Why I make Art

"To See the World in a Grain of Sand ... 

Eternity in an Hour"

(From Auguries of Innocence by William Blake)

I made this last year, after recovering from surgery for breast cancer.

Suddenly I was confronted with my own mortality - a shocking experience we'll all face - but strangely liberating too.  

The little things didn't seem important anymore.   Time was the essence here, essentially: how much we have.

And then it occurred to me (or I remembered) that, actually, it IS the little things that are important. The length of time we live doesn't matter because we only ever live in a series of Now's. Its the quality of that life that matters.

Quality that's made up of all sorts of choices:
How we've chosen to individually deal with the immediate problems and challenges in our lives, how much we've cared for our loved ones and our fellow human beings, as well as the other animals we share the planet with and, of course, the planet itself.  

The little things suddenly became the big things.  And it wasn't a never-ending list, it was actually very simple.

Dalai Lama 

I was connecting my experience of cancer/mortality with that of my sister Sally who, 14 years ago didn't survive it.  This sculpture is my tribute to Sally, a way I could connect with her and my own version of her commission: "Now".

(See the first post I wrote on this blog for details on Sally's sculpture).

* * *

There was no thinking involved in making this sculpture, it was an image which emerged from somewhere inside and asked to be made.  
As a sculptor I just did what I was told. 

  

It wouldn't be for another year though that I'd discover the thinking behind Buddhism...

Confronted again with another health issue this year - the beginnings of Multiple Sclerosis -  I was referred, not only to the wonderful Neurology Department of my local Hospital, but also to a specialist counselor who has begun to teach me the basics of Mindfulness Meditation.  

...And this is why I started this Blog, to record what I learn and the work I make from this new perspective.

Thankfully my MS is manageable and I will still be able to sculpt (and teach) so there'll be new sculptures emerging now. 

Oh, and I think I forgot to say: I'm happy.  For lots of reasons: I've discovered a new way of seeing the world and there's less panic in it, less pressure, less worry, more beauty, more kindness, more of everything nice! I'm suddenly much more grateful for things - the NHS being extremely high on my gratitude list - but grateful too for small kindnesses from friends and strangers alike, I'm watching the spring emerge like I've never seen it before and images like this really affect me.  

 Odd.  Such a change - who'd have thought that 2 serious illnesses can make one actually happy.  All very odd, but I'm certainly not complaining! 

Keep an eye on the Exhibitions page of my website, where I'll be posting some pics of works-in-Progress.  Website address:  www.katenewlyn.com