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Author Archives: Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Welcome to this website that is full of art, art-musings, reflections, diary entries, literature, art-history, and more.
I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer and I am a freehand-drawing & commission artist. Art is often seen as a luxury but when it comes to joyful, sad, or memorable events we are in need for art. Please, feel free discussing commissioned art with me. I was taught drawing and painting by Spanish-Dutch artist Charito Crahay and Dutch artist Johan Kolman. I have studied Philosophy at the University of Utrecht & Amsterdam; currently I live with my husband and daughter in the Netherlands.
Enjoy many literary essays written by guest-essay writer Maryse Kluck.
You like to tidy your studio and you need advice? Paula Kuitenbrouwer draws inspiration form the decluttering movement as well as Swedish Death Cleaning.
You like to learn a few tricks for checking your composition? Here they are…
Torn between two lovers? Between maximalist and minimalist art? I understand….
After having published Swedish Death Cleaning for Artists & Writers, Swedish Death Cleaning Part 2 (including keeping your homeschool library crisp and updated), and Swedish Death Cleaning Part 3, here follows decluttering in relation to dementia. It is based on empirical experiences by the writer, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, as well as on input by her friends (all in the same age group, dealing with 80-90+ parents).
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I like to state beforehand that as a lay person, having no medical degree and no education in geriatric care, I am aware of making simplifying and generalizing remarks. I hold a degree in Philosophy and I work as an artist. My article presents ideas (only), unpretentiously, and it welcomes criticism.
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What is Swedish Death Cleaning? Or Döstädning?
“Swedish Death Cleaning is not about cleaningbut more about decluttering (which makes cleaning easier). It is a method to reach a permanent form of home keeping and home organization easier. Death Cleaning makes dealing with your possessions smoother both for yourself as for your heirs. You practise Swedish Death Cleaning till you feel comfortable with your home, your storage, home keeping, and what you will leave behind.”
Why start döstädning at 60 years of age? At 60 you are past your midlife but perhaps around the time of your ne plus ultra. At sixty you know what is on your bucket and more clutter and cleaning is certainly not on that list.
From 4 objects to 3: that is 25% decluttering.
Memory Loss & Dwelling in the Past
A compelling reason to do several rounds of Swedish Death Cleaning not only has to do with age but also with dementia. Many people with later-stage dementia often think they are at an earlier period of their life (known as ‘time shifting’). I lack the medical knowledge whether this dwelling in the past can be prevented but many say there are factors like good sleep, good hearing, physical activities, reading, and good food that can postpone the onset of dementia. Maybe adopting Swedish Death Cleaning should be on that list as well. I like to share some empirical observations that support this thesis.
Dementia comes with forgetfulness and the first memory that goes is one’s ‘working-memory’. This is the retention of a small amount of information in a readily accessible form. It facilitates planning, comprehension, reasoning, and problem-solving.
‘What did I say at the start of the meeting?’
‘Can somebody help me to recall how this conversation started?’
After that, dementia affects short-term memory and later progressively long-term memory loss.
‘I haven’t seen you for ages’, whilst you paid a visit two weeks ago.
Dementia related memory loss is like a constant ripping out of pages of a family album starting with the most recent pages and working its way to the beginning of the book.
‘I can’t remember her (sister-in-law) but I do remember my brother’. Because the brother was there at one’s youth and his marriage came much later.
The past is helpful, or maybe not?
One might think that it is helpful to surround a demented patient with family photos, sentimental stuff, and a room that looks like a mood board of his/her past. Like a mnemonic. Like a 360-degree museum exhibition of one’s past. But what if the contrary is more helpful? What if you limit the exhibition of the past and surround a demented patient with a more modern surrounding that stimulates the lasts bits of an inquisitive mind? (Disclaimer, of course, not all patients suffering from dementia have a curious mind to start with).
Let me return to the picture of a demented person surrounded by the past: family photos, old clothing, old fashioned furniture, old digital devices (because they can’t handle newer versions despite that the most recent devices are more intuitively driven), old books, old everything. Like stepping into their house is like stepping into a time capsule.
Add the here & now
Swedish Death Cleaning and Japanese Minimalism puts a strong emphasis on living in the present, in the ‘here & now’. Old and sentimental items gravitate a person to the past. That can be wonderful, especially when you have beautiful antique. Equally an object reminding of the past might prompt feelings of grief: that the past is over, that one’s life is lived, and there is not much time ahead anymore. This all might cause intense longing to the past, which is not good. If one lesson Buddhism and Stoicism has taught us, it is that we suffer when we wrongfully long for something that we cannot have. When we think of ‘what should be the case’ instead of accepting ‘what is the case’, we create an impossible situation, and as a result we experience Duḥkha (Sanskrit: दुःख; Pali: dukkha), which means suffering. We are not ‘here & now’ because we want to return to the past, relive the emotions that belong to the past resulting into missing out on being in the present. That living in the past, that dwelling in the past can cause a loss of joy. And if there is one thing accelerating dementia, it is depression. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
From that follows that Swedish Death Cleaning might help people as from the age of 60 to have a good look at (sentimental) belongings. Generally speaking one is fit enough at 60 to seriously declutter. One is knowledgeable to know what is needed and what is in the house purely for sentimental reasons. One has enough time to do several rounds of decluttering at 60. Start at 70 and it will be harder. Start at 80, and you might need help especially with lifting heavy stuff.
Why should be do away sentimental objects? Of course not all, but maybe a whole lot. Like 50%? Or perhaps even 70%? Because perhaps it is just better to let the past go and not create a time capsule of the past. Perhaps because all the time dwelling in the past, clinging on to old fashioned possessions, reliving the memories provoked by old stuff, prevents one from relating in a healthy way to the present. All that old stuff certainly does not stimulate a person to explore (create new neural networks) the present.
For a long time we were taught that we are most fertile and have the best brain neuroplasticity around the age of 25. It was a sobering even depressive thought to know that as from 25 years of age onward we are going downhill. Nothing to do about that as it is just aging: non-pathological changes in the structure of the adult brain, as Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) coined it. However that depressing knowledge soon received hopeful updates: we shouldn’t live sedentary lives, we should do aerobic exercise, keep on reading, and staying engaged with society, all to delay shrinkage in the prefrontal cortex. The key to not shrink cognitively is to continuously creating new pathways and connections to break apart stuck neural patterns in the brain.
From that follows that the refreshing and renewing effects of döstädning might contribute to keeping the brain as fit as possible. To break down stuck clutter; stuck interior design. To update, refresh, modernize. That said, demented patients have massive brain damage and once dementia sets in, döstädning simply comes too late. Hence, the advice to start well before serious aging sets in. I have therefore come to believe that Swedish Death Cleaning is a very healthy way of staying in tune with changing times and that offers a way to stimulate the brain to live in the present.
Hardship for heirs
As if having a demented parent isn’t hard enough and, in some cases, it demands from an adult child to live in his/her parent’s bubble of craziness. When language, memory, and empathic thinking fall away -as is the case with advanced dementia-, old people often take medications that causes personal alienation. Add to this mix of brain damage and medications, old age related character changes which result in a child hardly recognizing his or her parent (and vice versa the demented patient forgetting his/her children). There is so much hurt because living with a demented parent demands from the healthy generation to go along with the madness dementia causes.
‘When I ask what time it is, she looks at her watch and says ’25 Euros’. All I can say then is ‘Of course’. The result is that step by step, I function in a distorted reality otherwise there is no communication possible with her‘.
‘My demented parent wants to physically fight, maybe to test his strength or for dominance. He is a very combative person although he hides it under layers of charm. But the hiding mechanisms are gone, now he starts to smack me to provoke me’.
Cleaning out one’s estate
The loathsome task of cleaning out a parent’s estate is hardship. Having had to deal with the dementia related madness and not seldom hurtful remarks by a demented parent, now one must inherit all that stuff that reminds you of the hardship years (dementia can last 10 years). Therefore….
Do not start too late!
“My parent was a materialist. Swedish Death Cleaning would not have made sense to her. If she could, she would have taken all her money and belongings into her grave. And because she didn’t let things go at the right time, time took revenge; her stuff lost its monetary and sentimental value for future generations. It is sad.
Despite that some old people won’t or can’t do Swedish Death Cleaning, I keep on pointing out its benefits. Seeing the time capsule of my demented parent made me desire Swedish Death Cleaning for myself! I have been surprised how much I felt a need to busy myself with Swedish Death Cleaning and I have thought that perhaps next to my need for a neat home, my desire to declutter has to do with having a demented parent living in his house of the past. Sitting alone there day after day, dwelling in the past, isn’t a healthy situation. I like to prevent that for myself and for my family. I have been döstädning like crazy. My family members are unhappy with the word Döstädning, but very happy with the result! Our living room, hall, and kitchen are now so spacious, neat, and lean. I feel intuitively that that is better for the (my) brain. It results in more space and more happiness.
Dutch Declutter Assistance
Help is around the corner…
A Dutch National Denk Tank (NDT) offers ‘Ontspul-dagen’ (declutter-days, click here) to old people. It is part of a program to offer older people a meaningful way of growing older. Decluttering, the NDT says, provides room in one’s house and in one’s head. Research shows that few people prepare for what happens to their stuff when they must move (due to old age) or check in an old people’s home. Or for what happens to their belongings after their demise. The NDT states that the age group of 60 -75 moves house the least of all other age groups. And moving house is the moment to declutter. Hence old people have too few decluttering opportunities. Old people can request help with decluttering which -hopefully- leads to more physical space (safer) and less anxiety to move house.
A home reflects its owner’s health, somebodies emotional and brain health. Declutter your emotions and your brain from the past in order to live happily and healthily in the present.
My wish….
What I fancy about growing older is steadily creating a home that is free of clutter and free of sentimental stuff that ties me to the past. I like to surround myself with a few things that offer joy and happy memories, and the rest should go. The older I become, the younger and more minimalist my place should look like. Why? Because its presence, its design, must radiate my brain health and vitality should be firmly rooted in the present.
I wish you many happy hours of Döstädning. Contrary to its morbid name, it brings happiness. It is not easy, especially letting go of gifts, sentimental objects, or heirlooms. But it frees space with invites new inspiration and a lightness of being.
Disclaimer 1. I am not indicating that old age dementia is curable through Swedish Death Cleaning but I feel much sympathy for the statement by the Dutch NDT that decluttering creates both physical and mental space.
Disclaimer 2. I am also not stating that living in the present prevents old age dementia but I would like to see research done on that subject. Science has just established a link between air pollution and dementia, it is not unthinkable that a minimalist and clean home might have beneficial effects as well.
The motivation to minimize decoration and possessions and as such creating a more minimalist interior often comes from changed psychological preferences. Of course, interior design preferences changes throughout one’s lifetime. Collectively we are enormously influenced by IKEA’s promotion of Swedish minimalism and by Japanese minimalism. But we are equally influenced by fashions like clutter-core or vintage hoarding. Your interior depends on your style, budget, background, and psychology.
60 is the recommended age to start
At the age of 60 you start to look at your home through the eyes of your grown up child(ren) or those you have in mind inheriting your property. Although you still have many years to enjoy your place, you also need less. Add to this that your offspring has communicated directly or indirectly which possessions hold value to them (and the 90% which doesn’t) at which point you start to Swedish Death Clean.
Everything demands care
All your stuff demands care and time, and you start to evaluate whether that time and care is worth the object. Every single object you own demands your attention. That attention can be dusting off, daily hovering (carpet), or re-potting your plants.
Decluttering becomes a necessity when you like to reduce the time you spend taking care of your belongings and interior.
You want less objects on a table so that you can sweep it clean of dust within a second. You want less plants because they grow too fast and become thirty babies. You want transparent water droppers so that you do not have to take care of your plants every 3 days but every 7 or 10 days. Like employees say: “You shouldn’t work longer or harder, but smarter”.
Swedish Death Cleaning or decluttering creates a harmonious interior with a reasonable workload. If home keeping becomes a drag to you; you might want to do a serious round of Swedish Death Cleaning. It frees your living space from clutter and diminishes your time spend on chores.
Shame
I have always felt a bit embarrassed to talk about cleaning and decluttering and it took me some time to write about Swedish Death Cleaning. It feels not right to complain about having unnecessary stuff. But having pointless stuff does not mean you bought it all. You receive gifts, you inherit stuff, you are part of a chain of young families that helps each other with secondhand clothing and educational books. Having too much stuff does not even mean you have too much stuff. The need to declutter can come from a desire to live more ascetic. Decluttering feels a bit shameful because people might assume you are a hoarder or a materialist, or somebody not in control. I am neither a hoarder, nor a materialist or lacking control but still I feel that I can do with less. I still fall in love with minimalism deeper and deeper, aesthetically and artistically.
Talking about cleaning and decluttering is also embarrassingly boring! What can possibly be exciting about a conversation about decluttering? Unless you come up with engaging horror stories like a mice infested pantry, or insects gnawing away your precious antique, or a biblical flood thanks to your upstairs’ neighbour, forget about talking about decluttering.
Also, talking about Swedish Death Cleaning feels uncomfortable because of the notion of death. “Are you ill then?”, “No!”, “Why call it death cleaning then?”, ” Well, it is because it offers a method of decluttering that benefits not only you but also your descendants”. With decluttering you ask yourself whether to keep things (because you like them or find them beautiful), with Death Cleaning you take it one a step further and you ask yourself ‘Will my offspring like this or will it be a burden?’ Thus, we should talk about it freely.
ASPIRATION
I have felt that Swedish Death Cleaning is essentially not only about decluttering but equally about aspiration. It requires self-inquiry. At the age of 60 (or any other age), it is a good thing to evaluate one’s aspirations (or one’s bucket list, like Gen Z says). If there is still (and hopefully) 10-20-30 years ahead, how to go about these years? In my case, I question myself whether I will spend time on lithography? Or on Christmas card making? Most likely not, so these tools can go. Will I fancy needle art? Yes! So, all that colourful yarn stays. Free oneself of old aspirations and by doing this, one adds more focus on one’s life purpose.
Since Neolithic Times
There is nothing wrong with cleaning, decluttering, or death cleaning because we have done that since Neolithic times. (That is when we started to settle and take care of our homes and plots of land). We have added decorations to our houses for a very long time; adding cultural patterns and styles is a deeply ingrained tradition. Think of the Bell Beakers Culture, decorating their ceramics. Paintings go back even longer; prehistoric peoples left painted on walls of prehistoric caves. Apparently, we need the stories of our lives to be visible because that reminds us of who we are, what is important to us, and what we live for.
Decluttering therefore is not decadent and not embarrassing because one can even declutter having an ascetic or minimalist lifestyle. In fact, these lifestyles require constant decluttering.
Having done death cleaning, I see less (home keeping) work and that makes me happy because it frees time for nicer things in life.
Preparedness
I have come to see that as long as Japanese Minimalism and Scandinavian Lean throw inspiration to me, I feel motivated to create more space, more flow, and as such a more tolerable home-keeping workload. I therefore need these methodological interior fashions, these concepts of minimalism or lean, decluttering, or death cleaning. These cultural concepts make home keeping more like an inspiring project and not like a brainless, routine chore. Foreign concepts that are both practical and rewarding give home keeping some necessary oomph.
I see the next concept already emerging in newspapers, in books, in political and societal discussion: preparedness. West European countries admire Finish preparedness for a possible invasion by Russia. West European countries have had such long post-war economic high conjecture (albeit a few recessions), these countries almost fell into a slumber when it comes to hardship preparedness. Now there are voices (and not only military ones) that advise citizens to be more prepared for calamities. (Study your local vulnerabilities: living near a river requires different preparedness than living near a chemical industrial complex ). It is not much to ask from citizens to have enough food, batteries, and warmth for three days. (Governments need three days to mobilize a response to disasters).
It won’t take long before cute books on ‘How to be more prepared’ will be available in bookshops and I will buy them. They will have Scandinavian names like Hygge or Lagom and these books will be cozily illustrated. Thanks to decluttering and death cleaning, I will have enough space for batteries, candles, food, and these new books.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Welcome to my website that is full of my art, art-musings, and more. I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer and I am a freehand-drawing & commission artist. Art is often seen as a luxury but when it comes to memorable events we are in need of art. Please, feel free discussing commissioned art with me. I was taught drawing and painting by Spanish-Dutch artist Charito Crahay and Dutch artist Johan Kolman. I have studied Philosophy at the University of Utrecht & Amsterdam; currently I live with my husband and daughter in the Netherlands.My art website is at www.paulakuitenbrouwer.com.
In Swedish Death Cleaning for Artists & Writers, I offered an idea -inspired by literature- on how to death-clean a valuable artist/writer’s portfolio. I wrote that article after having decluttered my portfolio.
What is Swedish Death Cleaning?
It is not as morbid as it sounds. It’s about being practical and enjoying your life betterwith less (minimalism). It is a plan to not have someone else deal with your accumulated stuff after you pass. It is about carefully judging what is useful or valuable to you and to the next generation (and if not, part with it).
Post Covid
Portfolio done. Covid done (took a month to recover). And then Christmas arrived, and after that our apartment needed attention, but I felt overwhelmed. I needed something that would dramatically motivate me and the element of ‘drama’ I found in the Swedish concept of death-cleaning. It is radical but very liberating. Many (international) moves I have been packing and unpacking objects that weighed heavy on me. And over the years I have done several rounds of decluttering. Perhaps Covid did it or turning 60; what I needed was death-cleaning XL.
Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian lean combined is named Japanordic; it inspires many to embrace minimalism.
What makes me also aware of the need to death-clean is not only my own home or age. I have a 95-year-old father who for over a decade has not downscale his possessions. My guess is that death cleaning his apartment will result in 95 % of his possessions being donated to charities because -and this is important- one must do death-cleaning as from the age of 60 (or earlier). Why?
Why at the age of 60?
Why should one death-clean as from the age of 60? There are many reasons, like creating space or feeling organized. Two reasons speak to me the most. One has to do with the person who grows older, and the other reason lies at the receiving side.
Let’s start with the ageing person. He/she has children, (great) grandchildren and perhaps (great) grandchildren from brothers and sisters. There are many starters who are renting or buying their first place and could do well with furniture, books, kitchen tools, etc. So, give! Because if you do not give, they need to spend their money on stuff whilst they must better make savings for babies and mortgages.
There is also a spiritual reason for giving away most of your possessions the older you grow as well. It is about letting go; about not clinging on to the past. About feeling light-weighted, modern, and fresh instead of gravitating to the past by all that stuff you have collected and surrounding yourself with and that provokes deep memories and lock you in past times.
“EVERY SINGLE OBJECT REQUIRES ATTENTION”
Why is it spiritually good to let go of stuff? This is important to understand. I had an uncle, Carel, who said that space is one’s best furniture. This counts especially when one grows older because clutter increases your workload of cleaning and stands in the way for a wheedled walker or wheelchair. Most importantly, every single object in one’s home needs attention. Whether that attention is dusting (books), maintaining (plants), repairing (electronics), keeping it in its right place, or cleaning (clothing, napkins). Let that sink in; every single object; from a car to a needle, everything needs attention. What follows from that is that it takes less home keeping having 100 objects in your house compared to owning 1000. Add to this that one wants less time cleaning, less time taking care of stuff the older we grow. We want more time for staying fit, reading, and listening to music. Not dusting, laundry, and trips to repair shops. Thus, spiritually it is important to more ascetic as we age.
Organize your stuff and donate all tools and objects you do not use.
Become ascetic!
My brother-in-law once said to me that he wanted to die as poor as a church rat and I admired that. It is impressive when somebody gives and becomes ascetic. It is how it should be. Any other scenario in which old people cling to their earthly possessions is pathetic and only good when treasures are taken into a kingly or queenly grave (leading to spectacular archeological findings centuries from now).
From the point of view of the receiver
Let us return to the generation receiving objects from a person committed to death cleaning.
Positive: It is nice to receive something for which you can express gratitude.
Positive: It is good that objects are passed on because it lessens consumerism.
Negative: It is horrible to sort through stuff that has not been touched and decluttered for ages.
Negative: It is a sad task to sort someone’s home. It feels disloyal to the deceased to donate his/her processions to charity.
Thus, pass on stuff and heirlooms whilst (grand)children still need things! As soon as they are settled, they lose their interest. With every year one postpones passing on possessions to one’s offspring the greater becomes the volume of possessions donated to a charity.
Also, think of passing on items like money and digital objects. Give away a successful website that has great CEO and a high visitors account so that the next generation can build on that success.
Do it! Be practical.
It is no fun to think about your demise, but one must be practical. Also, once you have your home and your administration organized, you feel light weighted! You won’t grow old bent under the weight of your possessions and the obligations that come with having many possessions!
DECLUTTERING XL
My husband grew worried about my post-Covid and post-Christmas death-cleaning. He saw I was willing to die on the hill of decluttering. I had carefully announced and explained that I needed more space, less objects to take care of, and a home that is easier to keep clean. Perhaps that also resulted from having Covid; one needs time to walk oneself back to health instead of doing backbreaking home keeping. My husband had expected a sort of spring cleaning (that we would do together) but this cleaning session was much more dramatic. Plus, I had been very clever -preemptively- striking a deal that my declutter-flow wouldn’t be interrupted by ‘Shouldn’t we keep this?’ My obsession even led to my husband looking deep into my eye and asking whether I kept something (perhaps a medical condition) secret. ‘No! I am just very inspired, full of life and ambition’. (But equally, every night I crash on my bed feeling gloriously exhausted because of all that sorting and tidying).
So far I have death cleaned our homeschool library, balconies (gave plants to a home-owner with a garden), our kitchen closets, and my workroom. I filled nearby mini libraries with many books. Trust me, death cleaning brings joy and feeling very alive.
Altruistic Living
Ruthless decluttering is a deeply altruistic thing to do. You prevent your (grand) children from cleaning your home for several weekends or months. They will admire and love you more when they notice you had them in mind.
Death cleaning also makes you painfully aware of how much stuff you accumulate in life. I do not mean luxurious objects. I just refer to a highly insulating jacket from the time you lived in a cold country and a sun umbrella from the time you lived in a hot country, both never to be used in a country with a moderate climate one returns to. One -willingly and unwillingly- accumulates stuff and all that should go. What should go? Well, there are many guidelines according to the decluttering community. Like the 90/90 rule; should you have not used an object in the last 90 days and you are not planning to use it the coming 90 days, do away with it. But this is just one rule, there are many, but I think the most noble one is that there is a rising living costs crisis and donating stuff is therefore a good thing.
Because the body ages one must become more economical with time and energy. This alone is a reason to embrace death cleaning and minimalism. The bonus of living with minimal possessions is that your stuff is organized long-term. By owning fewer possessions you are more able to enjoy the objects you savor. Less stuff means less cleaning, more time to do things you like to do.
DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME SCHOOL LIBRARY
I like to finish this article with a few remarks on death cleaning our home school library. After homeschooling for 10+ years, we have a homeschool library with 12 shelves full of educational books. Every book brings wonderful memories and thus, decluttering is a challenge. But I have done it before many times, and I will keep on doing it. I like to offer my guidelines and I invite homeschool parents to add theirs. We might help each other keeping our private library in tip top condition for the next generation.
MY GUIDELINES:
. Organize your books per (old fashioned) library subject. Languages, (World) Religions, Poetry, History, Geography, Philosophy, Science Animals, Science Space, Science Botany, Male and Female VIP Biographies, Peoples: Vikings, Celts, Indians, Pioneers, etc. and closely related to peoples Slavery, Migration, Explorers. Mathematics (History of Math and Math). Art History. Crafts & Sports. Reference books. Etc. Categorization helps you to see which are the top books per subject and which aren’t (which means they can go).
. Keep all old books that have old-fashioned wonderful and rich prose and elaborate illustrations. Those books have educational value that benefited our parents and grandparents and will benefit the next generations.
. Keep all ‘Living Books’. Living books, are, according to Charlotte Mason, books that enchant our children and make learning spontaneous and effortless. Learning through reading.
. Check books that have digital illustrations and facts & figures that are outdated (for instance space exploration and outdated maps and atlases). They mostly can go.
. Keep books that your child loved to read over and over. These books will be read aloud with fond memories and loving feelings.
. Give away books that are second and third best. Only keep the best books per subject.
. Keep your curricula (Well Trained Mind, Latin Centered Curriculum, IB etc.). There is so much value in these.
