The Art of Finding Glee

Dietrich Wegner, Studies in Solitude

I had a rough day last month.  Normally I can jolly myself out of most funks, but this was more than that.  I knew I needed to shake myself up a bit and rediscover my glee, so I closed my computer and headed down to the Erie Art Museum.  A day of beauty was just what I needed.  It was a grey, drizzly day in Erie, PA.  It sort of matched my mood.

I wasn't sure how well my plan would work, but when I caught sight of my shadow on the wall in the museum, I saw that my hair had gone Medusa again.  (It's like a Chia Pet...if you add water, it springs to life.) Rather than make me sigh over the fact my hair has a mind of its own, I smiled as I looked at my reflection.  It kind of summed up how I felt that day...a bit frazzled.  That smile broke the ice.

As I continued walking through the museum, I noticed that I could see my shadow in all the art.

Jose Picayo Polaroids

Jose Picayo Polaroids

I could literally see myself in all the art there.  As I studied my reflection and the artwork, I thought about the artists.  They'd had an idea and that art grew from their need to express it.  Then they sent it out into the world.  And here I was, looking at it and making myself a part of their vision.  I could see myself in the people who were captured forever in Picayo's Poloroid exhibit.  I could find myself in alone in Wegner's study of solitude...only I wasn't alone.  I was part of his art, so he was there too.

The more I looked, the more I realized I was a part of all the art, Medusa hair and all. I was part of their vision, and they'd become part of mine.

By the time I left the museum, my glee was back.  I was inspired.  I got home and opened my computer and wrote a scene that made me smile.

Everyone has rough days.  Sometimes we all need a day of beauty to remind us that we are part of...well, everything!

Holly

Dietrich Wegner, Studies in Solitude