Taking Action
Austin, TX | ©️ 2024 Alicia Kae Miller
Do you ever wish you could do something, but no matter how hard you try, you just don't have a talent for it?
This is me and artistic painting.
I have long dreamt of depicting landscapes like an Old Master, but it is not meant to be, well, not in this lifetime anyway. However, recently, it occurred to me that I do, in fact, paint.
I
paint
with
words
and like the meaning behind any work of art, the message I am telegraphing is unique to the recipient.
Have you ever noticed that this happens in meaningful conversations, too?
I enjoy how art, in all its forms, takes us on a thought-inducing journey, allowing us to get somewhat lost in the lived experience of others and our own.
Robert Frost suggests that "the best way out is always through." Taking his challenge to heart, I once shared with someone how I felt emotionally naked with him after baring my soul in a way that I had never done before. That said, on more than one occasion, I have warmed myself with the fire of many conversation partners truth-tells, so I know how the dreaded knife cuts both ways in the afterglow of vulnerability.
Being exactly who we are is not always easy, but a presence of dignity and respect bolsters our resolve.
Until we meet again, recall that empathy is as empathy does. ❤️
Yours in Solidarity, -akm
April 2024