Art is everywhere, if you choose to look.
Lately, as the weather becomes a slightly more pleasurable each day, I am taking the opportunity to get back out on the streets of Toronto to observe what really happens here.
Last Thursday, on the way to an appointment, I was fortunate to notice something I had never seen before.
Just about any day you’ll find Ross Ward hunched over on Yonge Street tending to his art. The ‘Birdman of Toronto’ has been a fixture on these streets in various locations for well over a decade, and during each day he crafts, and sells, palm-sized birds.
Once only a hobby — this is now more than whittling — Ward carves out shapes of common birds from reclaimed wood. There is always a piece in progress, and always a small flock for sale on his concrete workspace.
Perhaps in our day-to-day journeys, we don’t look close enough at all the people. We don’t often observe enough to see art just happening here and there on our landscape. I’ve wandered this street how many times and only last week did I notice the man. I saw him again on the weekend.
Appreciating the beauty of his work, I bought a bird as a gift for someone . . . or maybe a souvenir for myself to one day remember my time in this city.
Couldn’t we all use more memorable hand-made art?
Learned Behaviour
How we act, what we do, the chances we take and routines we fall into, are influenced by a headful of inner dialogue, a roomful of opinions, and experience that is constantly changing the world beyond your space.
Right now.
Still, the single most important factor to all this excessive interior and exterior stimuli is your reaction.
Only your behaviour will alter your pattern.
You are responsible for learning or diagnosing, even doubting, what you are doing. Just as you may, or will (or can) switch it up, abandon plans, or simply let things happen as they happen as if it is an act of casual happenstance… and it probably is.
You already know what you do today will have some sort of effect on what happens tomorrow, or Wednesday, or six months come Sunday.
You’ve learned that, mostly from trial and error, but it still adds up to learned behaviour.
How is that serving you now?
Can you answer that question honestly, or will you have to wait until Wednesday; or Sunday?
You know the answer, you do, even if you won’t admit it to yourself (that may be your pattern) and sometimes the answer is more of a question.
05/04/2021 j.g.l.