Box with Locks – Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay
When it comes to all ideas are you likely to stay within the confining lines or do you think outside the self-containing and limiting box?
Sometimes, we do indeed, have parameters that we have to work on so that there may be an issue or concern to start off with that have some causal boundaries. If we are ever going to improve, however, we need to stretch our imaginations and mind muscles.
I think, honestly, the issue started when we were told to be “correct” or “right” back when we were young people and we were instructed to only fill in pictures by colouring inside of the line-drawing. Who says that is the right approach?
Now, I absolutely love beautiful art but isn’t beauty found within the eye of the beholder? Aren’t some of the greatest artists in the world ones who come up with new forms and styles of artwork?
I remember loving art as a youngster from even before kindergarten. I loved to express myself with colour. I just enjoyed seeing something great come out of those little colourful crayons. I loved to create and did follow the rules and coloured inside those lines. I was not about to get into trouble.
En Formation – Artwork by Mary Mikawoz
I continued my fascination in art until junior and senior high school. In grade 10, I took an elective in Art class but not beyond then as I thought it was too frivolous of a pursuit and needed to focus my studies in serious subjects like Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
I remember my art teacher in grade 10 being such a fascinating person – a real avant-garde type of personality. She liked my art work a lot and my creations were often chosen to be featured in a number of art shows or displays in various malls around the city.
Morphology – Artwork by Mary Mikawoz
I remember her special love of the expression of abstract art. I could not fathom it. In my judgment, I saw it as artwork that was simplistic and was created by a person who could not draw. Somehow as the years went by and that initial influence of my art teacher, I realized that those artists often could draw really well but chose to express themselves in another fashion. I then came to be impressed by them and their work. I could see how the essential elements of the object could be represented in an abstract way or concept.
Bursting Through – Artwork by Mary Mikawoz
I started to experiment and I found that there was a special fluidity and flow to my drawings and paintings. It helped me not only on an artistic level but also on a mind level where I could use both my left and right-hand hemispheres of my brain.
When dealing with issues or problems at work, I was able to work outside the box. When coming up with new mission statements or major organizational work concepts, my mind soared as I learned to love to express new ideas. I loved to have brainstorming sessions where we fed off of one another’s ideas as nothing was left off the table and no one contradicted each other’s ideas to begin with. It was amazing how often we built on each other’s mindful expressions: building up the foundation of a new house of concepts.
Heart Roots – Artwork by Mary Mikawoz
So, when it comes to work or in life, are you still limited by the old paradigms or are you opening to the new, infinite world of potentiality? I hope you are open to stepping outside the box to create a new and novel approach!
Mary Mikawoz February 19, 2023
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The Polish name for Aunt or Aunty is Ciocia. I have had a number of Aunts on both sides of the family and the thing that I have to say about them is that they are very strong women – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They had to be. They lived in Poland during World War II which you can imagine was not an easy time.
I have such a profound respect for my Ciotki. They were very hard-working as many Polish people of that generation had to be out of necessity. They had it drilled into them because there were hard times on the farm and it was part of your ethic – essentially your personality – to work hard. You had to do everything yourself and be efficient and effective at it.
There wasn’t room to be slack and idle. You did what you could to help out.
I had one Aunt, Ciocia Angie, who was already married with a number of children. The story goes that she was helping a mother cow calve her baby. She was successful but came into the farm house, sat down in an arm chair, had a heart attack and died. That is how hard-working the women were. They did many things that the men would do.
Now to talk about my Uncles or Wujki would be another story in and of themselves. They were extremely brave, hard-working and courageous. What they endured, no person should have to go through. Have I mentioned being imprisoned, being sent to work camps and being sent to a gulag in Siberia?
Anyways, I honour my Cioci for teaching me to stand up for myself and help out where I can. It is through their example that I have learned to be hard-working in my life too in whatever I face or do. Thanks Cioci!
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Light My Way – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
One summer day, I was waiting for some people in downtown Winnipeg when I looked up and felt like I could not help but admire the city lights and the buildings. The lamp highlights the city that I call home.
Somehow even with one of the coldest temperatures in winter for a large size city, it is a delightful and friendly place with a population of about 750,000 people. Yes, that many people call it home. There are colder cities in the world but if I am correct, none have so many people living in them.
This photograph was taken beside the City of Winnipeg Police Station and features both older and newer architecture. It is not too far from the famous windy corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street. I hope you enjoy this unique view.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Panoramic Winter Scene – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is a panoramic scene of Lake Winnipeg just as freeze up is starting to happen. Even though Lake Winnipeg is the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, it gets so cold here that semi-trucks can drive on the ice roads. People go ice fishing as a sport and enjoyment all winter long, when safe to do so.
The sky was particularly playful this day at this time. “It was dancing and swaying to the music.” It is just like Johnny Rivers was singing to the clouds in the sky.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Summer Time at the Lake – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is a panoramic view of Lake Winnipeg during the summer time. Lake Winnipeg is the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world. The one benefit of covid was that the fishermen and fisherwomen did not fish and so the stocks replenished themselves and so they are not as depleted stocks as they had been.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Colourful Cocoon – Digital Art by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
I drew some symbiotic lines. I was letting my pen flow on the surface of the paper. I took the image and scanned it into my computer. I felt I needed something vibrant in colour. I wanted the image of the cocoon to be the centrepiece.
When I see a cocoon, I think of transformation from a beginning through to the next stage of life. I think of a beautiful butterfly coming out to great the world after it has morphed from one stage of development to another. May we all continue to grow as human beings in a similar fashion as we learn and alter out environment for our own betterment and evolution.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
HALTED – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is a digital design of some important words and thoughts. I have been using HALT as an acronym to help me decide when to make decisions. It stands for waiting if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Personally, I think the psychological world and the counselling worlds have done well with this acronym but I thought more was needed, so I added the ED to make HALT into HALTED. The E stands for Emotional and the D stands for Depressed. In either of these cases, I think it is important to put decision-making on hold until you have calmed down and are not in the grips of any of these elemental emotions and feelings.
I feel like I am adding my two cents worth to an already good concept and making it even better. I feel is an improvement to letting your logic and intuition cohabit together. I have put in images of Arrêt, Stop and Halt.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Mary Mikawoz Creative Pursuits Blog 