perspective Archives - Writing From The Kitchen

Kaleidoscope of Hope – True Inspiration

April 8, 2019July 26, 2019by Erika K Rothwell2 Comments

Fragmented, broken pieces of myself have formed into a moving creative pattern appearing through a kaleidoscope induced image of myself. My feelings of inconsistency remind me to accept the orderliness of a divine arrangement marked with symmetry and cohesiveness to produce authentic work reflecting my individual design.

Psychology of perception ground up learning theory would state that I am a product of experience. What I see is because of what I already know. Having learned to finally tweak the vision of those broken parts into some sort of manageable recurring design for others to view plays on this well-accepted theory. However, what is perceived still remains subjective.

Events can turn the environment causing a new realm of stability, slightly shifting the lens, and strikingly new patterns emerge. Consider too that each repetitive pattern is continually morphing into a modified version of itself until it becomes completely unrecognizable in the metamorphosis, retaining only some of its original colors.

We can all recognize the beauty in the constantly changing visions of a kaleidoscope. But can we accept change in ourselves?

Vivid colors surround me daily, awakening a deeply-rooted purpose to express my feelings and reflections in the form of artistic creation. I cannot deny the profound effect of colorful displays of inspirational images on my heart. Motivation to share and create is born from these visions of delight. Flowers, birds, and trees, as well as oceans and mountain streams, enlighten me and guide my heart deeper into a natural realm of being where self-acceptance combines with a desire for a non-hurried lifestyle to allow my dreams to thrive.

As in the turn of a kaleidoscope, creative development often remains a work in progress and a mystery. A journey refined by every step. Joy felt from our individual perspective of each design as seen today without our eyes on tomorrow or our hearts left in the struggles of yesterday.

It is for each of us to appreciate the constantly changing visions of our inner kaleidoscopes.

For what we think to be true, is often only true because of how we see it.

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hope, inspiration

Hope – Path of Inspiration – Day 29

January 30, 2019by Erika K RothwellLeave a Comment

When inspiration takes you down side roads for a meandering moment, space is opened between what must be done and what is possible. Traveling along the road of life reminds me that we often focus on an endpoint while forgetting to make time for inspiration along the way. Why are we always in such a hurry? Do we actually ever arrive in life?

In a hurried life, paths we choose may not allow time for whimsical detours or perceived frivolities. Likewise, when we travel, our planned arrival time typically sets in motion the fastest and most efficient route to our destination.

I still mourn a missed opportunity during my last road trip to stop for a moment, to capture a “photograph to be” calling to me, once the goal of arriving took over as the priority.

Remember when time seemed to last forever. You didn’t count the minutes or the hours because you didn’t know they even existed. Your days were filled with adventure, entertaining inspiration, while learning and growing.

At what point did we allow a clock to determine our life’s path? When did our accomplishments become measured between numbers and our purpose quantified by a dictated plan on a to-do list?

Once inspiration is lost, motivation fades and energy wanes.

Productivity is a sum of variables and can be looked upon as so much more than a completed checklist of tasks. So, I remind myself to take the time to savor the joys of inspiration. Without it, life seems drab and daily motions become robotic.

Our life may indeed hold a hidden algorithm, but we can always input new variables.

Look around you and sense your current environment. We were meant to do more than simply survive, we were meant to use our senses and dream of possibilities. Anything is possible especially when time is not dictating what is possible. Inspiration changes the clock.

As we head toward a planned destination, the joy of inspiration will expand the frame along the way.

The stars come out every night, but our view of those stars changes with our perspective. On days of hurry or disinterest, we miss them completely. On nights where gloom clouds their view, they may not appear at all. When we make the time to see them, we know the plan is so much bigger than what exists in the 24 hours we are given each day.

Hope lives in the inspiration of living life to its fullest, when we remember to smell the flowers, listen to our hearts, take the pictures, and gaze at the stars.

Take some time to meander down the path of inspiration.

