Yesterday a new piece titled "The Fine Line" came to me. As usual, I didn't sit down with the intent to "design" something. Rather, I stood looking into my closet full of tile and asked what colors I was feeling. (See also video Episode 3). Out came the oranges and aqua, followed eventually by shades of sky blue. So I stood looking at the colors while swaying and dancing around in the middle of the studio, singing, all the while letting my hands create a mock-up out of wire for a potential sculpture commission. And because I was singing along with the music, not a single thought crossed my mind. This is how I "design" - rather than through force, I open up and receive the design.

The past 2 weeks have been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, culminating in a funeral yesterday. Aristotle said something along the lines that art is the ultimate catharsis; I just call it "good 'ole therapy". So when my husband and I came home from the funeral, physically and mentally exhausted, we were both (oddly enough) too tired to lie on the sofa...and each went to put our emotions into creativity. For me that meant I went over to the studio and put on music and turned it up so that I could sing with all my might. Not sad music though - because I believe that so-called 'death' is just a part of the cycle of life-death-rebirth. I'm listening to the same music while I write this (The Fixx's Reach the Beach album).

If anything else, I feel priviledged that I knew Anny, if even only for 8 years. Tiny in body but great in spirit, she lived her life the way she wanted to - she lived humbly yet full, was always positive, and was loved by my husband's entire huge, extended family as well as those of us "adopted" into the family through marriage or otherwise. She lived her life. And she decided when to die - it went quickly. I was happy to have given her an exuberant, great big hug and kiss - from the 5 year old that I am inside - the last time I saw her. The occasion was her 80th birthday party. She had that rare "sparkle" in her eyes. We all expected her to live a vital life till 100. Alas, the next time we saw her was on her death bed. Even then she looked, to me, radiant and beautiful.

So it goes to show that we should always part ways in love, even if only to spare future regrets. Carpe diem.