massage therapist | photographer

Posts Tagged ‘writing’

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Words Will Just Not Come

In community, personal, Photography, writing on April 15, 2023 at 11:46 AM

‘i stood alone by the water and ached for you’
copyright tania palermo

I take a 24-hour respite from the news but continue to hear of more devastation, loss, grief, anger, confusion. The stories reach me in many ways and play over and over in the back of my mind as I meet a friend for coffee; do the grocery shopping; fold the laundry.

I’ve been trying to write all day and the words will just not come. Or, they will come, full of angst and wanting to start a fight. A friend sends a video of her walk outdoors and tells me the rivers and trees are calling out for me to come walk there too, with her. We’ve been talking a lot about community and connection lately. The one giant rock that looks more like a small boulder does grumble lowly as she walks past, and tells me – it is angsty too – which makes me trust it immediately.

Painting would help, but I cleaned the kitchen yesterday, (my makeshift studio), and need to let it have at least one day of rest before messing it up again. The table has lost its fight and is decorated with splotches of many colors but the floor still has hope it will survive the creativity without needing to be scraped and refinished.

sold to private collection
copyright tania palermo

It makes me feel small, the not knowing what to do. Or how to hold onto hope in the face of the suffering I see. Or wanting to make things change but feeling powerless to do so.

I scroll through old photos to distract myself and listen to music and keep breathing and know that I AM small and cannot do much for the far away friend who asks me to pray for her daughter, other than to witness her and acknowledge her worry and pray for her daughter and decide, again, that I will do just that, over and over. Not close my eyes. Witness and acknowledge and offer kindnesses and hold doors open and share the bread I make and sit at the doctors’ offices and watch the friends’ dog so they can escape and recharge, and maybe all these little things will matter. Maybe trickles of light will seep in, grow, and start to take up more space than the grief and despair and the feelings of rage at the injustices done. Maybe any action is better than no action and even though we feel small and powerless we can make a difference. And maybe to believe otherwise gives the ‘darkness’ power it does not deserve.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Inside Out

In 2022, Art, for sale, local artist, personal, Uncategorized on November 21, 2022 at 12:37 PM

I’ve been doing a lot of writing this month. I joined a challenge to write a book – or 50,000 words, in 30 days. It has been in the back of my mind to write about some lifetime trauma and struggle – often started and stopped due to the voice in my head that insists no one will be interested. In October I came across this quote from Sandra Cisneros – whose first book in 28 years was being published – she said, “I’d throw my poems under the bed, like Emily Dickinson,” she said, ” One of the things I learned from Emily – Miss Emily, I should say with respect-is that you don’t have to publish in your lifetime, but you have to write.”

That completely freed me. I never have to share, but I do need to write. Words and memories have been pouring out of me. Each old wound up for re-examination, for feeling and letting go of, and hopefully, to earn a new narrative once I’m through processing.

This painting was made during the first 15 or so days of the writing process. It doesn’t look like my work to me, and I’ve been curious to see what shape it would take. A friend and I examined it one morning – and we both began to see a figure on the right hand side of the piece. I saw an owl, a caldron at the feet of the figure, some hands, and a discarded mask in a corner, and my friend said, ‘oh – that looks like your liver and a bunch of your insides…and that’s your third eye falling off the side of your face looking at the guts you’ve taken out…” We both got goosebumps and saw the expression of the writing process making its way onto the canvas.

The intuitive art making experience is so cool. I did start off with an idea for this work, but it quickly disappeared as I added colors and shapes randomly – and then the painting revealed itself

16”x20”x3/4”

Acrylic and other things on wood panel

$175 local pick up

$200 shipped in US

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sandusky, Ohio

In Art, personal, Photography, story, Uncategorized on October 15, 2016 at 4:48 PM

In 2010 I was laid off from a job that never really suited me.  My boss, the CFO of the company, told me that he respectfully hoped I’d never get another office job again. Not because I hadn’t done my job well – but rather because he felt that I was built for more creative endeavors. He knew that my spirit was being squashed sitting for 8 hours a day in my cubicle, beneath fluorescent lights that gave me headaches.

I’d felt my own nudge from spirit – through prayer and meditation – to once again in my life –  take the road less traveled. His words validated what I’d already been feeling. So a few months later I hit the road. With nothing more than a few dollars in my pocket, a belief that things always worked out and a sense of adventure, I spent several months exploring our country and teaching myself photography along the way.

I’d tucked most of those images away. Chalking them up to some of the [really bad] 10,000 photos one is supposed to make before even thinking that they have any idea about this craft. Lately I’ve been peeking through a few and thought I’d start sharing them. Not because they are spectacular shots – but because they are a part of my journey.

sanduskyohio2010forblogtaniapalermo2016

So here I give you a scene from Sandusky, Ohio in 2010.  I love old buildings. Their layers of color, texture, cracked and peeling paint … remind me of my favorite types of people. Messy on the exterior but filled with stories, character and depth.

, , , , , ,

WRITING WORKSHOP | MANCHESTER, CT | SEPTEMBER 25TH

In Art, workshop, writing on July 17, 2015 at 3:29 PM

Have you always wanted to explore writing but been afraid to try? Think you may have something to share but are unsure of where to start? Maybe you simply want to be more creative and send some old school letters to your friend across the country. In this workshop, designed for all level writers – from never picked up a pen to you’ve been published already –  you will learn a fun technique to get the creative juices flowing and start you on your journey.

WRITING WORKSHOP SEPTEMBER 2015 TANIA PALERMO STUDIO ON MAIN

%d bloggers like this: