Choose Joy
Moving into a new direction from an old series
I journal most days. On the first page of the journal I have an inspiration page including a quote, passage from a book or an insight from the previous journal. My current journal started on December first 2024. At that time I was thinking about the arrival of the winter solstice.
“Solstice is coming soon. It is the moment in late December when half of the earth is tilted furthest from the sun. In that peak of darkness it’s a time of waiting and reflecting. Growth and renewal begins in this dark time. No winter lasts forever. No spring skips its turn.”
It could have been my focus was on the dread I felt of a new administrations’ term that led me to try to reach beyond the gloom. During the end of year I finished up a few pieces that focused on women’s history and was searching for a new direction. As I often do, I looked at completed projects.
Although I have created several successful series (which I’m still adding to) there was one series which I thought I had completely abandoned. These few pieces were included in my original submission of work for SAQA’s juried artist program. This series focused on practices of a spiritual nature. It was a look into my own spiritual practice, which includes daily meditation.
One piece in particular grabbed my attention was of a woman with her arms stretched out as her gaze looked upward. It was inspired by a Joseph Campbell text in which he says that one can’t cure the world of sorrow but can choose to live in joy.
Joseph Campbell is known for being the author of a book called “A Hero’s Journey” and “The Power of Myth”. Campbell was a teacher at Sarah Lawrence College where he taught comparative mythology and religion. According to Wikipedia, his philosophy is to follow your bliss. Interestingly enough, George Lucas credits Campbell as the inspiration for Star Wars.
According to Webster’s dictionary, one of the definitions of joy is a state of happiness or bliss. Joy is an emotion that is triggered by a sense of well-being, good fortune or delight. Joy is an expression of complete happiness. Joseph Campbell argues that as an individual, we can choose to follow our own path. We can choose to live in states of joy. Our state of being is a choice.
The art quilt that was a picture of Joy was made in 2016. It is now hanging in the home of a member of my book club. It hangs in her office and she told me that the image reminds her of how good her life is and to celebrate that gift.
It’s been almost 10 years since I made that piece. After careful reflection I decided that I would take a second look at the concept of states of being. In this case, the state of being I was looking at was bliss felt by being immersed in a feeling of happiness.
What generates that feeling pf Joy? What’s the trigger?
Events like the birth of a baby or getting that new job, or promotion, weddings, or rock concerts, and festivals are examples of periods of joy. These kinds of triggers don’t happen on a consistent timeline.
Our cultures build in opportunities to celebrate and experience feelings of joy during the calendar year. Days like Fourth of July, Easter, or Christmas are celebrated in the US. I often feel these holidays have been over commercialized and include equal amounts of stress and celebration.
Looking beyond my own culture, I searched for celebrations that express joy. In Bhutan “Jambay Lhakhang” is a festival to celebrate the harvest that lasts five days and includes dancing at midnight. In Sri Lanka “Kandy Esala Perahera” is a Buddhist festival that involves the ritual carrying of a sacred tooth relic through the streets in exceptional style. There are parades of singers, dancers, musicians, and acrobats. It reminds me a bit of Mardi Gras.
As I explored this idea of joy being a an output of scheduled holiday further, I landed on Holi. This festival is celebrated in India and around the world, including in my home state of Utah. I think its appeal has to do with playfully letting go and immersing oneself in a spirit of creativity, beauty, and bliss.
Holi is a sacred ancient tradition of Hindus, a holiday in many states of India with regional holidays in other countries. It is a cultural celebration that gives Hindus and non-Hindus alike an opportunity to have fun and play with other people by throwing coloured water and powder at each other. Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month, marking the spring, making the date vary with the lunar cycle.
The image of the woman celebrating Holi was made on my computer. It offered me a great opportunity to play with all sorts of brushes, colors and digital tools. There are layers and layers of color that I moved in and out of the composition until I settled on something I was willing to print.
When the fabric arrived at my studio, I did what I always do; I got out my paints. (Any time I look at something on my computer and then see it in person it’s never as I imagined.)I wanted to add colors that were not in the original composition, as well as change some colors in either intensity or in value. Getting the right balance is a challenge. In this case, I wanted to express that state of being that is pure joy.
As I quilted the composition, I chose to use many variegated threads. Variegated thread helps give the illusion of movement because the color value in the threads changes from dark to light. It’s a little trick when you’re trying to get something to be perceived as dimensional.
“Choose Joy” will be heading up to the Springville museum to be juried. I hope it gets into the exhibition but even if it doesn’t, I do feel that creating is a way for me to follow my bliss and spread some joy.
Until Next Time….
Margaret
Thanks for coming back to bliss. So needed right now. It’s there for us but I sometimes (ok, too often) let the latest clouds get in the way.