ethereal
a.,
light,
airy; of unearthly delicacy of substance; heavenly
Black is
like the silence of the body after death, the close of life. Kandinsky, 1911
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Kandinsky,
I believe, was not referring to the colour black as the opposite of life. I
don’t think he had a particular dislike of the colour black.
He used it quite
often in his paintings and sometimes its inclusion brought great credit to the
overall outcome of the piece: Composition IV would have equated to a free and
peaceful Russian empire if he hadn’t drawn in the thick, black lines as
dividers between the red-hatted Cossacks.
I think
he meant black as a metaphor for the stillness experienced when one is faced
with a new chapter in life.
Not death as the last breath exhaled from lungs or
beat of a heart or rush of blood to the veins or conscious thought.
But the
momentary calm between the end of one adventure and the beginning of another.
Life has
a way of creating whirlwinds of words, thoughts, time, space, movement and
haste that somehow manage to take up a larger than expected proportion of your
existence.
It isn’t a bad thing, quite the contrary actually; having purpose,
creating and developing are important elements of a well and full-filled life.
But there does come a time of stillness, the silence Kandisky refers to, where
the universe hands you a fleeting second to clear and calm your mind & soul
in preparation for the next step.
Some
people run.
They run down the lane, round the corner, to the lake, around the
lake, back the other way and home again.
Some
people connect with nature.
They haul themselves out to the ocean or the bush
and immerse themselves in the beauty of the elements, not shying away from the
wind, rain or sun.
Some
people sleep.
They fashion themselves a comfortable cocoon and allow their eyes
to close, their bodies to relax deeply and their mind to finally focus on the
one thing most important to our function: breath.
Some people
make things.
They’ll bake, cut, paste, draw, play, write, sew, sand, dance, and
tinker with the knowledge that their actions aren’t for any reason other than
because they can.
Personally,
I like to tidy my room, strip down to nothing but my favourite baggy tee and a
pair of undies, make a big ol’ cup of tea and sit quietly in the sun, thanking
the universe for my endless blessings.
No matter
what you do or how you do it, the silences of the body Kandisky spoke of, are
few and far between: take your time and relish in their delight.
Because
every day, we are learning, growing, moving, even when we are still. And in
that one second of silence you might find yourself realising something you
already knew.
Like
knowing the bliss experienced by being true and tangible.
Or knowing how funny
a sparrow’s fart must sound.
Or knowing there’s nothing better than being a
little bit weird and finding that little bit of weird in someone else.
Be
everything you can be and more.
I know you can
X
________________________________
Your eyes they tie me down so hard
I’ll never learn to put up a guard
So keep my love, my candle bright
Learn me hard, oh learn me right.
This ain’t a sham
I am what I am.
