Reflections of Summer

"The sole art that suits me is that which, rising from unrest, tends toward serenity."   -Andre Gide, French writer, 1947 Nobel Prize for Literature

This summer truly was the best of my entire life. We traveled, we played, we splashed and rode bikes and hiked, and simply enjoyed being alive, as a family, in a foreign country. But, as every mom of energetic children knows, summer is also a time of noise and exuberance, and requires extra energy and patience to actually be able to enjoy it. Yes, now my boys are back in school, tucked into their routines, and now I have a little time for quiet. And I enjoy that, too ...

If time could be like a stretch of water, then my summer is like the photograph above, taken in Croatia a few months ago: rich with color, rippled with a summer breeze, and brightened by a shimmering sky.

Some days, the water characterizing my life looks like this photograph, above, taken of the crashing waves at the Portland (Maine) Head Light: turbulent, frothing, and spilling over with energy. On those tumultuous times of life, being creative and writing is almost impossible, because of the storms. But those times where our emotions are stirred and we are being stretched (also like the top photo, where life is colorful and brave), we are filled with new experiences and can tap into them later ...

... Like on days with this photograph, of a single rowboat tethered in Maine, bobbing along an alluring blue sea. This is the place where creativity happens: in stillness. In the refuge from the storms, stirred up by life's emotions, but with a clear surface that reflects life's real experiences into our art and creative works. This is where the richness begins ...

... And develops with much coaxing and revision and editing, into a work of beauty, reflecting something intangible yet irresistible with a fresh perspective on something as old as time. Words on paper, oils on canvas, images captured through a lens: spaces of art and beauty and meaning to share. There, in the serenity, we can see the reflection of something deeper, something bigger and greater than the surface, and can be inspired for more of an adventure-filled life.

Starting the conversation: What was your summer like? What are your ideal conditions for living and life and creating?