. Donate old, recorded language courses. DVD’s and spoken language easily become old fashioned.
. Most important rule: keep your home education library alive by adding good books. (I -for instance- will always buy those vintage Ladybird books because I love their illustrations and texts). Let your educational library not become a relic of the past but infuse it with new quality books. By the time your library will be used again, it has remained its value and usefulness. It won’t need decluttering.
This counts for your most of your home. All that you have should be either Useful or Beautiful (William Morris), or Spark Joy (Marie Kondo), or deserve taking up space (Eva Jarlsdotter).
Would you like to see my DNA self portrait more close up? Why not visit my new website? On my new website you will find my self portrait and its story. Its elaborate decorative patterns needs some elucidation.
Although fancy and new colours in our local art shop are enchanting, I always tried to stay close to the ‘Traditional Palette’ of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age. Take Rembrandt, his original palette consisted of ochres, umbers, and siennas. Rembrandt used lead white, which for health reasons, is replaced with other whites, for instance titanium white. Or take Maria van Oosterwijck (1630-1693). Here she is, holding her palette.
Maria van Oosterwijck
Maria van Oosterwijk shows on her palette. She holds seven pencils with sharp tips, perfect for her exquisite and highly detailed floral still-lifes. From top to bottom, I spot Lead White, Ochre, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Red, Deep Red, Ultramarine Blue (green shade), and Deep Green. (Please, feel invited to upload your educated guess in the comment section; we can learn from each other).
SO FEW COLOURS!
One may feel puzzled how such exquisite artwork is done with so few colours but the secret is simple: the art of mixing. Have a look, for instance, at the website of Natural Earth Paint and enjoy studying their mixing chart (click here). Notice how a variety of colours can derive from so few colours only!
With the advance of paint production came healthier paints but also fancier colours. Earth pigments were complemented with synthetic paints. Some colours still carry traditional names like Titan Golden Ochre, but others go by fancier names like Delfts Blue.
I never buy fancy colours with enchanting names in our local art store whereas my neighbour, who loves to paint modern and abstract, finds it good fun to add newly developed colours to his palette. I hear the remarks made by my former teacher inside my head warning against wasting money on fancy colours. My teacher explained how fancy colours can lead to dirty mixes and vulgar results, leaving a messy and unprofessional impression and how they clash with classical colours. I understood what he said; ever since I have been religious with his advice.
There are more reasons for remaining loyal to a classical palette apart from a harmonious colour chart obtained through mixing. One gets so familiar with the colours that mixing does not require consulting charts, and should you have to restore a part of your painting, it is easy to analyse which colours you have used. But most of all, avoid frivolity and vulgarity. There is no need for short cuts or buying harsh colours. I rest my case now but not before letting Maria van Oosterwijck’s art convince you.
Maria van Oosterwijck’s Floral Bouquet
I have made a downloadable PdF with all names of the classical/traditional palette. In the past I had this free available but renewing and maintaining a website has become so expensive, that I need to ask a very small contribution to my work.
Here is the download link, or follow up with Paypal.
File with list of Traditional Colours
This is a file that I will send to your email as soon as your payment has come through.
Store it well! May I advise not with general tag words like Colour or Colours but use Traditional or Classical too.
This list will help you during your visit to your local art shop where fancy colours will enchant you buying colours you do not really need. Why? Because with the traditional colour palette you can generate beautiful and harmonious colours all the way.
Let us call it wisdom from our artistic ancestors.
‘Who were the Celts?’ a wonderful course at at Oxford Department for Continuing Education gave me so much inspiration. I enjoyed it from the first till the last day and regretted it came to an end. One of the essays I had to read was an essay on Iron Age mirrors. ‘Mirrors in the British Iron Age: Performance, Revelation and Power, by Melanie Giles and Jody Joy.
Iron Age 50 BC – AD 50 Found in 1908 near Desborough
After reading about Iron Age mirrors, I set out to draw the Iron Age Desborough mirror. Through drawing I would gain more insights into its decorations and its function. Iron Age mirrors that were beautifully decorated and made of bronze and iron were found in graves of high status Iron Age women.
I like to say something about high status Iron Age women. One might think ‘high status’ refers to rich women or wives of rulers or kings. But although both accounts can be correct, high status refers in the Iron Age more to women being leaders or shamans.
The essay discusses how Iron Age metallurgy and how a whole community was involved in the making process. Also, it discusses social relations, grave goods, and the compass drawn motifs of repeated and distinctive forms arranged into intricate and flee flowing designs. Fascinating, to say in the least. The question begs why were mirrors used as grave goods? The easiest answer does not always work, one being that the Iron Age lady was buried with her belongings. Perhaps the mirrors were not possessions but (diplomatic) gifts. And why would a deceased lady take a mirror, she wouldn’t need it in her afterlife, or would she?
Imagine looking into this mirror. The effect of seeing your face in the reflective properties of the plate, disrupted or enhanced by its La Tene decorations would …yes, what would you see?
Giles and Joy describe how the decorations on the mirrors are not only used to deceive the eye, but also to reinforce the reflective qualities of the mirror plate. The anthropologist Alfred Gell points out that Iron Age mirrors could have expressed political power and legitimize associations with the supernatural. This is hard for us to understand but in order to understand what Gell states requires us to imagine a time in which you only saw your reflection in (restless or calm) water, in shiny objects, like copper, bronze, silver or gold. How special such mirrors would be! Imagine now that next to not frequently seeing your reflection, you were raised to notice all sorts of shapes in water, smoke, old trees, and rocks. We have a clear sense of what we see is real and what is imagination, but for ancient people perhaps seeing was just seeing, whether it was imagination or fact. If the under-upper and middle world aren’t having hard borders, perhaps seeing imaginative, hallucinative and factual weren’t compartmentalized either.
Working on Desborough Iron Age Celtic Mirror; adding a golden border.
When I suffer a migraine aura, I see things that do not exist and things that I need to see are gone. I can pass a person in a street who is missing his head! Perhaps looking into an Iron Age mirror yields a similar effect as having a migraine aura because Iron Age mirrors have blanked out spaces and thus provide viewers with a disorienting and distorted image of themselves. Yet, an Iron Age mirror has not only missing parts (blanked out spaces, decorated with a basket woven texture) but carefully chosen synchronized but flow-like playful, witty, and mischievous botanical and animal patterns. What effect would looking into a shiny plate, with a deliberate disorienting pattern have? Here the essay explains more about the ‘technology of enchantment‘ and goes deeper into psychological war-fare though powerful visceral and visual effects. It informs the reader about the Fang People of Gabon who used hallucinogens before looking into mirrors, and states that these Iron Age mirrors were not real mirrors (not for checking hair or make-up). In fact, the mirrors played a role in rituals to release the soul to its afterlife.
Desborough Mirror copied by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Mixed media; Derwent graphite & metallic pencils, and bronze coloured ink.
During the time that I spent drawing this Iron age mirror, I tried many things. I tried to project my face behind the decorations, fusing my face and the decorations and then see all sorts of animals. Of course, this is a very poor attempt to understand its magic. But I have to do it with a large doses of imagination and hours of drawing as there is no way I would be able to hold the mirror up and have a look in it. And even if I could do that, there wouldn’t be a ritual that would be helpfully performed by an Iron Age shaman who would be experienced in travelling between worlds. (Or brainwaves, or different stages of consciousness, whatever way you might define shamanistic journeying).
My concluding thoughts are that by looking into this mirror, in an Iron Age ritual ceremony, with an Iron Age cognitive mindset, maybe, as a dying lady of high status, I would find great comfort in seeing my old face being obscured with these splendid swirling decorations. I would be calm as I have seen, thanks to my migraines, things that aren’t there and fail to notice things that are there. I would probably enter theta brainwaves the same way as after sitting down for a longer time in meditation or -more Iron Age style- looking into the smoky swirls of an open campfire. I might start seeing my face, combined with the swirly flowing embellishments turning into animal and ancestral spirits.
One has to understand that the Iron Age was full of spirits, spirits we have carefully abandoned from our modern life. But just as they have been forgotten, it doesn’t mean these spirits aren’t there. I would most certainly find an ancestral spirit that would ‘present’ itself as so much of my own face would be blanked out, and only essential and familiar facial lines would still linger in the reflective image. Or perhaps, I would see a beautiful stag or another mammal, and experience it as my guiding spirit animal. Perhaps I would see the hybrid human-animal dressed-up shaman of the village giving me instructions to journey to the Other-world.
All in all, it would perhaps release my soul into an in-between world in which I would be able to project comfortably to what I would need to see. I would probably have been fasting during the last days of my life, I would be susceptible for my imaginative mind to dominate and thus the softly and dreamily reflecting mirror would get a transitional quality and function. Or perhaps I would look and whisper some wise words, like Tibetan shamans who look into mirrors to see the future and the past, wise words that would be helpful to my tribe. The Fang people of Gabon use mirrors to contact their ancestors. Do Iron Age mirrors have a similar function?
Obviously, many things become possible should such a highly valued mirror be available to a tribe. There are many more than this Desborough mirror only. One by one these mirrors and their fascinating embellishments are showing us that Iron Age metallurgy and shamanism practices were interrelated and that highly decorated ‘magic’ Iron Age mirrors were much appreciated by Iron Age peoples.
P.S. During the hours that I was drawing the Desborough mirror, I travelled between worlds too. I had to descend from my creative, spiritual plane of manifesting ideas to the mundane world of running errands. As the trees were shedding their leaves, I noticed many decomposed leaves with open parts resembling mini Iron Age mirrors scattered on the street. If you can not enjoy looking into the Desborough Iron Age mirror at the British Museum, do not despair, mini versions are freely available every autumn.
Art cards are available at Etsy (and can be framed as small memories to this exquisite mirror):
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Paula’s art shop is at Etsy and her portfolio is at Instagram. Contact her freely should you like to commission her or buy her art.
After publishing their first Literary Ladies Gothic Magazine, the literary ladies Maryse Kluck and Maricelle Peeters wrote, designed, and published the sequel The Romantic Literary Magazine. Like its predecessor, this magazine contains references to Romantic novels, including titles by lesser known authors. It also gives advice on how to write a romantic novel.
Maryse Kluck, Student History at UUMaricelle Peeters, Student Graphic Design
As young girls, Maricelle Peeters and Maryse Kluck were homeschooled in Belgium where they participated in homeschool meetings, coops, and workshops. After their families moved to different countries, they lost contact. They reconnected in their twenties at the time Maricelle had settled in South-Africa and Maryse in the Netherlands. Ever since, their joint interests, their love for books, and creative writing lead to projects in which their creativity and knowledge bloomed. The Literature Magazine is one of these projects. The magazines consist 100% of Maricelle’s and Maryse’s research and design; it reflects their literary knowledge based on university lectures, broad readership, and unwavering love for literature.
The Romantic Literature Magazine consists of 59 pages that thoroughly enlighten you on the artistic movement called Romanticism. Mostly aimed at literature, it also dives into its origins, historical backgrounds, various sub-genres, and authors belonging to this movement. The magazine is packed with knowledge and provides readers with a crash course in the Romantic movement. It offers readers plenty of links, definitions, and sub-genres to explore. This magazine is for A-Level and Bachelor’s level, for literature lovers, book and writer groups, art-students, and librarians.
Here we have two aspiring writers helping you to understand this beautiful artistic movement with a magazine that is pure eye candy. It draws you into the world of Romanticism through reading and its enchanting illustrations.
Do you have to write an essay on Romanticism, or you need to quickly familiarize yourself with Romanticism, download this magazine and I would be seriously surprised to find you not enjoying it or not saving it for later assignments. It is a gem although after reading the Romantic Magazine, I am more inclined to say ‘it is sublime’.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
I admire the magazines of the Literary Ladies very much and I wish to support the Literary Ladies’ passion of promoting literary knowledge and the joys of reading. The first three homeschool families or students who buy either the Gothic or Romantic Magazine through Stuvia can send me a Tikkie and I will restribute payment (after proof of purchase). Use the contact form, please.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs., owner, commission artist and writer at mindfuldrawing.com, a website full artwork, art-musings, art-appreciation, and art-essays. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and loves painting and drawing. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
This article contains desperate remarks by those who live close to a patient suffering from dementia. Those who have contributed to this article are willing -albeit anonymously- to open-up about their thoughts, doubts, and feelings.
By sharing honest comments on living with dementia patients, readers are -hopefully- offered some support in dealing with their harrowing feelings. Sharing thoughts on the difficult predicament of dealing with a family member suffering from dementia feels like backstabbing them. However, not being able to talk about the unspoken terror of dementia is suffocating as well. Those taking care of loved ones suffer from feelings of guilt, anger, and loss. We must acknowledge the dark side of having to soldier on with a depressing task.
Nancy Reagan called dementia ‘a truly long, long goodbye’. She nailed it. It is draining.
‘I don’t want to visit grandma! She is not my grandma anymore‘ is a text in one of the many children’s books on dementia. Children say things adults are ashamed to say but feel nonetheless.
Books for children on dementia illustrate this article, showing ‘between the lines’ the inevitability and importance of helping young generations to understand the worldwide growing epidemic of dementia. A pandemic we don’t even fully comprehend ourselves.
THOUGHTS & DOUBTS
“Since my parent started to suffer from vascular dementia, I have searched for answers to burning questions. But most answers promote saint-like qualities, like endless patience and replying to meanness with kindness. I find it hard to muster positive feelings during the long journey. Moreover, I wasn’t looking for advice on becoming a nurse or saint. On the contrary, I looked for explanations on how damaging it is to be in close contact with a demented person/parent. Like when your demented parent is frequently body shaming you. And when your demented parent calls you degrading names. When you are at a total loss whether what your parent says is parental manipulation or madness caused by cognitive decline. You have to look hard because most advice is about increasingly devoting your time to caring or even to stopping and reversing their cognitive decline. This is unfair because dementia neither can’t be stopped nor reversed”.
Dancing with Memories, by Sally Yule and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini. ISBN: 9780733342578
ANGER
“For centuries women were trained to keep their emotions and anger to themselves, and to venerate her parents. In case a daughter blows her top, especially whilst taking care of a parent, that is seen as something punishable. I was called a witch and madwomen, such highly predictable reactions that a male dominated society has instilled in us since the Middle Ages”.
CARING FOR CARETAKERS
“I need to understand why I always fall ill with a sore throat and tiredness after having kissed my demented parent. Is it the lack of personal hygiene among demented patients? You are continuously advised to be careful not to infect elderly, but what about a contrariwise situation? Elderly take tons of medications which caretakers do not take and perhaps these medications protect them? (Just one of the unanswered questions). Another example: when I google for creative help with dealing with a demented parent, I am advised to keep a demented patient happy and stimulated with crafts, like colouring books (which I bought for my parent). But why is all advice geared at those suffering from dementia? There seem to be a lack of empathy with those who deal with a demented patient. Demented parents might live for another 5-10 years. It took me courage to admit and reconcile with the fact that 5 to 10 years is too long from me. My reservoir of loving feelings (many based on gratitude) has dried up. I have no emotional fuel anymore and that makes me feel guilty.”
Why Doesn’t Grandpa Remember Me? A Children’s Book about Families Affected by Dementia. Author: Robert Sky Allen PhD. ISBN 979-8886443431
OPENING THE FLOOD GATES
“Over time I started to notice that the more honest I spoke out about the human predicament of having a demented parent, the more flood gates opened up about suffering from dealings with demented family members. This felt like opening Pandora’s Box ; all manner of misery and evil flew out. Only one evil remained inside the box: ‘hope’. Hope that things will improve, which won’t happen”.
Grandma and Me: A Kid’s Guide for Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Beatrice Tauber Prior Psy.D. (Author), Mary Ann Drummond RN (Author), Julia Walther (Illustrator)
“My friend has her father coming over almost daily. She looks out of the window and there he stands in her garden. ‘Oh no, there he is again’, she moans. It is painful to see how a loved and respected parent becomes a burden”.
“It is so hard when your parent, who has been a beacon of sanity and even wisdom, starts drifting”.
Written by Registered Social Worker and Dementia Care Expert, Jaclyn Guenette / Edited and Illustrated by Award-winning Author & Illustrator, Kathryn Harrison. ISBN 9780994946768
WHEN DEATH IS DENIED
“Dementia has existed in past times, but I can’t help thinking that modern medicine has made it much worse. People die less from flu, heart diseases, diabetes, and strokes. Elderly patients are pulled through health crises, however there are no medicines that keep their brain functioning. Then, when death is denied, dementia knocks at the door”.
“Tricking death? We know from Greek Mythology what happens when somebody tricks death. Look at Sisyphus! Sisyphus could be a perfect metaphor of dementia: everyday a demented person takes pills or participates in workshops to strengthen and recover neural pathways only to progressively suffer from cognitive decline.”
Nice to meet you again, by Suzanne Bottum-Jones. ISBN: 978-1942586340
TIREDNESS & GOLDEN YEARS
“I am so tired. I am so so tired”.
“Those who take care of their elders with dementia are 50-70 years old themselves. Being confronted with dementia is hugely depressing. If there is any happiness in the golden years it is obliterated by having to take care of demented parents”.
Really and Truly by Emile Rivard & Anne-Claire Deslisle, ISBN: 9781445119410
LACK OF EMPATHY
“I felt like dying myself, that exhausted I was taking care of him during the pandemic. I had to train him to understand the pandemic and its hygienic guidelines. He was convinced Covid wouldn’t affect him. He -by then- suffered from idée fixes about living independently and healthily up to the age of 100. Empathy seemed gone. He denied the toll caring for him took on me. I would become collateral damage to his relentless ambition to stay ‘independent’; but what he didn’t see that his ‘independent living’ was based on me taking care of him at least three times a day! When my daughter said to him that I was worn-out and depressed, he said ‘Good for her’, that uncontrollably mean he was. He wrote emails to my husband that I was crazy. It is said that demented women often grow depressed and demented men become mean. Boy, can I testify to that. There is nothing rewarding about taking care of somebody with dementia. It is losing, losing, and losing”.
United: Caring for Our Loved Ones Living with Dementia, by Gina Awad and Tony Husband (Robinson 2022). ISBN 9781472146519.
“There are so many now with dementia and Parkinson! It is shocking. Who is going to take care of all these patients?”
“The years my parent was slightly demented, were the most difficult. Everybody was mental and evil according to my parent; suspicions ruled his mind. His paranoia spread like wildfire through his family and friends. Once diagnosed with dementia, chicanery progressed into a more passive condition, which was less hard on those around him. The classic tale of dementia, isn’t it?”.
Dementia not only affects the minds of its victims; it also creates a world so fragmented, so skewed and redundant – so indifferent to normal rules of behaviour – that caregivers unwittingly become part of the madness. And this, unfortunately, is what the doctors and the guidebooks offering counsel to caregivers often fail to notice. Because we automatically posit a clear distinction between caregiver and patient, between the normal and the abnormal, we don’t see that the true burden for caregivers is, in fact, the absence of such a divide. When a loved one loses cognitive purchase, it’s not only his or her world that begins to unravel, but the caregiver’s as well.
Grandma by Jessica Shepherd, ISBN 978-184.643.5973
EMOTIONAL CONFLICT
“My conflict is mainly two distinct voices battling inside my head; one coming from the grateful ‘child’ (implying it is pay-back time, thus taking care) and the other voice is coming from anger that she didn’t take pre-emptive measures when she was still capable of doing that. It is horrible to see a person turning into a shriveled and mad version of herself. Who wants that to happen to oneself and their family?”
“One day he suddenly said, ‘I apologize for having become such an oaf. I apologize for my bad behavior’. I was astounded and it broke my heart to know he was aware of his decline. This was one of those rare moments of self-reflection which make you -for a short moment- think his dementia was just a bad dream. It is like a candle that has burns brightly, then starts to flicker, and finally extinguishes. That flickering self consciousness of demented patients is so hard; one moment you have a reasonably meaningful conversation with the person you remember, the next sentence it is gone. Dementia has you fluctuating between love and loathe. Eventually you grow so emotionally exhausted that you start worrying about your own mental resilience. I often thought let me take care of an unknown demented person and let the family of that person take care of my father. Having no past, no blood ties, no love would make it less debilitating”.
I love my Grandpa! by Sally Flint, ISBN: 9781912535767
HOUSING
“We have an army of old, vulnerable, and invalid people living in spacious houses whilst young couples can’t find homes to buy. Our society suffers from an epidemic of dementia and ill, old people who do not enjoy or maintain their large homes, and can’t keep their gardens. They are encouraged and facilitated to grow old at home because of a futile idea that living independently would slow down dementia. That is a fallacy. They occupy not even a third of their homes and sleep 60% of the day, while young families wait for suitable houses for years. We need more -not less- old people’s homes. And fear of being a resident of an old people’s home should be tackled with smart campaigns.”
The Tide by Clare Helen Welsh, Illustrator: Ashling Lindsay, ISBN 978-1788810869
ESSENTIAL SELF DEFENSE
“Stop visiting your demented family member if your parent hurts you. They do not remember your visit anyway”. (Trainee nurse).
Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost by Betina Birkjaer, Anna Margrethe Kjaergaard, Kongerskov ISBN: 9781592703739
SENSE OF LOSS
“During the first stages of their cognitive decline often there is loss of hearing and/or loss of sight. Patients feel the impending and inevitable loss of independent living too. If I only had known beforehand that all that loss would be projected on me and that my caring (for years!) would be trashed. My demented parent has blamed me for the whole caboodle but even that is now forgotten and now he grabs my hands, kisses them, and won’t let go. I have gone from an angel to a villain and back to an angle again in a matter of 2 years. It is maddening having to go through this”.
“My siblings took the side of my demented parent and were quick to echo accusations that I, the primary caretaker, was a crook, a thief, and suffering from madness. (That accusation of madness was really the world up-side down). Dementia is a huge catalyst for conflict. It is not that only one brain deteriorates, the whole situation it is like being close to a dying star: the demented person expands before he/she implodes. It is unbelievable how much energy, money, and suffering went into this chapter of life“.
A Doll for Grandma by Paulette Bochnig Sharkey (auteur), Samantha Woo (Illustrator), ISBN 978-1506457383
BODILY COMMENTS
“I know that I have a curvy body but to constantly hear that I have big boobs is not nice”. (Trainee nurse, old people’s home)
“I read that an indigenous group had a special name for demented elderly: ‘Those who forgot to die’. I understand that name now that I have seen dementia close up. The body keeps going while the brain is dying; the body survives the brain”.
Always My Grandpa – Linda Scacco and Nicole Wong, ISBN 978-1591473121
UNSOLVED ISSUES?
“There is a theory that demented persons dwell on earth longer because there are some unresolved emotional-psychological issues. Isn’t that an overly romantic notion? How perceptive would a demented person be to therapy? Often their memory is damaged, and having a meaningful conversation is impossible. Any unresolved issues will stay unresolved”.
Ice Cream with Grandpa: A Loving Story for Kids About Alzheimer’s & Dementia by Laura Smetana (Author), Elisabete B. P. de Moraes (Illustrator), ISBN 978-1737140948
NO CURE FOR DEMENTIA
“The medical industry and doctors are largely responsible for suffering families. I understand they are bound to their Hippocratic Oath, but saving old people’s lives when they are suffering from dementia is questionable because there is no cure for dementia. The daily burden is not carried by doctors but by family members and it feels like staring into the abyss”.
My Book about Brains, Change and Dementia, by Lynda Moore (auteur), George Haddon (Illustrator). ISBN 978-1839977480
DEMENTIA AS A MARKET
“I read your article in its beta-version and I thought it was a cute idea to embellish your article with children’s books. Having no young children it had escaped me that there are so many children’s books on dementia. It made me wonder how big the dementia book market is. I googled it and a world opened: so many books on dementia! For those who taking care, autobiographies of patients, colouring books for dementia patients, children’s books, and self-help books. Although I am happy that not only the pharmaceutical companies and their shareholders profit from dementia, it is kind of sad. Everything surrounding dementia is loaded with sadness”.
