Hey everyone, how are you today? Feels like Spring after our snow storm yesterday, and that Spring warmth from the sun is coming through too. The weather has been strange this winter, a little global warming goes a long way.

Have had an introspective week or so about Art and life in general. The Wellspring is what I am calling this entry because it feels Spring like today and I believe now that Artists have an energy or force within them that is trying to get out, a Wellspring. Since I just finished The Artist Way by Julia Cameron, feel so much pouring out of me onto paper and canvas that it is overwhelming. So many ideas and so much sadness that this isn't how it is most of the time because of society and it's restrictions on U.S. Feel the Businessman and Soldier society we live in doesn't want another form of masculinity or reality to grow. Yes, masculinity is what I said because I feel that there is a fear from men to look into the dark and use that information to do their Art! Feel the men and women who have that courage to go beyond society and the ordinary world are blessed and the toughest warriors, the real warriors of the inner type.

Am reading a book about The Male God, myths and realities of my gender. I read The Goddess by the same authors about the female genders divinities too! That's why I say it takes a lot of courage for Artists to look into the darkness, or reality of life. These are hard lessons and I am working with a young man through my job right now, and trying to give him a cushion or a shield to help him through those lessons of creativity. Don't believe creativity comes about by having a cushy easy life, it usually comes about by hardships and loss of some sort. That's why today I feel great because I feel I have made it through that darkness and those hardships.

What have I learned? That we are all being loved along the way by a Creator of whatever you want to call it, and that we are never alone, even if we travel alone, like I have, most of my adult life. Funny how when you look back on the path of your life it starts to make sense, all the chaos and changes had a rhyme and rythm of sorts, it just wasn't what I wanted or planned. That's faith in action, I guess. Life is so strange and interesting, but we all get what we need some way or another, I just wish the lessons weren't so hard sometimes.

Like I said, am doing a lot of drawings and working on the next level to my line drawings and symbols, I am so excited to see where it leads that I am ruining all my paintings from the excitement. Can't wait till I calm down a bit to finish a piece the way I want it. Oh yeah, on my Artist date this week, went to the Columbus Museum of Art and thought about what makes Art wall worthy at the galleries? In a museum the theme over and over again was PEOPLE and PLACE. Modern Art is really about ideas, and the visual display of those ideas. My paintings are about ENERGY and the flow of life energy, that idea and what it would look like. How interesting to see me and them and what we are all doing. Either way, the one thing all of our work has in common is a connection to each other. Like Oprah said one day, "Let's get connected!" Until later then.

JOSHUA 2006