Offered to the Wind— Now at West End Gallery
Boychick, wake up! Be something! Make your life something good. For the love of an old man who sees in your young days his new life, for such love take the world in your two hands and make it like new. Go out and fight so life shouldn’t be printed on dollar bills.
–Clifford Odets, Awake and Sing! (1935)
Starting every morning here in the studio is pretty much the same. And not.
I walked into the studio around 5 AM this morning. About my regular time, I guess. It was chilly, about 34°, as I trudged across the path between the house and my studio with leaves crunching under my feet. The three feral cats met me about halfway across, all wanting their heads rubbed first. We proceeded as a group into the garage for First Breakfast and more rubs and purring. The cold makes it more comfortable for both them and me as it means that the sometimes-intrusive raccoons are not as active. All as usual for this time of the year.
Then I left them to head into the studio to give Hobo, my studio cat, another onetime feral who we figure is about 18 years old now, her medications and feed her. She greets me with her usual purrs and meows. All as usual.
Coffee and tea– I drink both first thing in the morning– are prepared and I head into the painting area. I usually flip on some music or watch the news as I begin to figure out what I am going to write. This is sometimes where things bog down.
But flipping on the TV, I notice that TCM is playing Shake! Otis at Monterey which is a film of his legendary 1967 performance at Monterey Pop Festival. I turned it over to it and am greeted with his opening number, Shake!
Wow.
I’ve seen this performance many times before but at 5:30 AM in the dark stillness of my studio, its frenetic pace felt like a shot of adrenaline directly into my heart. Made me giddy and eager to start the day. To get something done. To shake off the cobwebs and make something of the day. Get out of the little dull rut I’ve been feeling in recent days and push myself. Jump on this rocking rhythm and ride it, maybe start a new and bigger project.
Just move.
Wake it up and shake it up.
Thanks, Otis. I needed that.
Take a couple of minutes to watch Otis then get out of here. Go wake and shake on your own time. You’re stifling me.
And stay off my lawn…
Redtree Times 