Musings from the Laguna Madre
This month I had the most incredible experience as the South Texas Resident for the Art Center of Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Center for Coastal Studies. As part of my residency, I stayed 5 nights on an off-the-grid research station on a small spoil island in the Laguna Madre. (read more about my experience here.) Walking around the tiny island, separated from the demands of everyday life, I embraced the opportunity to consider ideas and feelings often tucked into the corners of my mind.
The art supplies I brought were limited by the constraints of the program, opening the door to play with new materials and approaches. Allowing for failures in the name of experimentation is a muscle I don’t often flex, and I had to remind myself of its value. I shifted focus back to process, reminding myself there was no one to impress. As my brush moved across the paper, I thought of my purpose and the life experiences that brought me there. I thought of humanity’s trajectory and how we are in trouble and might not survive.
I suspect much of our collective malaise and anger is due to a subtle, pervasive awareness of our precarious condition. It's the monster hiding in our periphery, easy to project onto others who live outside our tribe. Our unease is twisted into fear and wielded by the politicians vying for power. My heart calls me not to place blame, but to reveal an alternative possibility- a strength of spirit focused on the beauty of life complex.
The fear and comfort that leads to disconnection and apathy are so universally adopted in our culture that we are blind to their insidious effects. The only way to see it, is to walk away completely, for small pockets of time if not forever. This is what drives people to go camping and hiking, trading their comfort for an experience that feels real and enriching. Its time in the garden. It’s anything that is not digital and clean, but instead reflects the complexities of life. It is what sent me to spend five days alone on an island in the middle of the Laguna Madre of South Texas.
June 2024
