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shadowkat1. Coping by and through the creation of art. I read somewhere that "adding beauty and art to the world - helps push the encroaching darkness at bay. And if you can do that? Do it. Even if that's all you can currently do?" (I don't remember where, somehow my Instagram and Threads feed got inundated with spiritual quotes and I can't get rid of them. I would probably help if I would stop liking them, right? Yes, I've reached the stage in my time line that I'm comforted by spiritual quotes.)
The art space or little art studio that I've set up in the corner of my apartment's living room. It used to be my remote from home office - but when they sent us back into the office - I turned it into an artist space.
I plan on becoming a full time novelist and artist when I retire. Now? I do it part time.
The picture of Cillian Murphy is there because I was attempting to draw and paint him, and eventually gave up. I decided I was better at drawing and painting people I see on the subway and streets of NYC from memory, instead.
Here's the one I did of the two women I saw on the subway this past Thursday. I've been trying to draw and paint them for three days. Finally got something. It's not quite what I want it to be - the woman on the right is off. Although I did want to emphasize her large young face. I will most likely try it again.
Today, I drew a Bengali Woman that I saw on the street, who is dressed in Muslim garb, albeit not full habib. She was standing in the middle of the sidewalk on her phone, with grocery bags surrounding her.
I do it all from memory - because I like getting the mental impressions, as opposed to a photographic likeness? Also it's easier and more freeing somehow.
2. Also attended First Unitarian Universalist Society ("UU church") via Facebook, then later the congregational meeting via Zoom. (The UU church now has an ministerial intern who handles the Zoom meeting or the people who watch the service via Zoom, because they can't in-person for whatever reason. They've gotten advanced with Zoom, they have all these options now. I'm impressed. Still can't stand watching people talk directly to people on Zoom for very long. I can watch a live stream church service or concert though - where the folks are presenting to a live audience and not well to someone on the other side of a camera.)
At the meeting - I found out a few things.
* The previous minister, who left in a huff back in March, got a severance package that kind of caused a deficit in the church's budget. Which means, she didn't necessarily just quit. There was more to it than that. I haven't seen the contract though. Makes me like her less, and resent her more. With any luck - I'll never see her again. I doubt seriously she'll pop into the church again. She kind of burned her bridges with an article she did after she left - which is even worse, now that I know they paid her a severance package. (We didn't do that for the last minister.)
* The divide on the whole Palestine/Israel thing is generational in nature.
The old folks are against anything that doesn't clearly condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization, removes the word genocide from the language, and changes the support of Palestine to allowing Palestine to set up its own state outside of Israel. While the young folks want to stand in solidarity with Palestine, condemn Israel for killing the Palestinians resulting in an attempt at genocide with their incessant bombing, and excluding them from their non-secular state. And at the same time, condemn Hamas for the hostages, and request return of the hostages.
Both sides got up to speak. And I voted along with the majority of the congregation in favor of solidarity with Palestine, per the UUA's (the parent body or central governing unit) Action of Witness - to Stand in Solidarity with Palestine, with the Response Resolution - condemning Hamas's taking and treatment of the hostages.
I was glad the resolution passed. Unitarians are heavy into social and environmental justice. It's one of the church's mission statements. They put that first and foremost.
* The current interim minister is a godsend. I adore them. They are transmale. And endearing. If I ever meet them in person - it may be very hard for me not to hug them.
From this meeting alone - it was clear that this church is conflicted over the Israel/Palestine issue. And there's a lot of tension regarding it.
It's a complicated situation. (We all know that.).
The Interim Minister could have done any number of things to respond to this? They could have done what the previous minister did - which was abdicate entirely, and flee, playing the victim. Or taken a side.
They chose something else entirely.
They came forward and said: "I don't know, but things seem a little tense right now?" Nervous laughter. "So, I suggest we take a brief song break before we vote? I warned our music director prior to suggesting this - so he does know about it." Then they began to sing this song...and asked other's to join in if they knew the words. And one by one people began to sing along...
It was the most beautiful thing and it gave me hope folks. After that everyone voted, and the motion passed. But how they handled it - taught me something. I saw how the previous Reverend handled it - making about her and her fears, and desires, and being self-righteous - to the point of alienating people and enraging others. The previous Reverend caused dissent. And ironically anxiety and anger. While the interim - who is humble and modest, and strong in their vulnerability - united the congregation in song, and got them to see past their differences, and acknowledge this disagreement isn't important enough to lose each other over. That both sides wanted the same thing, just in different ways. And they did it so simply - with a song.
