The Art of Sailing: How the water has influenced my work
You know that horizon that can squint at as hard as you can, and still not see the end? And no matter how hard and fast you travel toward it, it just keeps going?
Seated on the deck of that sloop, it hit me. And I remembered Psalm 139:
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139:7-10
I have done some things in life I’m not proud of. Things I would love to run from and erase. It is one of the biggest things that has kept me from stepping into the future with boldness, or even taking those courageous steps in my art career. But as I spend more time on the water, i am constantly reminded (and yes, you’d think my hard head would catch on by now) that it is not my regretful past that’s been pursuing me, but God’s grace. And no matter how fast I run, I cannot outrun it. Thank God.
So, as He has reassured my restless heart and invited me to slow down (like, “what are you running from, kid?”), I have been more able to sit still. And the more I sit still, the more I observe; the more I observe, the more I appreciate; and the more I appreciate, the more my heart effortlessly wants to praise Him for His grace and handiwork. And it just so happens that one of my biggest forms of praise is with a paintbrush, replicating in some way what He has already placed in His beautiful world. Ironically, the more I do it, the lighter my heart becomes as the baggage is replaced with joy, and the more I want to do it.
It is like a healing conversation with your best friend, only its with the One who is in the business of healing broken things.
And somehow, this conversation just happens more naturally when I’m in my sailing element - or rather, “out in the elements.”
I will share more about how sea time has inspired my work soon. But for now, I hope this encourages you!
With tiny courage and curious creativity,
Ruth
