The Creative Path: making a real life in a world of so-called realities

Disclaimer: some may find the following post and opinions controversial, so let me say it's all based heavily on my own experiences, opinions and conjecture. Feel free to disagree. There is no comment section, so there’s no need to trouble yourself composing a carefully worded response. Haha.

“Hansel & Gretel” acrylic on canvas board from 24-piece illustration series by NG Swett. Image includes a wooded pathway on the left hand side, two teens/young adults, a dog, a sun hat with tray and cupcakes, a driveway, a farm house and barn. Classic fairy tale archetypes are alive and well today in real life. Here, a neighborly old woman in a colorful sun hat offers two children a cool drink and some cupcakes. The children may have just come from the dark path pictured in the far left side of the canvas. Their parents are unavailable, and the children may be hungry indeed. Out in the real world, away from home, what might the neighbor’s intentions be? In the classic fairy tale, the old witch lures Hansel & Gretel with her candy-covered cottage, jails them, tries to fatten them up to eat them! Luckily, the children escape and find their way home. They find their father never wanted to go along with the wicked and selfish mother, but he was a feckless and weak man. In my novel, I use this fairytale and two other classics as the very backbone of the story. ~ Nan

I’m Nan, a fellow traveler on a modern journey of discovery, a seeker among our living cohort of world citizens. I’m not a guru, expert or even especially successful (yet) according to certain metrics. So feel free to disregard!

I don’t know why today I wanted to talk about creative paths, metrics and pearls of wisdom for fellow travelers, but let’s just go with it.

U-Pick anything you find useful and leave the rest.

To begin, in my opinion, and I stress that it’s only my own opinion, we’re all mixed up about reality.

On top the usual human realities, we now have realities galore:

• virtual realities dictated by algorithms and games

• alternate realities fueled by news silos

• the warped delusional realities pedaled by so-called influencers

• new science that tells us that people can’t truly grasp reality

Okay.

Yet, even with all that’s going on “out there,” the individual must choose a path.

Confusion, Depression, Anxiety

No wonder we’re in a state! Data show “unprecedented” levels of mental health problems lately, and it’s hard to pinpoint when and how it started because there’s so much to point to.

Also, let me ask you. What are all of these realities like?

It’s hard to relax. Because when you relax, you feel you must be forgetting something. Or there’s something else you should be doing (and maybe there is).

Plus, why do we really want to relax so much? Too much relaxing gets old fast, am I right?

Hey you

How ya doin?

All the realities are trying to get our attention at the same time that’s for sure. Flashing things, easy click-y things, moody moving things, passing news chyrons, limited time offers, new products, looming things, scary people, delicious things, heavenly things, horrific things.

Hello. I’m low key trying to get your attention (thank you very much by the way).

Born This Way

As Lady Gaga says, I was born this way, with the weird creative bug.

I perceive things, I roll them through the Nan-Gen Bobber over my shoulders, and I send things out with my bare hands. Poor dear, I can’t help it!

And you? Do you have a -Gen Bobber, too?

The Path?

So now. Our path. A few notes…

The right path can be hard to find. It’s not always easy. And there’s prickers and bloodsucking ticks and fallen twigs ‘n shit. And I mean that literally and metaphorically.

Recently on social media, someone who disagreed with me told me to take a hike.

Ouchie! — Wait. I love hiking!

Sometimes there’s already a path to take, but other times you have to make one yourself.

It’s easy to take the wrong path, so don’t beat yourself up. You may not realize it for a while — or God forbid — ever. Better late than never!

Maybe someone else is telling you what you have to do, or else.

Sometimes you take the wrong path and have to backtrack to the place where you were standing on solid ground. Maybe you tried something, and at one point you realize you’ve made a mistake. Go back.

Sometimes it’s just you all alone! Maybe there are other unicorns like you out in the world, but damned if you know a single one of them from where you’re sitting.

What is the right path? Ah, that truly is the question.

The Right Metrics

Use the right metrics. What we measure and how we measure brings clarity.

Sometimes, I will tell you, for myself, sometimes there are things that are not being measured anywhere by anyone, but since I feel they are important, I put them through my “Triple M” Marbles Motivation Method. A full bowl of marbles means progress toward things that really matter to me. (Read my blog post about my marbles method here.)

The world is full of metrics and data. Choose carefully! Things are not always as they seem.

• What metrics are real to you?

• What matters to you?

• Who matters most to you?

• What do you want? What do you need?

This is not a one-and-done question. It can change constantly. Be aware of what you want and need. It’s easy to let everyone’s else’s needs take over, after all, we’re social creatures, and let’s face it: the needs are vast.

Writing things down by hand not only helps us think but helps bring things into being. Well it helps me. It’s kind of magical and mysterious. As hip hop star Erykah Badu says, “Write it down on real paper with a real pencil. And watch shit get real.”