I was amazed. This interim minister is so much more vulnerable than the previous one. They are transgender, they are single, they live alone, they are an interim minister and travel from one congregation to the next, and they are Chinese-American, in their late thirties/early forties, heavy set, and about five foot two? The previous minister was White, Jewish but a Unitarian-Universalist Minister, Cis-gender, with a husband and two children, making a six figure salary, and about fifty, with a book published, and well established in the community. Also the previous minister was a musician, who wrote, played, and could perform music. This minister's voice was good, but not the level of the previous minister. Of the two? Who ran away and caused the dissension?
I learned today that the best way to handle conflict is to not make it about myself, and to unite through art or song or kindness. That courage, true courage is to sometimes stand up between two groups of people who are upset with each other - and sing a song.
I'm not sure I'm conveying this at all well. But I learned a lot from that meeting.
And this conflict. Two different ministers. Actually three different ministers. Three different ways of handling the conflict.
The first? Wrote self-righteous emails, played the victim, and fled in a huff, then did an interview with a conservative Jewish publication about how the church didn't recognize their boundaries and anxieties about being Jewish.
The second? Reached out to a Minister who did conflict resolution listening circles, and asked them to help the church resolve the conflict and division. This minister had lost family members in Gaza, who were Palestinian, and was close friends with the first minister.
The third? Brought everyone together in song after a tense conversation. And then told the congregation to have the vote by anonymous ballot, after everyone had their say.
3. Slow Down, Said the Turtles...
The Interim Minister's sermon was about slowing down. They said in Malaysia - they were visiting their family, and at one point had to decide between spending time with their Aunt in the Malaysian equivalent of Cincinnati (not that there is anything wrong with Cincinnati) or go with their cousin to visit the Malaysian equivalent of Hawaii. Unable to decide, they went to talk to the turtles. Who basically said, slow down, what's the rush? And honestly, what other response can you expect from a turtle? So they went back to their cousin and told them that after talking to the turtles, they decided to spend more time with their Auntie, who was getting older. Hawaii could wait for another time.
That NYC is so fast...and sometimes, we just need to slow down long enough to see and appreciate and interact with the world around us. I think it's why I'm trying to draw people I see on subways and the street, I want to slow down and see them. I've not quite gotten to the interaction part yet.
___
That and a walk to the grocery store was my day.
The art space or little art studio that I've set up in the corner of my apartment's living room. It used to be my remote from home office - but when they sent us back into the office - I turned it into an artist space.
I plan on becoming a full time novelist and artist when I retire. Now? I do it part time.
The picture of Cillian Murphy is there because I was attempting to draw and paint him, and eventually gave up. I decided I was better at drawing and painting people I see on the subway and streets of NYC from memory, instead.
Here's the one I did of the two women I saw on the subway this past Thursday. I've been trying to draw and paint them for three days. Finally got something. It's not quite what I want it to be - the woman on the right is off. Although I did want to emphasize her large young face. I will most likely try it again.
Today, I drew a Bengali Woman that I saw on the street, who is dressed in Muslim garb, albeit not full habib. She was standing in the middle of the sidewalk on her phone, with grocery bags surrounding her.
I do it all from memory - because I like getting the mental impressions, as opposed to a photographic likeness? Also it's easier and more freeing somehow.
2. Also attended First Unitarian Universalist Society ("UU church") via Facebook, then later the congregational meeting via Zoom. (The UU church now has an ministerial intern who handles the Zoom meeting or the people who watch the service via Zoom, because they can't in-person for whatever reason. They've gotten advanced with Zoom, they have all these options now. I'm impressed. Still can't stand watching people talk directly to people on Zoom for very long. I can watch a live stream church service or concert though - where the folks are presenting to a live audience and not well to someone on the other side of a camera.)
At the meeting - I found out a few things.
* The previous minister, who left in a huff back in March, got a severance package that kind of caused a deficit in the church's budget. Which means, she didn't necessarily just quit. There was more to it than that. I haven't seen the contract though. Makes me like her less, and resent her more. With any luck - I'll never see her again. I doubt seriously she'll pop into the church again. She kind of burned her bridges with an article she did after she left - which is even worse, now that I know they paid her a severance package. (We didn't do that for the last minister.)
* The divide on the whole Palestine/Israel thing is generational in nature.