Big Bear, Little Bear and Dementia, by Katie Faulkner and Iain Welch, ISBN 979-8751316563
HIGH EDUCATION MASKING ONSET DEMENTIA
“Remember Sister Monica Joan from the popular television series ‘Call the Midwife’? She is a well educated nun and it is unclear during the first episodes whether Sister Monica Joan is highly educated and knowledgeable about classical literature (she is throwing around impressive literary quotes), very eccentric, or…. in her early stages of dementia. The best remedy against dementia is learning and storing knowledge, but being smart and knowledgeable also disguises dementia. With many well educated elderly, families often dwell in the dark too long about the onset, progression, and various stages of dementia. My family spotted dementia 2-3 years earlier than doctors did; for 2-3 years we thought we were growing intolerant”.
Mijn oma is opeens heel anders, S. Rieckhoff Sibylle Rieckhoff, Jürgen Rieckhoff Dutch, ISBN 9789053415238
FIGHTING OR ACCEPTING DEMENTIA?
“We are in conflict with demented patients. We actually are fighting them, aren’t we? We approach them with our typical West-European, fixing ambitions. We fight their decline and we want to stop their regression into their past. We stimulate them to be in the here & now, and we make them swallow daily cocktails of dopey pills. Why do we not accept their senility? What are we doing to them and to ourselves?”
“I heard a sweet story. An old buddy, in his late 80s- visited a demented lady. The demented lady was in a jubilant mood. She was saying something incomprehensible and then she burst out in laughing. Her infectious giggles made the buddy laugh which made the demented lady laugh even more. For the duration of their coffee meeting they enjoyed fits of laughter. They had a jolly good time. If only I had seen those two!“
-XXX-
A huge thank-you to those who have contributed to this article. Special thanks go to the trainee nurses.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all, Paula’s artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends. Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Should you be appreciative of this article and of other essays, please consider supporting my work.
Butterfly with poem art card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two Butterfly with Poem by William Wordsworth, Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two (2) Butterfly with a poem art cards with matching envelopes. The poem is ‘To a Butterfly’ by William Wordsworth. Free shipping. One for keeping: one for sending.
Poem:
Stay near me–do not take thy flight!
A little longer stay in sight!
Much converse do I find in thee,
Historian of my infancy!
Float near me; do not yet depart!
Dead times revive in thee:
Thou bring’st, gay creature as thou art!
A solemn image to my heart,
My father’s family!
Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days,
The time, when, in our childish plays,
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased the butterfly!
A very hunter did I rush
Upon the prey:–with leaps and springs
I followed on from brake to bush;
But she, God love her, feared to brush
The dust from off its wings.
William Wordsworth
Who does not feel enchanted by Koi carps? The way that they gracefully slide through their watery world makes us believe that they represent our thoughts and feelings. These large, but ever so elegant, soft-finned Koi carps swim in freshwater; they appear and disappear, come and go from all directions, like our thoughts during meditation. The more the Koi carps feel relaxed whilst being watched by you, so our thoughts slow down during meditation as we do not engage with our thoughts, but observe them manifesting and disappearing. Koi carps stand for prosperity and success. Their hardy nature has also led to Koi being associated with longevity.
NINE KOI CARPS
Here is another Koi Carp commission. The typical number of Koi fish in a Feng-shui is 9 because it means unity, prosperity and longevity. The number nine represents attainment and completion.
MONOCHROMATIC or GRAPHITE ART
I also accept monochromatic (graphite) Koi carp commissions. Would you miss colour? That depends on what art you prefer and what kind of art decorates your home. Perhaps your home has neutral colours? Or your home is alludes to the 17-18th century? Or you have an earth home with only greys and ocher tones? Monochromatic art is soulful and although colour makes people happy, monochromatic art is without doubt a bit deeper.
Monochromatic Koi Carp Art Work by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Contact me freely to commission your nine Koi carps. I make a colourful composition for you with measurements of 46-61 cm i.e 18-21 inches because these big fish need space. Compositions with 2 or 3 Koi carps can be smaller in size (and consequently lower in price).
Questions I will ask is whether you prefer accompanying lotus flowers and what colour Koi carps you favour. Also I need to know whether your preferences in relation to its orientation: horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait).
See more about commissioning me and its price indication at Etsy.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Two (2) Koi Carp Art Cards
Two Koi Carp Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They are professionally printed, double folded art cards. They come with matching envelopes. One for keeping: one for sending.
There are customers who frame the card. Free shipping.
‘Would it be possible to commission you for a cottage drawing, a bit like your see on this card? But with a Yorkshire cottage in a Yorkshire countryside? But not a summer scene; actually it should be autumnal. Could you add mushrooms and late autumn butterflies? And perhaps ravens in the sky? For decoration, lots of ivy? Yes, brambles are fine too. I like the cottage to be a bit bigger. The hills with a steeper gradient? Would this be possible?‘
The answer is ‘yes‘ because I like to hear about your preferences and I like to draw beautiful, softly rendered monochromatic art. Colour is also possible but I prefer classical, 17th century drawings that have so much technique and soul. Put a monochromatic drawing in a wooden frame with a golden edged mount and your cottage art will be timeless.
Please, do return here regularly because I will posts updates on my work in progress.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Commission Artist in Utrecht, Netherlands (and preferring her holidays renting a lovely countryside cottage in the UK).
Should you have questions related to (possible) commissions or technical questions, please use the contact form.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Paula has her shop with originals at Etsy & her portfolio at Instagram. Art cards are available in the shop on this website.
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Standing)
Two double folded art cards that come with matching envelopes. The mandarin ducks are standing on one leg, close together to confirm their life long bond. Two cards: one for sending: one for keeping. There is a larger image inside for framing.
Free shipping.
Haven’t we all read Marie Kondo’s advice to only keep belongings that sparks joy? And the famous remark by William Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful‘. I love how Morris incorporates ‘De gustibus non est disputandum’ (there’s no disputing about taste) by saying ‘is believed to be beautiful’. Beautiful, Morris understood, is not easily defined. Beauty is about cultural conditioning and sentiment. That vase or necklace you received as a token from your late aunt is that beautiful or do you want it to be beautiful because it was given by a lovely aunt?
‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful‘, William Morris.
Such questions lead to a decluttering trend which is named Swedish Death Cleaning. It does sound sad; it reminds us of emptying houses of deceased loved ones and donating over 90% of their belongings to charity or thrift shops. Death cleaning can be utterly draining, let us be honest about it. But it is exactly therefore that Swedish Death Cleaning advises us to start decluttering at the age of 60. Not that this way of down-scaling and simplifying your possessions is limited to 60+, on the contrary, you are invited at any time in your life to do a round of Death Cleaning because it has huge beneficial effects on your life and on the lives of those who will survive you.
Days after I turned 60, I read Swedish Death Cleaning by Emmanuel Eke. (There are more books on Swedish Death Cleaning; Emmanuel Eke’s book is probably the less pretty one but it is effective).
Decluttering policies are already implemented in my life (due to the lack of space) but now it is time to get rid of sticky, sentimental possessions that have been a burden on me and will be a burden on my beloved child. Swedish Death Cleaning will help me to live more in the present without all these repetitive mini movies playing in my head in which ancestors play too big a role. Thus, death cleaning goes beyond tidying and organization because it is not as simple as ‘keep what sparks joy’ but zooms in on the relation between objects and narratives that seem to be glued to objects.
From Instagram
SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING FOR ARTISTS
I have tried to have my daughter promise that should I arrive at the gates of heaven, she would give away 90% of my portfolio. I hoped this would take away a weight on her shoulders but she told me that you simply can’t put the burden of ‘death cleaning’ a whole portfolio (worked on for decades) on the shoulders of your child because your child will not permit her/himself to throw away one sketch, let alone full sketchbooks. ‘Take 7 of my best artworks and the rest is off to a thrift shop’. The reply? A steadfast ‘No’. ‘I have tried to have my daughter promise that should I arrive at the gates of heaven, she would give away 90% of my portfolio. I hoped this would take away a weight on her shoulders but she told me that you simply can’t put the burden of a whole portfolio (worked on for decades) on the shoulders of your child because your child will not permit her/himself to throw away one sketch, let alone full sketchbooks. ‘Take 7 of my best artworks and the rest is off to a thrift shop’. The reply? A steadfast ‘No’.
Four of my portfolios
It is hard to ask to declutter possessions of parents; it is downright cruel to ask selecting or decluttering artworks made by a parent. It must feel like undoing your parents creativity and legacy. Thus it is you, the artist, who is responsible to leave a meaningful heritage (and in the case of being an artist, a slimmed down portfolio).
My advice is to set a limit of how many artworks you find reasonable to pass on to the next generation(s). Donate (or throw away) every year a few artworks. Should you be afraid of regret, store a digital copy on an external hard-drive. Slim down your portfolio yearly till you have reached the maximum of artworks you find pleasurable and fit (and of such quality) to leave behind. Increase the volume of death cleaning annually.
ASHER LEV’S CREATIVE THINKING
Another idea is found in My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. This deeply moving story is about the young artist Asher Lev, a religious boy with an overwhelming need to draw and paint. Asher has an extraordinary God-given gift but he has to master his talent without shaming his people or relinquishing any part of his deeply felt Judaism. Asher Lev is an artist with a heart and when a good friend dies, he pays a visit to the poor widow with children. Asher being a starting artist has no money to give but he -a real artist- is capable of creative thinking. He promises the widow to send her yearly one of his artworks that she should store. Years will pass and her collection will grow accordingly, and so will Asher’s name (hopefully his fame). When his reputation is at its heights, she should sell the art collection and support her children’s study with the money that yields.
It is 25-30 years ago that I read ‘My Name is Asher Lev’ and I remembered this side story whilst writing this article. I though this was such a brilliant idea by the writer Chaim Potok, I couldn’t help thinking Potok had seen this arrangement in real. It is a wonderful way of ‘death cleaning, the artist way’; give away your art to those who can use it (or use the money it might yield).
DEATH CLEANING FOR WRITERS
Long ago I befriended a published poet in her 80s. In her testament she left all her poems and writings to the Dutch Museum for Literature along with 100% of her financial heritage. A small book was published a year after her death containing her most prolific poems. The rest of her work was stored and will -perhaps- be subject for a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD research project.
It is important to be organized and to look ahead. Draft your testament so that your work won’t get lost. It is estimated that a large body of work by J.S. Bach got lost after it was passed on to his sons. The same counts for Da Vinci’s notebooks of which only a few have survived whilst he most likely had many. Two indescribable losses! Death cleaning means ‘death’ cleaning for a reason: make sure that your artistic work isn’t binned but well passed on to those appreciative of it.
KEEPING A WELL ORGANIZED PORTFOLIO
For writers, artists, and artisans counts that one has to keep an up-to-date portfolio. I have a document on which all my drawings and paintings are listed plus their location (in which portable portfolio they are stored). I have a file on my computer for all my artistic work: photos, writings, and miscellaneous. On every of my 5 portable portfolios, I have clipped an envelope with an index of my portfolio which helps to find a drawing. Plus, I am not shy to throw away artwork. Only my excellent work should survive and be passed on. Be organized and be no sissy.
NO SISSY
I am not a sissy when it comes to slimming down possessions. I have lived abroad and I have had a house to keep in our homeland and abroad, and thus at the end of each foreign assignment thrift shops, charities, orphanages loved me to bits (they actually said so, which made me laugh). However, donating stuff that is linked to beloved ancestors is another story than donating an outgrown IKEA child room.
In ‘Common Challenges and Emotional Attachments Associated with Letting go of Possessions During Swedish Death Cleaning Process’ (p.42), I find what I am looking for, namely dealing with various emotional attachments, mainly passed on by family. I will face a difficult situation when my last parent -currently in his nineties- will cross the River Styx. A future heritage will yield mostly Emotional Attachment Possessions. I will have to take decluttering to the next level: to the level of death cleaning stuff that has been passed on lovingly.
FEAR OF REGRET
Difficulties surrounding death cleaning of emotional valued possessions are fear of regret, loss of identity, sunk costs fallacy (for instance antiques have devalued enormously), and inherited beliefs. The best piece of advice Eke’s book gives is to Identify True Value. This is a complex evaluation. It involves an assessment of its practical use, its story (that plays in my head only), its financial value, and above all because of being already 60 (and having only 25-35 years ahead) its value for my child. Does the object provoke a story that sits as an ear-worm in your head or will it offer a happy tale? But even more than that, does the object fit in the life my daughter envisages to live? Would it be a passed on burden or an object of joy for her?
For donating sentimental possessions, I have adopted a mental trick. I zoom in on a feeling a subtle annoyance being obliged to hold on to inherited stuff. Most of the time I find myself grateful for an heirloom, but other times I struggle with feelings of guilt because it was not my choice to feel overwhelmed with the emotional effects and memories that stick to certain items. I didn’t buy it; I didn’t decide to keep it, and still, it is now in my possession! Of course, we have a choice accepting or declining possessions passed on by others, and whilst many pieces are passed on with feelings of gratefulness, the older you become, the less grateful you are with possessions previously owned by others because you do not need them. You do not need more objects whispering to you and involuntarily provoking memories. You need a quiet home to hear or pick up the subtle voice of creative inspiration.
VISUALIZE YOUR IDEAL SPACE
Another powerful piece of advice related to death cleaning is to visualize your ideal space. It is hard to imagine that such space is filled with heirlooms (like a museum), weighing you down with stories echoing from the past. My imagined ideal space is filled with things that are useful and wanted by the next generation. This is death cleaning in essence; you do the work for your beloved ones.
PASS ON HEIRLOOMS EARLY IN LIFE
Eke advises to ‘pass on heirlooms early’ which is powerful advice. Young people need stuff in their 20s-30s. Sometimes inherited stuff is still appreciated at the age of 40+. But after 50 who needs extra stuff? Hardly anybody because our homes become smaller and smaller, generations have less children per family, or are (voluntarily) childless (due to climate change, overpopulation, or other ecological reasons). Or have adopted a minimalist, anti-materialist, or tiny living lifestyle, which all are admirable.
MY NEIGHBOUR’S NECKLACE
I was given a lovely necklace by my late neighbour. I wore that necklace for during two decades and then one day it snapped. The beads flew in all directions and although I could save a few, the necklace was lost. Surprisingly, I had peace with that. I saved the small lock and a few beads. One must let go of possessions and their narratives. Surprisingly when the necklace broke, my neighbour didn’t magically disappear from my memory. The necklace turned out not to be a relic.
‘Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by clutter, stressed by possessions? It is time to take charge and embark on your own decluttering journey. Swedish Death Cleaning offers a unique and empowering approach to decluttering that not only brings peace and organization to your life but also leaved behind a meaningful legacy for your loved ones‘. (Emmanuel I. Eke)
I do not have much clutter. When you have moved house internationally a few times, every move has been limited to an international shipping container maximum (cubic meters). The day before a moving company arrived, you were 100% sure you had decluttered your stuff to the bare bone to avoid embarrassment. Clutter therefore hasn’t been my main motive to read about Swedish Death Cleaning, because know how to declutter. In fact my husband and I often refer to our ‘inverted house’ which is a house that only exists in our minds. In this non-existing house we ‘see’ (with our mind’s eye) everything we have given away to charities and thrift shops or have brought to recycle stations. Sometimes my husband tries to find something and inquires about it. Then I say: ‘You can find it in our living room in our inverted house’, after which we both laugh. We have mastered decluttering. I bought Swedish Death Cleaning for the next-level-advice on how to deal with sentimental possessions which are harder to shed than clutter.
‘Imagine waking up in a clutter-free, serene environment every day, where everything has a purpose and a place’
Emmanuel I. Eke
Imagine waking up in a space that has almost an unbearable (emotional) lightness, having no negative stories attached to objects, that breaths openness, and offers plenty of room for creativity. That is cleansed from heaviness, from things that pull you back to the past in a negative way.
I will remember this when I busy myself with several rounds of Swedish Death Cleaning, because it will -paradoxically- create more room for life.
Paula
PaulaKuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, an artist website with academic essays, short articles, and lots of artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
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Koi fish represent unity, prosperity, and longevity. For others Koi carp stand for resilience because these carps are strong. Feng Shui practitioners agree that the favored number of fish for your pond or aquarium is best limited to nine because nine stands for prosperity.
(Showing how a commission is made in several steps: from a monochromatic, detailed underdrawing, to the first colours, and several layers of colour later applying a protective spray).
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Koi are often associated with elegance, strength of character, perseverance, and accomplishment. But also with meditation; watching them slows the mind. The fish also symbolize good fortune, and prosperity. Their long history and hardy nature has also led to Koi being associated with longevity. Koi carp are one of the most Feng-shui loved animals.
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Geschreven door Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Ze gaf tien jaren thuisonderwijs in verscheidende landen.
Bijna elk kind kent een paar kinderversjes of ‘nursery rhyms’. Een kind leert dat zonder inspanning. Echter, de overstap van rijmpjes naar gedichten ontmoet weerstand. Zijn rijmpjes nog eerste leuke stapjes, het memoriseren van gedichten wordt vaak vergeleken met een zinloze en onwenselijke ‘drill’. Het vermogen van een kind te memoriseren en reciteren blijft daardoor onaangesproken. Hierdoor wordt het kind tekort gedaan
Bijna alle ouders kennen een paar grappige kinderversjes. Maar wanneer kinderen naar school gaan, duikt vaak een anti-autoritair argument op om kinderen te vrijwaren van het leren van gedichten. ‘Een kind moet niet gedrild worden’, of sceptisch: ‘Wat is de relevantie van gedichten?’ Gedichten behoren tot het educatieve fundament waar een kind taal, cultuur en in enkele gevallen schrijfkunst op kan bouwen. Er bestaan goede redenen om gedichten weer een plaats te geven in het kinderhart. Kinderen hebben baat bij het leren van gedichten, ook als ze later geen alfa-studie oppakken.
COGNITIEVE WAARDE
Of het gaat om serieuze, klassieke, verhalende of humoristische gedichten, het zijn de ware opvolgers van kinderversjes. Een kinderversje is de eerste kennismaking met de combinatie van ritme, cadans, rijm en taalpatronen en helpt bij spreekvaardigheid en bereidt het kind voor op gedichten. De cognitieve waarde van het leren van gedichten is groot. Kinderen die gedichten leren, memoriseren en reciteren ontwikkelen taalvaardigheden. Een kind leert door gedichten, net zoals door lezen, nieuwe woorden. Hoe rijker de woordenschat van een kind, hoe beter. Zelfs als een kind een gedicht hoort en de betekenis van een aantal woorden niet kent, dan raadt een kind naar die betekenis met de hulp van het gedicht dat die betekenis suggereert. Kinderen die poëtisch geschoold worden, ontwikkelen ook een gevoel voor verschillende betekenissen van woorden en zinnen. Net zoals tweetalige kinderen weten dat ‘blauw’ niet een kleur is maar een woord voor een kleur die je ook met ‘blue’ kunt aanduiden, leren kinderen woordcombinaties te gebruiken om essenties van iets te duiden.
En essenties worden ook begrepen door kinderen met dyslexie. Voor kinderen met dyslexie is het leren memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten een zegen. Zij kunnen gedichten met een docent of ouder leren door deze samen keer-op-keer op te zeggen zodat de geschreven tekst geen obstakel vormt. De trots op het kindergezicht spreekt boekdelen wanneer het een lang gedicht kan voordragen. Niemand vermoedt dyslexie en even kan dit kind gewoon of zelfs excellent zijn, wat het zelfvertrouwen stimuleert.
Niet alle kinderen gaan later een taal- of letterenstudie volgen. Toch is het jeugdig kennismaken met de dichtkunst voor alle kinderen van toegevoegde waarde. Voor elk kind, dyslectisch, begaafd, of gemiddeld, is echter vooral de ontwikkeling van het taalgevoel het belangrijkst. De subtiele taal uitdrukkingen waarmee ze kennismaken, maken hen ambitieuzer. Woordkeuze wordt belangrijk voor hen. En door het goed gebruik van taal en de zorgvuldige woordkeuze onderscheiden zij zich. Zij gaan inzien dat je je enthousiasme voor iets nauwgezet kunt uitdrukken dan met een langgerekt, taalarmoedig ‘Cool!’ Dus zelfs in het geval dat een kind nimmer een dichtbundel zal oppakken, is het leren van gedichten zinvol voor taal-en geheugen ontwikkeling.
Voor een aantal kinderen gaan gedichten nog meer betekenen. Hoe vaker deze kinderen gedichten reciteren, hoe meer zij ontdekken dat gebeurtenissen in het leven herinneren aan een gedicht. De werkelijkheid wordt poëtisch kracht bijgezet. Begin daarom op jonge leeftijd met gedichten. Een 5-6-jarige kan al een gedicht voordragen (al dan niet met een spiekbriefje). Ouders staan daar versteld van, maar docenten weten beter. Het leren memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten past bij het bewegelijke, fantasierijke, speelse en muzikale leren dat kinderen graag doen en waar zij goed in zijn. En voor diegenen die het leren reciteren van gedichten toch niet waarderen, onderzoek of daar luiheid aan ten grondslag ligt door hen te vragen of zij het (nog) niet kunnen opzeggen? Zoals het kennen van de tafels van vermenigvuldiging het rekenen een leven lang vergemakkelijkt, zo geven gedichten kinderen taalkundig een goede start.
CULTURELE EN TRADITIONELE ARGUMENTEN
In de meeste culturen kunnen kinderen niet ontsnappen aan het reciteren van gebeden, ballades of gedichten. Het is een onderdeel van hun familie traditie of religie. Denk aan het reciteren in de joodse traditie maar ook in de islamitische, christelijke en boeddhistische. De gebeden worden uitgesproken of gezongen. Het bidden kalmeert de geest, bevordert de contemplatie en maakt de bidder drager van het religieuze erfgoed. Hetzelfde geldt voor het reciteren van gedichten. Gedichten reflecteren gevoelens, verhalen over gebeurtenissen, beschrijven landschappen of gaan over een persoon. Wanneer gedichten door opeenvolgende generaties opgezegd worden, is er sprake van cultuurbehoud. Het is precies daarom dat culturen eeuwenlang educatief gevormd zijn met behulp van de dichtkunst. Griekse jochies internaliseren de Homerus in taal, verhaal en cultuur. Talloze gedichten, verzen en mythes zijn door alle eeuwen heen voorgedragen terwijl de jonge kinderen deze zagen met hun ‘inward eye’, zoals Wordsworth beschrijft in zijn gedicht ‘Daffodils’. Deze jonge kinderen zagen met hun verbeelding mythische voorstellingen, fantastische verbeeldingen en boeiende verhalen zoals moderne kinderen televisiekijken. Gedichten zijn cultuur in woord en beeld, zij leren kinderen niet alleen de poëtische kant van de taal en het leven, maar ze brengen ook waardering voor geschiedenis bij. Hoe beleefden dichters in de vorige eeuwen de werkelijkheid? Wat ervoeren zij gevoelsmatig? Van welke landschappen hielden zij? Hoe namen zij afscheid van een geliefde? Het memoriseren van literaire cultuur is een waardevol onderdeel van een curriculum dat een breder doel heeft dan taalontwikkeling.
EMOTIES EN GEDICHTEN
B.P. Shelley, J. Brodski, M. Nussbaum en J. C. Powys zijn maar vier van de ongetwijfeld vele dichters, filosofen en schrijvers die van mening zijn dat gedichten bijdragen aan morele bewustwording. Volgens hun overtuiging zijn gedichten instrumenteel voor het ‘verdichten van de levenservaring door de literaire dimensie’ (Powys), het voeden van de fantasie (Shelley), en het ontwikkelen van het inlevingsvermogen (Nussbaum). Literaire ervaring, fantasie, inlevingsvermogen en empathie maakt een mens sympathieker ten opzichte van zijn medemens. Deze empathie vormt de basis voor moreel handelen.
Tegenstanders van deze aanname beweren dat ook Nazi kampbewakers gedichten lazen maar dat afwisselden met het martelen van gevangenen. Het is oncontroleerbaar en daarom inderdaad onwetenschappelijk te beweren dat gedichten een moreel effect hebben op kinderen. Maar dat betekent niet dat het memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten daarom maar uit het leven van een kind mag verdwijnen. Immers, het onthouden en voordragen van gedichten is, zoals eerder gesteld, met name belangrijk voor de taalontwikkeling en het cultuurbehoud. Of het ook moreel een steentje bijdraagt, hoeft geen doorslaggevende motivatie te zijn.
