This past weekend, my husband and I broke away from our routine to travel to Alexandria, Virginia to watch our son run in The George Washington Parkway 10 K race. Breakaways are important.....as they help you to increase your tunnel vision to take in events and experiences that wouldn't usually come your way. They inspire and they help me to reconsider and reevaluate. I always leave home dragging my feet, however, as my mind and my body prefer to follow the usual path, to stay within the boundaries of "familiar". I witness this phenomenon even in my painting classes, where artists typically sit in the same chair, and observe the class with their comfort zone. We seem to become protective of our space go to great lengths to avoid the uncertain and the unfamiliar. The rewards, however, of breaking away are exponential. Seth had a great race and I was inspired by each of the 7200 runners there who braved the 90-degree heat to prove something to themselves. I am tired this morning but hopeful that some of those visual memories will filter into my subconscious and make my work more human and more genuine. I want to experience something new.
