Let’s face it—
Sometimes words won’t do what we want them to.
This is one of those days.
I’m face-to-face with my own wordless self—an aging, over-weight, word-weary woman.
So, I’ll do an about-face and offer, well, faces instead.
I drew these a number of years ago, while I was in a strange, emotional space—a trance-like state. I drew them automatically—
Instinctually.
At first, the faces frightened me, but now I consider these the faces of my own internal guide figures—wise ones who show me the way through the thick places—twists on the winding way to my own center—the place where I’m face to face with who I am, the place where I can’t hide from the fact of myself, where there is no such thing as fiction—
Tell me a fact or fiction about yourself in the comments below, or tell me what you do when you can’t find the right words—when words won’t do what you want them to.
Kathryn M. McCullough 
Fantastic faces, Kathy. In my own life, I see that every experience is an opportunity to learn something new about myself. I always ask myself where the lesson is and sometimes the answers are overwhelming, especially in view of recent health challenges. Everyday, I practice letting go of judgements about myself and others and allow what is to unfold. It’s a full-time occupation, but worth it, I think.
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What a beautiful approach to living and learning–all the more reason to love you, Marianne! Happy Tuesday, my friend!
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Your artwork is always so interesting, that it’s a good substitute for days when you don’t want to write a lot.
What face would you draw if you did one today, I wonder?
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Okay, Lisa, this is a REALLY GOOD QUESTION–as usualy, my friend! I don’t know how you do it, Lisa. I will have to give this some thought. What I wonder is why drawing another face feels kind of scary to me. Weird. This is a great challenge——————————
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Always find you drawings intriguing…and when words don’t come…I sit back and wait for my Muse to whisper in my ear. 🙂
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I love that image of the muse whispering in your ear. You write like that’s exactly what happens.
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It’s amazing to see art emerge from an emotionally strange place….fascinating drawings Kathy…
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Isn’t it unexpected? I still think it won’t happen, but over and over again it does. So strange. Kind of weird. Glad you enjoyed the drawings, my dear!
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When I can’t find the words, I simply…umm…well, I…that is to say…err………..
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Too damn funny, Mark!!!!!!
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When I can’t find words I just sit. Quietly. They’ll come back sooner or later. They always do!
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You’re right. They do always come. And how wonderful that you can sit quietly and wait. I too often panic, I’m afraid. I hate that, but it’s true. Any advice?
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Great pictures, great faces. Drawing what you consider to be your internal guide figures could be an interesting creative exercise.
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Absolutley, Paul, it would be a great exercise. An incredible one, really. I hadn’t even thought of it in those terms. Thanks for that idea! It’s wonderful to hear from you!
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Well, generally, I can’t seem to find words for commenting on blogs. So I leave lame comments. 😉
The faces are great, very intriguing.
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You’re so funny, Robin. Of course, you leave wonderful comments! Glad you like the faces, my friend!
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These are sort of Picasso-like. I see tree branches and leaves in some of them. And fire. Symbols of what you were feeling? Or maybe symbols of what I’m feeling, since that is what I saw in them!
When I can’t find my words I absorb the words of others, either through blogs or a book or music. I’ve yet to find the remedy for coming up with the written word when I feel stuck.
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The branches have always been a big deal to me. You are right about that. I did include the fire, but I’m not sure why. Bottome lline–you’re correct. You are also right that reading helps one write better. And though music doesn’t do it for me, especially, sometimes in the past, I believe it may have.
Thanks for this wonderful feedback, Terri. Hope your week is going well!
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Your faces are wonderful. I’m with Lisa, I would like to know how you would paint yourself right now. I find absolutely nothing wrong with being middle aged and chubby, I see that every time I look in the mirror. It could be much worse. I had great difficulty with words today when my i Pad teacher tried to show me how to do my blog from that dreadful instrument. Hopefully it will get better.
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Okay, I guess I really do need to draw some more faces. I promise to try. Lisa always has great ideas!
I too am learning to live with this aging, chubbier version of myself! At least, I need to laugh at the changes. Otherwise I might cry.
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I love this post! I wish I could do anything artistic. yes, some days words are hard. Mostly for me because I tend to get so busy that I get overwhelmed and can’t think straight. Yet when I have the time, I can’t seem to write. When I am busy, then it just pours out. That is why I love blogging. I can write what I want without the pressure of if it is good or not. Hopefully it is good! Otherwise I’ll lose readers!
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Believe me–it’s good! You posts are always good! But isn’t if funny how that happens–when you have time you can’t find the words? Wonder why that is. That happens to me sometimes, too.
I’m happy you liked my post. Thanks so much!
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awesome pics.. its my pleasure to see that pictures.. 🙂
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awesome pics.. its my pleasure to see that pictures.. 🙂
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Thanks so much for reading. I’m glad you enjoyed my drawings. Hope you’ll come back soon!
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I love your pictures Kathy – they remind me of stained glass windows – maybe windows into your past? You are an incredible artist.
I always fight with words and ever have the right ones that I need. I have a very small vocabulary and it always lets me down, especially when trying to write/talk about emotions and feelings.
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Wow, what a great comment, Jackie! I love the notion that stained-glass-like faces might offer a window to my past. I think that only a writer with an actually strong vocabulary is sensitive to their own feelings of linguistic lack. Does that make sense? The comment above alone demonstrates that verbal strength.
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I like your use of colors and shapes. The first one is scary. I really like the last two.
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I agree, Connie. The first one is still the scariest to me. Don’t know why. Glad you like the last two though. Thanks for taking a look!
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“where there is no such thing as fiction.”
I love that, and the faces—all fact, all fiction, all you.
When the words fail me, I know I’m pushing against the True Current. There’s work going on under the surface that will carry me if I let go. Each false start will give me information, though. It’s like Michaelangelo’s quote about how the sculpture is already in the marble, he just had to chip away the extraneous rock. Each time I take a stab at what I want to say and miss, I’m chipping away at the statue.
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Gosh, Sandy, I don’t think I knew about that Michaelangelo quote, but how amazing to think about creativity that way–that the creation is already there. Our task is only to reveal it! Thanks for sharing that! Somehow that makes me happy!
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I liked your blog and your faces. Very creative. When words don’t come to me I let them come to the pen. Literally….. I am a bit of a sporadic poet and sometimes when I want to write, I can’t, other times I am not even thinking and words just come into my head, I find a pen and paper and the words spill out onto the page. Weird ? I think anyway. Still, it’s part of me and I love it . Thankyou for sharing a little bit of you with us, it has helped me to share this little secret about me!
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Thanks so much for reading! I know exactly what you mean about how writing works. There seems to be no way to predict when I’ll be able to write and when I won’t, either. I don’t know why.
At any rate, it was great having you stop by. Hope you’ll come back soon!
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