-Erika K Rothwell

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hope

Hope Dances – A Note on Optimism – Day 15

January 17, 2019by Erika K Rothwell3 Comments

“Life has its own rhythms, we just have to learn how to dance.” – Cristian Andrei Nica

Self-expression is discovered in each individual’s dance style. We all feel the rhythm differently, uniquely perceiving the tempo as each of our steps moves according to the way we feel it.

It’s difficult to think your way through dancing. You must embrace and engage the music with your heart.

When you feel what you write, your words dance with the rhythm of your life.

There can be no naysayers as they look upon your heart. When we don’t feel well with our soul, we may look upon someone else’s joy as self-serving. Yet it is the example of a joyous heart that feeds us hope.

Lately, I question whether I’ve become a little too optimistic. And I realize I may have just learned to dance without worrying about what onlookers may think. Others who have ventured before me have given me that courage. I share openly with an audience I do not know personally, yet feel connected to on another level.

Am I offended that you may not like the way I dance?

No, I appreciate your perspective. For it is in the differences that we connect.

I believe it is not for us to examine another’s motivation. Optimism drives my hope that we can all learn to appreciate someone near or far who has taken the struggles that life has handed them and learned how to dance!

I look forward to continuing my journey while reading and being inspired by yours. You make “dancing” all that much more special for me.

-Erika K Rothwell

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Discovery, Growth

Musical Masterpiece

April 10, 2018January 10, 2019by Erika K RothwellLeave a Comment

Musical Masterpiece

Somedays, I sit and wonder what to write. Other days, the idea insists that it be written. It is unscheduled, unplanned and interrupts the day’s agenda.

I hear the words from yesterday and can’t help believing, they are a powerful representation of life. They were innocently said, with unintended consequences, yet a dance in my mind began when recalled…

My husband was complaining that he didn’t have his earbuds, so I retorted, “I can be your music if you let me sing.” It sounded humorous, and without another thought, the moment passed. But the words called for a repeat performance, in my mind and heart. The depth of meaning in those passing words pined for acknowledgment.

In the second act, later that night, I was excited to share with my son that I had come up with a new quote. His exact response was, “That’s great, but that’s already a quote.” In disbelief, I immediately questioned, “I don’t think so, who said it?”. He shot back, “Dr. Seuss…I know it because I love all his quotes!” Now, here is when I defended my originality with my fullest armor on, “No way, he did not!” and I was victorious. He backed down and laughed. He admitted he was just making it up. Now, the paradox emerges.

My disillusion was in believing my artistic creation was entirely new. Words have existed so much longer than any of us. Words create a timeless imprint in this world. They may not create a new world, but perhaps a new window.

The view from each window is dramatically altered by the perspective of each viewer. My heart should have been singing because my son immediately found warmth and love in my words, reminding him of words by Dr. Seuss, one of the greatest word masters ever. Yet, my inflated ego chose to focus on protecting my personal, yet insignificant discovery of a word puzzle. For all I knew, it was written somewhere already.

But right now, for me, these simple words are alive, capturing moments like an episodic drama series, one leading to another, and keeping me guessing the entire time. The next episode begins on queue.

As I visit with my social group, I realize we often bring the story back to ourselves in an attempt to connect to one another. For example, how many times do we say, “Yeh, that happened to me when…” Perhaps, unlike it appears, self-centered words are not entirely centered on self, but rather are an attempt to bring us together on the same page. It could be said, our similar experiences bind our humanness; but our unique perspectives create the ultimate connection.

Alternatively, have you ever found yourself trying to persuade someone to see an issue from your perspective when they are not interested? Have you ever felt that someone wants to change who you are, to become more like them? Have you ever stopped someone from singing, because they didn’t do it well, or you didn’t know the song?

No matter who we are or what insecurities plague us, we all desire to be someone’s music and be heard. This can only happen when we truly connect through our differences.

Thanks for letting me sing!

-Erika K Rothwell

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