Ever Fleeting Presence
Pen and ink contemporary fine art by Doug Ashby
Presence: The state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing.
In a few moments I plan on taking a walk outside. I do this for many reasons, chief among them for no reason at all. There is something lively though about the steady rhythmic movements that walking embodies. I recently read that it is massively more complex then we imagine it to be and that it’s within that complexity that the various benefits emerge. There was a time when I believe I was better at walking.
Walking, specifically walking outside, is where the vast majority of my creative inspiration germinates. I believe this to be true even though the direct idea, if you will, for a given work does not happen in that moment. Walking rather is a time for the mess of stimulus that’s in my head to slosh around a bit, bang up against one another, and find likeness and inspiration. I believe this happens mainly though when I am training my attention to simply being on that walk and nothing else. If this all sounds a bit crazy that’s because it’s the tangible truth that inadvertently can never fully be explained.
I am often asked where it is that my ideas come from. An incredibly difficult question to answer for the reality is I have no clue. Still though I always come back to walking. In particular walking outside, and alone, is where the most magic happens. Only though when I am fully present.
Earlier I said that I believe I am not as good of a walker as I once was. Now this is not a physiological/mechanical issue. Sure from time to time I get some mild aches and pains from the activity but mostly I have remanined consistent on that front. No I am talking about my ability to remain present and mindful of being in that walk. Being no where else mentally but in that moment. I believe there are many reasons for this, however what it really boils down to is I stopped purposefully making a practice out of staying focused and I think I can see the result of that in my work.
There are of course endless articles and podcasts by gurus who would corroborate this idea for me. In return there are plenty of examples that it’s all in my head that my artwork has suffered. Still I believe that I need to get back on track with all this and start being more present in that moment. And I guess…at the end of the day, that is all that truly matters. However there is a ton of emerging evidence to support mindful practices, and the benefits that it brings, to encourage me to want to get back into the swing of things. This is where the fleeting part comes into play.
I am sure I am not alone in saying that since the pandemic my mind has felt like a fast paced game of old school pong. Funny thing is that game was never really faced paced, but if you are of the age you may get my drift. The ball in my head just seems to bounce back and forth in no meaningful direction at times like an incredibly boring game of tennis. Can an active intention of presence be the answer then? I think at one point it truly was for me and yes I think it can be again. The thing is, and we all know this, the distractions are not actually going to diminish. No that can’t be in a world where a vast chunk of the economy simply vies for your attention. It’s how we tune that out and focus on only what is right in front of us that creates the space. Then, of course, we also have to choose what it is we place in front of us.
So again, momentarily, I am going on a walk. This time however I am going to work at limiting those distracting thoughts and focusing my attention upward and outward to the path. Despite being a creature of habit the path I take always throws new and interesting things at me. The moon for example may be out during the day and low on the horizon offering its majesty. As we enter fall here in New England the trees are shedding their leaves and the shapes they take as they dry never ever ceases to amaze. The wind could be steady and sweet as it pushes upward from the valley below and that may carry with it birdsong that shapes itself into a fractal pattern on the horizon.
Yes there is much to observe for sure. It’s just a matter of controlling the ever fleeting presence and tuning into the moment. It’s within that I believe truly great ideas find root and then are born into the world.
As always I hope you enjoy the art and the writing. Leave a comment. Let’s engage!
Doug
P.S. So I just returned and I was mostly more aware of not being aware which means I was mostly present. Oh and I think the tree in this artwork is an abstract of the willow in my neighbors yard.:-)