Bij een aantal kinderen zullen gedichten niets meer doen dan het geheugen aanspreken zoals het onthouden van telefoonnummers. Deze kinderen moet je niet vervelen met dichtkunst. Maar voor de anderen geldt dat gedichten aanzetten tot piekeren en lachen. Net zoals het religieuze idioom van gebeden, helpen gedichten, gevoelens en ervaringen in woorden te vatten. Al zal maar een aantal kinderen liefde voor gedichten ontwikkelen of zelf dichter worden, deze groep is belangrijk genoeg om aandacht aan te besteden.
In het moderne onderwijs is de aandacht voor gedichten echter minimaal. Het onderwijs wordt steeds informeler, minder competitief en minder gericht op het opbouwen van fundamentele vaardigheden zoals rekenen, taal en schrijven. Voor het maken van gedichten moeten jonge leerlingen goed geschoold worden in grammatica, spelling en technische aspecten van gedichten.
Het mankement van het hedendaagse onderwijs is dat jonge docenten zelf niet veel weten van de dichtkunst en daarom blijven steken in het geven van complimenten. Een jonge leerling die echter wil leren hoe hij zijn gedicht kan verbeteren, heeft geen boodschap aan complimenten maar juist behoefte aan kritische opmerkingen. In het vak van creatief-schrijven moet daarom vooral aan de techniek van het schrijven en dichten aandacht gegeven worden. De vrees jonge leerlingen te vervelen met technische vaardigheden mag niet het ‘Jong geleerd is oud gedaan’ principe overheersen.
Dichten is meer dan je gevoelens op papier zetten en meer dan zelfexpressie. Scholing in het analyseren en maken van de gedichten van de grote dichtmeesters vormt de basis. Leer dat leerlingen op school of thuis maar hou de verwachting laag dat leerlingen in klaslokalen hun beste gedicht schrijven. Een klaslokaal kan te veel een sociale battle-ground zijn of er kan te veel onrust heersen. Het kan een leerling ook aan vertrouwen ontbreken om metaforen te gebruiken. ‘Misschien word ik uitgelachen’. Het creatief aanwenden van taal is één aspect, maar het creatief of diepzinnig kunnen reflecteren op indrukken of ervaringen kan een leerling waarschijnlijk alleen in de rust en beslotenheid van een eigen plek. En het kan een tijdje duren eer een jonge dichter het gedicht durft voor te dragen. ‘Het moet eerst een beetje afsterven’, zei de dichteres Catharine van der Linden eens tegen mij toen ik haar vroeg een recent gedicht van haar te mogen lezen.
Maar ondanks dat er diverse argumenten gegeven kunnen worden voor het leren, memoriseren, en reciteren van gedichten, lijkt het haast te veel gevraagd. In de voorwoorden van de twee delen Poëzie voor Kinderen (samengesteld door W.L. Boldingh-Goeman) uit 1922, putten de inleiders zich ook uit in het bepleiten van gedichten als leerstof. De argumenten van de inleiders doen inmiddels bijna poëtisch aan: ‘ ..zoo zullen zij (de leerlingen die leren declameeren) zich tot harmonische menschen ontwikkelen en reiken naar de schoonheid van het poëtisch leven, wat niet anders beteekent dan reiken naar de hoogste wijsheid en liefde’.
Er zijn ook praktische overwegingen. Het opzeggen van gedichten door jonge kinderen leidt ertoe dat zij hun verlegenheid verliezen, goede uitspraak verwerven en leren voordragen waardoor zij later ook makkelijk voor publiek kunnen spreken. Het leren voordragen van gedichten geeft ‘gepaste vrijmoedigheid’. Moesten jonge kinderen daar vroeger wellicht in aangespoord worden, vandaag de dag zullen gedichten kinderen eerder bescheiden maken.
De dichtkunst is traditioneel een educatief fundament dat kinderen niet ontzegd moet worden. De voordelen van onderwijs in de dichtkunst zijn niet alleen taalkundig maar ook cultureel. Enkele kinderen hebben zelfs emotionele baat bij jeugdige kennismaking met gedichten. Willen de volgende generaties in staat zijn dichters van kaliber voort te brengen, dan moet onderwijs in het dichten weer opgenomen worden in het curriculum, moeten ouders weer gedichten gaan voorlezen en bibliotheken competities voor het beste gedicht uitschrijven.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer heeft een decennia lang thuisonderwijs gegeven tot het moment dat haar dochter naar een IB school ging, vervolgens A-Levels deed, en ging studeren aan een universiteit. Na haar thuisonderwijs jaren, pakte Paula weer haar pen en penselen op, en begon met het opzetten van www.mindfuldrawing.com.
“Waardeert u dit essay? Mijn website heeft inmiddels 180.000+ bezoekers gehad waarbij lezers gemiddeld 2-3 pagina’s lazen. Het is mijn wens om ‘www.mindfuldrawing.com’ meer self-supporting te maken. Ik hoop dat u mijn website wilt steunen en dat u vaak zult terugkeren naar deze site waar beeldende kunst, spiritualiteit, en natuurwaardering centraal staat”.
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Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Three reinterpreted mythological stories by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s short stories focus on three inspirational goddesses. Old religious or mythological stories come alive when we realize that they can reveal intimate truths about others, ourselves, and our society. Stories stays alive when we relate them to our lives.
Iphigena’s Escape
Iphigenie (1871) by Anselm FeuerbachGoddess Arthemis with her deer
I am Iphigenia and my father is the charming, powerful Agamemnon. Agamemnon is sailing to the land of Centenarians. Unfortunately we find ourselves drifting on the Aegean Sea; there is hardly any wind on the water. Hunger and aggression increase by the hour; even ship rats are caught and eaten. In their frustration, sailors almost tear asunder their irreplaceable sails. Then, Agamemnon decides to offer me to appease the gods for filling the sails of his trireme. His ambition to reach the land of immortals is relentless.
Seldomly, I have prayed so urgently for divine intervention. Artemis, goddess of hunting and forests, orders the last three remaining ship rats to chew the ropes that tie me to the ship. That night, they work silently as to not wake up the sleeping soldiers. Free at last, I silently slide a cedar oar in the sea and invite the rats to sit on my shoulders. Slowly slipping into the water, I grab the floating oar, -the rats jump on it- and we drift away. I peddle with my feet till I am -hopefully- out of sight of my father’s ship. The sun rises and the sun sets and if it weren’t for the rats that seem remarkably relaxed, I would have given up hope.
Finding myself lying on a sandy beach, I spot my rats sleeping close to me. I am intermittently awake and asleep with exhaustion. When I open my eyes, I see how the rats lose their shape. I fear for their lives. Hours later, I open my eyes again, I see they have grown. Am I delusional with hunger or are they gradually shapeshifting into mouse-deer? By the time the sun goes down and I am able to sit up, I am in the company of three fawns that take another hour to morph into adult deer. They look at me with their amber-onyx eyes, jump up, and head for the forest.
‘I must thank Artemis and her deer’, I whisper when I am on my feet again.
The sea carries voices from far away, out of sight. It might be Agamemnon’s men cheering as the wind picks up.
Reconstruction of Dorcatherium by Heinrich Harder.Mouse Deer
XXX
Hestia’s Return
Hestia or Vesta, 150 BCE, via the Altes Museum, BerlinPaula Kuitenbrouwer’s Hestia (monochromatic drawing on Arches)
I am Hestia, goddess of family, home, and the sacred fire; I keep hearths burning and I guard the health of families.
My father is Cronus. Mythology says he has devoured me and all my siblings soon after our birth. He did this out of fear to be overthrown by one of his offspring. Zeus wouldn’t have it and forced the old Titan to disgorge us. I can’t remember this all but what I do know is that Cronus never really lost his fear of losing his power to his children.
My siblings and I grew up and we all fled to different islands. I sailed to Ermioni, a small port town on the Argolid Peninsula and made it my hometown. Looking back, I see my life there was characteristically feminine and motherly; teaching, creating art, and home keeping.
Last week, I went to Pythia. Perhaps you know her better as the Oracle of Delphi. Pythia, in all her mysteriousness, prophesied something that I do not fully understand and neither the temple priests could explain to me. Something about Artificial Intelligence (what is that?) that will push men and women out of work and send them home. When the priest said home, my ears pricked.
Writers, artists, teachers, doctors, all those have me close to their hearts because they do womanly, motherly, homely jobs. To give them self-worth and have future generations (still) interested in education, AI companies will have to be taxed hard which will generate governmental funds to implement an unconditional basic income for those put out of work by AI. This unconditional income is needed for people’s self-determination and self-worth. It is hard for me to fully understand this.
Pythia was deep in trance when she whispered that AI companies will drive humongous changes in societies and that putting massive amounts of people out of work for profit is not something society is inclined to accept. This political stuff went way over my head but I do understand that apart from war and natural disasters, profound changes in society should be democratically driven, not commercially.
Still, it all puzzles me. However, from what I intuitively feel, it will be a matter of time for me -a rather insignificant Olympian goddess- to increase in importance. Home, health, harmony, and hearth will become -once again- the center of our lives.
I am the nameless Muse of Painting, as painted in oil by Henry Siddons Mowbray (1858–1928). I am rather smitten by this portrait of me.
Anonymity befits me because there have been so many nameless painters in history. We painted for God, or we saw our artwork as a god-gift. We didn’t sign our artwork, because it came from something higher and better than us mere mortals.
In Mowbray’s painting I am at work, holding my paintbrush in one hand and the canvas in the other. My palette holds four colours Mowbray has used as base hues.
This is me at work, both painting and taking some distance to judge my artwork aesthetically and technically. This is the unique quality of being an artist; simultaneously creating and appraising how inspiration manifests itself after its transformation of a fleeting idea to a solid painting on canvas. I am the maker and the viewer, taking turns, and this is a very delicate position. Both qualities are in my portrait, and I think that is one of the strengths of this artwork.
XXX
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Artist in Utrecht, Netherlands, at Etsy & at Instagram.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Contact me freely to discuss commissioning your favourite mythological figure.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supporting.
Should you have enjoyed this essay and website, please consider supporting my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two (2) Marvellous Mandarin Duck Art Cards
Two double folded Mandarin duck art cards with matching envelopes. They have a larger image inside and enough white space for a letter or wish. Professionally printed art cards.
Mandarin ducks are known as symbols of friendship, loyalty and love. The cards come with matching envelopes. Free shipping.
June 2023 was the hottest June on record according to NASA’s global temperature analysis. Although July was much better for the Netherlands, elsewhere the world was on fire or boiling. It gave me a sense of ending.
We all are in this together. Because your house didn’t burn down, your environment at large (air quality, biodiversity, availability of water) has suffered. Clean air and fresh water have become scarcer and thus at one point these commodities will become a more expensive.
You know why biodiversity matters? One reason is that viruses and bacteria need animals (as hosts) and when there are less animals -in variety relating to numbers- viruses and bacteria jump to humans, and as a result –here we go again– another pandemic.
We need clean air, lots of vegetation (trees are air-cons), plenty of fresh water, and a huge reservoir of animals and insects. Noah was a wise man boarding all animals he possibly could find.
Noah’s Ark is a painting by Cajetan Roos (1690, Rome – 1770, Vienna), was an Italian landscape painter of German descent.
SENSE OF BEGINNING
Book Illustrations by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, an oak leaf filled border.Book Illustrations by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, an oak leaf filled border.Book Illustrations by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, an oak leaf filled border.
What gave me a sense of beginning was that my daughter -she is an aspiring writer- asked for illustrations for her (future) books. This opened a whole new world. I need to acquaint myself with new knowledge, new techniques, and book publishing related history and fashions to make book illustrations.
Thus, I started with studying standardized sizes relating to different genres. Size, however, is not a make-break; apart from common standard measurements there are options. That said, I like my illustrations to fit into standard measurements (avoiding distortions) and thus had to do some math.
Then there is typeface. My daughter would love to have a personalized letter type, which implies that I must design 26 letters, capitals, lowercase, 10 numbers, ampersands, etc. I will run into 101 challenges that will give me a sense of learning a new trade, thus a sense of beginning. It made me think of William Morris who set up his own Kelmscott Press and designed its hallmark typefaces, decorative borders, letters, and ornaments. How very inspiring!
Lime Tree Decorative Border by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
It is important to have a greater sense of beginning than a sense of ending. Learning new creative skills and setting ambitious creative goals helps. But that won’t be enough to compensate for the excesses of capitalism, global warming, and the ever growing divide between haves and have-nots. Some even refer to the end of the Anthropocene (the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet). We will need to become extremely innovative and creative in minimizing our harmful impact on our planet.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Angels’ Wings by Paula KuitenbrouwerAngels’ Wings by Paula KuitenbrouwerAngels’ Wings by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Free shipping.
They arrive in a sturdy envelope, these 9 prayer, note-booking, bookmark, well-wishing cards with nice texts and enough white space for a short personal wish.
Size about 7-10 cm.
The deer is a symbol of grace, elegance, and endurance. It’s also a symbol of abundance. This is a sweet gouache painting to decorate your family room.
Artwork by Paula KuitenbrouwerArtwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
This is a happy, family oriented art piece. It shows a relaxed family. Surrounded by decorative Japanese ancient tree top symbols.
A deer family painted within an Asian folding fan. There is lots of wood element in this painting; the paper is made of wood, the folding fan shows wood, and this deer family lives in a woodland park. There will be metal element as well; lots of rich gold/bronze, silver. You could use a wooden of metal frame. There will be lots of earth element; I will use earth pigments, mainly soft ocher paints.
This is a lovely and very neatly executed painting; enjoy the photos of the graphite underlayer.
For Feng-shui purposes this painting could decorate your dining room in the southeast (wealth) sector. Another great placement for this deer themed artwork is the health (east) sector to improve and protect health.
Size: 31-41 cm that is 12-16 inches. Arches Paper.
Please, use the contact form should you have any questions or like to discuss a commission.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Deer Family Gouache Painting
Art work by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. A deer family resting closely together in a woodland clearing. Depicted on a Asian fan, surrounded by treetops and a golden coloured boarder.
The light will play with this painting due to the use of metallic golden touches. Please do not hang it in direct sunlight as that is never good for art.
Arrives in an artist tube and protective plastic folio.
Price includes all costs of shipping trace & trace.
You are looking for something special but you feel reluctant setting up another account on an online selling platform? I understand.
Welcome. You have arrived at my shop and I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer, currently living and working as an artist in the Netherlands.
Feel invited to select a few nice cards.After paying, I will ship the cards in a sturdy brown envelope along with seal stickers and my name card.
I have an Etsy shop (with over 220 sales and many 5 star reviews), so head over there in case selling through an online platform is preferable. For large and original artwork, please visit my Etsy shop. Etsy offers sellers and buyers protection (for instance against artwork getting lost whilst shipping). Should you see artwork there that you like to buy via Paypal, please use the contact form.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, 2023Paula Kuitenbrouwer, 2023
I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer, commission artist living in Utrecht, the Netherlands. I am married with one daughter who studies History both in the Netherlands as well as abroad. (She is a guest writer of my website). I accept commissions and have done several art projects. I have ventured into book illustrating after my daughter asked me to be her future resident book-illustrator. (So happy with that request!)
As from a young age I have been drawing and painting. I have done many things like graduating in Philosophy, studying Prehistory and Celtic history at Oxford ODCE, and working in various jobs. During my time as a university student and later when my daughter was born, I had very little time to draw and paint, but as soon as my sweet daughter could hold a pencil, I was back on track.
After having been a homeschool-teacher for a decade in various countries due to the international job of my lovingly and unwavering supportive husband, our daughter went to an international high-school and later university. It was then that I could seriously grow my portfolio.
I enjoy having contact with my customers. They all are deeply art-loving and kind people. Feel invited to contact me.
ART SHOP
All prices are including shipping.
MANDARIN DUCK ART CARDS
Mandarin duck art card, double folded with decorated matching envelope.
Two (2) Mandarin Ducks Resting Art Card
Mandarin ducks are life long partners. They sit close together to confirm their bond. Inside this double folded art card is a larger image for framing. The professionally printed art cards come with a matching envelopes.
€17.00
Mandarin duck art card, double folded with decorated matching envelope.
Two Mandarin Ducks Standing Art Card
Mandarin ducks are life long partners. They stay very close together to confirm their bond. Inside this double folded art card is a larger image for framing. The professionally printed art cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
ANGELS’ WINGS WELL WISHING or PRAYER CARDS
Prayer or Well Wishing Angel Wing Cards
Eight (8) beautiful angel wing cards with sweet texts on the backside. Size 3-4 inches, about 7 by 10 cm. Sweet gift and well wishing cards for those in need for support. Original and unexpected. Multi religious. Non-denominational. Spiritual and creative support.
€25.00
FLOWERS & BUTTERFLIES
Pumpkin with Butterflies
A wonderful pumpkin with fluttering butterflies and a pumpkin flower
(2) Two Pumpkin with Butterflies Art Cards
This is a professionally printed double folded art card that is richly illustrated. The cards come with matching envelopes and seal stickers. Perfect for well wishing, vegan friends, celebrating harvest time.
€17.00
Condolence or Sympathy Butterflies Art Card
Mourning Cloak Butterflies fluttering near autumn leaves.
Condolance Sympathy Art Card with Mourning Cloak Butterflies
Inside this card -in cursive lettering- there is a text ‘With heartfelt sympathy’ (UK English), ‘Met innige deelneming’ (Dutch) and ‘Toutes mes condoléances’ (French).
Mourning cloak butterflies represent the cloak worn by people who mourn the loss of a beloved one. This type of butterfly is a symbol of “mourning” the death of a loved one.
€12.00
TULIPS
Four tulips arranged in an elegant composition
Two Tulip Art Cards
This double folded art card is very elegant and easily communicates well wishes. The lush tulips open up and beautifully show their striped petals. The art cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
Lascaux’s Bison
Crossed Bison of Lascaux
Two Crossed Bison of Lascaux Art Cards
This double folded art card shows my three drawings of the panel of Lascaux’s prehistoric paintings showing two bison with their hind legs crossed, as if they stampede away from each other. The art study of this ancient panel is to be found on mindfuldrawing.com. This is a unique card, full masculine energy and seeks to show how prehistoric painters had a talent for three dimensional painting uneven cave walls.
The cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
Thank you very much for ordering, for your support, and your appreciation of my work. It means very much to me.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Sybille Tezzele, artist in Süd-Tirol, feels inspired by closely observing lichen on her daily walks through her local woodlands.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, artist in Utrecht (NL), thought that her angels’ wing collection should be supplemented with a Midwinter Angel Wing.
Both artists hope you will feel enchanted by their angelic inspiration as well as their prayer, well-wishing, or gift cards that they present to you:
SYBILLE TEZZELE’s LICHEN ANGEL WING
Artist Sybille makes her daily walks in mountainous woodlands of Süd-Tirol, which leaves many of her Instagram followers filled with (harmless) envy. Sybille daily records her walks and followers of her account get to see 360 degrees of her views plus what is high up in the air (buzzards) and very low to the ground (the marvelous world of toadstools, fungi and lichen).
When Sybille saw Paula’s Angels’ Wings Project, it didn’t take her long to dream up an angel’s wing. Sybille’s wing is covered with lichen which means covered with many of nature’s wonderful textures. In a Da Vinci and Matisse like act of detailed studying nature and using cut-outs to create layers, Sybille composed this lovely angel’s wing.
Beautifully Textured and Lichen Covered Angel’s wing by artist Sybille Tezzele Kramer (copyright Sybille Tezzele Kramer). Lichen Angel Wing in progress; Sybille KramerLichen Angel Wing in progress; Sybille KramerLichen Angel Wing in progress; Sybille KramerLichen Angel Wing in progress; Sybille KramerLichen Angel Wing in progress; Sybille KramerLichen Inspiration; Sybille KramerLichen Inspiration; Sybille KramerLichen Inspiration; Sybille KramerLichen Inspiration; Sybille Kramer
Text on the backside is:
This angel’s wing is covered with lichen and draws attention to symbiotic life forms. In symbioses, participants live in an intimate association and close union; they give, take, and share their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Lichens are a symbiosis of algae, fungi, and bacteria. To my artist’s eye, their variations in colour, shape, and size are endlessly inspiring.
PAULA KUITENBROUWER’S MIDWINTER HOLLY & IVY ANGEL’S WING
I have a few more angel’s wings in mind and they pose a nice creative challenge. This angel’s wing, covered with Holly & Ivy, I painted during the hottest June on record in the Netherlands. I needed to reassure myself that winter would return despite having the feelings we were cooked. No wonder, on my sketchbook a large midwinter wing appeared. I loved working with lots of reds and greens under a deep blue sky with a bright shining yellow sun.
Text on the back is:
In the dark midwinter months, this angel offers us evergreens such as Holly and Ivy that keep their fresh green colour throughout the winter season.Green leaves and red berries fill us with hope that vegetation shall reappear. Evergreens resonate profoundly with us and provide us with a sense of safety and merriment.On the darkest days of the year, we decorate our homes as we do in spring, reminding us of birth, fertility, food, and beauty. May you consider this midwinter angel wing as the herald of happiness.
YOUR ARTISTIC TAKE ON ANGEL WINGS?
Should you feel inspired drawing, painting, embroidering, or sculpturing angel wings and you would like to show your artwork on my website (related to other angel wings), please contact me. Angels’ wings are very inspiring; art-history proves that.
Winged Victory of SamothraceFra Angelico (1395 –1455), Italian.
Buying all nine of Paula’s angels’ wings:
All Nine Angels’ Wings
A lovely collection of nine (9) angels’ wings by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. These sweet cards can be used for prayers, well wishing, gifts, meditation. They arrive in small plastic protective folio.
(7.5-10.5 cm/3-4 inches).
Maricelle Peeters and Maryse Kluck were -as young girls- homeschooled in Belgium where they joined many homeschool meetings, coops, and workshops. After their families moved to different countries, they lost contact. They reconnected in their twenties at the time Maricelle had settled in South-Africa and Maryse in the Netherlands. Ever since, their joint interest and their love for learning, books, and creative writing lead to projects in which their creativity and knowledge could bloom. The Gothic Literature Magazine is one of these projects. The magazine consists 100% of Maricelle’s and Maryse’s research and design; it reflects their literary knowledge based on university lectures, broad readership, and unwavering love for books.
OUR MAGAZINE IS HERE
The first fabulous Literary Ladies Magazine issue. Covering all things Gothic Literature – from its early Blood Tragedy origins to the reasons that made authors write these controversial classics- like Frankenstein- this 50-page magazine is an easy & delightful read to anyone interested in understanding literature.
For curious readers, the Magazine is full of external links leading to webpages where you can read more on the mentioned topic, or even buy the books discussed in throughout the document.
For curious writers, we have a special section for you: we discuss the themes and characteristics of Gothic Literature here and give tips on how to write a Gothic story.
Our magazine -written and designed- solely by Maricelle Peeters and Maryse Kluck.
This magazine is hugely helpful with your literary studies or could be used as a guide for browsing through bookshops selecting perfect Gothic books. It can be obtained and instantly downloaded at Stuvia. Follow this link.
The Gothic Literature Magazine is an A-Level or Bachelors level magazine.
Please, recommend other readers our work and spread the word but not our work freely. We have put considerable work and information in our magazine, for which we took lessons, read books, and had our work evaluated and edited by UK top university graduates in Literature.
On the question of aspiring writers how they can sell their first book or magazine, the well known answer is; ‘By publishing a second book‘ (and so on). This advice we have taken on board; the Romantic Literary Magazine is here (review) and for sale here.
“This magazine is beyond expectations. It is very rich in educational content and beautifully illustrated. The magazine educates you on British, German, and American Gothic literature. It arms you with knowledge about Gothic themes, writers, writing styles, and even architecture. Reading list and writing advice included!“
More on my Angels’ Wing Project. I like to show you a few postcards and pictures that have inspired me whilst I was drawing eight angels’ wings. (They are in Angels’ Wings Part I). Let me start with the small angel in the painting by Pieter de Grebber (ca. 1635-1640).
The small (swan) wing is perfectly positioned in the upper left corner of the painting. The perfect wing (anatomically and composition-wise) seems to naturally attach to the shoulder blade of the angel. I find it interesting how a bird element or a spiritual element is attached to the mundane human body. It is not surprising that the shoulder blade is used to attach a wing; aren’t the ‘naturally’ looking a bit wing-like?
