Fire is used so often to evoke emotion in storytelling; love, revenge, desire, can all be summed up with a fire reference. What is interesting to me is that these references usually are talked about from the outside. The fire is something that happens TO or AROUND you. “I was engulfed by the flames of anger” for example.
But I want to remind you of your internal fire, the thing that is IN you, that good ole “fire in your belly” Like the olympic flame (and hopefully your furnace’s pilot light), it never fully extinguishes. We have all been living through a time that has kept us inside and living smaller lives than we are used to. We travel less, we gather less, wear pants with buttons less and while that has offered us some much needed perspective and calm, it may have also translated into: we strive less. And to that, I say, not on my watch…
Let’s turn some attention to the fire in your belly. Check in on it’s embers, take that fire poker and stoke it up a little. Listen and watch as the coals start to grow brighter and sparks begin to pop and search. Check in your “wood” supply. Think about what that means to you? how do you throw another proverbial log on your fire? Then do those things. Plan for those things. Prioritize those things. This is your fire, friend, and only YOU can stoke it.
As I started to draw this mantra, the flames quickly turned into flowers. Bright orange and yellow and my mind thought of how a flower blooming is not unlike wood catching fire. there’s an explosion of color and a surrender to the opening. Fear can tell us to stay small, to just keep the coals smoldering, not to throw more logs on, not to add kindling, not to bloom… but we have to try. we aren’t meant to live in a smolder, we are meant to burn bright and free.
the world needs your voice, your work, your art, YOUR FIRE!
xo,
jenni