Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Into the Wilderness

Images of this place, Vintgar Gorge near Bled, Slovenia, have been popping into my head recently. Honestly, I hadn't looked at them since downloading them from my camera last summer. But the were filed away in my head somewhere, and lately they call to me. "Come back," they whisper, "Revisit us. We have something to show you."

I have moved into a new phase of my creative journey, I have moved into the wilderness. I hesitated on the threshold of this new land, of the unknown, for a while. But my journey calls me onward, and so I move into the uncharted territory. I've been acting with confidence in this new territory for the last week, forging ahead, diving into new things with a sense of purpose and as if I know the outcome, as if I know what I'm doing.

But today, I feel fragile. I feel alone in the wilderness. The fears are coming up. The realization that this is a journey that only I can travel, and that I truly don't know where it will end. There are places that I hope it ends, but life has a way of offering twists and turns when you least expect it. I can only move forward, one step at a time. I will have to face my fears, be lonely at times.

Today's image does have a message for me, I just had to be ready to hear it. It shows me that there is a path in this wilderness. There is beauty. It might look rugged at times, I might not be able to tell exactly where it leads or how long it will take, but I will get somewhere. And in the process, I get to experience this beautiful place and all it has to teach me. It tells me that it's ok, to rest for a moment and acknowledge the feelings inside. When I take the next step I'll be refreshed and ready to go.

8 comments:

  1. You described it very well. :-) It feels like I have been walking in that kind of place for quite some time now. :-) Feels good to hear I'm not the only one! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, so you've been to Bled Vindgar! :) I loved your thoughts and this post really fits next to that picture...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, yes, yes. I feel like this as well today. "Fragile" describes it perfectly. I suddenly feel like the confidence I've had up to this point has been an act and that facade is crumbling around me. It's hard to put myself out there. Harder than I thought. Much harder. Even though we know we are not alone...flying lessons has taught me that...it still FEELS very lonely at times.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautifully written! And I think we are all feeling these growing pains a bit. It's like using muscles we haven't used in forever and then feeling so sore the next day we can barely move. So, what do we do? We rest and heal, just as you proposed. You'll be ready for even greater things - there is no rush. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. As painful as these times may be, you do sound as though you are on the right artistic path right now.

    Personally, I had a "forget everyone else and do what I want day" today. Quite fun, and everyone should do them now and then! :-) Good luck on your journey, and keep the faith!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a lush, peaceful spot! You and the wilderness will do well. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a lush, peaceful spot! You and the wilderness will do well. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. What an amazing photo. It looks so peaceful and yet powerful all at the same time. Lovely.

    ReplyDelete

What's your view of the world? I love to hear yours too!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.