Is it right to call this space Poets’ Corner without any poetry? Perhaps not.
Out of the darkness comes the dawn. It’s a curious paradox that some of our best creative work emerges from the deepest depths of pain and sorrow. Why is that? Perhaps the contrast in our lives gives us the perspective we need to appreciate things fully.
Do we experience profound relief because of the absence of pain? Is the taste of a strawberry that much sweeter after a period of fasting? Does the ugliness in the world help us cherish the purity in childhood innocence? Perhaps.
These pieces were my attempt at Black Out Poetry, borne out of a challenging period in my life. This project was a co-creation with a dear friend and hyper-talented artist, Juyoung Oh. Created from pages literally ripped from Khalil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’, I wrote about this magical book in a previous meditation:
Post-divorce, I was forced to confront deep wounds, repressed emotions, and discover who I truly am. I had to figure out a way to remain a good father to my children, innocent souls who didn’t ask for a broken home. I had to find a way to be a provider for my family. I had to find a way to live with the self-inflicted shame and guilt as well as the ire of those I had hurt.
I had to find forgiveness in myself. I had to reckon with the destruction of a life I built and find a new path. I had to understand who I was and the person that I wanted to be.
It was a time of death, loss, sorrow, discovery, revelation, rebirth, and transformation. Finding meaning and beauty in the struggle was the way forward.
Life is poetry in motion.
Art is a beautiful expression of our souls, a reflection of us in a special moment of time in our lives. A precious time capsule of thoughts, feelings, and experiences that are unique to the individual creator.
Revisiting this work brings forth a myriad of emotions: sadness, longing, hope, pride, but most of all gratitude. I’m grateful that I was able to endure, to learn, to make amends, to make better choices, and to transform acts of destruction into beautiful creations.
What I’m Doing This Week
Gratitude: I’m grateful for people that care, that I can trust, and that show up in times of need.
Lesson Learned: Some people aren’t ready to hear what you have to say. Practice patience, be compassionate, and be at peace with it.
Listening to: Movement 7 - Instrumental by Erland Cooper, Daniel Pioro, Leo Abrahams. For B’s Piano lessons.
Watching: Tim Ferris & Seth Godin - for perspective, perseverance, and inspiration.
Reading: Hands of Light by Barbara Brennan, to learn a NASA physicist’s view of energy and healing.
Self-care: Fasting, Monitoring Health Data, Meditation, Ocean, Exercise
Beautiful
This is incredible. I’ve never seen art like this before! I love it