Meditation III-IV - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

"Colleges being nothing but grooming schools for the middle class non-identity which usually finds its perfect expression on the outskirts of the campus in rows of well-to-do houses with lawns and television sets in each living room with everybody looking at the same thing and thinking the same thing at the same time while the Japhys of the world go prowling into the wilderness to hear the voice crying in the mountains, to find the ecstasy of the stars."
From Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac

My consciousness is silently being altered through a concentrated effort of sitting, breathing.

Yesterday I woke at 4:00am and meditated.

Then walked to work, the silence of the streets almost as startling as the stillness inside my head.

When I got to work I tried to maintain focus on my breath as I worked on various projects.

Joseph came to the cottage at 7:30 with 2 others. After 5-10 minutes of work he sat down at the desk next to mine and asked,

"James, when you get up in the morning do you ever sing this to your dog, 'Wake up Maggie, I think I got something to say to you'.....?"

I grinned, and unsure of Joseph's mood, replied,

"I don't think I ever have".

This lead-in allowed Joseph to talk with me for 30 minutes. He did most of the talking, telling me about an upcoming Pacific Coast hiking trip which he probably won't participate in because he does not have 3 weeks vacation time.

He then went into a detailed account of his hiking trip through a part of the Appalachian Trail, specifically hiking the mountains of Vermont.

During the conversation I made a note of the following :

• Joseph has a 22 year old girlfriend
• He is an experienced surveyor
• He is almost finished with his 2 year degree in Geographical Information Systems
• Once finished with school he should have plenty of job opportunities
• He may move to the Denver area
• He practices Yoga while on his long distance hikes
• He carries incense and candles in his hiking backpack
• He does not get blisters after 12 hour mountain hikes in the rain
• He likes to drink tequila by the campfire

I am not sure why Joseph decided to sit down and tell me about his life, but while he was doing so I tried to maintain a focus on my breath while at the same time involving myself with his words. Because of this dual focus I was in a more relaxed state of mind, and perhaps this is why he felt comfortable enough to share so much with me.

Throughout I did not say much about my own life, I just listened, and asked questions. It reminds me of something Robert Bly wrote in a book of translated poems by Rilke, “If you want to to have a conversation with someone, ask a question, then..... listen.”

As Joseph spoke I was reminded of the fictional character Japhy Ryder (a portrayal of poet Gary Snyder) in Kerouac's Dharma Bums. I asked Joseph if he had read that book, and was surprised to find that he answered no.

When I got home from work I meditated, then took Maggie to the arboretum, where we did the same routine as the day before.

After a short rest I decided to make a watercolor. Rather than work from a still life, I decided to convert one of my recent digital photographs into a painting. The majority of my digi photos resemble etchings/paintings, not photographs. I do not print any of the photographs because I don't think I would like how they look on flimsy, glossy photo paper.

I inserted into my printer a piece of cut-down watercolor paper, then chose a photograph to print. I took the printed photo to my painting studio and got to work.

I set up my supplies - paints, water, brushes, towels, palette knife. Because I was working with watercolor I decided working on an easel would not be smart, so I set the paper on a small, flat table and began applying paint to paper.

Since I had already worked extensively on the photograph to achieve the tones and colors I wanted, there was not much which needed to be changed.

I was surprised how easy it was to mix colors that were similar to the photograph. When I applied the paint it soaked into the paper and ink nicely, and I liked how a thin layer of paint allowed the ink to show through.

I was able to get into a painting flow, which is where my mind turns off analytical thought and moves into a spacial/color mode.

As the painting progressed I realized I had hit upon a way of making pictures which suited my temperament. Making a digital photograph is easy in the sense that the computer does most of the grunt work - the mixing of colors, contrast/lightness, hue/saturation are quickly achieved with a few mouse clicks. While the results are superb and brilliant, there seems to be a step of the process missing - the part where I do the work. When I put the finishing touches on the painting, I realized I had found the missing step.

For my first painting using this method, I am pleased with the results.

Meditation III

Today I woke at 6:30am and meditated. Walked the dog. Cleaned the house. Did laundry. Ate lunch. Did another painting.

Meditation IV

The only time my knee hurts is when I am sleeping in bed. During the day I have no pain, and I am still searching for a proper method of recovery.

Tonight I am heading to Brookens Gym to skip rope and do some strength exercises.

Got a call from Rachel yesterday, she made it to Hawaii, and is having a great time.

Time to walk the dog....

I almost forgot, it's Valentine's Day, so here is a clip from one of my favorite Valentine's films :