The Wooded Nest in a Budding Spring

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It was rather different working with primarily all wooden pieces and skeletons of trees-- as it took some elbow grease to bend and break branches off of larger branches, then dragging them to their designated ground in an effort to assemble an ephermal art pieces (as seen in above image.) It felt masculine and less of an intuitive process while I was making judgments and rationalism on how I could fit these wooden pieces in like you would a jig-saw puzzle. It wasn’t the usual fanciful acquisition this time; I was scavenging for specific kinds of deadened wood among the mowed-down and barren meadow. I felt my blood pulsing through my veins as I traveled back and forth umpteenth times over to my mandala arrangement across different stretches of areas in the field by Big Flat Brook in the Delaware Water Gap region of New Jersey. All of my senses were fully engaged, I was sweating like a bandit, getting scratched and scraped by the sharp brush and branches and my hands were becoming full of blisters and splinters while lugging the debris. Why was I placing myself in such a discomforting yet exhilarating form? Where was I getting at, in all of this? The question does remain, what is my intention in making this work? Was it to be made for the beauty, challenge, fun, expel wound-up energies, celebration of love, self-compassion, for the release of emotions, a desire, all of the above, etcetera, etcetera?

Earth Mandalas aren’t always an attempt to create something "beautiful" with natural materials and they are not always so pleasing to look at either—in fact I have created many mandalas (all of the time, for years) and have only decided to share a select few for multiple of reasons and to be honest sometimes it is for reasons of aesthetics. Certainly, there is ‘beauty there, is truth’ and so many facets of beauty, right? What makes beauty, what makes art beautiful or even you, beautiful? Perhaps, great questions to ponder. Mandalas across the world and mine included are often created with design elements in mind (line, shape, color, symmetry, forms, juxtaposition, compositions, patterns and texture). Also, they are sometimes created for the constancy of dreadful opportunities of self-analysis through metaphors/themes, to learn from the process and to experience the creation with a purpose whether it is for catharsis or with intentions for meditation— in a prayer of gratitude, wonder, longings and thanks.
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Being an artist isn’t always about creating beautiful things or appeasing others with aesthetics; it is about ‘who we are as humans and where we have been.’ Art-making in it’s truest and authentic expression is a sacred, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical act, secured in materials and has the potential to be infused with passions, exertions and is an outlet to hone in difficult emotions; such as rage, despair, pain, and sorrow. Art whether it is created with ease or pain-- whether it is considered ugly or beautiful has depth, value, meaning and is meant to be honored…even celebrated.

My encouragement and my sincere affirmations to you: be generous, be nurturing, give words and thoughts of life to the wounded-ness and to your aches within yourself and unto others with loved ones alike. We can begin to acknowledge the ugliness and the beauty in ourselves via art modality and in the process of creation. We can begin to see ourselves in the subconscious that is apparent in our process and in our consciousness where forefront of our product resides. How art can be so many things, how is can be playful with the versatile levels of consciousness, the layers are like a bird’s nest- holding it all and harboring our fragility yet the paradox of resiliency— we are just mere humans with soul and Children of The Creator, afterall.

I invite the Reader, to keep your mystery while many choose a ghastly over-exposure and exploitation of human-kinds; and such as life and such a moment that lends space for the well-crafted Lover and Artist to incubate like an egg in their story and emerge in time to share themselves with it and from it on internal realms that connects to the collective unconsciousness in pieces to the whole. Your truth when manifested into words and creations has the potential to enliven healing for others, did you know that have that ability? To share what was not in existence before…to be catalysts for healing not just for ourselves, but for others as well! In heart of hearts, continue to focus, acknowledge who you are in this world, the important role you keep, the transformations you will bring and work in a way (wherever you are) that feels authentically right, that's meaningful— nevertheless, remebering to keep it real in an era of individualistic and societal facades. In the current of motioning change lays the stillness of our hope.


Peace to you,
Moriah

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​"The Wooded Nest"- An Earth Mandala assembled by Moriah M. Mylod on 4/15/18 at Big Flat Brook, Delaware River in Sussex County, NJ.

detail of "A Wooded Nest"