It also helps to talk with a trustworthy, wise and smart friend or family member, if you’re lucky enough to have people like that in your life. If you don’t, you can get some.

Connect with people doing sort of what you have in mind. I’ve met many, many wonderful people that way. There are good people willing to help, willing to sign onto your project, willing to support others. And then you can turn around and help others once you’ve made a pathway.

“One” here is part of a 24-piece series of mini acrylic paintings illustrating The Clerk and the Ink Drinker In the Outer Lands (working title), my first novel. Here, a man in a white leisure suit and black ankle boots sits casually on a golden chair. Behind him are picture windows through which we can see a bridge at night. Under One’s foot is a rug in the shape of the Outer Lands Archipelago.

String of 24 Pearls of Wisdom for Path Seekers

Many people are on the lookout for a path in life, whether it’s a new path, a do-over, a remake, an exploration, an adventure, or a wild experiment.

Why now? The pandemic, tech, climate, politics, new generations, and maybe the stars are throwing everything into the air and shifting the ground underneath.

Something is has shifted. Something feels different. Things are changing very fast. Everything feels like it’s in motion. Right?

It’s a like a wave of history that hits every half century or so. Grab your surfboard, dudes and dudettes!

Old public domain image of a line of beach bums on a sunny beach in the Outer Lands.

When surfing, it’s best to get in front of the wave a bit.

IMHO, the trending key words that describe elements of a successful path into the near future include this long beaded string of 24 pearls:

Mobility, adaptability, agility, authenticity, simplicity, friendship, ownership, alertness, wisdom, courage, information, decision making, capability, action, long-term, short-term, persistence, endurance, patience, hope, joy, love, self care, peace

But what do I know. What do you think?

Add your own signature pendant(s) to the string!

U-Pick! Timeless Advice from the Outer Lands

Don’t like that string of pearls?

Someone may find the Friendship pearl controversial. Maybe it sounds “socialist.” For some people, the real world is dog-eat-dog, eat-or-be-eaten, the golden rule, etc.

Someone else may object to the Ownership pearl as “capitalist.” Maybe the American dream is a trap, a scam, a first class ruse.

The following three adages were said by someone once, and now they’re Universal. U-Pick what you like:

1. “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

2. “Do something, blame no one, expect nothing.”

3. “KISS: keep it simple stupid.”

“plein air” painting 101

How to prepare and what to expect

Here’s a carousel of images from a recent plein air painting session to give you a quick idea of how it goes (SWIPE)…

Plein Air Painting Tips:

• Look for plein air painting events near you.

• A great group leader orients the whole group, helps get each painter set up, monitors progress, does his/her own painting, and conducts a “crit session” in which artists give and get comments on the work created.

• Take the opportunity to meet other artists, introduce yourself, and enjoy interactions. You might even want to set up close enough to shoot the breeze with some people.

• Pack and test materials in advance being thoughtful about what you’ll need. Maybe make a list. Place everything in one place by the door.

• What you’ll need: at the very least a pad of paper, a writing instrument, a snack and an open mind. A step up from basic is a small portable set of colors be it markers, pencils, crayons, pastels or paints — with heavier paper. From there, you can get into the bigger paint sets, easels, canvas boards or canvases, etc.

• When you get to the location, find a view that speaks to you most. Begin to notice its features, contours, colors and proportions.

• Take some time to set up, look around, enjoy the moment, the anticipation, the mild but pleasing pressure to produce something.

• Do a sketch or two on paper.

• Follow your normal drawing or painting process.

• Remember, plein air painting is all about spontaneity, imperfection and discovery.

• Keep in mind time constraints.

• You can work on it more later.

• Listen for and consider comments of other artists, you may pick up some great tips for how to get better as a painter.

• Always be kind and constructive in your own comments.

• Bring a snack and beverage(s).

• Think about rest room vicinity.

  That is all, really. Have fun!

“Facing Reality” wins 1st prize in short story contest

“Brilliant,” said Georgia Warner, seasoned short story contest judge. She was referring to the winning short story in the ShtoryTime contest, which I was delighted to be notified was mine!

The rules for the short story contest were simple:

• 1,000 words or less

• must use three prompts released just one week before the submission deadline

• the three prompts were: someone’s ex, gallery, umbrella

And without further ado, here is my “brilliant,” prize winning short story.

~ Nan

Image by NG Swett from 10x10” acrylic painting on canvas board

Facing Reality

by NG Swett

My ex-therapist was a good listener, but he just didn't get it. Certainly, I was sleep-deprived and approaching a big milestone birthday. But my obsession and encounters with the number 50 weren't just delusional. His prescriptions only amplified the signals.