ANGEL GABRIEL
Next: Angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus. His wings are fully unfolded to help the viewer to identify him as an angel. Gabriel’s wings are large and very white, almost radiant. Do you see that divine stream radiating into Maria’s head? Enlarge the picture and you will see baby Jesus diving into Maria’s head (symbolizing a virgin birth). Do you also notice the Holy Spirit symbolized as a dove in the same divine stream of golden light? Now have a look at the two angels looking from heaven (architecturally expressed as a balcony). These angels have red wings. This is all highly symbolic. Red is a colour closer to humans than white as red is the colour of our blood. I wrote more extensively on this painting in another essay which is named Painting the Unpaintable.
What I always find so lovely of these paintings is that the painter most likely used family members as models. Look how closely Maria and Angel Gabriel resemble each-other. I would bet on a brother and sister modelling for this painting.
BLUSHING ANGEL
The postcard with the angel inspired me to use soft red-pink-orange-yellow colours. Look at the lovely blushed red cheeks of the angel and the movement of her hair! And her compassionate look with a sweet teardrop running over her blushed cheek. It must be hard to see people suffering and hurting each other. The wings in the background have lovely ocher and red colours.
I decided to dress up my angel wing with tulips in the colour palette of the postcard. My small card (3-4 inches/ 10-7 cm) is for supporting somebody, sending well wishes, for somebody in need for a floral bouquet (but you are unable to send it). Or just creative nourishment for a sweet soul.
ARCHANGEL MICHAEL
Most wings artists have attached to human models representing angels are swan wings. The size of wings in fine art paintings is irrelevant; there is no need for a perfect ratio of wing size to body weight because angels are regarded as weightless. Still artists seem to allude to a perfect ratio: large angels have full grown wings (3/4 of their body size) and cherubs have small wings, often fluffy.
Angels also do not seem to use their wings, like birds do. While the ‘human’ part of the angel is static (standing still), the wings are ‘in flight’, open and depicted as grand as possible. Having no need to follow the laws of aerodynamics or being truthful to ornithological anatomy, angels’ wings allow artists endless freedom. Also, colour-wise.
Archangel Michael is often portrayed with white wings but also with wings in four colours: red, blue, green, and yellow. I have subtly added these colours to my large angel wing. His wings are always large to symbolize his triumph over evil. The original drawing is 30 by 40 cm. The smaller art prints are 7-10cm or 3-4 inches.
Here are my angels’ wings. For more detailed photos, please click here.
‘For every notebook an angel wing card’. Angels’ Wings copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer
With love,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Nine Angel’s Wings
Nine lovely angels’ wings. They can be used as prayer’s cards, as well-wishing cards, as diary embellishments, or meditation cards. They are just lovely and the text on the backside leaves enough room for a short well-wish.
$30.00
My angel wing cards are also available at my Etsy (shop).
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s Angels’ Wings at EtsyPaula Kuitenbrouwer’s Angels’ Wings at Etsy
Angels’ wings … how do they look like? Do they have to resemble birds’ wings? Or can we express the wonders of the mystical realm in various creative ways?
Paula Kuitenbrouwer Angels’ WingsPaula Kuitenbrouwer Angels’ Wings
I finished a project that has been in the making for years. I started it when I was living in Ireland, a land full nature, pagan and catholic beliefs. After leaving Ireland, this project got shelved but the pandemic made me return to it. Perhaps thanks to a very quiet lockdown time, local Irish angels could reach me all the way in the Netherlands (two seas in between the Netherlands and Ireland) and whispered ‘Paula, finish this project; don’t let it disappear into oblivion’. So, I returned to my collection of angels’ wings. I enjoyed have felt the whisper and aid of the Muses of the Arts, angels, birds, butterflies, trees, shells, and motherhood during the hours of painting angels’ wings.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
In art angels have wings. Through the ages, artists have adjoined bird wings for so the public would recognize what they were drawing are angels. Perhaps another reason for painting bird wings as angels’ wings is transportability; wings symbolize the ability to fly to heaven and return to earth.
Different bird wings have been attached to angels in fine arts, although swan wings seem to be favourite. Archangel Michael has been portrayed with strong, large wings, consisting of four colours; red, green, blue, and yellow. Cherubs are often embellished with cygnet or small swan wings.
The size of wings in fine art paintings is irrelevant; there is no need for a perfect ratio of wing size to body weight because angels are regarded as weightless. They also do not seem to use their wings, like birds do. Having no need to follow the laws of aerodynamics or being truthful to ornithological anatomy, angels’ wings allow artists endless freedom.
For reasons unbeknownst to me some angels are well known others are (almost) forgotten. Most of us know Michael and Gabriel because they are recognized as archangels in Judaism, Islam, and by most Christians but there are many more. Should you like to dive into the realms of angels, I highly recommend A Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson.
‘Angels transcend every religion’, says Saint Thomas Aquinas, ‘…every philosophy and every creed. In fact, angels have no religion as we know it. Their existence preceded every religious system that has ever existed on Earth’.
Which angels do you know? And what do their wings look like? During the months I have worked on my Angels’ Wings Project, I haven’t felt the need to restrict myself to angels recognized by world religions. I found angels close to home; a woodland angel, a sea angel, and a breastfeeding and mothers’ hand angel. It is my hope that you will enjoy my angels’ wings with humor, with fond feelings, and use them as prayer cards or as well-wishing messages for your beloved ones.
Now I will present my angels’ wings. I have used monochromatic and coloured pencils to create as many details as possible. I work on Arches art paper. The printed small cards have a crisp white background and are printed on premium paper with a matte finish.
ANGELS’ WINGS
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer Copyrighted
Text:
Often angels’ wings are portrayed as white swan wings. However archangel Michael’s wings sometimes have four primary colours; red, blue, green, and yellow. The shape of his wings is always strong and large to illustrate his triumph over evil.
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer Copyrighted
Text:
Seraphim are ancient celestial beings. They have multiple wings and eyes. Perhaps we should see these eyes symbolically? Do the eyes represent that angels see all things? In the spiritual realm things are different. Having multiple eyes or faces perhaps means that the spiritual realm fills us with majesty and wonder.
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer Copyrighted
Text:
It is believed that this angel crashed and that butterflies repaired his broken feathers with their hind-wings. This is a fallacy because angels seldom have accidents. The truth is that this angel loves butterflies so much that when he finds a lost wing, he carries it up to heaven. Such is the alluring beauty of the fragile Monarch and Malachite butterfly.
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer Copyrighted
Text:
Spending time in nature isn’t possible for everyone. But a walk in a park, admiring spring flowers, or enjoying a bouquet offers joy too. This angel brings you flowers -tulips in various colours- to delight you. All you are invited to do is to look at the angel-wing with its tulip heads, close your eyes, and imagine that you are showered with flower petals.
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer Copyrighted
Text:
‘Let my baby sleep through the night, please’. The first night your baby sleeps for a longer stretch of time is because you prayed -perhaps subconsciously- to this wonderful angel. She has comforted your baby by using her ultra-soft wing that contains a million of lactating breasts for your newborn. You might have heard your baby making sweet drinking noises? Precisely.
Original Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Copyrighted
Text:
This woodland angel takes care of seed dispersal when birds, wind, and insects have a day off. Seeds of trees and shrubs are the heart, start, and renewal of a forest. This woodland angel stores nuts and forest fruits between his wing feathers and releases them where saplings are needed.
Mother’s Hands Angel copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Text:
Losing your mother is a momentous heartbreak. We miss our mother’s love, her voice, her soft cheeks, and her caring hands. When we miss our mother, this angel comforts us. She has millions of mothers’ hands woven into her feathers. At night, she softly wraps her motherly wing around those who grieve.
Text:
Most children and adults collect shells when they saunter along the beach. The more complex and exotic they are in shape and size, the better. Angels love gathering shells too. Of course, angels aren’t geographically restricted. This angel extravagantly has decorated its wing with a wonderful assemblage of shells.
Midwinter Angel Wing with Holly & Ivy decorations and lots of greens and reds, copyright by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
As for good, traditional Midwinter, Christmas, or Happy Holidays, I have painted a large strong angel wing with holly & ivy. The wing shows many green and red hues, the traditional colours we miss so much during the long, dark, and grey winter months. The text on the backside reads:
In the midwinter months, this angel’s wing spreads evergreens such as holly and ivy that keep their fresh green foliage throughout the winter season.
Green leaves and red berries fill us with hope that the vegetation shall reappear. Evergreens provide us with a sense of safety and merriment.
On the darkest days of the year, we decorate our homes as we do in spring, reminding us of fertility, birth, food, and joy.
May you consider this midwinter angel wing as the herald of happiness.
ALL ANGELS’ WINGS TOGETHER, copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer
FROM OBLIVION TO GLORY
In the light of the above inspiration….I hope you have enjoyed various angels’ wings. I might make more and I welcome angel wing commissions. The ones above are available as small art prints for using them as prayer/memory/well wishing as well as originals. Do contact me freely by using the contact form. Send them to your beloved ones, those who need support, or keep them in your holy books, diaries, or notebooks.
Nine (9) Angel’s Wings
Nine professionally printed Angel Wing Cards to be used as well wishing, prayer or bookmark cards (size 7,5 x 10,5 cm which is about 3 x 4 inches).
The text on the back leaves enough space for a small note.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
Visiting Lebuïnus Church’s Well in the Netherlands
Our pilgrimage to the Church of St. Lebuïnus, the main church of Deventer, a Dutch Hanseatic League city at the Dutch river IJssel.
I am eager to visit a well and my husband is perfectly fine with a nice day out for whatever reasons. Recently, I read Katherine May’s Enchantment in which she and a friend visit Black Prince Well in the village of Harbledown (UK). Reading her reflections on visiting a well made me question how many sacred springs and wells I have visited in my life. I can list a few abroad, mainly in the UK like Bath, Winchester, one near Hadrian’s Wall, and few in Italy, Germany and Austria. In the Netherlands, my home country, I have visited Springendal since my early youth. ‘Springendal’ loosely translates as valley of springs, which shows there are a few natural springs.
I like to visit a well again and do it right, although, like Katherine May, I have no idea what right is. Katharine May mentions that ‘You are in fact the one who fills the well’ because we seem to have forgotten the rules of engagement. Should I use the water to draw a small cross on my forehead? Should I sense the well giving me energy? At Geology and History class we learn how springs and wells are formed and how vital these were from prehistoric times till the time of tap water. But spiritually, we seem to have forgotten what to do near a well. Or perhaps not.
The evening before we plan our visit, I Google the well. I can’t find information when and how it came into existence. Is it man made and later Christianized? It looks like it. There are no records of any wonders that happened after drinking its water. Pilgrimages in the 13-14th century took place to venerate the remains of Saint Lebuïnus, not because of the well.
Lebuïnus Church
We arrive at a large church that -far back in time- most likely started as a wooden hut placed near or over a well. This is the church of Lebuïnus, who was an 8th century Anglo-Saxon missionary. Lebuïnus (Lebuin, Lebwin or Liafwin) was an apostle of the Frisians and patron of Deventer but born in England. In between Lebuïnus’s preaching the Gospel in the vicinity of Deventer and dying there in c. 775, there is a lot of building, church burning, fleeing to Germany, and returning to Deventer. If you think erecting a church as a straightforward job, you think wrong.
Saint Lebuïnus
The colossal church we visit today was completed in 1525. We walk around the church and find it a delight. The sun shines and the sand-coloured stones give it a soft feel. The interior of the church enhances this impression with its friendly pastel palette of off-white, soft peach pink, and Naples’ sand yellow. It is what some would describe as the inside of a human body, that of flesh. We enjoy its wonderful frescoes. They have the same peach-creamy hues which are very appealing. No bright Medieval blue, red, and yellow, but pastel coloured Bible scenes and lots of botanical decorations.
It is time to enter the 11th century crypt and to see what I came for, the well. We are used to dark and gloomy crypts, but this one is different. Similar to the church, the crypt has whitewashed walls and is full of soft light. Open apertures filter the light from the church windows which give this crypt a luminous feel despite its strong Romanesque pillars.
The crypt and its well.Angels and vegetal decoration.Archeological findings.
There is no reference that this is a sacred well, no information. Later, a volunteering church lady tells me that it is connected to the river IJssel, which runs nearby. The well itself is a hole in the ground in the centre of the crypt. An ugly metal grid is placed over the well, it is the kind of grid you use for brushing off mud from your shoes. This cheap modern grill allows you to see the well and to offer coins but it speaks volumes in frugality.
Today there is no water in the well. Looking through the grid is still pretty because of its stone walls and the layer of donated coins. In my imagination, I picture how the well looks like with water covering the coins. On my way out of the church I ask the same church lady if the water has permanently receded. Absolutely not, but since the Dutch allow the river to overflow and take up more room, there is less flooding in the crypt. This, the lady says, is a good thing because with the water also comes muddy residue. The lady goes on saying that the crypt has been a safe house for nuns during times of religious battles, as well as a bunker for those seeking safety during WWII bombardments. Nowhere in her story do I sense a reverence for the water well.
Deventer’s Lebuïnus Church close to the river IJssel
We sit down in the crypt and so does an older man. He closes his eyes and goes into prayer. A few tourists enter but they -respectfully- keep their voices down. There is a prayer book, an altar and two burning candles with the Α and Ω symbols. The crypt is a welcoming place. But that cheap grid leaves an impression that this well is not important. At home, it takes me half an hour to find its name, ‘Lebuïnus put’, meaning Lebuïnus’s well, despite that it most likely dates to the Bronze and Iron Age. Archeological findings confirm Deventer as a very old river side settlement.
Early Christianity had to allow pagan elements, like this well, to bind folks to Christianity. Should the church crack down too hard on pagan traditions, this would estrange those who still held ancestral beliefs. Gradually pagan elements were neglected and ‘deliberately’ forgotten. Perhaps this well will suffer this fate too. That said, it might have been Christianized by Lebuïnus but even that isn’t mentioned in the church.
Winchester Cathedral does it better. It tells the amazing history of its well and its hero. This cathedral lies on a hill and is situated over its well. Diver William Walker (1869–1918) saves Winchester’s church from imminent danger of collapse as it starts to sink slowly into the ground. Walker shores up the walls by putting concrete underneath them. He works six hours a day—in complete darkness, because the sediment suspended in the water was impenetrable to light. He is commemorated with a small statute whilst inside Winchester cathedral many holy men lie in their large and richly elaborate graves. I will never forget this disproportionate honour. Imagine William Walker having been a woman; her statute would be as small as a pinhead. That said, Winchester’s well is part of its historical narrative contrary to Lebuïnus’s well that is missing an information board. For many it will just be a hole in the ground, safely ‘sealed’ with a grid.
We visit Lebuïnus’s well on a day when it is dry. If healing properties are connected to water, one has a problem. But if beneficial qualities are related to a place, rather than to water, then the absence of water is no problem. The water level in the IJssel River is high. The church lady expects the water to rise in the well during the day. I would have loved to see that because looking at coins feels like looking into an old treasure chest.
That said, the coins tell a story of how we behave near a sacred well. We haven’t collectively forgotten how we interact with holy places. We trust the well with our wishes and because we understand reciprocity, we offer a coin. And why do we offer a coin? We have no idea but offering something metal goes as far back as the Iron Age.
Archeologists believe that during the Iron Age anything metal that had lost its form and gained a new shape by the fires of a blacksmith testifies of having a soul. Perhaps this was because on a chemical level metallurgy wasn’t understood and the processes like welding or metalworking looked magical. Sometimes an Iron Age sword of shield was not even utilized but offered to gods who resided in lakes. These offerings took place in western Europe, and we still do this; we offer coins to wells and fountains.
The Witham Shield is an Iron Age decorative bronze shield dating from about the 4th century BC. The shield was discovered in the River Witham, England in 1826. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witham_Shield
We sit near the well and are invited to trust our prayer to the crypt prayer’s book. We offer a coin, a kind gesture to the well itself, because it isn’t about the money, it is about offering a metallic object that we -far back in time- regarded as having a soul. Our offer is not a lifeless object, no object of monetary value, but a spiritually valuable object. We have learned from our ancestors that there is something beneficial about interacting with sacred springs. It allows and perhaps invites our prayers and welcomes our offerings. More than any other thing, except perhaps for a cave or a tree, we share intimate thoughts and feelings with a well, especially on an emotional or spiritual level. We are in communion with it.
I leave a prayer in the crypt’s prayer book. I do not feel comfortable with sending a wish list up to the saints above for myself but for someone else I am happy to pray. Our financial donation is done via a digital payment system at the exit but not before I look for a postcard. There is no postcard of the crypt or the well. It is a good thing I had knowledge of the well before visiting the church because I might have overlooked it.
Lebuïnus’s wellGlastonbury’s Chalice Well
Lebuïnius’s well has survived under the immense weight of our shifting religious preferences. However, it now seems overlooked. What we need to do is offering coins and interacting with it. And above all, it should have a less industrial grid. Otherwise, perhaps it might be forgotten as the geological, historical, and perhaps spiritual reason why this massive church was built on the banks of the river IJssel.
It is my wish that next time we will visit Lebuïnus’s well it will be decorated with an exquisite and artistic grid, like that of Glastonbury’s Chalice Well.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A.
I invite you to enjoy this website that is full of art, art-musings, reflections, diary entries, literature, art-history, and more. I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer freehand-drawing & commission artist. Art is often seen as a luxury but when it comes to joyful, sad, or memorable events in our lives, we are in need for art. Please, feel free discussing commissioned art with me. I was taught drawing and painting by Spanish-Dutch artist Charito Crahay and Dutch artist Johan Kolman. I have an M.A. in Philosophy and enjoyed a few courses at Oxford Department for Continuing Education. Currently, I live with my husband in the Netherlands. Our daughter studies abroad. My portfolio is at Instagram and my shop at Etsy.
Two (2) Butterflies with Poem Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer and inside Two Butterflies poem by William Wordsworth. They comes with matching envelopes.
Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.
Framed in a glass frame.Mandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerDouble folded art card with larger print on the inside for framing.Mandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Would you like to order a professionally printed Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) art card or postcard that can be framed? You are at the right place. Over the years I have drawn and painted many Mandarin duck couples as commissions but also free hand.
Two cards are double folded, others are postcards. All come with envelopes. Plus, as long as I have them in stock, I will include an Asian, vintage mandarin duck postal stamp. For large orders I need extra time because large amounts will be printed on demand. Please, contact me for orders of more than 5.
What do I have in stock?
I have this double folded art card with the drake (male duck) on the left side:
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards. (Standing)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons.
This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute.
This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners.
Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
And this double folded art card, with the drake on the right side:
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Resting)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons.
This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute.
This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners.
Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
Plus, I have two postcards. A monochromatic (a romantic 19s century graphite drawing) post card with mandarin ducks resting near a forest stream:
4 Mandarin Duck Postcards (Monochromatic)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together near a forest brook. They do a last scan for possible dangers but are already in resting position. Overflying birds and a beautiful sunset add to their decision to relax. Notice their reflection in the pure water.
This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks. Take away their colours and they still are mesmerizing cute.
This is a postcard. Professionally printed.
Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€18.00
Last, this vintage coloured (watercolour) one with mandarin ducks resting under large, lush lotus leaves. Low in stock!
Two full colour ‘Vintage’ Mandarin Ducks Postcards
Two beautiful Mandarin Ducks postcards with golden hearts in all corners. The original painting was done with subtle sparkling graphite water paint which is even visible on the photo as that deep ‘vintage’ atmosphere this painting gives.
As long as the stock lasts, this postcards will be accompanied with a small vintage mandarin duck postal stamp. Many have decided to not send this card, to keep it ,and frame it. It is therefore that they come as a set: one to send; one to keep.
€17.00
FRAMED MANDARIN DUCKS
In case a postcard is not enough, in case a more substantial gift is needed, I have a few mounted mandarin ducks available too. These are coloured pencil/water-colour original artworks. They are mounted with professional Kadinsky mounts (UK). They will arrive at your home in a strong package. They can be framed but there are customers who do not frame them and put them on their shelves on a small painting’s easel (which I have available as well). For more information on these lovely mandarin ducks, click here. This link provides you with the option to add a small painter’s easel for displaying your mandarin ducks without a frame. Take good care: there are mandarin ducks looking left or right. You probably prefer a mandarin couple looking to the directing of the welcoming door of the room where you will put them on display.
Mandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin ducks by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Would you like to order my original artwork via Etsy, follow this link.
There are many MANDARIN DUCKS at my ETSY. Sometimes I think my Etsy shop is a duck pond with the most colourful and cute ducks imaginable (including wood ducks, teals and swans)
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
-Some Inter-religious, Multi Religious, Non-denominational Recommendations-
Consisting of two parts this article begins with why one should write a spiritual curriculum vitae (resume). In addition to the why there is the how; how would such a resume look like? Must it be a written piece or are there more creative amalgamations possible? Lastly, some tips on how to grow your spiritual notebook, not so much as to list achievements but more for gratefully reflecting on special experiences. In both two chapters the term Resume is interchangeable with the Latin Curriculum Vitae.
‘Despite having no idea how a spiritual resume looks, a question about how my spiritual curriculum vita would look like, causes low grade panic in me. Spirituality has largely been erased from our society and our society’s rat-race doesn’t allow for us to reflect on other things like costs of living or maintaining my house, or the next holiday. Materialism has become the norm. Inquiring about my spiritual resume is a confrontation with myself; ‘Do I spend enough time on spiritual growth?’ (Male, midlife age)
George Goodwin Kilburne 1875Unknown artist
Imagine compiling your spiritual resume. There is a big chance you will find large gasps between reading spiritual books, doing spiritual retreats, or musing over spiritual-mystical experiences. That is natural; one cannot have too many spiritual achievements happening in rapid succession. A monastic life is for life for a reason. Should you spiritually burn too brightly, like a candle flame in a drafty place, you consume too much of your candle-wax in a too short time. Also, between spiritual developments, or growth spurts, one needs time to integrate experiences into one’s mundane life. One can’t have spiritual growth without properly transforming spiritual experiences into profound wisdom.
That said, these long white stretches, in which nothing spiritual or no spiritual development seems to happen, sometimes years, do unnerve us. It is important not to put pressure on ourselves. We are here to live a human life, not per-se a holy life, and there are many phases in life that are very down to earth, like growing up, reproduction, and growing older. These are deeply human experiences and should be valued as such. Humanism believes that we can give our lives meaning by seeking happiness and helping others to do the same. A similar idea is voiced by religious believers that we are here -on earth- as spiritual beings living a human life (with all its happiness and misery). This comes close to believers in angels who believe that angels wish for living a human life in order to feel: to smell flowers, to taste honey, to be intimate, to give birth, or to grief. There are many philosophical or religious reasons to value living a human life. We must value its vicissitudes in both blessings and tragedies.
Let us return to our spiritual resume. When one grows older, one sees a lot of closed doors. For women, for instance, that is the reproductive door. For men often that is career improvement. It feels sad to dwell on the past, on the closed doors, and past successes; it is undesirable to cling to the past. Although we welcome reflection on the past, we are especially interested in how to deal with closed doors; how to turn regret, disappointment, hardship into acceptance or blessings? Perhaps one finds the greatest solace in one’s wisdom or transcendent experiences.
FOREVER STORED IN ONE’S MEMORY
What is remarkable about sacred or mystic experiences is that they are stored in your memory -for what seems- forever. Often, they can be recalled with significant ease and decades later one is able to talk about these experiences in great detail.
‘I have seen things, or experienced things that are more real to me than this world. I know this sounds unbelievable but many who have had spiritual experiences say this. These experiences come with a heightened awareness, more colour, and so much more definition. They make a lasting impression.’
Read, read and read….till you find what you found what you need to gain deeper understanding. Then…keep on reading because you will learn more. Eventually a combination of empirical and theoretical study will become the foundation for genuine wisdom (and resume).
Another extraordinary characteristic is that whilst analysing mystic dreams, or having visions, or feeling God, kundalini or satori, or being in contact with angels or divine beings, one feels ageless. And that is because we are spiritually ageless. When one adopts a broader sense of the meaning of life, or that of lives, in terms of reincarnation, age does seem relevant. What does matter is how one accumulates spiritual growth through life (for some, through multiple lives). It is probably therefore that going through mystical or spiritual experiences is not strictly linked to our aging bodies. Although there are often more spiritual experiences during childhood and midlife, that does not mean that one can attach an age label to a mystical experience itself. Mentioning age and using a chronological timeline is an important feature of a worldly resume but not so much for a spiritual resume.
