I was watching an old television program the other day and someone was talking about existential angst and the meaning of life. (In case you think I watch some very serious programs, I don%92t, it was a comedy).

Who amongst us has not, at some point of other, considered the questions %92What is the meaning of life?%92; %92Why are we here?%92

At the most basic level, we are all trying to find happiness. To be happy, we need love; we need to be loved and to love others, parents, children, friends, a significant other. I don%92t believe we can live without love; love, who and how we love, is what allows us to define ourselves, to know who we are.

However, I believe we need more than love. We also need to be fulfilled. We find fulfillment through meaningful work, whether that be through our jobs or other activities, such looking after our families, volunteering, or painting, to name a few. We need to feel that sense of accomplishment and pride at doing something well, something worthwhile.

But is that all there is to it, seeking happiness, love and fulfillment? Or is there some grander purpose for us being here? I don%92t pretend to have the answers to that, I just thought I%92d throw the questions out there, make everyone think.

"Life%92s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved."    (Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, 1862)

Suzette

Lately, I%92ve been feeling like I am at a crossroad, artwise that is. I feel somewhat confused, unsure what direction to take, what or how to paint next; I feel directionless.

I%92m not sure if it%92s because inspiration isn%92t coming, or more likely, I think I may be in a transitional stage, ready for something somewhat different, not too different, but a new direction. I am standing at a crossroad with several avenues open to me, and I am unsure which way to go. There%92s no inspiration, no intuition, no foresight telling me which way would work out best.

I just finished a 2-day show this past weekend, and I was looking at my area and how it was arranged, and even though I was pleased with the arrangement, it occurred to me that the work was not very cohesive. There was no real continuity in the work. I felt somewhat dissatisfied in some strange way.

I think perhaps this is normal, a normal part of being an artist, with ebb and flows, times when inspiration comes easily, and times when finding your way is a struggle. Perhaps, as we progress through our artistic life, a sort of evolution, or growth, takes place, and each time a change is coming, you experience that time when you feel lost because you have left one era behind and are about to enter another, but not quite there yet. It%92s that %92in between%92 time. That would certainly explain this. And really, in retrospect, I have been there before, changing from representational to abstract work. There was a transitional period there too, where my work was definitely somewhere between the two.

I have no intention of getting away from abstract, or abstracted, work, but feel that I need new inspiration, new blood flowing through my veins, fresh air to blow through my studio, and my mind. Am I experiencing Painter%92s Block?

If you%92ve had a similar experience, please share by clicking on %92Comments%92 below.

Suzette “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”  (Flora Whittemore)

As a follow-up to my last blog and my recent trip to Salt Spring, I have now posted 4 new works completed recently, three on my last trip and the fourth was done during the summer. To see them, scroll down to %92Studios%92 (on the right side of the screen) and click on the first image for Recent Works.

The night that I came home from the trip, I remember walking into my bedroom and thinking %92Oh, it%92ll be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight%92. Then I was flooded with thoughts of how good it was to be home, how much I like my home, how fortunate I am to have a nice home, to have been able to retire at a fairly young age, to have a wonderful network of friends, great kids and grandkids, good health. I suddenly realized how blessed I am and felt humbled and grateful for all I have.

I%92ve talked recently about happiness and success, and how I believe that much of our happiness, or lack thereof, depends on our attitude. Many people who feel unhappy fail to see and appreciate all the good things that they do have.

I am glad I was reminded of how lucky I am, and I hope that others, reading this, might take a minute to think of all their blessings also.

"Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies." (Charles E. Jefferson)

Suzette