session 3 - self promotion and making contact

Describing who I am is dependant on how I feel today. I am reading the compassionate mind which promotes compassion for self as well as for others. I have no problem feeling compassion for others as well as sorrow for all the painful actions in the world but I have a hard time feeling I deserve compassion. So I would find this exercise easier some days and not so much on others. However, as an exercise I think practice will hopefully help something pop into my mind if I'm put on the spot. I tend to think of this kind of stuff under the heading bull shit though.

what makes me unique as a person, past experiences, what inspires me?

My genetics make me unique but my experiences of life have made me value;

friendship - a good belly laugh, hugs, silliness, quiet times together, exploring old villages, driving with music loud, fast food, alcohol, sleeping in hedges, confidence they will always be there.

nature - trees, hedges, cold winter mornings, walking the dog, rivers, streams, puddles, ice, fog, windy days, frozen mud.

Water sports - waves, salty eyes, runny nose, freezing pink skin, sand, goosebumps, exertion, pain, awesome bruises, amazing light on water, reflecting sun, rain on the sea, wrinkly skin, wetsuit love, windchill, floating with eyes closed, going really fast on trapeze, tide line, sewage, space.

I used to write poetry and I used to paint. These are two parts of me that are reluctant to surface even though I want to do them. Its very frustrating. CBT tells me to just bloody paint. Compassionate mind says I should just bloody paint but say it in a nice way. Maybe painting will come if I'm open to it?

Anyway back to the point -

I am an artist inspired by the colour and light in nature, the interrelationships between people. With a background working close to the sea I also see my work affected by this medium.

This is really hard! I am feeling that I need to make something up as I really don't have a clue how my art will be affected by my experience. So far I have made many things to understand the processes and how glass responds to different temperatures and different kiln settings.