Trying to Calm My Mind
Trying to Calm My Mind
I’ve spent the past week trying to calm my mind. I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed lately, with just about everything.
Our past two art shows have not gone well, mostly because of the weather. Last weekends show at the Wigwam resort started out great. Friday was beautiful, the show was busy, and people were buying. Then it rained all of Saturday and Sunday, and people stayed home. Seems like every show we have had this year the weather has been bad. We are going to Tucson for a show this weekend, and before we committed I checked the weather. (suppose to be nice)
We went back to White Tanks for a few days between shows, it’s so nice there, and a good place to chill out.
I had to get myself off of social media too. (still posting to Instagram and the Tales from the Back Road Facebook page) The current political disaster only angers me, and makes me worry. Mans inhumanity to man, wild animals, and the environment are more than I can handle anymore. Every day, several times a day, it’s a new story about another atrocity towards the environment, or another step backwards in the government. The wild horses in Utah are being rounded up, and the videos that were popping up made me physically ill, and way too emotional. I struggle between being informed, and going crazy over it all. So to preserve myself, I am focusing on the beauty that is around me.
I’ve been wandering in the desert, taking photos, and trying to find balance. When I am behind the camera I am fully immersed in what I’m doing. It’s a good way for me to get myself into “the now”. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has a hard time being in the now. I’m always thinking ahead, or even behind, or of something entirely different than what I’m doing.
But the serenity of the desert, and the focus on photography, gives my mind a much needed shot of happiness and calm.
These two photos are panoramas I created from Wednesday nights sunset. This was the view to the west.
And this was the view to the east. This photo is actually 3 images stitched together, while the one above is 2.
Finding, and then sharing beauty is a good focus for me right now. I still feel the urge to check the news, or see what’s happening, but I’m not ready to give into that yet. The badness will roll on without me in it’s wake, and right now, that’s an OK thing.
What do you do to keep your mind calm, and find balance?
Thank you for sharing your gorgeous beauty with us Mary! I, too, have been struggling with the same things. I find that doing something “artsy” takes my mind off the stuff I do not need to think about. I do not watch the news…and stay away from Facebook…I am learning to skip over the “bad stuff”. There is WAY too much of it out there. Happy Friday to you. I sure hope your shows improve!
Thanks Jeanne, I know we are not alone in being overwhelmed and feeling out of control. The more positive energy we can all generate, the better it will be.
Hello, beautiful images. Sorry about the rain on your show weekend. I hope the next one is a success. I feel the same way as you concerning our political disaster. The wildlife will pay dearly and it makes me sad and mad. Have a great weekend!
The wildlife is what I am very most worried about. It’s attacking the most vulnerable.
Good morning, Mary.
I agree with you; I want to be informed but the news just makes us all so MAD. We are living in a time where I never thought I’d see what I’m seeing, a reckless and ignorant approach to “solve our problems” that’s only making matters worse. I knew it. I just knew it. And the environment…..I can’t even watch any videos about the horse roundups….I WEEP uncontrollably. Then there’s social media that has sucked up my time. At one point, it was a fresh new discovery of my creativity and friendships, but the latter has changed and I find myself lonely. However, I have to keep reminding myself that all this created and false sense of belonging (social media) is not who I am and not how we are to behave with each other. What do I do to survive this madness? I am slowly drifting away from blogging and will only post one photo a week on Instagram. I am making a choice to spend more time with MYSELF and my husband and learn to feel normal in solitude, where I believe, we can all hear the call of God.
Along with all that Anita, I think we need to find solace in everything beautiful, and peaceful that we can. The things that matter, the things that care about us in return.
Happy place, happy place…harder to find these days, isn’t it?! Nature and music help me get by. I had to take a month off from news and I’m now back to limited quantities – but it has to be limited. I also did something very impulsive and adopted a house rabbit (!) and I now spend a lot of time watching “bunny T.V.” rather than partaking in the world around me. Very amusing to watch the terrier and the rabbit hang out as friends. I think a lot of people would be surprised by that pairing but neither of them know they’re not supposed to get along. Nice to have a reminder that some parts of the world still aren’t needlessly at each other’s throats.
I love the idea of bunny TV, I bet that is a blast. I certainly enjoy the time with my dogs, and the way they make me laugh.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures–those are the types of things I’m focusing on to find balance. Walking the pups in nature, random acts of kindness, poetry are all keeping me centered. I hope that you get better weather for your shows soon!
Finding balance, in such an unbalanced world is sometimes hard, but oh so worth it.
Good morning Mary. Thank you so much for the beautiful photos. They help me feel like I’m immersed in Mother Nature, my muse and solace. We’re all in this same boat on a choppy sea of inhumanity most of us have only read about in history books. I’m hoping our art and beauty will guide us and restore us.
Thanks Elaine for you kind comment. It is a choppy sea, and I am just craving a lovely warm beach, but I think that will be a while. I checked out your website, I love what you are creating. So beauty, and the power and message behind your work. Love it.
