The profound poem titled "A Great Wagon" was written by Rumi the 13th century. It is the source of inspiration about where the name "Out Beyond" came from... more specifically why my Instagram account is named Out Beyond Right. You can read the whole poem here... I hope you do, it's amazing.
I started my Instagram page in 2019 when I was working as a manager for a nonprofit in a day to day grind quite bereft of creativity. I started collecting images I liked on my nature walks, during my wee snippets of art time and things I observed. It helped me 'look' more and find things in my world that felt interesting and meaningful. It was supposed to be just for me a creative outlet - now it's for all of us. Sidenote - this is inspiring me to use IG as a collection tool again.
In another period of my life my oh so heart-full yoga teacher Karuna Erickson from Nelson would recite Sufi poetry to us during class. Poems that included 'A Great Wagon'. Out of nowhere in a yoga class she would suddenly recite a line or two... sometimes during a relaxed pose, sometimes during a difficult one. I'd have to ask her but I think it was to inspire us, also to ground us and I think mostly because she loved to speak it aloud. I am forever grateful to her not only for her loving teaching style but for my introduction to Sufi poetry. I hear her voice when I read the poems, she is so passionate. I love "A Great Wagon" the most.
The line that resonates the deepest with me is in the image above "out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there." It says everything to me about life, and in turn art.
As an artist and designer I believe there are no rules... there are laws of science like gravity and kiln firing temperatures that are hard to bend, but the rules... those are up for interpretation.
Experience is subjective. Like what you like but I ask you to be open to wonder when a cord of dissonance strikes you when you discover something new or even 'unpleasant'. I put 'unpleasant' in quotes because that too is subjective - what is unpleasant to one is joyous to another. Such as middle management at a non-profit and never ending zoom calls. (Sweet relief this freedom from employment.) Also making mug after mug to some is unpleasant - a joy to me. Wonder is also a place of unexpected joy. Wonder is place of questioning and not knowing... a place to try things on.
I believe there is no right or wrong way to live your life... there is no place to get to... no safe ground. When I left my cage that was a nice pay cheque every two weeks I knew I wanted to return to the life of entrepreneur and finally follow my heart (25+ years later) to be a full time potter. I have always made pots. I potted when my son was an infant during nap time, I potted in the basement of my 100+ year old house when I owned a bookstore, I potted in my kitchen after a divorce left me without a studio, I potted in the corner of my boyfriend's (now husband) concrete shop, I potted in the art gallery I owned, I potted in the snippets of space in a stressful job. I potted, I potted, I potted. Now I have a production studio and it's all I do - full time. I am fully enjoying this time of my life. I've never worked harder, I do it with glee and I share it with you to bring joy to your everyday. It really is made with love.
I'm on a wagon ride. I don't know where it'll take me but I invite you to join me. I'll share my experiences, joys and failures, thoughts and dreams. As Ferris Bueller once said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it."
If you've never seen that movie, well - go - what are you still doing here - go watch it. ;)
Thanks for reading.