Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Swan Diving Into the Wrong Pool

Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
  -Alanis Morissette

A while back I told you that I was applying for a residency and had my fingers crossed for good news. Well, the good news is that I didn’t get it. Yep, that seems like the wrong answer, but I mean it. I am so very happy that I didn’t get accepted.

If I had, I’d be packing up and leaving right now for the 2 month stint working on a new body of work. Instead, I am home (very important to a home body such as myself), working diligently in my studio on the pieces that I already have in my head and need to get out.

Also, if I had, I wouldn’t be able to watch Summer slowly fade into Fall from my small house on the farm. My favorite time of year in one of my favorite places on earth.

I got excited by an idea, and instead of working through it in my sketchbook, (which is sometimes all I need to do to work through an idea and then be done with it) I had a momentary lapse in objective thinking that made me swan dive into the pool, the wrong pool.

And the universe jumped in to save me from my own mistake. Thankfully.

Did it smart a bit? Maybe a touch. But I am so HAPPY that it worked out this way.

And, rejection helps toughen the skin. Who doesn’t need that from time to time?

Life indeed has a funny way of helping us out.

May your day bring you wonderful surprises!

2 comments:

Laura Tringali Holmes said...

Well said. I've been fortunate in that I haven't had to deal with many rejections, but two of them back-to-back recently took the wind out of my sails. I am prowling around in the self-doubt and it is an interesting place. Good work can come from dark corners.

Kim Radatz said...

Laura,

You are absolutely correct on the dark corners. I have found that my best work comes from the dark corners. Hard to realize while we are in the midst of it that there will be sunny skies and wind in our sails again, but that is why we are here, to remind each other. And the rejection only makes us stronger and better.

Wishes for you to have full sails soon!

Kim