How then to write a spiritual resume? A standard layout (timeline) of a resume does not seem to work which allows us to give our creativity free hand. See this absence of a formal lay-out as an invitation to give it your own creative format or interpretation.
Finding words to describe a spiritual development, insights or experience is another humongous task. Unless you attended a religious school or a congregation, one can be lost for words.
“It took me 35 years to understand that an old medical record of an EEG (electroencephalogram) that sat in my medical files surprisingly belonged to my spiritual files. This EEG was the result of me, as a teen, complaining to my mother about weird things. She had witnessed me being absent minded and talking gibberish over seeing her from far away while she held my hand. Nothing conclusive was found. Later in life I understood that I experienced OBE’s (Out of Body Experiences). When I experienced OBE‘s again later in life, I pondered over what if I had been an Indian or Nepalese teen and my mother had not brought me to a doctor but to a yogi or priest? Perhaps he or she would have understood I was -without suffice terminology- talking about OBE’s and my mother would have been reassured. Maybe I would have received some training to return to my body (because that part was frightening).“
This quote shows how difficult drafting a spiritual curriculum vitae is. My advice is to accept the challenge and complexity; see it as doing research. Perhaps you need to have a close look at your medical records. Perhaps you have a look at your art portfolio, or at your love for animals, or your holiday locations.
We haven’t been trained to write a spiritual essay. That said, nobody will judge your resume. A spiritual resume is perhaps the most personal piece you will ever write. It is such a private document that one should keep it for oneself. Not only because keeping this undisclosed lessens the risk of being misunderstood, or made into a laughingstock, one doesn’t fall into a trap of spiritual ego aggrandizing. Spiritual experiences are only relevant to the person who experiences them; the wisdom that comes because of having these experiences has relevance if, and only if, it is shared properly and ethically.
Why write a spiritual resume? It is not that we still hold the belief that in exchange for a good resume we are granted access to heaven. Painting: Sistine Chapel with Perugino’s Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter 1481-83, fresco, (photo: Clayton Tang)
In an interview at Buddha at the Gas Pump, Bri. Joan Shivaripita Harrigan Ph.D., Joan says that most women start writing their spiritual journey and writing their spiritual resume in the vicinity of their 50s. By that time, women have done their worldly ‘duties’ in the sense of education, relations, reproduction, and often have gone through menopause. Menopause offers a reorientation on life. ‘If I have 20-30 years left, what will I do, what is important?’ For others, often absorbed by jobs and careers, this moment of spiritual or philosophical re-calibration comes around retirement. Which is on the late side, because by then identification with job-titles and work related achievements have been written in stone and are less easy put aside to create room for a more spiritual orientation on life.
Fragment Spiritual Notebook:
“I sat -in my ‘dream’- in front of an older Tibetan Buddhist master. I knew it wasn’t a dream; it was a meeting. The face of the master was full of ancient wisdom. I expected something to happen, something out of the ordinary. I was filled with fear, but I also noticed how the old master knew this. It was as if a whole lineage of wise masters had a look at me. I calmed and waited and then instead of -what I expected- something was done to me, the master offered me a cup of tea! Later, I thought back of this and I remember being disappointed. Why had I been so afraid? Why only a cup of tea? I wanted to gain deeper insight or a spiritual transformation. Much later, I understood. After having more spiritual experiences, I learned my nervous system is too sensitive for spiritual fireworks. That cup of tea was pure caring kindness. I now think back of this ‘meeting’ as very precious.
(I know the Tibetan master wasn’t a figment of my imagination. I would have never been able to dream up an ancient face that held such unbelievable amount of wisdom. Also, at that time I wasn’t busying myself with Tibetan Buddhism at all! )”.
(Anonymous)
Writing a spiritual resume will not be a short-term project. It won’t be done in a fortnight. It might be an ongoing process in which more and more white disappears and more experiences, memories, dreams, courses, quotes, will be penned down. In fact, it might morph into an essay that will be revised through the years. It eventually might become a diary or a personal book of prayer.
THE BENEFITS OF A SPIRITUAL RESUME
What are the benefits of drafting a spiritual resume? To me, the answer is a change of focus that will be hugely beneficial. Beneficial in terms of well-being and happiness, and of feeling more whole by connecting the spiritual and the mundane.
Here a warning seems appropriate. A spiritual resume is not about spiritual self-importance. It is not even about growth in the sense of stimulated growth. What it shouldn’t be is just another ego document, aimed at a new career.
What is then its relevance or importance? A spiritual resume, or letter to your angels, or God, opens new doors. It deepens your spiritual focus. The process of writing offers new perspectives, new shifts in life, it prevents clinging to the past. It might prevent growing depressed because contrary to the inevitable age-related physical losses, it is beneficial to see something of yourself that is still growing and developing. It stretches your mind over your whole life (if not beyond it). And you will be surprised how the white fills up itself! Do not for one moment think this is not for you because you haven’t experienced levitation, seen an archangel, or experienced enlightenment. To use a metaphor: just because you aren’t able to paint a Night Watch, it doesn’t mean you can’t colour in a pretty colouring page. Also, a spiritual resume is not about collecting spiritual experiences. It is about weaving these experiences into the mundanity of our daily lives. Like a shift from materialism to a more poetical, spiritual appreciation of life.
There are two more important aspects about a spiritual resume. One is its free form; your resume might take form of a notebook, or an essay, a poem, a painting, an embroidery sample, all creative expressions are permissible. Read more on how to write a spiritual resume in the next post. Furthermore, a spiritual resume or essay will develop, so it is important to choose a format that allows growth. This also will be discussed in the next article.
Wishing you many wonderful and soul-nurturing hours penning down your spiritual resume. I hope this article has been helpful. Should I receive valuable comments, I might post an additional post consisting of these comments (anonymized, if your prefer that). In other words, feel free to use the contact form.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, an artist website with academic essays, short articles, and lots of artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? It is my wish to make my website more self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, prehistory, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two (2) Butterflies with Poem Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer and inside Two Butterflies poem by William Wordsworth. They comes with matching envelopes.
Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.
€18.00
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards
Two marvellous mandarin ducks: professional printed, double folded and richly illustrated art cards.
Comes with matching envelopes & free shipping.
One for keeping (framing?) and one for sending.
-Some Inter-religious, Multi Religious, Non-denominational Recommendations-
Let us start with saying what a spiritual resume isn’t. It is not a document to hand over to others. Writing it is a process, not a single task, and that process has no fixed beginning or end. A spiritual resume is not about Facts & Figures like ‘I have done 7 retreats in 7 years’ or ‘I had a mystical experience at the age of 13 and 33’. One better describes what happened during that retreat and how did that mystical experience unfold and what did you learn (or unlearn) from it? Thus, it is not a record of your spiritual accomplishments; it is a description of these spiritual achievements. Should you like to mention meditation or prayer, instead of recording the hours you have put into that, why not describing how your meditation or prayer has developed over time? Describe your spiritual blossoming instead of the milestones, although milestones are worth noting.
If you describe you have been ‘in God’ as Brother Lawrence, a monk, did in the 1600s, you could narrate how close you have come, the efforts, the process. Brother Lawrence, a monk in the 1600s, promised himself he would live day and night, in good and bad times, in God. He spent many years practicing the presence of God in his life. His key to this practice was that he strove to be consciously aware of God’s presence at all times, which seems a perfect synonym of (Christian) mindfulness.
Brother Lawrence at work in his monastic kitchen.
Should your spiritual resume use a different religious or spiritual lexicon, for instance the language of yoga, one could write what and how special forms of meditation have helped you, how they have offered you insights, and which ones. It is not about credentials; it is about describing developments which you should not judge or grade. The tiniest insight can have a profound ripple effect. One doesn’t need huge breakthroughs to see small steps as valuable.
How can you record or narrate the developments you like to add to your resume? Now here comes the art of creative thinking. Just start with a few words, draft narratives from there, and then think about whether you like to use words or perhaps stone, yarn, clay, wool, colored pencils, oil paints, or musical notes. Because your spiritual resume is about you, materializing it should feel as doing something as close as possible to you as a person. If you love graphite pencils better than a fountain pen, why not make a drawing? Should you like wool more than grammar, why not weave a tapestry? Whether you opt for an Aboriginal art inspired large canvas or a Beaker bell inspired pot, this is a very personal choice and one could use one’s skills and talents.
Whatever form your resume takes, it is your choice.All arts & crafts forms are possible for your resume: poetry, music, dance, stone masonry, writing, painting, to name a few.
There is no need for a spiritual resume to follow a timeline. One can better adopt a more medieval approach that time is circular. Such a medieval concept begs the question how to write a resume that has no beginning or end, neither facts or figures. The best way to write a spiritual essay is not regarding mystical experiences, insights, or meditative breakthroughs as achievements on which other successes build. It is far better to see these ‘achievements’ as gifts being given to you. It is said that if you take one step to God or Allah, God or Allah will take ten to you. Which automatically leads to a spiritual resume as having a tone of gratefulness, and perhaps resembling a gratitude journal.
Another possible form is writing letters. Again there is no need to follow a chronological setup. Write about the most mysterious, insightful, and wonderful experiences followed by the less significant but probably equally important encounters or occurrences.
‘I had an uncle who for years wrote a long letter to his guardian angel, and as such listed his spiritual progress and experiences in this letter. After my uncle’s demise, his children turned his letter into a booklet that was distributed among his family and friends‘.
Letters, dairies, canvasses….
‘My old diaries, that held my deepest perhaps even spiritual thoughts, made me feel ashamed. I had no other vocabulary than a girlish one. I was even scorned by family members after they read a diary entry. I trashed my notes; I came to see them as melodramatic. Around the time I became aware of spirituality, there was only enlightenment or not. Enlightenment was something huge, something for well trained, wise, old men, not for young girls. Thank God, we now have vocabularies of different spiritual traditions for writing about our spiritual developments. And that is because we now have ‘Spirituality‘ shelves in bookshops offering us spiritual lexicon, even modern secular lexicon. But that took decades. I can now write about spiritual experiences but it took a society becoming interested in spirituality and publishers to print spiritual narratives‘.
Still, a spiritual narrative or resume does not have to be written down. One can also become a medieval craftsman making art ‘for God’ not signing the art. This is not a usual thing for us, 21st century people, but perhaps you get my gist. Maybe you prefer a needle and yarn for making a grand sampler that records your spiritual growth. Or compose a piece of music. Whatever medium you use and how is your choice and your choice only. Of course, we easily identify books as spiritual resumes. Think of Teresa of Avila’s written texts on her spiritual journey through life. Or of ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ by Brother Lawrence. Or visit any proper bookshop and see how many modern people help you by offering their narrative which can be very educational in terms of offering lexicon and tools to discern what spiritual growth is. But what about altar cloths handwoven by anonymous women? Or nameless temple decoration certainly made in full devotion? Perhaps these are spiritual resumes as well.
By now, I have moved far away from the meaning of the word resume or curriculum vitae. In my defense; had I used -for instance- artwork or autobiography, this would have deterred those who aren’t artistic or do not feel like writing a book. Notebook, diary, or a journal? Name your document whatever you may see fit.
Entry of a spiritual diary:
There was this one single moment in which -in my twenties- I overlooked a harbour. A gull passed over me, calling its melancholic cry. The sound of that call seemed to expand in the fast open space of sea and sky. I thought how it would be to be that gull having no home, no ties, just taking this endless open space for granted. And then it happened. I didn’t become that gull, but all the sudden I was in that open space consisting of a seemingly endless blue sea and a cerulean sky. I dissolved and it was so peaceful, not scary at all. I have no idea how long that moment lasted but it never left me. I will at no time forget this moment and perhaps death might feel like this; just dissolving without emotions or attachments.
INVITING GROWTH
One can ask for growth and help it happen, but one can not force it. Modern people are very much in the business of managing developments, ‘working on it‘, ‘making it happen‘, but spiritual experiences do not belong to the domain of things that are manageable. We can only invite them and open welcoming doors.
To recall and describe experiences that belong to your spiritual resume, or essay, or poem, or painting, I found a few ideas that might be helpful. Some seem self-explanatory. Clearly this advice comes from me and has helped me which does not automatically apply to you. You might list sailing or visiting ancient monuments as supportive. Do feel invited to comment and add what has been supportive for your spiritual curriculum vitae.
Also, a disclaimer here. To grow your spiritual resume is not a business of stimulating growth, which means no drugs or extreme actions. We have ‘to sit by the grass and let it grow by itself‘ (Zen saying). There is it, sitting by the grass is active; we have to sit by the grass (we have to create favourable conditions). But letting the grass grow by itself is passive. We can open doors and leave them open but we can’t force friends to come in. We invite them in, politely.
Meditate or pray. In meditation or prayer we gain deeper insights and are offered spiritual experiences. Nobody plans enlightenment or mystical experiences. They come to us as gifts or accidents. But we can invite gifts by prayer and meditation. The interesting thing with meditation is that there are 1001 courses in which you can learn to meditate, but there is hardly any advice on how to pray. As a child I thought it was sending a wish-list up to the Wise Man above. Should you like to read more about prayer, may I advise reading Thich Nhat Hanh‘s The Energy of Prayer?
Listen to religious or spiritual music. I once read a quote by an Indian spiritual lecturer. He said if he had to choose between spoken language or music, he would choose music which is remarkable for a former university and later spiritual lecturer, for somebody practically spending his whole life giving lectures. He said (not a verbatim quote) that ‘From music, spiritually naturally follows’. Bach lovers know this and voice it with a humorous twist: ‘Bach is God and God is Bach’. Music is majorly important, hence listening to Zen-bowls, shamanic drums, Gregorian chants, or other religious-spiritual music.
What also helps us to invite mystic experiences or deeper insights is art-making. By art-making I do not mean making a gallery or museum piece. Modest and focused art-making or crafts work is enough: knitting, sketching, woodwork, needle art, working on a religious patterned colouring page. It is not the art that counts, but meditation that shuts down our loquacious mind. Once we have calmed our minds and turned our inner cacophony into a zen-like symphony, there is more space for divine or spiritual insights or wisdom to break through. Grandmothers seem to have known this. They didn’t need to sweat and burn at hot steam yoga classes. They sat themselves near a window for calmly doing an hour of knitting or crochet whilst they went deep into meditation. If you interrupted them, they returned to their busy family life from what seemed a place full of silence and wisdom.
Good sleep is another method for becoming wiser. A good night’s sleep and keeping a dream journal offers a possibility to study our subconscious mind through Jungian dream analysis. You do not need a degree for this. You do not even need to buy 10 books. Reading a few is okay to open your mind to the symbolic language of our subconsciousness. Not all dreams should be analyzed; one quickly learns which ones stand out in significance. There are nice methods and nice theories that help us to integrate our subconscious mind into our daily living. Once you have gained some techniques and insights, these stay with you. One will feel more whole being in touch with wisdom that is stored within us. Remember that in ancient and holy books much divine communication comes through dreams.
Going into nature. Again, almost self-explanatory, just like art-making, spending time in nature is beneficial to our well being. The sensual enchantments of spending time in nature will quiet your mind. That said, where is ‘nature’? Despite that there is hardly any unspoiled nature left, a park, a rewilding corner in your garden, or a holy well a few kilometers away must do the job. If these places are unfeasible, perhaps listening to a tape with bird sounds will do? Take some nature to you but adapt the definition of nature to your living condition.
Diet! Yes. I have experienced it myself firsthand. Three weeks into turning vegan, I had a profound spiritual experience that shocked me out of my socks. There is hardly any world religion not advising on fasting or diet. A rich diet harms the body and inhibits spiritual growth. I read a Yogi saying that ‘Yoga requires a diet’. Yoga exercises without a diet are just physical exercises. You can’t stuff your body with bad food and then hope subtle energies will run through it.
Read spiritual books. Start somewhere and see yourself developing through different themes, ‘religions’, and advice. Look for information but check whether the author or source is trustworthy. Theoretical study is important for its special vocabulary, identifying stages of development, and good advice. After giving this much thought, I think there are exceptions; the uneducated shepherd who finds enlightenment by walking the hills or the brainy scholar that neglects his body by spending decades on reading holy books and finds enlightenment. Even so, for most of us a good balance between proper sleep, listening to music, meditation and prayer, a healthy diet, with additional theoretical studies welcomes spiritual development.
Wishing you many wonderful and soul-nurturing hours penning down your spiritual resume. I hope this article has been helpful. Should I receive valuable comments, I might post an additional post consisting of these comments (if preferred anonymized). In other words, feel free to use the contact form.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula’s art is at Etsy and her portfolio at Instagram.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, an artist website with academic essays, short articles, and lots of artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
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After publishing Inspiring Artist Studios my idea about artist studios expanded after reading ‘Your Brain on Art‘. Let me explain….
‘Your Brain on Art’ connects art and science, and states that art-making is good for your brain and for your well being. In chapter Creating Community, Maria Rosario Jackson focuses on historically marginalized communities. Maria sets up ‘kitchens’ for revitalizing communities and their culture. ‘What we need are places where people can repair and make whole again their cultural roots, as well as create new traditions. A place where they can figure out how they want to show up both individually and collectively, and also have a chance to imagine their future’. (pg. 213, Your Brain on Art, Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, Canongate, ISBN9781§805301202). Of course, ‘kitchen’ here is a metaphor but a good one as a kitchen is a place where people sit down, eat, and talk. It is often the heart of a home. ‘The work here (at the Cultural Kitchens) is about repair, nourishment and evolution, about making the mix. (…)Cultural kitchens can take many forms, but they all ask well, who am I who are we in this evolving context what do I/we bring? What does it mean to be bringing my/our voice or contributions forward?‘
I can picture these kitchens and value these places. Some time back, we rented a cottage in a small village in Wales. It was interesting to observe how important the community centre was to the village and the farms in its vicinity. If stress out women come together to knit or weave, children to join a theater play, men to repair stuff or play chess, it connects them, it eases loneliness, and adds strength to creative processes and a feeling of belonging to a community.
An artist’s studio is often an individual place whereas cultural kitchens are communal just like that arts & crafts classrooms. Artist studios, whether they are individual or communal, are places where we relax and focus. More significantly, studios (kitchens or art classroom) are places where culture is born or revived.
How many studios did it take to establish (what was later called) the Dutch Golden Age? Twenty or perhaps fourty only? Or take French Impressionists? How many where there? Not that much if you project that number of studio against the hundreds of museum galleries that have Golden Age or Impressionist art on display. Studios are cultural kitchens where art and art-movements are born. These places are almost sacred because of the artworks, books, crafts works they incubate. These are places where artists materialize inspiration, which to some is divinely given. No wonder we like to visit these places (even as replicas). We like to see birth-houses of famous artists; once inside, we are very eager to see their studio, desk, or workplace.
Let us look at two more places where two creative minds are at work, the desk of writer Maricelle Peeters and art studio of Sybille Tezzele Kramer. Both places are so aesthetically pleasing, not only for Maricelle and Sybille, but also for visitors. Looking at their studios alone fills us with a longing to be creative.
MARICELLE PEETERS’s WRITING DESK
Maricelle Peeter’s Writer’s Desk
Maricelle Peeters lives and works in South Africa. In a land that is celebrated for its natural wildlife and its abundance in hues, it is not surprising to find a writer -like Maricelle- carefully paying attention to the colour palette of her desk.
I think what “makes” an artist’s studio is its practicality combined with its aesthetic. A good workplace caters to our creative needs; a balance between stimulating but not distracting, organised for work but not boring. It’s the aesthetic that makes the studio the artist’s own.
It should be a place that reflects the artist’s heart; where we can feel at home and familiar, yet encouraged and challenged to grow, learn, and push beyond our limits. For me, this looks like a combination of space and colour, always prioritizing practicality over pretty. I need enough practical workspace, or I feel cramped, but I must be surrounded by some decorations to make it cozy, or I feel lost and uncomfortable. My space must feel tidy, be handy, and look pleasant.
I have a dedicated space for writing, big enough for a notebook or laptop, which I keep clear. This way I can always write at once in a strike of inspiration. I also have allowance areas for clutter – a necessity that prevents my dedicated workspace from becoming a mess. I always have multiple projects I’m working on, and having a dedicated area to shelf them has been a lifesaver to my sanity. The less clutter, the clearer my mind.
My tools I store on my desk – easily accessible – using a makeshift stationary organiser. Inside I’ve ordered the materials according to purpose and frequency of use. I’d love to have a practical set-up for the collections of loose papers and notes lingering around. I want to put them in folders and line them up a shelf; for now they’re stashed beneath my desk, out of sight but close at hand.
As a visually oriented person, I enjoy having an order of colours, posters, and nick-nacks decorating my space. Not too much, or it feels cluttered and becomes distracting, nor too little or it feels naked. All decorations must serve the aesthetic and purpose. Motivating quotes, reminders of goals and dreams, paintings, mantras, all earned a home on my wall. Some small, random decorations (pebble, candle, tiny vials) fit well in on my desk, too. My colour palette I’ve tuned to a soft but stimulating, calming collection of earth tones: creams, white, some browns, and accents of peachy salmon (the colour’s name is a topic for debate). When I seek a fresh theme I simply replace the accent colours. This way my workplace is always changing – stimulating and challenging – yet familiar enough to keep me motivated for growth!
Maricelle Peeter’s inspiring desk with good light, visual inspiration, and a fish bowl. Maricelle Peeter’s tools in matching colours.
Here is Maricelle’s work & Maricelle at Literal. Subscribe to Maricelle’s newsletter & blog here. Maricelle’s Instagram is here.
Sybille Tezzele Kramer is a bilingual artist living and working in Sud-Tirol. Her room hardly can’t be more inspirational; there is 360 degrees artwork and art in progress. Sybille’s artwork records and celebrates her South Tyrol’s landscape, woodlands, hills, lakes, and typical mountainous houses or farms. No wonder, with so much nature around her, Sybille’s studio feels like a source that oozes a steady flow of colourful, locally inspired art.
In 2013, I retired as a homeschool mum, and it was then that I transformed our ‘class’ room into my design and art studio. Half of my workroom is devoted to designing learning projects for teachers and homeschooling families. Small slips of paper with work orders or planned projects decorate the walls so as not to lose track of things. The other part is for freehand drawing, and a third area is for fabric design and embroidery. I like bird watching and I always rush out onto the balcony not to miss anything when I hear a special song or call, so I have these binoculars at hand.
As you can see in the photos, my room has a high ceiling and a large west-facing window which offers good light conditions. This is very important to me so that I can see the colors as they really are when I am drawing.
My design-art room is the heart of our apartment; it connects all other living areas. As soon as you open the apartment door, you are visiting my working place, and from here you can go to the kitchen and the other rooms. This allows me to perfectly combine everyday life and work: the smell of bread coming out of the oven comes from the kitchen, and I can hear the rumbling of the washing machine in the corridor. However, there are moments when I wish for my own room, more isolated, because the disadvantage of this arrangement is that everyone who comes in sees my work immediately and I don’t like that all the time. That’s why I often clear away my projects when I expect visitors, which is a bit disruptive and stressful. My sketches, notes, recordings and even my work in progress are not for everyone to see and comment on. Of course, this does not apply to my family members!
Sybille Tezzele Kramer’s large worktable.A creative source of design, freehand artwork, and needle art by Sybille Tezzele Kramer.Work in progress by Sybille Tezzele Kramer.
As you can see, the cupboards are mainly used for work utensils, because I like having everything within reach. There are boxes for pencils and paper, as well as stacks of lapbooks and notebooks for the learning projects. There are also map prints, threads for sewing, embroidering for my fabric prints, as well as other sewing utensils, and cutting or folding devices.
The furniture here is well used or second-hand, which I think is great because I don’t have to be too careful about being neat and it allows decoration. This supports a relaxed way of working. I think this easy-going working atmosphere is also transferred to children or teachers, whom I sometimes welcome here for individual or group workshops. My workplace is important to me because it is full of inspiration! All walls function as inspiration boards. Some of my framed drawings and fabric prints, art cards, and works by artist friends are on display in my room. I collect feathers, stones, shells, etc. From time to time, I change the arrangement of things, because it is good to welcome a bit of modification. The dangling mushrooms are a constant reminder of my almost spiritual connection to the forest.
