mental-health – Penny Reilly Artist Beyond the Gate

When I ask the question, are you dreaming… is this nonsensical to you, or does it ring true as you wander through your day? Are you dreaming as you shop for dinner, get ready for work, herd the kids to school or onto school buses, perhaps battle the traffic into your work space?

Are you constantly elsewhere in your mind rather than where you actually, physically are?

This my friends is the illusion we constantly get caught up in. It’s the place of elsewhere and perhaps it’s where those missing odd socks disappear into because they’ve not been given attention. Well, they’re often thrown into corners or chucked separately into wash cycles without a glance or without checking that they’re both present, aren’t they?

So with this little reference as a key… how much are you dreaming of other places rather than being present where you are right now? How much of your precious time is disassociated with your actual life or your reason for being?

It’s not a trick question… as humans, the everyday becomes tedious when we’re stuck on the treadmill but often the escape from this isn’t necessarily a healthy alternative. Food and drink… elsewhere. Entertainment… elsewhere or watching/chasing internet imagery, to take us… elsewhere. Holidays or day trips… elsewhere. A change of scene and routine can be naturally therapeutic when we know why we’re trying to escape our everyday life but what exactly are we chasing and can we find it… elsewhere?

Wherever you are, stop. Look around and feel the space you’re in, particularly in your home. What does it feel like, look like? What inspires you? What is lovely, ugly, monotonous, complex, simple, uncomfortable or comfortable about this space. What would you change and why? What would you keep the same, and why? Basically, does it meet your physical, emotional, practical and even spiritual needs? But is it still liveable and can you s space, warts and all?

Is it a solid roof over your head… does it have clean water… do you have a little food in your pantry or can you wander out to get a takeaway of choice?

… do you have heating or cooling… do you have family and friends close by?

Now, do the same with your work space. Does it pay you a minimum wage… are there perks to actually having a job in the first place… if you’re a full time employee, is there long service leave, paid annual holidays, superannuation for later? If you’re, your own boss, what dream led you here? I’m sure you get my drift. We create our lives by making choices and we do, always have choices about which direction we may go… sometimes we choose wisely and sometimes things don’t turn out as we’d planned, but at least we made the choice through free will.

So now… imagine yourself to be in Gaza, Africa, Ukraine or anywhere in the world where there are wars, human rights breaches, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, volcanic activity, earthquakes… and simply be thankful for your perfectly imperfect life.

That’s all…

Walk softly… you take all that’s uncomfortable with you, when you want to be elsewhere… Awen /|\

Penny

Beyond the Gate Studio

We dream… we all dream, sadly mostly of ‘one day when,’ with little appreciation of today, this moment and the fact that we’re here, alive, sentient and uniquely individual and that we can make a difference wherever we are on this beautiful earth home by needing/wanting less…

Naturally, there are those things we need for basic comfort and safety… a roof over our head, clean water and fresh food, loving relationships, community and family friendships… this goes without saying but objects do not bring lasting happiness.

Just for a moment, in that ‘wherever’ space you reside in this moment, stand still. Close your eyes and simply focus on your breath… then consciously shift to a four count breath in and eight count breath out, which allows the lungs to clear the stale air from the bottom of the lungs fully. You may feel a little dizzy if you’re not used to truly emptying out your lung capacity but then there should come a sense of euphoria at being in ‘clean, full breath’ mode…

When we find this space on a more constant level, we begin to relax into our day more easily and no matter where we travel through the day, we remain more and more in this space of awareness until we no longer have to think about the getting there, we just are there.

The hum of bees can bring you that same feeling… the purr of a cat, wind in the trees, the tap, tap, rhythmic tap of a branch against your window, the mournful cry of curlew… even a gentle snore of a close partner can soothe and relax the diaphragm and release breath deep from within… stress held in our very bones…

Today’s stresses puts a burden on us… changing our way of being constantly in angst and easing the way to a more conscious approach leads to simply being… in our work, in relationships, family crisis… all emotions are better handled… more kindly and intuitively handled, when we come from a place of inner peace, leading us on into inner strength.

With our mind clear, we better know what action to take rather than acting on impulse in sticky situations from a base of fear.

Simple thoughts and actions and yet, simplicity is the key to everything, whittling down complexity into bite size pieces. Tackling the frustrating need for things, perceived to be out of reach… realising objects are mostly on a want not need basis, especially if they don’t come under the simpler needs of life, which in turn releases the fear lack.

This is the space within, from which I write and/or paint. Connected to nature allows a quasi download of information to flow. I recognise it by the ease of it and by not needing to stress about the process or worry that if I don’t get it down quickly, it will disappear. Thoughts disappear but this space remains. It’s a combination of seeing and listening that goes beyond stressing about a particular context. Editing comes much later, after the whole piece is written.

To be in this space most of the time here at home on the farm amongst the wildlings, is where it all begins and ends. It can be naturally triggered by a sight, a scent, a sound or a fleeting feeling of something ‘other’ occurring. An image can trigger words and words can trigger an image to form in my artwork… nothing happens in isolation and thus, we find a wholeness in all of our senses combined and individually. When we apply this to our ability to dream, we create whole new possibilities for understanding our existence, which includes acceptance of the fact that we are creating our own life and purpose… hopefully giving us the reason for being rather than constantly asking the universe to tell us what to do or to make our ‘purpose’ known to us.

in this space we get to decide and create that purpose…

Deep within
the wild dreamer stirs
awakening from slumber
as change occurs
Be willing to sense
how your own needs are met
Stay awake… be aware
lest your dreams you forget
You are the dreamer
and you are the dream
One and the same
it’s within to be seen
You have slept long enough
wake up human-kin
Awaken the wild dreamer
find your truth
find your magic
…within

Walk softly… edit the dream when it no longer describes your purpose… Awen /|\

Penny

Tag Archives: mental-health

Are you dreaming…

What dreams are made of…