I Want To Participate

This one got me off my lazy bum today. I may not have anything exciting to do (until my spin class at 6) but getting out the house is good. Publix here I come!

To explain the title of this post quickly, Alex and I went on a walk with Penny a couple months ago and we were discussing how artists paint such beautiful, emotional events. I pointed out that, while they recorded and brought to life these moments in time, immortalized-- in a sense-- those moments and people, they themselves were not taking part. I concluded that there are two types of people, and yes people can be a little of both but, the first is a Participant: one who lives the adventure and feels the emotions and life in that moment. The second, (and this one was hard to name) the God's Eye: you have the ability to look all around you and present life and wonder within an image or a book but you must give up your own joy and wonder of those moments to create them. Art is beautiful and there is nothing wrong with being the God's Eye or the Participant... I just know if I get to my last day and look back and all I see is the lives I've observed without me in it, my heart would weep.
I want to see others in their sadness and happiness but I also want to see me next to them. I know there are many ways of describing and observing the artist themselves but this was what came to mind that day-- and what came to mind again when I saw this Hunchback quote. I love to paint, but I want to participate more.
Namaste.