Being Is Not a Luxury

"Being is not a luxury, it is a discipline".
 I read this today, and it really made an impression on me.

Most of us are caught up in doing, more, faster, better, and acquisition of position. This is what our culture supports.

I am grateful to be an artist because I think we tend to be introspective and we can have a sense of being in the moment. Our creative process can be meditative and methodical and slow. Being in a hurry doesn't always lend itself to the creative process, and sometimes less is more when it comes to creating art., and I'm not certain being a prolific artist necessarily makes us a better artist or a better human being.

As a women I have made a conscious effort not to be defined by what it is a do, and have taken steps to be in my own body, mind and soul to be a creative human being.

My freedom and my discipline doesn't depend on something or someone outside myself. In the past I didn't comprehended  or make a connection between these two words, or see that were directly related proportionally to my daily maintenance of my own discipline. I could have ever imagined that within discipline I would find freedom, not did I believe that real freedom meant the ability to be disciplined. Art and life taught me this lesson.

Defined by the historical male model and male defined patriarchal work world, that is production orientated, power-over and dominating, reinforces the myth that if we are not busy doing important work accordingly, society perceives those who are not "doing" that something, are individuals often seen as not measuring up, not outwardly validated and valueless. Feminine values of caring and relationship took second place to achievement of goals, but this model doesn't work well for women.

Perhaps it is thought that these individuals are just hangin' around doing nothing; being families, mothers, fathers, being poor, unemployed, marginalized, uneducated, being addicted, and being mentally and/or physically ill. I say this because I see how many women and people are undervalued for what they do. Monetarily they are not remunerated with equal pay, for work of equal value. Instead, they are discriminated against simply for being who they are. Those who are stigmatized and marginalized are not given nearly enough help, with a woeful lack of support and assistance within our institutions and services that are supposed to be available to help, by extending a hand up.

Learning to be, truly is not a luxury, but a discipline.