Making Space
Dillon Beach, Sonoma Coast
On Saturday, Ellen and I drove to Sebastopol to visit Mandy and there were coincidences too numerous to mention, but I felt like I was living my life the way it was intended. I have been on the fence lately in terms of making my life here work and finding refuge in, and building on to my life in Vermillion. The first of May I vacate my spot here in San Anselmo; this makes me feel uprooted on the one hand, but I also long to get back outside in nature. Working is difficult because it changes my life in ways that feel seemingly beyond my control. But the past weekend gave me a chance to construct my life in more creative ways, at least in my head to start.
coral reef and Ryan
Jena and I decided on Thursday we would go to an art opening on Friday and we invited Ryan and Ellen along. The space Art Works in downtown San Rafael was amazingly inspirational. The showing was of the resident artists living in the apartments in the building which occupies half a block. There are plans to build a restaurant in the space too (Odalisque) in the near future. There are 17 apartments for artists (and a waiting list), so I filled out an application to live there. Jena took me aside and said “I’m feeling really grounded and ready to make art; I want you to be ready too; don’t fear it–BE AN ARTIST.” The words inspired all sorts of observations I made in the days to follow.
Ellen and Mandy
In Sebastopol, Mandy, Ellen and I ate at Peter Lowell Cafe. The food was good and the space also really nice. We sat outside adjacent to the yoga studio and across the parking lot were newly constructed (green) work/live spaces so I asked for a tour.
We also visited the OAEC plant sale at Occidental and then drove down the 101 back to San Anselmo. The California coast is wildly inspirational and I have only begun to explore her. Three aspects of living here inspire me a great deal: the diversity in nature, California style (architecture) and California groovin’. I desire to find a way to mesh the observations and experiences of living here in a visual series. I am attempting to leave space for that and at the same time hang on to what I have cultivated in Vermillion. I need to figure out how to work less and make more, but I am finally feeling inspired after what seemed to be a rather long drought.
Oh, and I had a Birthday and I spent it with Ellen and Jena, and Samantha and Christina and Cesar and Ethan in Berkeley.
Jena, Ellen, Christina, Sam
