)(( hannah mello ))(

Brush Strokes of City ((()))

If each person in our life, every group we're a part of, our work community, everything were each brush strokes & colors-- what would our daily canvas look like? and How would each day be painted differently?

They tell writers (including songwriters and musicians) that if you really want to be a good writer about the human experience, you must write everyday. Start getting comfortable expressing yourself daily about the everyday-- about your human experience-- about the raw and real emotions you find yourself in. If you create everyday, you're forced to be authentic because you can't "save up" the good stuff for one good song. You have to be honest and articulate about what is really there.

Maybe that whole tangent about writing and the everyday is a good commentary about what we can do generally to help ourselves really see what is in front of us. Maybe we won't paint or write out our everyday-- but maybe we can state the obvious more. Stating the obvious to ourselves, to our friends/family-- really articulating what we see, what we value, what we're grateful for. Sure, we won't have a canvas or papers to show for it, but maybe our lives will feel more artful and soulful.

I say that because I practically, functionally HAD TO practice that when I was living overseas. You think that living somewhere fresh or different is enough. <-- That living in a new corner of the globe makes everything new in your sight and mind. It's not that simple. Our emotions and reflexes follow us. If we're lonely or having a moody day, it will feel as if we are in our hometown, not in a magical place of history and newness. Time and time again, my friends (especially my friend Katie) would say: "Look. We're in an Italian alley right now with an accordion player playing Italian music right now! We're about to eat real Italian food right now!" It sounds STUPID, but man was it WISDOM and so fun to state the obvious.

Similarly, I find myself in the City of Cities. New York. Honestly, I feel so alive and at home here, but once again, stating the obvious becomes necessary. Not on a blog necessarily, or to friends that are sharing the experience with me like the above example from Italy, but to myself. That happens for me in drawing, journaling, talking on the phone with old friends, and just sitting on a bench and thoughtfully seeing all that is before my eyes.

It's easy for me to talk about opening your eyes to NEWNESS-- but maybe that commentary can be transferred to those of us that live in the "same ol', same ol'" places where we've been for years. What can we open our eyes to that are new elements to our city, to our daily routine places and communties? How can we state the obvious there? Maybe by simply calling a good sunset when we see one-- or a great view of the moon. Maybe by celebrating the opening of a new shop and actively spreading the word to people instead of just keeping the info for yourself. Maybe start taking pictures of your town that you see everyday to notice details that you overlook. Whatever the case, it's the discipline of sight that makes our minds more alive to the Life that makes our lives alive.

Here are some recent and real, common and everyday brush strokes here for me personally in City Life. These are some of the elements that create color and form on my daily canvas.

Brush Strokes of the City:

• I have on my wall a sketch from a Drawing Class I took last Monday at the Art Alliance in the lower east side. I can't believe I'm actually drawing-- charcoal and shading and the works. :)
• There's an easel set up in my room with one of the three canvases I'm working on right now.
• Every other wednesday I''m a part of the Origins culture group that meets to watch a documentary on a relevant and important issue in our world-- be it fashion (in regards to what really happens with textile and clothing production), city living (how cities are starting to be more resource responsible), technology (about electric/hybrid/hydrogen cars and emerging technology), etc. The peeps that are a part of the group are all between 24-30 I'd say and are all really intelligent and globally conscious. I really am grateful to be a part of it.
• Friendships with an assortment of peeps from Cali, from NY always, from other corners of the states...
• My work community at the museum. Such a community. Real conversations. Laughter. Enjoying each other's company. Learning about each other. Such a gift I'm so grateful to be a part of.
• Grocery shopping at Target (!!) of all places (everything but fruits/veggies). Their sales on trail mix, soups, and popcorn randomly. :)
  
• Walking down Broadway right around sunset... the overall glow of buildings and sky... It's unbelievable.
• Text messaging always. Even to my housemates that are in the other room when I first wake up on the weekends and don't know if they're up yet. :)
• The Stack Pancake Pantry in NJ.
• The Starbucks in Union Square.
• The cheap and ghetto movie theaters in the Newport, NJ mall.
• There's more...
  

A toast.
Cheers to a city that has captured my heart.
Cheers to each color and brush stroke that unifies the everyday along with those that interrupt the predictable scheme.
Cheers to places that come alive the more you open your eyes.

posted by )(( hannah mello ))( @ 1:05 PM