Laydee Lane

February, 2006

The Identity Factor

The ponderings of a "mad" woman are all I have to offer my fellow Artists' in this issue. Which I feel is rather appropriate for a month that celebrates an over zealous, frenzied culture that dare I say cheapens the very sanctity of life by exchanging our sanity for cheap chocolates heralded by the quest to quench the fiery darts of loneliness. With that being said, I begin this year on my very own quest to quench those fiery darts which ail me. And as promised, I am here to bring my Artist colleagues along for the ride.

I have been cooped up in the house since December, with a cast up to my elbow on my left arm and an IV stuck in my right arm. Not being able to wash your own hair can really bring a person to a new level of self-awareness. As the weeks went by I realized all the things I could have completed before I was rendered without the use of my left hand. Then as time went by, I began to ponder on all the things that I could be doing "right then", if it weren't for that darn cast and losing mobility of my left hand ring finger. (Which by the way makes typing extremely challenging). When I was bored of that I then I set my sights on pondering those things that I couldn't wait to do, after being freed from the daily rigor of IV meds and the insatiable itching of my left arm.

I was evolving....moving through past, present, and future. Then it hit me. I realized I had been doing the exact same thing that I counsel, warn, and encourage others not to do. Living in yesterday, or what "could be" today, if only..., and definitely do not live projecting yourself into the future. This type of thought behaviors completely disconnect us from the realities that are playing out right in front of our very own eyes.

When I began embracing the moment and engaging in opportunities I would not otherwise have had. I began to explore hidden potentials in my day and in my circumstance that otherwise wouldn't have existed. And this might sound funny, but I was reminded of Newton's Laws of Motion. "An object in motion will continue in motion, until it is acted upon by an outside force". I was experiencing friction. Friction is an interesting concept. What do we do with outside circumstances or internal battles, and physical maladies, that we have no control over. How do we overcome? How do we cope? What methods do we use to cope? And, are they healthy for us?

Let's take a second and define those things which might be considered "friction" for us as Artists'. While keeping in mind, our goal here is to identify those behaviors that become our stumbling blocks to creativity. And free ourselves of them by determining what type of friction triggers counteractive thought behaviors for you. Because if you can identify the culprit...."loneliness, financial difficulties, control, sickness, addiction......etc...", then YOU CAN un-choose unhealthy behaviors.

So many times in my own life part of the solution to the equation was reaching out, asking for help, finding support in whatever area I was struggling in. Sometimes you can't fix yourself, you can only set yourself up for success. We are in an exciting time as Artist's, it's time for our voices to be heard through our work. It's time to make statements that move communities to action. It's time to inspire a next generation to value those intangible tender things that we dare to capture in our work. And, I'll leave you with this, "it's time for you to value yourselves, to listen to those inward cues, to stop, look and identify frictions in your life, and overcome obstacles that might be blocking your greatest works yet.

It's time to stop and Love Yourself this month, and if your into chocolates, buy the expensive ones...you're worth it!

Laydee Lane

For comments please email laydee@laydeelane.com or visit http://www.laydeelane.com

Laydee Lane is a Houston artist, visit her page here on ArtValet.com Artists.LaydeeLane