Sparkling + Murmuring
A gentle tourniquet effect
Things that are so light (plastic and art in my case) become so heavy sometimes. So heavy, that I disappeared for awhile. I was disciplined, weekly, diligently writing here for you, for me, for potential readers in the future who may someday be curious as to why and how this life of mine happened for quite some time. Now I am back, floating above the weighted blanket of art and plastic that keeps me in my place, in full force focus after a month or so of wrestling with a deluge of disparate responsibilities that arose between massive storms, ice damming, birthdays, bills, snow shoveling, art opportunities, deadlines, flat tires, ice patches, and general hustling to make ends meet. Both sleep and time for my Substack reflections became luxuries. I had too much work to do to keep up.
I am back! Luxuriating in finding words for you in an effort to describe the thoughts that are dancing around in my mind. How novel to be a thinking creature who can express thoughts. As I write, I am practicing restraint as the urge to blather on incessantly about all my doings is quite strong. This feeling is like a beneficial version of the tourniquet effect — let me explain: in yoga, when you restrict the flow of blood for awhile, in a pose - like the eagle pose for example, it is like creating a gentle tourniquet effect. It is a safe, short duration of time during which the blood flow and the energy are restricted, so they can build up - and then upon release, they flow full force, clearing previously obstructed pathways. Using this technique, you can jettison yourself intellectually, creatively, spiritually, physically, politically, economically, whatever needs be —and use it to your advantage. For creativity, I’ve found you have to sometimes restrict yourself for longer. Or at least I do. From my experience, it is like delaying gratification on steroids. Hopefully my current steam will last until next hump day and I will be able to find a regular Substack rhythm again. My irregular heart murmur aside — here is to being a bonafide slave to the rhythm. (←100% worth watching.)
Lift, 2009. Here is a photograph of the main orb from an installation I did almost 20 years ago that was made using about 10,000 bottles from the waste stream. It is still slowly rotating and lighting up. Photograph by Marshall Coles
RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK
To reduce your plastic (and carbon) footprint:
A little sparkle goes a long way when the grey gloomy winter full of the wrong kind of ice seems neverending. Snowflakes and icicles help, but my soul yearns for vitamin D3 (sunshine) and the sparkling surface of the sea. Bioglitter is made from sustainably managed timber plantations, primarily eucalyptus, and is certified according to PEFC™ standards. The raw materials are sourced ethically and in a resource-efficient manner. No plastic whatsoever! So hooray! We can sparkle and shine without harming a turtle, a fish, or ourselves for that matter. Yup. Sparkle it up buttercups.