The old folks are against anything that doesn't clearly condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization, removes the word genocide from the language, and changes the support of Palestine to allowing Palestine to set up its own state outside of Israel. While the young folks want to stand in solidarity with Palestine, condemn Israel for killing the Palestinians resulting in an attempt at genocide with their incessant bombing, and excluding them from their non-secular state. And at the same time, condemn Hamas for the hostages, and request return of the hostages.
Both sides got up to speak. And I voted along with the majority of the congregation in favor of solidarity with Palestine, per the UUA's (the parent body or central governing unit) Action of Witness - to Stand in Solidarity with Palestine, with the Response Resolution - condemning Hamas's taking and treatment of the hostages.
I was glad the resolution passed. Unitarians are heavy into social and environmental justice. It's one of the church's mission statements. They put that first and foremost.
* The current interim minister is a godsend. I adore them. They are transmale. And endearing. If I ever meet them in person - it may be very hard for me not to hug them.
From this meeting alone - it was clear that this church is conflicted over the Israel/Palestine issue. And there's a lot of tension regarding it.
It's a complicated situation. (We all know that.).
The Interim Minister could have done any number of things to respond to this? They could have done what the previous minister did - which was abdicate entirely, and flee, playing the victim. Or taken a side.
They chose something else entirely.
They came forward and said: "I don't know, but things seem a little tense right now?" Nervous laughter. "So, I suggest we take a brief song break before we vote? I warned our music director prior to suggesting this - so he does know about it." Then they began to sing this song...and asked other's to join in if they knew the words. And one by one people began to sing along...
It was the most beautiful thing and it gave me hope folks. After that everyone voted, and the motion passed. But how they handled it - taught me something. I saw how the previous Reverend handled it - making about her and her fears, and desires, and being self-righteous - to the point of alienating people and enraging others. The previous Reverend caused dissent. And ironically anxiety and anger. While the interim - who is humble and modest, and strong in their vulnerability - united the congregation in song, and got them to see past their differences, and acknowledge this disagreement isn't important enough to lose each other over. That both sides wanted the same thing, just in different ways. And they did it so simply - with a song.
I was amazed. This interim minister is so much more vulnerable than the previous one. They are transgender, they are single, they live alone, they are an interim minister and travel from one congregation to the next, and they are Chinese-American, in their late thirties/early forties, heavy set, and about five foot two? The previous minister was White, Jewish but a Unitarian-Universalist Minister, Cis-gender, with a husband and two children, making a six figure salary, and about fifty, with a book published, and well established in the community. Also the previous minister was a musician, who wrote, played, and could perform music. This minister's voice was good, but not the level of the previous minister. Of the two? Who ran away and caused the dissension?
I learned today that the best way to handle conflict is to not make it about myself, and to unite through art or song or kindness. That courage, true courage is to sometimes stand up between two groups of people who are upset with each other - and sing a song.
I'm not sure I'm conveying this at all well. But I learned a lot from that meeting.
And this conflict. Two different ministers. Actually three different ministers. Three different ways of handling the conflict.
The first? Wrote self-righteous emails, played the victim, and fled in a huff, then did an interview with a conservative Jewish publication about how the church didn't recognize their boundaries and anxieties about being Jewish.
The second? Reached out to a Minister who did conflict resolution listening circles, and asked them to help the church resolve the conflict and division. This minister had lost family members in Gaza, who were Palestinian, and was close friends with the first minister.
The third? Brought everyone together in song after a tense conversation. And then told the congregation to have the vote by anonymous ballot, after everyone had their say.
3. Slow Down, Said the Turtles...
The Interim Minister's sermon was about slowing down. They said in Malaysia - they were visiting their family, and at one point had to decide between spending time with their Aunt in the Malaysian equivalent of Cincinnati (not that there is anything wrong with Cincinnati) or go with their cousin to visit the Malaysian equivalent of Hawaii. Unable to decide, they went to talk to the turtles. Who basically said, slow down, what's the rush? And honestly, what other response can you expect from a turtle? So they went back to their cousin and told them that after talking to the turtles, they decided to spend more time with their Auntie, who was getting older. Hawaii could wait for another time.
That NYC is so fast...and sometimes, we just need to slow down long enough to see and appreciate and interact with the world around us. I think it's why I'm trying to draw people I see on subways and the street, I want to slow down and see them. I've not quite gotten to the interaction part yet.
___
That and a walk to the grocery store was my day.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-18 05:17 pm (UTC)Yes, with a lot of things, I'm not great at them but I can see where I'm off and have another go and, over time, I improve.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-18 05:51 pm (UTC)