Tuesday, May 31, 2016

My Cat-My Muse


Fluffo



Ever since I can remember I have always had cats, and have been enamored by them my whole life. I remember everyone of them, their names and personalities.

I know animals are very therapeutic, but I've never really read anything until today, about how cats in particular can be a creative stimulant and act as a creative muse. But this makes complete sense to me. On a physiological level they do lower blood pressure and have a calming and comforting affect on humans. In order to concentrate we all need to be relaxed and this in turn would definitely help to enable and foster creative musings.


Today after losing one of my sweet puss-cats suddenly to a unknown pre-existing heart condition, this sad day got me thinking about how much I loved my little Fluffo Flower cat. She was a little ball of fluff, with a very small physical build, but with huge gentle personality. She would often stick out her tongue at me reminding me not to take myself and life too seriously, and she was so good humoured, playful, full of affection, with such a loving personality.

Even being so sick, she hopped up in my lap to be close to me, before she was taken to the vet. I prayed for a miracle, but it wasn't meant to be. I cried and have been sad all day. I'll really miss my very special little Fluffo soul.



Fluffo made me think about how I wished people could be more like cats, loving unconditionally, with the ability to show us how to be playful, and to remind us to use our imaginations to define our world.

"If you want to concentrate deeply on some problem, and especially some piece of writing or paper-work, you should acquire a cat. Alone with the cat in the room where you work … the cat will invariably get up on your desk and settle placidly under the desk lamp. The light from a desk lamp … gives a cat great satisfaction. The cat will settle down and be serene, with a serenity that passes all understanding. And the tranquility of the cat will gradually come to affect you, sitting there at your desk, so that all the excitable qualities that impede your concentration compose themselves and give your mind back the self-command it has lost. You need not watch the cat all the time. Its presence alone is enough. The effect of a cat on your concentration is remarkable, very mysterious."

- Muriel Spark, A Far Cry From Kensington

Fluffo Flower

2 comments:

Judith Joseph said...

So sorry for your loss! I relate to what you said about how people should aspire to be as good as animals. I always said our dog, Willow, was nicer than us. We became a nicer family when we got her. How about a Fluffo painting?

Unknown said...

Thank you Judith for your kind words. I so agree.
Scuba teaches that the most dangerous thing in the oceans is a human. I have to say the same can be said for the world unfortunately. Animals are our greatest teachers in so many ways.

I was thinking I would like to do a painting of her too! When I was little I longed to learn how to draw cats, and I did, dogs and horses also. I've gotten away from this over the years. Yes it's time for a Fluffo painting!

After I lost my mum dad and young husband I did portraits of them. I thought this would be too painful to do, but it was very therapeutic, healing and comforting. The same goes for our other family members, namely our fur family!