A Way of Escape

I have been her.  You know the one.  

The woman struggling to disentangle herself from the crushing, repetitive patterns that keep her stuck in relationships that suck the life out of you, drain the colours from your surroundings and stifle hope and creativity. Labeled with words that define you, confine you to another's perceptions of who you are, how you should think . . . feel . . . behave. Longing for release but clinging to the distortions that enable and prolong your captivity. Looking for a way of escape but fearful things will only get worse.

Dismantling the distorted belief systems can be excruciatingly painful but oh, so worth the cost. To be your true self, think your own thoughts, feel your authentic emotions and make choices that are right for you are such precious gifts.  How grateful I am to have come home to myself. Watching and praying as dear ones struggle to find their wings.

Open to Possibilities

Well, after a whole month of being "OPEN" to inspiration for the current prompt, it appears my muse has headed for warmer climates.  I really enjoy preparing a post that not only serves to showcase my photos but also brings a corresponding message of some sort.

Such is life  . . . sometimes it is difficult to match things up in a way that makes sense.

And in fact, there are a number of things going on right now that are quite baffling to me, how to process them is proving to be quite a puzzle.

It has however not prevented me from creating a number of pieces that I am happy to share with you all.

"Burning Bush"

Original photo taken early November before all the autumn colours fell away.

 "Coastlands of the Sea"

Cropped from a photo of my painted pumpkin, this piece was created the day of the horrific typhoon in the Phillipines.  Those suffering through the aftermath were much on my heart and prayers were offered up for safety and rescue of survivors.  May they continue to heal as they rebuild their lives, their homes, their nation.

This final image was inspired by this story posted at A Holy Experience

 just 2 days ago.  (And it fits the prompt, too ☺)

 At the end of the post is this Dickinson quote:

"Hope is the thing with wings,

 that lands at the end of you

and shows you how to open to possibilities, 

so that you never close again."

(original version of the butterfly piece)