Sybille Tezzele Kramer’s Dangling Mushrooms that are her spiritual connection with her regional woodlands.
XXX
May you have enjoyed this second article on the artist studio. For the first, click here. It has been such joy to write Inspiring Artist’s Studios I and Inspiring Artist’s Studios II. I hope to receive more enthusiastic contributions that enable me to write another article on inspiring artist ateliers.
How to declutter your artist studio? Here is advice:
This blog post starts with famous pastel paintings of Carl Larsson’s home studios of him and his wife Karin Bergöö. Such paintings make us long for more, but why? Is it because we want to nail what makes an artist’s studio? We will find out by asking different artists what makes their work place functional and special to them.
Carl Larsson’s Artist Studio ‘One half of my studio’, 1890-1899.
Carl Larssson & Karin Bergöö Studios
Aren’t Carl Larssson and Karin Bergöö’s studios inspiring? For me they are but that is because I can relate to artists’ studios. Whether it is the inevitable messiness or chaos that comes with creating art, or the opposite, the neatness and organization, artist’s studios are fascinating.
Painter, illustrator, and artist Carl Larsson (1853-1919) was a representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement and is best known for his idyllic paintings of family life. He married artist Karin Bergöö (1859-1928) with whom he had eight children. With so many children there was no shortage of models for his family life paintings. Larsson and Bergöö’s creative marriage must have been helpful in setting up their inspiring studios.
Here is the other half with a large canvas. ‘The Studio’, Carl Larsson c.1895; Sweden
Carl Larsson’s studio looks so inviting because of its soft pastel tones that add to a friendly atmosphere. Larsson’s studio juxtaposes Rembrandt’s dark, baroque atelier which makes us want to switch on a light. Larsson’s desk with an ink-pot for sketching, a tool rack for preparing canvases, and a painter’s easel for painting are the eye-catching pieces of his room. On his desk lie various sketches and, in the corner several paintings in process. Larsson might walk in, sit down, and continue with whatever project he has in his mind. There is nice light emanating from the window and the pillows show Swedish folk-art designs, undoubtedly designed by his wife and textile designer Karin Bergöö.
Carl Larsson at workKarin Bergöö with one of her children
Here we see Carl and Karin ‘After the Children have gone to bed’ (1901). We see Karin working on her textile art but unluckily we cannot see what she is doing exactly, perhaps embroidery, mending, or upholstery?
There is one painting of Karin inside her textile design room, showing her standing near her loom. Karin, being Carl’s muse and wife, has her work immortalized in many of Carl’s paintings of their home at Sundborn. Their creative and aesthetic partnership was a lucky one and one can tell by how attractive and inviting they proudly show their workplaces.
Let us have a look at some contemporary artists;
Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s Art Room
Studio Paula KuitenbrouwerStudio Paula Kuitenbrouwer
‘My atelier has a large table in the middle for my workstation, piles of reference books, boxes full coloured pencils, and pots with pencils and brushes. I need to move these things around during the various processes of art-making. There are painter’s easels in my art room for my work-in-progress and for my finished artwork. My art room has large north-east facing windows for overlooking a residential area with trees and some churches. I love my workroom and should I be imprisoned there (we had 3 lock-downs), I would stoically continue with art-making without being too needy for going out.
I allow messiness during the art making process. After I have finished a drawing or painting, I clean and reorganize my room. I pay attention to my room being artistically pleasing. I have never walked into my art room without feeling eagerness to sit down and make art. A place where an artistic mind opens itself to the mysteries of life, like inspiration, fills itself with a special atmosphere. My room nourished my soul even without me drawing or painting’.
My large tableI love to look at beautiful, inspiring art. Even when I am at work. Art inspires art.
Maryse Kluck, aspiring writer
‘My desk must be colourful but not obnoxiously so. It must not be messy but have an absence of an absence; it must have pictures referring to a story that sits in my mind. Pictures of a place, a painting, and books that are like my friends. I need these aesthetics because I need something to produce something. I consider literature as a work of art and art leads to art. Spiritual things are necessary for me too because I regard inspiration coming from God.
An element of ancestral worship is important to me too, but it is not a blood relation that I need. I need pictures and books from the Brontës or Mary Shelley, or William Holman Hunt, because it shows respect to those from whom you draw inspiration from. We aren’t unique, we are part of a tradition, we are always in a way plagiarizing, standing on the shoulders of those before us and therefore we need to venerate and credit them. If Emily Brontë does not inspire anymore, that is the moment that she really is dead. Thus, my work desk is rather busy, yet organized’.
Two articles by Maryse Kluck are here and here. Maryse is one of the two Literary Ladies who published the Gothic Literature Magazine. It is available here.
‘There is no “must look like” in an artist’s studio. An artist’s studio needs to be a place that serves the artist’s creativity. For me, that space must allow me to focus. It needs to be quiet so I can read and write about the ancient art that inspires my embroidery patterns. I need a space where I can be alone. The only time I enjoy someone’s company during my creative process is when I am stitching a new pattern.
I also need adequate light. I live in the northern hemisphere and the room that I use to make my art is in the northwest corner of the building. The room has a west window and a north window, but not enough light comes through these windows. The natural light in the room doesn’t allow me to see the holes in the evenweave fabric that I use to embroider. So, I have adapted to using a task lamp while I stitch. When selecting my colour palette, I don’t choose my thread colours in this room. Instead, I go where there is natural light so I can see the true colours that I am working with.
When I am away from my studio, my favourite places to stitch are wherever I find lots of natural light streaming through a window or where I can sit outside in the shade. It is my dream to one day have a studio with lots of natural light’.
A studio is a place where inspiration and concentration meet, and to achieve that artists create various conditions and aesthetics. A studio can be a boat, a garden shed, a corner in a room. It may contain common objects like a laptop or magnifying lamp but most likely it is instantly recognizable as a studio, as a special place carrying the idiosyncratic signature of an artist. More about inspiring artist’s studios and also about communal cultural kitchens functioning as artist’s studios one finds in Inspiring Artist’s Studios Part II.
More reading on Larsson and on the studios of two famous artists, William Morris and Mariano Fortuny:
Larsson by Taschen ISBN 9783822877869Peacock & Vine by A.S. Byatt ISBN9781784740801
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
Do not fetish and glamorize death, states Maryse Kluck, literature and history student, after reading The Haunting Season, a Sunday Times bestseller. Writing enchanting Gothic stories isn’t about explicit sexual content and gore, but about subtle supernatural events Elements of fear, romance, and intense emotions that do not imply explicit gore. On the contrary, states Kluck, proper Gothic books are often supplemented with a moral dimension. because to Maryse Kluck, reading is learning.
In this essay I will share my ramblings on ‘The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights’, a Sunday Times Bestseller, published by Sphere. I bought it for keeping me entertained whilst flying from York to the Netherlands, and I finished it a couple days after arriving home. The book cover is stunning. Dark blue and gold, it drew me into a spooky, dreamy world, and let’s be fair; a good cover makes me buy books. I know, ‘Don’t buy a book for its cover’, but I really can’t help it. I’m even thinking of adding a third -very pretty- edition of ‘Frankenstein’ purely as an aesthetic addition to my bookshelves. I’ve put The Haunting Season on my desk, because it is so lovely, and it didn’t fail to inspire me. The first story; A Study in Black and White, is excellent, and I do not say this lightly. A sinister, chess-oriented story about a black-and-white half-timbered house and its former, malicious owner, its narrative drew me in and reminded me of the classic Gothic stories that I love. It is subtle and uncanny, and I especially liked it because it was about a half-timbered house. For those who do not know what half-timbered is, it is a building technique, often medieval, made of a wooden structure, with articulated beams in various positions, filled with filled with other materials, which can vary from clay, rammed earth or stones. A story with preternatural elements featuring a half-timbered house? What could get better? The story is frightening- not as strongly as Ann Radcliffe’s novels though-but not something you want to read before going to bed (on a sunny balcony during the middle of the day is better). Thus, the book opens with its strongest story.
‘Fachwerk’ or half timbered houses
However, I was taken aback by the inclusion of stories which definitely had a political agenda, which irked me. Modern books do that these days; authors tend to take their political standpoint and force it down your throat. This is not necessarily bad- I know my stories carry a certain message too- but I wish there had been more information about this on the backside or blurb.
Stereotypes and a lack of originality are often other unwelcoming ingredients of a book, especially those of women. In Thwaite’s Tenant, by Imogen Hermes Gowar, a woman flees her abusive husband, presumably in the Victorian Era, with her son, ‘aided’ by her openly sexist father, who, despicably, tells her to return to her husband. Whilst I am, as a historian, glad that the Victorian Era isn’t romanticized, I am slightly concerned by the constant trope of men being downright evil to women. There is no dispute that the Victorian Era was sexist, and had normalized terrible things such as wife-beating. My only worry is that not all men, in their attitudes towards women, held such ghastly attitudes. It is important to mention Thomas Hardy, famous writer of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, in which he attacks double sexual standards for men and women and describes the devastating impact of rape for a woman- this novel could be called one of the first ‘Me Too’ novels, in my opinion. Furthermore, there were also men campaigning for women’s suffrage in the Victorian-Edwardian era. For further information on this, I would recommend reading these sources on Women-votes and Women’s Right Movements. Unfortunately, men who fought for women’s rights and equal treatment were in the minority; but existed nonetheless. I barely come across this in contemporary fiction, which aggravates me as an undergraduate historian. The fact that feminist men were a minority back in the Victorian time- a minority, but still present- would add an intellectual depth to the story that it unfortunately lacks.
Lack of Originality
The complete lack of originality in two other stories irked me as well: Thwaithe’s Tenant and Lucy Wilt. It happened to be so that a couple months ago, I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by the talented, proto-feminist writer Anne Bronte. Thwaithe’s Tenant comes dangerously close to plagiarism of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall; a woman escapes her abusive husband, lives in an abandoned house away from him, struggles against patriarchal norms and values, and fears her son will grow up to be as disgusting as her husband. Why, even the title of the story is reminiscent of Anne Bronte’s novel. Whilst it is good for writers to be inspired by those who came before them, it is one thing to wish to pay homage to a writer and the other to take their plot, their socio-political ideas, and their characters, without any credit or show of gratitude.
LucyWilt happened to be another ‘rip off’ of famous novels, although this time it was more subtle. In order to detect the lack of originality, one has to close-read the text. This story happens to be about a man falling in love with a ‘beautiful’ corpse, and he tries to bring it back to life. You read that right- a man falling in love with a corpse. This makes Dracula look tame. My reading pleasure was gradually replaced by a feeling of deep disgust and horror at this story line- this is not your average Gothic story, but a hallmark of our overly-liberal times, in which everything has to be allowed and everything can be written about- even one of the most depraved and grotesque of things. There’s barely any moral message to this story- nobody calls out the main character for his repulsive actions. Thankfully, the story wasn’t explicit, but it was nonetheless revolting in many ways. If a writer chooses to write about something horrifying and abhorrent it would be good to add a moral message. We learn from stories when a writer tells us why his gruesome story is ‘not okay’.
For long winter nights….
As if this story wasn’t offensive enough, the man who ‘falls in love’ with the corpse- I loath to write this words- is asked if the seventeen year old corpse is that of a twelve year old. This is mental. The character, who is in no way condemned, has three very big problems that aren’t called out: he falls in love with a cadaver, the cadaver belongs to a seventeen year old woman, who, looks like a twelve year old. The shocking and monstrous elements of this story only keep adding up. Besides the nauseating aspects to this story, it was highly unoriginal. I, as reader of the Gothic genre, have, of course, read Dracula by Bram Stoker. It did not sit well with me, although it compares as a pleasant and moral read to Lucy Wilt. Let’s go to the death of one of the characters, Lucy Westenra ,who is bitten by Count Dracula and dies, only to be resurrected as a vampire. Stoker goes into uncomfortable detail on how beautiful the dead Lucy is:
Death had given back part of her beauty, former brow and cheeks had recovered some of their flowing lines; even the lips had lost their deadly pallor.
She makes a very beautiful corpse, sir. It’s quite a privilege to attend on her. It’s not too much to say that she will do credit to our establishment!
Compare that to Lucy Wilt:
Pemble conjures before him her body lying in sweet repose. Her golden hair, the upturned button of her nose, the slim breast under the white lace. Her downy arms and heavy lashes and pearly little lace.
Her delicate toes, lovely shins, the beautiful arch of her eyebrow, her dear story cheek.
In death, she is nothing short of a miracle. Her beauty grave and sublime. Her expression enigmatic. Her mortal shell exquisite and untarnished by natural processes.
Glamorizing death, really?
These lines are glamorizing death. I feel morally obliged to call out the repulsiveness of these lines. Furthermore, see how close they are to the text in Dracula, which, thankfully, did not spend as much time elaborating on the beauty of a dead body (although enough to put the book in my ‘least favourite novels’ list). Notice the similarity between ‘Lily Wilt’ and ‘Lucy Westenra’. Then, as if borrowing from Bram Stoker wasn’t enough, the main character, the highly problematic Pemble, decides to do a Frankenstein. Yes, you heard right- he decides to resurrect Lily Wilt. I love Frankenstein for its moral message and passionate descriptions of the landscape, not to mention its powerful dialogue, so seeing one of my favourite novels being copied does not sit well with me. Pemble resurrects Lily Wilt, thinking she will be his perfect lover (I shudder writing this), only for him to find out that bringing the dead back to life is not the best of scientific ideas- just like Viktor Frankenstein discovered.
All in all, this story filled me with disgust at a lack of originality and an abhorrence at its depravity that the author fails to condemn. If any of you are sensitive readers who read Gothic novels for the supernatural and spirituality and not for the demonic forms of sexuality and gore, skip this story. I cannot emphasis that enough.
Thankfully, other stories are better. The Chillingham Chair has a bit too much elements of fantasy for me, but it is a good revenge plot, and it reads like a thriller, a ‘whodunit’. This story I would definitely recommend. ‘The Hanging of the Greens’ is good as well, although it contains the usual contemporary disparagement of religion, and ‘Confinement’ was one of the best; a story of protective motherhood, a woman fighting against evil. I love it when main characters are mothers, because we include too few mothers in fiction. Society has forgotten the importance of parenthood.
My final critique, which goes for ‘Confinement’ and ‘Monster’ is the amount of graphic descriptions of bodily functions, ranging from the erotic to the scatological. Part of the enchantment and mystery of famous Gothic books such as Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and The Mysteries of Udolpho are because the gore is skipped; it is not needed to be gory. I do not need to know about ‘two bodies slammed together’ or a character’s digestive habits. It is unromantic and takes away the terror and eeriness. You see, Dracula is much more explicit and it leaves me more with a feeling of sickness than with fear, horror, terror, or suspense. I just want to purge my mind of these details. The key element of Gothic literature does not come through when the reader becomes nauseous.
All in all, I would give this collection of short stories a three or four stars. It does not come close to the writers I love, such as the Brontës, Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe. It lacks a moral dimension, uniqueness, and it takes away feelings of the sublime and terror, replacing them with disgust. Nonetheless, there are some good stories in there, at the very beginning and at end of the book. If anything, as an aspiring writer, I have learnt from it- what elements and styles I wish to avoid writing. Perhaps, for future writers, one can use this book more to learn than to actively enjoy and how we can return to writing classic Gothic literature.
Serendipity is the gift of finding value or agreeable things not looked for.
Serendipity can happen whilst sketching. You, an artist, weren’t planning for drawing an extra wild hamster, or an extra flower, an added feather on the wing of a mandarin duck, but a blemish, a smudge, an accidental line guides you to noticing and adding this extra feature to your composition which becomes the serendipitous element of your drawing.
Zemblanity is the opposite of serendipity; the smudge or really wrongly placed and unfortunate line makes your composition fit for your bin. What a shame, how unlucky! You have just utterly ruined your drawing.
A SKETCH SKETCHING ITSELF
Noticing or imagining something in the unexpected shadow of the light of your studio, or in the cream of your coffee, in a smudge on your drawing (not even visible to others), or a very vague accidental line that seems to come alive as a leaf, an animal, or a lotus popping out of the water, how welcoming is serendipity! It feels as if a sketch isn’t only made by you but your sketch helps sketching itself.
I have been trained on composition, on avoiding smudges, on in-cooperating accidental lines or spots, and this is not what I am referring to. What I like to put forward is the idea that a sketch or drawing sometimes provides you with a helping hand. It subtly ‘talks’ to you (through what you call accidents) and please, do not neglect this indistinct communication.
Opening yourself up to serendipity is like opening yourself up to unexpected inspiration. It requires you to allow your planning to be a bit altered or supplemented; it offers your sketch to help manifest itself a bit differently than you had in mind, but most likely it will be better than you hoped for.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, prehistory, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Standing)
Two standing mandarin ducks are resting near a duck pond. They stand closely together to confirm their bond.
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes.
Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.
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Two (2) Elegant Tulips Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Elegant Tulips. Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes.
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Sketch by Paula KuitenbrouwerWorkstation of Paula KuitenbrouwerSketch by Paula KuitenbrouwerMandarin Ducks by Paula KuitenbrouwerWild Hamsters by Paula KuitenbrouwerWild Hamsters by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Summery: Comparing and contrasting Mystery books from two centuries, Maryse Kluck finds the old genre valuable. Why is this and what has it to do with the battle between good and evil? Mystery Fiction from the 20th century inspires to fight for the good in our lives, like Greek Tragedies, the Bible, and old classic literature does. Writing literature can be a timeless form of activism.
I have been busy reading mystery novels. Usually I avoid them as I deeply dislike reading humbug such as blood spattering, dismembered limbs, and insane psychopaths, but 20th century mystery fiction seems to be much better than I thought it would be. I’ve been reading some mysteries before, such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’- a beautiful book- and one of Dorothy Sayers’ books. But now I’m actively adding detective novels to my reading lists, as I have not done before. A week ago I finished Dorothy L. Sayers’ ‘Gaudy Night’, a detective set in the fictional Shrewsbury College of Oxford, and now I am reading an Agatha Christie novel, ‘The Pale Horse’. My goodness, how I love these novels! But I have been thinking why. They are literary classics, yes, and popular (my own grandmother was an admirer of Agatha Christie), but they touch something deeper. Hence why I wish to write this blog post; what snare these mystery novels touch and what they might say about our Western society.
I was reading ‘Gaudy Night’ a week ago and I was half immersed in the book, half irritated at the fact that there is no suspense in day to day life. Maybe some of us would think that this is a good thing, and to an extent, it is. In ‘Gaudy Night’, there is a villain leaving poison-pen letters and trashing the sacred halls of the college, leading Harriet Vane, a detective novel writer, to try to find the cause of this. We are embarked on a journey through Oxford, after the illusive villain, who seems to hold a grudge against women being in academia. This is clearly unpleasant, but there is a motif here; good against bad, heroine against villain. This is what keeps us reading; the allure of Oxfordian academia and intelligence, but also because of the age-old trope that we all love; the fight of the light against the dark.
Mystery and Suspense in Our Lives
We can identify the same theme in Agatha Christie’s ‘The Pale Horse’. There is even some occult in there, which for me gets me even more ‘hyped’, to use a colloquial phrase, because naturally, as a Christian, I would be deeply skeptical of those who dabble in magic and the occult. Even worse, a priest is murdered. The blend of sorcery and the murder of a priest- who would represent the good in this novel- clearly sketches out the plot; good Christianity versus dark magic and homicide. We are brought into a sleepy town, but there is more to it than we think:
‘People who say the country is dull and the towns full of excitement don’t know what they are talking about. The last of the witches have gone to cover in the tumble-down cottage, black masses are celebrated in remote manor houses by decadent young men. Superstition runs rife in isolated hamlets.‘
We are thus brought to a setting where we, the reader, the hero or heroine (for we do not know exactly who the protagonist of the book is), are poised against old, malicious powers; a setting that dates back to old literature. Whilst we may live in a predominantly atheist society now, the traditions of Christianity and the fight against the occult and the bizarre still run through us, still thrill us, hence why we love a spooky Gothic mystery. The fight against evil is a motif we still love; we may no longer read the Bible with its monsters and Romans with their torture methods, we may no longer believe in folklore, but the desire to fight against evil is something embedded so much in our society, we are drawn to mystery books, to assert the role of the hero or heroine.
‘I can’t really go along with this modern playing down of evil as something that doesn’t really exist. There is evil. And evil is powerful.Sometimes more powerful than good. It’s there. It has to be recognised- and fought.’
Our Western society has, thankfully, embraced things such as peace and democracy. We are no longer prey to warring kings or tribes or invading forces- something which we should be thankful of! The last tyranny that Western Europe experienced was in the 1940s, with gruesome, horrifying results. We should be grateful that we live in a free society.
However, there are some drawbacks. I don’t think we should even call them drawbacks, as I see little to no ‘cons’ of living in a place where there is democracy and I can be who I want- a Christian woman who wishes to become a writer (and, bear in mind, being an ambitious woman was not something easy back in the day, and religion could get persecuted)- without fear. My point is, that admits all our freedom, we have gotten so used to it that we no longer feel the need to ‘fight the good fight’. Our daily battles are with bureaucracy (and I know a thing or two about university bureaucracy), spats with friends or acquaintances, and, God forbid, fights on social media. We have lost passion to battle against what is really evil; religious extremism, political extremism, the loss of certain norms and values. We barely call out our politicians if they turn out to be right wing extremists- we just repeat what they said on social media, call them anti-Semities, but actually do something against their barbaric ways- no. We just sit around. We cancel writers and people with different political opinions on social media, but we barely do anything about the fact that in certain places around the world, women are still oppressed, and the earth is slowly but surely heating up. We don’t pick our battles correctly. We no longer face and fight true evil. And some of us actually choose to side with wrongness; whether it is promoting unscientific and ridiculous politically extreme ideology, or destroying academia through the lens of postmodernism, or siding with a dictatorial country that is performing genocide, we seem to have lost it. Perhaps, we know this. Perhaps the universal plot of ‘good versus evil’ in mystery books is what makes them so popular.
Picking Our Battles & Fighting Back: Learning from Mysteries
That said, this is not a ‘call to arms’ to become a social justice warrior, a climate change radical, or a right-wing extremist. And neither is it a call to actual violence (sadly, some people these days think that in order to work against something they disagree with, they have to resort to aggression. This is a flawed and dangerous way of thinking). What I am arguing is to become passionate about something. Identify something wrong in society- and no, that does not involve writing ugly things on Twitter about an author just because she has contrary political beliefs- and deepen yourself in it, how you can take up the banner and strive against it. You do not need to donate hundreds of euros to do this. Anne Brontë wrote a dark, wrathful book about how women were treated in 1800s England, and her book lasts. If she had written a complaining, whiny pamphlet, the 19th century equivalent of social justice warrior tweets, that would not have made an impact. She threw her heart and soul into creating an incredible book about sexism and made it beautiful- but powerful. She thought it through and used intelligent, academic, even spiritual arguments against it. In ‘Gaudy Night’, Dorothy Sayers put effort into describing the academic world, and pinpointed sexist threats to women scholars. Artists, whether they be writers, painters, musicians, poets, have all put time and effort into carefully considering a problem and using the right tools to fight against it. Agatha Christie put writerly effort into creating her ‘good against evil’ mysteries.
We need to introduce more mystery, more ‘hero cycles’ in our lives. We need to become the hero or heroine of our stories, working against something we consider wrong or evil. This gives passion and excitement to our lives, which motivates us to step out of bed in the morning. Now, this might seem like philosophical rambling to you, but this is what I believe. We can’t indulge in our easy lives and not care about suffering or destruction. And, deep inside, I think we do yearn to be our own protagonists and battle against villains. Otherwise, why are we so drawn to mysteries?
These are my thoughts thus far…as I read more, I am quite certain I shall have more to say on this subject.
Maryse Kluck is History student at York and Utrecht University, owner of Prosperinapublishes.com, and writer at Literary Ladies, Reader & Book Lover. Rower at Orca (Utrecht).
With my daughter at York University, I look back fondly on my halcyon years of being a home-school teacher. I retired as a home-school teacher some years ago after which I expanded my portfolio (drawings & paintings). Starting a creative job caused some trepidation. Of course, there are many manuals for starting a business, however there is no playbook for expanding one’s portfolio; you -as an artist- have to write that playbook yourself. Along the way of growing my portfolio, I noticed how creativity is progressively framed by social and digital media.
