Four Drawings and Their Lesson – Soulfully Connecting

The drawings were done in different times. They are arranged from the oldest and were drawn over a period of 20 days. I chose them from among many others because they represent a direction and because I like them.

Here is the first:

My relentless picture reemerged

My heart arises desperately

I am holding it

And it escapes.

Encumbered at the legs

Do I love myself?

Yes, no,

Deeply troubled with

Things as they are.

The second drawing, 16 days later:

When I walk outside

I suddenly find myself

Hurrying

And as if worried

Then I say

I am blessed to have this experience

And I open up to the endless.

The third drawing, 3 days later:

My heart takes me in its wind.

Before, I spent time

Mainly in the front of the house

At the window

Watching the flies

Playing in the air.

But one day

The path to the house became

A picture-book-man

Coming up

Or coming up and down.

I dirtied the floor

But I cleaned it

Pumping water from the well.

Now I am

Happily breathing

Like the kiss of a good sound.

And the fourth drawing, 1 day later:

This is not a poem. These are just thoughts.

I don’t know

Why I cry

When I look

At what

I’ve just

Done.

I see the usual effort

To jump into space

To disappear, maybe?

To find Mama and Papa?

To find love forever?

To be free?

Home?

To be who I am?

I also see that there are always a few starting strokes that are willful

And soon after them something true kicks in and takes over.

All I have to do is listen/do.

Listen/do is my new way to describe intuitive doing.

My aim is to listen/do beauty, which seems to be what I am here for. It is the gift that I have received and it is the very best, the only real thing that I can ever give to anybody.

And this one drawing tears my heart. It may be nothing to others. Maybe a few will feel their hearts broken too? And that’s where my niche resides.

Or maybe it is: To show anybody who is interested how to do it too.

So, basically, the work that I do involves finding out where I am, by looking in with a drawing and with words, and maybe with new ways that I have not found yet. When I am low or encumbered, opening up and being relieved through my work, by accepting all that I find. I have already written in Part One how good this method is for accepting and loving. Doing it every time until the beauty that I find breaks my heart, and in this way experience again and again that love has no limits.

The main issue on the table is still the pain and naturally, when I work these days, the pain and everything that it is connected to will emerge. Other issues from my lives will emerge too. As I am working with people, I find that this work that I do with myself makes me more open, more sensitive and more truly accepting. I am living my life purpose. I refuse to do anything that is not the most beautiful that I can. Even paperwork is beautiful if you handle it as if it is deep wonder that passes through your fingers.

And this is the best way for me to be free. I am free already when I live like this, because there is nothing that cannot turn into awe. Is there anything that I have to fight or struggle for?

I can stop part two here, as there is nowhere that I am going to. But I’ll leave it open. I do my work all the time, every day and everywhere I am. Maybe there will be something of interest that will show up in the process, and in this case I’ll come here and post it. Maybe there will be many things? Maybe a few?

I love you all deeply.

I used to be a graphic designer and an illustrator. I became involved with the Chan Meditation Center and studied meditation and Buddhist knowledge with the late Master Sheng-yen from Taiwan. For twelve years I was in a process of deepening my meditation. I had many more experiences and insights and my life changed. After having illustrated more than 40 children’s books and writing two of them, I left this career too and went to New York University to study art therapy.

You can see more about Giora’s work on his blog and website