the next five or ten years?
How do you want things to be? We may truly want to be busy, to volunteer, to work, to have an active social life. We may want to carry the boulders of responsibility. The question becomes what would be the ideal? How many boulders can we carry? When can we lay them down? What type of balance do you want in your life?
How will you go about changing? How will you go about moving towards the way you would like life to be? Can you make some small changes in your life, e.g. only participate in one weekly group, that move you toward your ideal?
- Perhaps ridding yourself of the Sisyphus syndrome means that you have to make bigger changes. If it is your job that is making you feel that life is futile, can you prepare for changing jobs? Updating your resume? Finding out what other types of jobs are available? Taking classes or training that prepares you for a new position?
- Perhaps it means you have to ask others to share the boulder/burden. Delegate tasks. Ask for help.
- Perhaps it is saying no. "No, I cannot volunteer on the PTA membership committee at this time."
- Perhaps it is prioritizing for the next three months. "I need to concentrate solely on x,y,z and cannot take on any other responsibilities." Or it might be that there are things that you have to do but in order to do them, something else has to be let go.
- Perhaps it is not taking on any new tasks until the latest project is complete.
There is a quote that is misattributed to Einstein: "Insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result." Whether Einstein said it or something like it, it doesn't take a genius to know that repetitive worry, stress and feelings of futility will only lead to a life of misery. I would encourage you to stop the madness and break free of Sisyphus syndrome.