I gallivanted down to Tucson for the most spectacular wedding at Dove Mountain earlier this past month. It was exquisite, with citrus groves, a rope-the-moon practice area, an epic spa, the coolest water slide ever and the most surprisingly soul stirring collection of art. All of this nestled in the rich ancient echos of a saguaro forest. The entire experience was stunning and the icing on the gluten-free wedding cake was the dance party apres ceremony full of 80s hits. It was a little slice of heaven all around, especially since I’ve enjoyed working along to Journey’s Greatest Hits recently. Peter Cetera is a close second with You’re my Inspiration. No joke. (My iPod is a curious mashup of mixed medias, with all of this and other dance hits next to Iceland’s most transcendent resonances and Himalayan intonations.)
In researching the best way to compose an artist’s statement, I read that listing things that inspire you is on the list of what not to do. And while I know such lists of inspirations fluctuate from time to time, it’s an important piece to recognize – and many things to be grateful for. So here’s my little list of inspirations and things that send my heart soaring, and sinking deeply into this human experience:
mountains and rivers without end
the smell of Southwest Montana
starry skies
birds
laughter
the spell of the sensuous
the powerful thunder of horse hooves on the earth (I initally typed “on my heart”)
the desert Southwest, preferably at dawn and twilight
Sigur Ros and Jonsi’s music
afternoons in a canoe
laying in the grass with a book, or not
mystic poetry
Sappho’s fragments
the flower garland sutra
myth, magic, miracles
the power of the imagination at work
Miro
text and Image
inner and outer landscapes & journeys
the history of consciousness
people lit up by their passions
positive psychology and infinite possibility
dreamtime
cerulean
periwinkle & light yellow, together