Ohhh I hear you! First, I pray things pick up for you on the art front. As for politics….and “calming my mind”, since the beginning of January I have been making it a point to GET OFF OF FACEBOOK as much as humanly possible. I also can’t take it anymore. I used to be online EVERY night til the wee hours of the morning. Now, if I am caught up with email and anything that I “have” to do, I am offline for the entire night by 5pm (sometimes earlier). It has helped BIG TIME. I just steer clear of it all because the state of the World right now sickens me.
We have to preserve ourselves, first and foremost. If not, then all the badness wins.
That poppy shot is stunning. I can’t wait to get back to the desert – very soon. I unfriended a few folks on FB that kept posting political stuff. So I understand what you’re feeling. Hope the weather holds out for your next show and it turns into a good event. Hang in there!
The flowers are crazy. Get back here before they are gone. Lol
I am sorry to read that you are struggling so much. In regards to the political situation I certainly understand the unrest. Even when I don’t live in the States I get too much negativity from every direction. I don’t need to know what He does any more, it’s any way going to be bad. On a different note, I hope you will get luckier with the weather during future shows. And keep enjoying Mother Nature. Your photos of the desert are gorgeous.
Thanks so much Otto.
Normally walking and running are what Mom uses to reset her mind, but that is out for a while. She too is worried about her business, and how things will go, if it will pick up or not, and if not, then what. It’s tough. She too finds that when she has her camera and gets into photos, she goes to a different happy place. The same is true when we do our dog sports, she totally forgets all her worries. We love being on social media, but we avoid all posts that come up about world/US issues as it is just too much and we don’t want to hear more about it. Hope your next show goes well. You work so hard, and your products are so wonderful!
All the uncertainty is the worst. I hope so much that everything with your business is fine. And yes, dogs are a great solace, all the time.
Nature is healing to the spirit. If only we could get the people bent on destroying it to spend some time with it too.
I agree with that in so many ways.
Sorry to hear about the rain running your show days!
Your pics are beautiful, as always. I totally hear you – I can only take so much news and Facebook at the moment. I feel really depressed and anxious (for people, animals and the environment!). I keep thinking what’s the point to continuing my blog when I feel this way, but I do still enjoy connecting with folks who stop by to read it, and I get a little dopamine hit every time I get a comment :) so I keep going. It’s hard to feel “funny” now, which is what my blog (and my books) are supposed to be, so I haven’t worked on my latest book in ages, but I am trying to keep the blog going. Tell myself that folks need some laughs and smiles now. It’s hard to know what to do right now – definitely a fine line between staying informed and losing your mind. Hopefully this will lead to folks being more involved and things improving down the line.
People like you who bring lightness, and humor to the rest of us are like a beacon of light. I love your writing and wit, whether on the blog or your books. Please don’t ever stop. If the brightness ends, the darkness will take over.
Aww, thanks. That gives me a boost to keep going. xoxo
It’s hard enough dealing with our own personal issues, and then the political climate on top of that….it does get to be too much. An escape is definitely needed. Nature has always been a great one for me, and I also try to occupy myself with plans for spring, gardening, and some of the other fun things we want to do around the house. Then just hanging with the dogs is always good too.
I hope the weather holds out for your next show, and you can manage to keep yourself away from the news (I know it’s tough).
Yes, nature for sure is the best escape. And dogs, they are always a good distraction.
First, I hope the weather improves as does your luck with future shows! Your photos are always so beautiful I don’t know how people with means don’t feel compelled to own at least one!!
As for calming time? I spend it with Shadow and Ducky, out in the yard. They bring me joy and peace of mind. I barely bother with the news any more. And Facebook? I’m seriously thinking of deactivating my account, except that I’d miss my friends who are also tired of all the negative energy emanating from it. I used to somewhat enjoy politics – when the majority of folks could discuss it without getting nasty.
Thanks for the well wishes for the show. And ya, I thought about getting rid of facebook, but I would miss keeping up with my friends in far away places. Skim, past the bad, or stay off for a while. That’s the best solution. And doggies!!
I am SO with you on this. All of it. I felt an enormous depression come over me when I heard about new bills being passed to ease hunting restrictions. And I won’t even go into the other things that are hitting me extra hard (most everything that’s happening these days hits me hard, but some things are extra difficult), because that just brings them back and gives them more power. The powerlessness of peoples’ voices – by the millions – is what upsets me most. Inhumanity, inhumane treatement, complete lack of compassion…the list is endless. If I could lose myself in the desert or the woods, I would – probably for the next 4-8 years, then I’d emerge and see if there’s anything left to return to. I do hope your next show goes well and the good weather is with you.
I am so grateful you posted — first the beauty, but also, about your struggle with staying off SM and the news. I have decided not to watch, that whatever is happening ‘out there’ I cannot change unless I change within me. Until I find that peace you find in the desert, right here, I am not healthy for the planet.
Thank you Mary — those flower shots are stunning!!!!
Those panoramic sunset photos are spectacular!!!!! Staying away from all the “bad” news is really hard right now. It seems to hit me over the head whenever I open my computer!
Wow, the skyscape is stunning!