He dismissed all the 50th anniversaries lately as mere history: the first moon landing, Russia's space launch to Mars, and the establishment of the EPA -- to name a few, but I could go on and on. And what about the ordinary, everyday sightings of the number, down to the 50% off sale on those journals he recommended, and the coincidence of the fifty-dollar insurance co-pay? He wanted me to talk and talk and talk about my childhood, an enriching subject for sure. I want to get beyond all that!

For someone who didn't believe in magic, he sure put a lot of stock in wearing all the sports fan merchandise on game days. I called him out more than once on his belief that a jersey or a mug can decide the outcome of a game.

Running out of sessions turned out to be a good thing. A string of synchronicities led me to a group that gets it. I've just had my weekly televisit with my Territorial Specialist by satellite, and as I head out to pick up dinner to bring back to my apartment, I feel energized. Today’s observations relayed and recorded: the value of the letter L in Roman numerals (50), how long it’s been since we’ve had a constitutional crisis like this (50 years), and how long an imperiled legal precedent has been in place (also 50 years). Taken together, TS and I see the magnitude and gravity of the situation.

Passing by, I see a big gold banner hanging from the front of the museum. It's for a fifty-year retrospective, and I know I must pop in. I follow signs to the gallery dedicated to modernity and find the retrospective show. There is a buzz in the air, and my antenna goes right up. I know TS will appreciate my findings. He may even pass them up to the umbrella organization for all the territories, The Org, which I’ve come to envision as a supra-global council that assembles in the skies on dark nights.

“Sending dispatch for 50-year wave series. Level L high potency source. Copy.” Right here in the gallery, I type with my thumbs and check for typos before hitting SEND. I pocket my device and continue viewing the artworks, taking a dizzying circular view from the center of the room. TS always accepts my dispatches and helps me sort through the data and signals coming across the 50-year wavelength. My pocket vibrates.

It’s TS. “Please stand by."

In truth, TS is the kindest voice in my life, and the professionalism and courtesy are truly top rated. Take it from me, a lifelong member of one of the world’s oldest professions: Clerk. Lately, encounters with irate and deranged members of the public have become unavoidable, causing so much distress that it’s nearly impossible to remain in my job. Let’s face it, my profession is facing obsolescence. So whether it’s frenzied dispatches late at night, after watching the news scroll in red blocks across the bottom of the television screen, after doom scrolling up and down my phone's news feed, or after calmer morning epiphanies, TS is always there and always helpful. Together, we've detected patterns revealed in 50-year events and crises, and we also know that the size of the surf is growing bigger and wilder. We can sometimes see hundred-year waves. We believe that something tectonic is about to happen. Taken together, events will reach a tipping point. The wave will peak and collapse into itself in a wild frothing, roiling undertow of chaos and destruction. When it comes to waves, TS says the best place to be is out front, so we've been working on figuring out what exactly to expect and how best to prepare.

As I stroll through the exhibit, what I see confirms what we’ve already discovered but which only art can reveal as powerfully as this: the bold shapes and colors, the irreverence, the abject rebellion and revolution vividly signal a complete obliteration of all of our most animating beliefs.

“Go ahead,” TS comes on again with a buzz.

I step out of the gallery into a dark hallway, type in my dispatch, and on my way back into the gallery, I re-read it for typos. SEND. I’m taking one last look at the exhibit when my hand buzzes. It’s TS.

“Begin preparations immediately to reach high ground. Expect increasing instability, a cresting of the wave, a long moment of silence, and a catastrophic crash, followed by a gradual clearing.”

“Got it,” I tap, exiting the museum. On the sidewalk, I glance at people coming toward me and watch everything in my peripheral vision. I’m alert.

Back in my apartment, I gobble down my combination platter and start to pack. I’ve got the news on in the background, and I’m half listening for the thing that will be the tipping point. Hopefully I’m not too late. I throw all the things I’ve put aside for this occasion into a duffle bag. Thankfully, I’ve liquidated all assets, both earned and inherited, and entrusted them with the Org. Their proprietary geo-political calculations, which use new computer technology beyond mortal comprehension, are sending me to a familiar territory where I’ll be safe.

It is with a lightness of being that I exit the building for the last time. I’m heading to the terribly beautiful Outer Lands Archipelago, where I’ll be joining a team studying waves and flying reconnaissance missions in and out of the fabled island where I grew up. The primordial land masses have secrets to share dating back to the Ice Age. Hopefully, close observations will reveal the key to unlocking the future.

Acknowledgement: I’d like to thank my friend Toni for generally encouraging me to write and letting me know specifically about this fun short story contest.

Link: ShtoryTime is a holiday short story contest that’s open to all. For more info visit the website here.

Copyright: The short story and the cover art are copyrighted by NG Swett.