How Quickly Time Flies: Finding Purpose Again

It is the beginning of September; a time to question what is next for this project called life. Autumn is for reconsidering all the paths we take through the innocence of spring and the anxious heat of summer; it's a good time for new perspective.

Last year, in October, I was in the hospital having open heart surgery. The concept still seems so foreign as it still doesn't feel real.

How do you start again? I've been in shock now for almost a year and have not had the energy I used to but the mental scars are probably worse than the physical ones. I have suffered from PTSD something that goes without notice.

One day you are wondering what to do the coming weekend and next you're on your back. I don't want to waste a moment but often recovery is about taking time, we try to gather some feeling of normalcy and calm.

After the initial scare of heart surgery, upheaval with the house, a waterfall coming through the ceiling, bills piling up both medical and house on top of having little energy: a recipe to feel very depressed and overwhelmed.

Autumn is for reconsidering all the paths we take through the innocence of spring and the anxious heat of summer - Artbygordon

So what is the next step? Art, photography and writing have always been my path for the future but all creative avenues have stalled lately. I 've started doing small pastels, collecting and printing out poems and stories, cleaning my studio out and finally coming up with a business plan.

https://www.artbygordonblog.com/going-where-the-words-lead/ -see the story about this photo and additional words.

There are so many avenues to creativity but one must ask the question-what is your purpose? Such an easy question and yet often we work toward the same idea without a definitive path or goal.

Yesterday I wrote the beginning of a plan of work. The first question you must ask is why do you do what you do? First, it is to make a living although a full time job allows one to be less dependent on a quick profit, it can allow you just enough cushion to accomplish nothing and I believe that's where I've been lately.

I want to share my art for the purpose of demonstrating how art is integral for the soul and necessary for our mental health. I have written and published an article on writing through grief and how art can truly heal the soul.

This is my purpose and something I will refine in the coming months. Art is not just for mere joy, nor to make a statement, it is to be a source of rejunev, it is to feed the soul-something we all need about now.

What is your purpose? Why do you do the job you do on the side? The volunteering? How would you start to make what was always something you did, a goal oriented process?