I live in a split world.

The open part of me sees a meadow as a place for opportunity. I picture children gathering windflowers to present to their mothers. The sun shines and a soft breeze carries the songs of nature back to heaven itself.

The closed part sees that same meadow, bleak, barren, and covered with ice. The clouds hang dark and low and the moan of winter’s wind echoes for miles.

I began this post thing that the open part of me is the creative part while the closed part is the part that tries to inhibit me. Upon further reflection, I believe that both parts are integral to the creative process.

If I viewed only the sun shining and the birds sweetly singing, my art would probably take on a highlighted, cute, bubblegum quality. Keeping open to the moaning of the wind and the bleakness in the world, allows shadows and depth to form.

Highlights and shadows are necessary to bring life to art.

For Day 9, I tangled my first initial. I didn’t like how it turned out so I ripped it up…(should any of my young magnificent minds stumble across this post, please do not tear up your work….)

Before I would allow myself to throw it out, I photographed it. This lead me to thinking about light and shadow and thus my post for today. The sunny meadow, the dark, ice-covered meadow, and even a tangle that gets torn up. Everything plays a part in the creative process.