I realize that last one was a little heavy for those of you who stayed. I feel like you probably have some questions, and eventually we’ll make it to all the places. Just hang tight. It took me a long time to figure it all out too. Enjoy the journey.

While we’re here, I should thank you. There are important things happening for me in this practice, and looking at it all from this perspective is incredibly healing. I didn’t know exactly what I needed to do here, just that I needed to do it. I didn’t know, but I needed some freedom from silence. To letting the thoughts or words or memories come out of me so that I can make some room. It’s working, as it seems all of this is just falling off of me. I’m grateful, like a dancing bear.

Initially I really did mean for all this to be about nothing. That is, obviously, not what’s happening. By nothing, I mean... Not the nothings that exist in small talk that mean nothing. The nothings that are about everything. Nothings told in places that you go with dear friends after they know all of your somethings. Nothings found in spaces that feel safest with the ones who know how you got here. Nothings known by the people who know that you go out to stand in rainstorms to let this life rinse off of you. Nothings only understood by the ones who you feel fully comfortable to sing in front of, to interpretive dance in front of, to BE in front of completely. Nothings that bring more of that tree peace and truth. These are the nothings that are truly something, and that you find in everything if you can see.

So, let’s dance a little. If you’ve been here with me for a while, you’ve probably noticed me pointing to artists and musicians along the way. I hope you’ve found some goodness in my suggestions, as it’s been good for me to go through my people and playlists and to be able to show you all the things that light up my soul.

Art, in all its forms and ways, gives me that first time feeling every time. In a world where literally EVERYTHING is original poetry from the heart of the experiencer, I am always taken with the artist.

Free-thinking, soul-bearers
bringing light to rooms and subjects and lies and truths.
Pioneers of themselves
for a sea of ourselves.
Revealing goodness
within a thousand interpretations,
one for each receiver
of this most particular message.
A gift of vulnerability,
of courage, of beauty,
of the grace to give.

It should be noted that upon insertion of these “poems,” every single time so far, it makes me feel a little like I’m breaking into song and dance. It feels close to that ridiculous in my bones, but also that energizing too. To be completely honest, most of these just don’t read the way I want them to with appropriate punctuation for sentencing. I do love to be in a room full on no one so that I can break out into song and dance though. Oh, hi there. I didn’t see you looking at my grammar.

In any case, I’m a real sucker for artists of all the kinds. Of course art is nice to look at or listen to or sit on. But much like the wind out there, art can transcend this moment if you let it. We listen to songs that we know have to have been written for us in this exact moment. We all see something a little different when we stare at a painting. When we read, there are words that jump off the page that we know we should write down right now. Not everyone sees the same words. What an artist does is take something from the inside of their soul so that you can better see what’s in yours. And I think that’s super dreamy.

“The purpose of life is to find your gift.
The meaning of life is to give it away.”
Pablo Picasso

I have a crush on all that is art. So much so that all I could think to write at the beginning of this was… Art is good. I deleted it, and then made it the title. Profoundly inarticulate. Art is the senior to my freshman, and I am often tongue tied by him or her. And while I understand that most people don’t see that it is literally EVERYWHERE, I am often tongue tied.

Speaking of free-thinkers and dancing bears! I honestly cannot believe it took me this long to get you to Jerry. Here’s a Bird Song by the Grateful Dead. You should probably stand up, put your arms out, and see what happens…

It sure is twelve minutes long. You’re welcome. If you danced around a little, you can totally count this as your workout today. I do it all the time.