I look across the lake this morning and see: No Mountains! I could be…in Saskatchewan. Or Siberia. I could be…

Choices. Here’s one for you:

Know that if you didn’t choose to be and artist – You would have certainly entertained world domination or mass murder or sainthood. Laura Owens

Oh wow. Don’t you love the possibilities?

I was out taking the pup for a walk this morning at the foot of one of those invisible mountains. It’s an area that had been stripped of its topsoil so that the sand underneath could be harvested for use on the roads in winter. The stretch where human destruction had occurred always looked like an eyesore to me.

But… is it the time that has passed? Is it how nature left alone comes back in such ways that, no matter what, it’s compelling? Instead of the usual unpleasant experience, I saw it differently this morning. The lichens were glowing bright red along fallen tree trunks. The verdant green moss was iridescent in the soft cloudy light. The aspens were emitting this sweet smell that reminds me of the mountains of Colorado. I was wrapped in this gentle mist full of so much that called to me: “Savor this, savor that”. Was this even the same trail?

So, I know this seems to be slipping away from world domination, but in kind of an odd way, it’s not. I was skipping over this space, this part of the trail, as unimportant, not valuable to me. In fact, it turns out: not so much. Today, I got delight/joy/uplift.

These moments where I’m fed by what surrounds me: that’s world domination. Do you kind of see what I mean? I get the world I want.

So, maybe, just maybe … when my art is going well, maybe that’s happening then too…?

Not saying much about mass murder here. Or sainthood. But art? World domination?… good choices.