sprouting dreams

 Every once in awhile, I am surprised to realize that dreams do come true.

It's not that I don't hold out hope for the best - planting ideas like seeds into hope-filled and fertile ground -  but I have come to expect the unexpected which life tends to deliver. Like the pumpkin plant we had one year.  I tended to that plant like a new mother only to come out one morning and find it stricken by some fungus that shriveled it up it like the wicked witch under Dorothy's house. Cowgirl was heart broken.  

And then a few weeks later, I discovered a thriving pumpkin plant by our front porch.  Reminder that what we may toss aside as spent - in this case last year's pumpkin that I casually nudged into behind the bushes after I discovered it had rotted on the front stoop. (A lesson for the Husband that my seemingly slothful ways may hold some value.)  

I was reminded of this pumpkin (and similar gardening adventures - like the time our previous dog would steal tomatoes, carrying them around in his mouth and then drop them in odd pockets of the yard where hardy plants later sprouted up - which makes me question my gardening techniques) as I stood before 3 of my paintings hanging in a group show this past weekend.

Only instead of pumpkins, paintings of Ganesha - five in all - had manifested in less than three months time.  My first public showing of my artwork since I was a college student and I'm not sure even an elephant could remember that far back. 

It was a beautiful show mounted by the yoga center where I teach.  A number of artists were invited to contribute work on the theme of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu deity of Success and destroyer of obstacles.  A good subject for someone stepping out of her comfort zone.  A good ally as I consciously embrace my identity as a creative being and become comfortable with calling myself an artist.  

Sweet treats for Ganesha (photo from Omaha Yoga & Bodywork Center)

It was a love-filled evening with many dear friends coming out to show their support.  My little herd of Ganeshas looked happy on the colorful walls of the yoga center and I was quite proud of them ... and of me.  Within the first hour of the opening one painting sold, and by the end of the evening 4 out of the five were purchased.  But more rewarding for me was to see people choosing to pose in front of my paintings for photographs.  

Cowgirl enjoyed the opening by cartwheeling across the space and contributing to the mythology of the paintings creation.  Apparently she painted in some key features - a point I don't recall, but certainly will not doubt. (Which means I owe her a portion of any monies generated by sales - a point she was quick to bring up.) 

my baby Ganeshas are on the left

And here's the bit about dreams:  two years ago I was in one of those "manifest your dream" ecourses and the dream I envisioned at that time was a gallery show.  I went so far as to inquire at a nearby coffee shop about their schedule of shows and submission requirements.  I even wrote out a list of ideas for a themed show and the work I wanted to create.  Then my interest waned and like that rotted pumpkin, the idea was relegated to a dark corner of my mind.  

Magically, it took root and without much interference from the gremlins that busy themselves with my conscious mind.  A lesson for me in patience, perseverance, and trust. I painted, I practiced and I stayed open possibilities and when all the forces were in place, Ganesha stepped in and cleared a path to an auspicious beginning. 




 

 
Of course, when I am paying attention and looking with my heart not my mind, I see how the Universe is always tending to the seeds I scatter rather haphazardly, bringing love into full and magnificent bloom.  Her given name does mean "excellent seedling" - a little reminder for those times I am forgetful.