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TranscendenceA few autumns ago my city hosted a tour called the Transcendence Tour. It was posted in the paper. Different local spots that felt a little different. Felt a little spiritual. Felt a little peaceful. Felt a little calm. You went out on your own, not in a group, so you could take as much time as you needed. We visited each of these places one by one and felt their magic. A few of my favorites were Crown Hill cemetery where James Whitcomb Riley is buried. It's up on a big hill where you can look out and see for miles. There was also the gardens outside the museum of art. It was beautiful. All the leaves were colorful and moved with the air. I laid down on the ground and looked up, feeling the sunshine on my face. The day was wonderful.

I caught a glimpse of that same feeling this morning, driving downtown. It was misty out and it made the trees look really bright. Like warm colors in a painting that stand out to you. I felt peaceful and serene. Like time was on my side for once. No rush. No hurry to get back to the studio. No impending deadlines.

I read something recently that said that you can help time feel like a friend if you go about doing whatever you are doing as if it were the only thing worth doing at that moment.

That really made me stop. I mean...I always feel like there are too many things on my plate. I think about what to make for dinner while I paint. I think about my to-do list while I'm at the bookstore. I think about the weeds I should pull while I'm on my way to get the mail. Hell, I'm thinking that I should get to the illustration I'm working on while writing this! It's never just one thing.

But what if it was?

Everyone has experienced that feeling before. The feeling of getting so wrapped up in what you're doing that you forget about time. But how often is that? How often do you throw yourself into what you're doing?

That is my goal for this week. To go about doing whatever I'm doing as if it were the only thing worth doing at that moment. And to do so passionately and feel transcendence.