Prescribed Burns and Artistic Renewal

I'm in cleanse mode.  This is my focus for the week, month, and probably for  the rest of the year.

Lightness. Clarity.  This is what I seek. In work and in life.  

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I've been learning about healthy fire in the past few years, how many ecosystems depend on it, and how low severity fires on a regular basis prevents catastrophic wildfires.  

Some of the education and experiences that shaped my understanding -  

Oregon State University has a great community program similar to the Master Gardener program - Master Naturalist - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/oregon-naturalist. I attended their program during the pandemic. There was a unit on fire and I learned some things about natural - lightning caused fires and human, indigenous fire practices that helped to optimize food and resource production. One of the cool things about fire is the nutrients from the plants that burn remain in the ash and feed the plants that survive. The sun can penetrate and stimulate new growth. Dormant seed beds are activated.    

Backcountry Press had an excellent 10 part series of webinars during the pandemic that took you through their book on the Klamath Mountains. One part discussed the long history of fire on the landscape going back millennia.  Time immemorial my region has had fire, most ecosystems had fire return every 5 years. (Not every single spot, some it's more like 20, with pockets of fire refugia and even this is over-simplified.)

I had the privilege of illustrating a variety of effects of fire on ecosystems for a Fire Ecology curriculum. On the right hand side you see the regenerative power of fire, with elderberry and shrubs returning, open forests where light can penetrate the understory, then you see a healthy meadow that needs fire to keep it open, contrasted with plantation forest in the background that is dense and dark, and burns like matchsticks, providing little support to wildlife, stoking fires and making wildfires burn hotter, and finally on the left  you see the value of riparian areas where beaver slow the flow of water and act as natural fire breaks.  

Last year I had the amazing experience of participating in a prescribed burn with Rogue Valley Prescribed Burn Association. It was amazing to experience fire on the ground in a safe and community-oriented way. 

All this to say that while I deeply appreciate the cleansing power of fire - in the right measure, at the right time, with deep understanding. This is a good metaphor for a practice that's important  for our lives.  Our stuff, our habits. We need a thorough refreshing to strengthen the big trees, the open meadows. To allow light into the underbrush.  To enjoy cleanliness, calm, clarity and light.  

So - I'm in a mode of rethinking EVERYTHING.  My north star is oil paintings and art classes.  Creating things that last.  My life feels like the underbrush is grown in too thick. I can't move. Too many things to keep track of. Online classes, my studio in Talent, shows, associations etc etc.  

Moving forward. What will I really do? What is an elegant strategy for me? What will I do consistently? It's wonderfully freeing to think this way.  It feels exciting, warming, clarifying.  

Anyway, that's where I am. How are you? What's happening in your personal art and life ecosystem? I genuinely want to know!