My Swan and Pumpkin artwork.
These days there are many digital fora on which artists exhibit their work; social media platforms are helpful for setting up a business but probably equally limiting or even compromising creativity. How much of your creativity are you willing to sacrifice putting yourself out there? This question slowly emerged after the first elated feelings resulting from rekindling my creative life. (Not to say that being a home-school mother hasn’t been creative, it sure was). But once past the tickled pink phase of selecting platforms, I had to write an ‘About me’. Here presents the first creative limitation in which you are expected to function. What about it isn’t about me but about my art? What follows is a multitude of lay-outs in which you showcase your work, express yourself, communicate with your colleagues, and possible meet customers. Somebody has done the thinking for you; you only have to follow guidelines and lay-outs, often resulting in having friends and fun. But where is your creativity? Is it still there?
Mandarin duck double folded note card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Surely, you can be creative and do a sterling job within these frameworks, but these are frameworks nonetheless. Creative minds squeeze themselves into configurations and the question thus is how much original creativity gets lost along the way? Also, where can an artist still be boundless creative? How would my art or your art look like had we lived during the High Renaissance (no digital representation)? Or at the time French Impressionists left their studios to paint the outdoors the way they saw it, not the way art galleries told them to paint for clients?
Aren’t we collectively making too many and profound concessions? Are we forsaking to teach the next generation to function outside digital media? Creatively thinking outside the box? Are we building character or are we the best boy in the social media classroom? Will the next generation yield a Raphael or a William Morris? How much room is there to develop one’s creativity when one compromises to existing arrangements? The onslaught of functioning within digital per-modeled lay-outs damages, standardizes, and limits our creativity. That is because no matter what, formats dictate our functioning despite I am often pleasantly surprised how much wiggle room artists find within rigid frameworks.
My workstation shows work in progress on my Yukiwa composition.
Allow yourself to be creative outside your studio, outside your website, outside social media platforms. Once trapped into these Faustian patterns (selling your creative soul for exposing your artwork) search for maximal freedom. A website is better than a blog because a website allows you more design tools. A blog is better than an Instagram account (self explanatory). A physical sketchbook is better than a digital pad. Use creative tags instead of existing ones, despite that might give you less exposure. Although creative minds can work with a minimum of tools, always run a mental check whether you actually want to give in to per-existing formats. I applaud the generation that shrugs off social media and finds new and original ways to grow their businesses.
How are the killers and midwives of your art? Read more here.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Mandarin Duck Art Cards (2)
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed, showing a mandarin duck couple standing on one leg -closely together- to confirm their life long bond.
Comes with two matching envelopes.
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This is a lovely and exceptionally harmonious original Mandarin Duck composition. There is something magical about this couple positioned in the centre of a pentagonal shape, which is a Sakura flower (Japanese cherry blossom). Five chrysanthemums enrich and embellish the composition.
This artwork serves Fengshui aspirations, Valentine’s Day or as wedding gifts inasmuch as you aspire to confirm or attract love and loyalty. The mandarin ducks are closely together. Their show of synchronicity confirms their life long bond.
I have currently several of these Sakura- Mandarin ducks at my Etsy shop.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s art shop is at Etsy and her portfolio at Instagram. Contact her freely to discuss your commissioned artwork.
In this essay Paula Kuitenbrouwer uses several narratives to illustrate how elderly parents can hurt their adult children. She turns to classical literature and fine arts for soul nourishing inspiration. The reader will be guided through the classical story of Pelops followed by philosophical musings and concluding thoughts.
Over a year I have collected different narratives from three continents; all are voiced by women between 55-65 years of age who have taken care of (one of ) their parents. The stories are anonymized. This essay offers a message of understanding and hope.
‘My ill and rapidly aging parent attacked me verbally. It left me shaking. After a while, I felt a need to talk this over with her but she had forgotten all about it. I know that what she said is part of how she feels about me and that hurts me’.
‘I felt such deep shame for the attack by my old father that it took me a long time before confiding in a friend. It turned out that I wasn’t alone. It was extremely stressful to find yourself in a situation where a parent turns against you. I was astounded how my father pitted my siblings against me when I told him caring for him became too much for me. My siblings ate out of his hand; my father has always had a knack for playing the victim or for acting vulnerable. It opened my eyes to a side of my father that made me question how much I had benefited and suffered from his strategic behaviour. Ever since, I haven’t been able to shake off the feeling that he had never much respect for his children; he had no problem playing them. Luckily, he took responsibility later and apologized, but by then my relationship with my siblings was irreparably damaged. He now suffers from vascular dementia, maybe being mean was a prelude to dementia’.
‘After months of hurling insults, my father returned to his charming sweetness without remembering his offending remarks. Only a vague unease lingered in his mind. He kept on mentioning he was indebted to me. It took me a long time to wrap my brain around his behaviour. What was it? Brain damage? Character? Medication? I still do not know and probably will never know’.
‘You have no idea how racist my parent became towards her Asian nurse’.
‘I have seen it in both of my families; my own and the one I married into. Some parents hurt their adult children and then when relations turn sour, they do not shy away from using their fortune to secure attention, care, and power. They speak about disinheriting as a punitive threat or action; this fast-tracks the disintegration of a family’.
‘I had times when I wondered whether I would actually survive my parent. I noticed that my physical and mental health improved exponentially the longer I stayed away. I would never forgive myself for hurting my child. I have also decided to never start any old age medications. These are drugs that keep the body going whilst the mind deteriorates and perhaps that toxic mix is largely to blame for hurtful behaviour’.
‘Having been insulted makes you question how much love there was in the first place. We are dealing with a generation that had children because that was what was expected from them. Perhaps there just is not enough love to sustain till the very, very end’.
‘No matter how often I drive hours back and forth to my parents, it is never enough. The suggestion that I fail them is often bluntly communicated’.
‘My parent used others to attack me. They voiced my parent’s disdain in unequivocalterms. My father’s manipulative cleverness withheld me for a long time thinking in terms of dementia‘.
‘It all has left me depressed and fearful for my own ageing. High age is romanticized. Perhaps it would be beneficial to offer elderly mental health coaching. In the old days there was a chaplain taking religious care of old people, now there are mainly nurses and managers who do not keep them on the right track because they have no time for that’.
‘My father discussed disinheriting my brother with me. I would never capitalize on something so unfair and hurtful, so I advised against it. But I did ask; ‘Did you discuss disinheriting me with my brother also?’ on which the reply came; ‘Yes’. The threat was out in the open. It was in big red letters written on the wall. Disinheriting hangs as a Sword of Damocles above primary caretakers whilst siblings not participating in daily chores are idolized’.
Adult children aren’t snowflakes; they have experienced social hurt as from their young schooldays. There are parents who age into angels and those who resort to toxic games, and all stages in between. The question is why? There are many possible reasons: old age, behavioral side-effects of medication, illness, drinking, rusty social skills, tiredness, decreased empathy, dwindling love, frustration, and character. The answer is seldom uni-causal. Knowing what mix has caused hurtful remarks can put suffering into perspective, so here are a few to consider (and should there be more, please add them to the comment section):
Your parent suffers from brain damage caused by delirium or vascular dementia. In this case, you will shake off the horrible remarks (sometimes even sexual remarks). However, forgiving does not imply tolerance: like with a pet, baby or toddler you should set boundaries. It is no different for geriatric people. Walk away, urge your parent to apologize to you. Prevent this behavior to normalize.
On a less brain-damaged level; parents can have too many ‘debit cards’. They pull these cards whenever they feel vulnerable (which is sad). One card is Illness, the other Old Age. Loneliness is another card and so is Inheritance. They masterfully play around with these cards; remember, they know you well; they know your weak spots. It is a power game of emotional blackmailing, manipulation, and future faking.
There can be an underlying trait of autism, arrogance, or narcissism. In the limited world of an elderly parent it is expected that their children will care for them. That is the natural thing to do, right? Well, children of older parents are somewhere between 50-70 themselves. They are the sandwich generation: taking care of their parents and (adolescent) children, sometimes even grandchildren. If caretakers fall ill or fail, a Vesuvian anger can erupt. Adult children, especially women/daughters, are to be expected to work unrewarded, unpaid, being available 24/7, or else….you will be taught an old fashioned parental lesson.
After identifying possible causes for hurtful behaviour, we need to get as close as possible to compassion. I forgo using the word ‘forgiving’ because forgiving is too often creating fertile soil for more abuse. What I seek here is Buddhist or Christian compassion and kindness which is an inner state that should not (I cannot stress this enough) prohibit assertiveness and sensible self-defense. Many caretakers feel drained, overstretched, and exhausted. They feel like taking care of their elders is a Sisyphean task. Only saints have an inner strength that helps them with their life long service. I am not saintly and maybe neither are you. I need gratitude, encouragement, and support not to grow exhausted.
Returning to kindness and compassion. Consider the physical and mental condition of elderly parents; many have old age behavioral changes and inhibitions (neurological changes in the brain), lack of empathic feelings, diminished motherly or fatherly feelings, survival stress (to get through the day), are flushing (or drinking) down bags of medications one-two-three times daily (think about taking these medications yourself; how would that make you feel?), and many -especially the less religious elders- have no perspective other than growing older, becoming more fragile or ill. Where there used to be a heaven and a reunion with those who passed River Styx earlier, now there is just the end of a life. Surely, we can feel the frosty, biting cold of those last wintry years.
“Now you have pulled a knife from your back, it is time for some healing thoughts. We will find these by close-reading the story of Pelops”.
LITERARY INSPIRATION
Let us now turn to fine art and literary inspiration for healing and nourishing our minds and souls. After that, I will conclude with practical and philosophical reflections. Greek mythology has it all; it never fails to morally support us with profound psychological insights and supportive philosophical thoughts. Parental disloyalty towards a child is narrated in the haunting story of Tantalus and Pelops.
Tantalus, 1588 Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem. What you see Tantalus fall from the realms of the gods after manifesting his hubris. The technique that is used to show his fall from a position above the viewer is called foreshortening.
Tantalus was a son of Zeus and Plouto and as such he was welcomed for dinner at Zeus’ table at Olympus, the abode of the gods ad the site of the throne of Zeus.
Mount Olympus, Zeus’ palace.
There, he is said to have abused Zeus’ hospitality. Even more punishable, Tantalus offers his son, Pelops, as a sacrifice (gore warning; but happy ending). Tantalus cuts up Pelops, boils him, and serves him up as a banquet for the Olympian gods in order to test their omniscience. The gods immediately become aware of the gruesome nature of the menu. Goddess Clotho is quickly ordered by Zeus to bring the poor boy to life again. She collects the parts; together with Hephaestus and Demeter she revives Pelops. Pelops grows to be an extraordinarily handsome man.
The torments of Tantalus by Bernard Picart (1673-1733). We see here Tantalus reaching for overhanging fruits that he can’t reach and the waters will recede upon trying to quench thirst.
Tantalus is punished by standing in a pool of water with overhanging fruits; he cannot eat the fruits and he can not drink the water. Tantalus will forever feel deprived to fulfill his hunger and thirst. This has become to know a Tantalean punishment, referring to good things in life that are there to grab but forever elude our grasp. In English the word tantalize refers to an object of desire that is out of reach.
Practical & Philosophical Reflections
It is deeply tragic that sometimes a parent cuts up a child, be it metaphorical. Yet, the classical story of Pelops has a surprising happy ending. The child is revived by the loving and crafty care of a few Olympian gods and goddesses. The story could have had a bad ending with Pelops not being able to ‘put together again’. Like Humpty Dumpty who -despite ‘the work of all king’s horses and all king’s men- could not be put (back) together again’.
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, the story of Tantalus describes in detail how Pelops is revived. Black-smith Hephaestus and motherly Demeter go through great lengths to resurrect Pelops and even forge a new shoulder made of ivory. The assembling process takes time, creativity, and resources which can be interpreted as ‘don’t expect this healing phase to be rushed’. This contrasts with the fate of Humpty Dumpty, standing symbol for a person or thing that is toppled over, broken, and irreparable. It stands to reason that by stressing that Pelops is brought back to life and becomes an remarkable handsome man, the hurt inflicted on a child by a parent can be turned around with the help of caring friends.
We have moved away from believing in Greek gods a long time ago. However, that should not inhibit us from replacing the omnipotent gods with loving and supportive friends. They will offer a shoulder to cry on and over time that helps to rebuild self-esteem. You have done nothing wrong. There are thousands, if not millions of Pelopses, well-meaning sons and daughters who have been scolded, undermined, or punished, even disinherited. It has hurt them and has damaged their ideas about their parent’s character.
Since I came to learn that at one time in your life you can become Pelops, I was told that siblings and caretakers should be wary and cautious of taking sides of their geriatric parent when they fall out with somebody. Don’t enable them; geriatric elders have certain age-related behavioral patterns. Like crabbiness, lack of empathy, anger and depression, and a feeling of having been robbed or having a feeling of being or going to be robbed. They are aware of their diminishing auditory, visual, kinetic, and cognitive abilities and this translates into the feeling of insecurity, misgivings, or even mistrust. Not being able to find something, like having lost their wallet or fountain pen, these surely have been stolen! No, they haven’t been stolen. Double check robbing stories, gossip, and avoid believing slander. Only those families whose children and caretakers take a united stand are able to navigate through the choppy waters of caring for an elderly parent.
Now that you know that you are not alone, Pelops does not need to be your middle name. Keep a healthy distance from your elderly parent if abuse happens or continues. I know about a geriatric nurse who advises family members not to visit their demented parents too often of even not at all because ‘They do not notice and it will hurt you’. These are sobering and somber thoughts, but one must be realistic.
I hope this blog-essay will help easing emotional hurt. Feel invited to add your advice or insights.
Paula majored in Philosophy at UU and UvA and won a few essay contests during her study. Paula worked as an editor and teacher in the Netherlands and abroad. For a decade she home educated her daughter in various countries. Currently, she lives in the Netherlands with her husband whilst her daughter studies abroad.
I oscillate between my love for drawing and writing: one day I like writing, the other day I need to paint. When I paint, my love for using colours or using graphite (monochromatic artwork) also swings back and forth with a regular rhythm. It is this versatility, this fight between my pen, pencils and palette, that keeps me ambitious and eager to learn new skills, better grammar, and new styles.
My website statistics list almost 190.000 visitors. This prompts me to offer you an index, slightly categorized, so that -perhaps- you will appreciate an article that hasn’t brought you here via search terms.
This website consists of a variety of seemingly unrelated subjects. However, there is one thing that does bind all these different subjects and that is Jane Austin’s advice: ‘Write what you know’. All that I have written or painted starts with inspiration that comes to me, my thoughts, feelings, and take on life. Hopefully my articles offer you great reading pleasure and hopefully my art will enrich your feelings.
Creative Writing
Writing is fun, therapeutic, a good exercise for the brain, and it feels like painting; you start with a draft and over the days you add more layers of thoughts and quotes, more polished vocabulary, more interesting sources, and refinement. Not a day passes in my life without reading and annotating what I read. I love to pen down quotes, sources, thoughts in my dairy which later will enrich my essays or articles. Here are a few of my most visited articles:
During my youth the Middle Ages was my favourite time in history. As I grew older, I found myself drawn to even older times, to Ancient, Neolithic, and Prehistory. At Oxford Department for Continuing Education I followed two courses on The Celts and Prehistory with great pleasure and I haven’t stopped reading books in prehistory ever since. Here are my essays and articles that have our deep past as subjects:
Picture my website to be a duck pond, surrounded by lush lotus plants. Which water birds will you spot regularly? Mandarin ducks, or Aix galericulata in Latin. This is because I draw and paint mandarin duck commissions. I opened an Etsy shop in 2011 and mandarin ducks stole the show. It is certainly not that I draw and paint mandarin ducks exclusively, I do other artwork too. However, to make my art-making self supporting, I keep on drawing and painting these lovely birds which always fill me with happiness. It is said that by having mandarin duck art in your home, works wonders.
There are many artists who find inspiration in nature, and so do I. But I find inspiration in art perhaps even more. Art inspires art. Culture inspires culture. Love inspires love. I can spend a whole essay on these cliché quotes, explaining in detail how this works (and I have), but sauntering about in art galleries or museums, or leafing through an art-book instantly fills me with inspiration and musings. Enjoy!
Although working with colour is soul nourishing, making monochromatic artwork feels remarkably more soulful. It is as if you lay bare the matter of the soul after taking away its colours. Monochromatic artwork often reveals and uncovers the essence of things. I have a great love for my coloured pencils, but I love equally designing monochromatic bookplates. Bookplates are traditionally monochromatic but nowadays they are more and more in three primary or in full colour because colour printing has become affordable.
For miscellaneous posts, scroll down and down each article and see all categories (subjects) that -with one click- offer you more subjects to explore. Another method to find more inspirational posts is looking at ‘Related Posts’ under each posts you have just found.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer Bamboo Framed Classical Drawing (work in progress) Paula Kuitenbrouwer
De relatie tussen mens en dier is minstens even plezierig als problematisch vergeleken de relatie tussen mensen onderling. Mens en dier kunnen elkaar bezien als een ‘noodzakelijk’ onderdeel van de voedselketen. De mens kan het dier gebruiken voor z’n welvaart en het camoufleren van z’n handicap. Niet te vergeten kunnen mens en dier affectief tot elkaar staan. Hierbij is het de vraag in hoeverre het affectieve aspect bij het dier een door de mens geantropomorfiseerde interpretatie is van een dierlijk instinct. De mens wringt zich, in de relatie tot het dier, in vreemde bochten. Er bestaan talloze vervelende voorbeelden die duiden op een problematische relatie tussen mens en dier daar waar belangen botsen. De relatie tussen mens en dier samenvattende in termen van utiliteit, affectie en agressiviteit is kenmerkend voor de huidige samenleving. Eens was deze relatie geheel anders. Hypothetisch kan gesteld worden dat termen als respect en geestverwantschap moeten hebben gedomineerd in de beschrijving van de onderlinge relatie. Niet zo lang geleden ervoer ik een geheel andersoortige verhouding tussen mens en dier.
PREHISTORISCHE GROTSCHILDERINGEN VAN DIEREN Voor mij zijn de prehistorische grotschilderingen het meest illustrerend voor het beschrijven van de archaïsche verhouding tussen mens en dier. Uiteraard betreft het hier een gewaagde illustratie, daar de functie van de grotschilderingen en de daaruit af te leiden relatie tussen mens en dier op veronderstellingen berust. Desalniettemin zijn deze hypothesen dermate interessant dat, gecombineerd met andere bevindingen over de prehistorische mens, een beeld gevormd kan worden van hoe eens mens en dier samenleefden.
Ook al blijven vele vragen met betrekking tot de grotschilderingen onbeantwoord, een aantal stellingen en interpretaties zijn vrij acceptabel. De prehistorische schilders hadden er veel voor over om de schilderingen aan te brengen, getuigende de lange weg die de schilders moesten afleggen om in de ruimte te komen die men in Lascaux de ‘Hall of Bulls’ heeft genoemd of de centrale ruimtes van de Vallon Pont d’Arc grot. De schilderingen oude graffiti noemen is onzin. Gezien de techniek van het schilderen, gezien het feit dat de verf giftig was en ook in de mond werd genomen om op de wand te spugen, mag men veronderstellen dat het hier een grote en riskante opgave betrof. Men bracht een ode aan de dieren door ze te schilderen in een zo’n verbluffende schoonheid dat Picasso, na het zien van de schilderingen van Lascaux, uitriep; “We have invented nothing”. En de schoolmeester van de vier, jonge ontdekkers van Lascaux bij het zien van Lascaux ” (I) shouted cries of admiration (…) I had literally gone mad” van zoveel pure schoonheid.
De functie van de grotschilderingen blijft voorlopig raadselachtig. Waarom alle dieren dieper de grot inrennen, waarom er zoveel tekens ingekrast zijn en waarom de mens zoveel minder fraai of als half dier is afgebeeld, dit zijn vragen die een lang traject van studie behoeven. Maar dan nog, zelfs wanneer men met antwoorden komt, blijven deze tijdelijk van aard. In de negentiende eeuw dacht men aan de grotschilderingen als l’art pour l’art, een hypothese die niet lang standhield. Daarna kwamen structuralistische interpretaties. Vaste patronen zouden doelbewust in relatie staan tot andere patronen. Maar wat die patronen betekenen vertelt het meest moderne paradigma ons. Lewis-Williams en Dowson, twee Zuidafrikaanse onderzoekers menen dat deze patronen produkten van hallucinaties zijn. De grotschilderingen zouden dan ook direct in verband gebracht moeten worden met sjamanistische rituelen. Wat pleit voor deze hypothese is het in de mond nemen van giftige verf ten einde dit op de grotwanden te spugen. Het gif zal ongetwijfeld z’n werking hebben gehad. Lorblanchet, een onderzoeker die de grotschilderingen heeft getracht te reproduceren, suggereert dat de techniek een spirituele dimensie heeft gehad; “Spitting is a way of projecting yourself onto the wall, becoming one with the horse you are painting. Thus the action melds with the myth. Perhaps the shamans did this as a way of passing into the world beyond“. Het is niet ondenkbaar dat de schilders door het schilderen van de dieren gingen hallucineren en vervielen tot het aanbrengen van deze abstracte tekens. Want tussen het schilderen van de dieren, vaak vanuit esthetische en artistiek oogpunt, uniek goed weergegeven en de abstracte tekens (zigzaglijnen, cirkels en streepjes en roosters) een verschil zit van dag en nacht in weergave en waarschijnlijk betekenis. De sjamanistische rituelen zijn door de twee Zuidafrikaanse onderzoekers goed onderzocht en betreffen vooral de schilderingen van abstracte tekens. Voor een interpretatie van zowel de weergave van dieren, mens en abstracte tekens leent zich de interpretatie van Anne Baring, historicus en schrijfster, en Jules Cashford, filosofie docent en schrijfster. Zij veronderstellen dat de grot de baarmoeder van de aarde is, die als een levend organisme wordt beschouwd. Het wegkruipen in de grot is niet alleen noodzakelijk om te overleven, het is het kruipen in het lichaam van de Moeder Godin. Soms zelfs 2 -3 kilometer verder de grot in liggen de centrale, beschilderde ruimtes. Om de vraag te stellen naar het ‘waarom’ van deze schilderingen moet nagedacht worden over de band tussen de palaeolithische mens en het dier. Men moest dieren doden om te overleven. Al het gereedschap, de kleding en het voedsel kwam van het dier en daarmee wordt duidelijk hoe essentieel het dier voor de mens was. Dieren betekenende leven en overleven. Bovendien hadden de dieren kennis van de seizoenen en is het denkbaar dat niet alleen het dier voor de mens essentieel was, maar dat het dier zelf superieur was, getuigende deze kennis. Het is niet eens nodig de hypothese te opperen dat de dieren incarnaties van voorouders waren, zoals bij de Indianen. De dieren waren wijs maar moesten gedood worden. Dit veroorzaakte een conflict. Het is denkbaar dat de grotschilderingen het conflict weergeven of een expressieve compensatie zijn voor het leed dat gepaard ging met het conflict. Misschien vertellen de grotten een verhaal. Welk verhaal is zo oud als het verhaal van Lascaux dat schilderingen bevat van 30.000 tot 10.000 voor Christus? Welke verhaal was zo intens dat het zo lang opgeschilderd werd? Les Trois Frères (grot te Ariège te Frankrijk) vertelt onder anderen het verhaal van de verwonde beer. De beer is gewond en de schildering ervan zit onder de krassen en cirkels. Pijlen steken in het lichaam en de beer spuugt bloed. Zo’n schildering bevestigt niet alleen de voorbereiding of verwerking van een verschrikkelijk jachtritueel, ook kan het te maken hebben met de communicatie die men trachtten te verkrijgen met de beer zelf. De beer was wijs, superieur en gevaarlijk en moest derhalve vergeving gevraagd worden voor het toegebrachte leed en de dood.
COGNITIEVE ARCHEOLOGIE: PALAEOPSYCHOLOGIE
Om het beschreven conflict te begrijpen is het illustrerend te bestuderen hoe men de gedachtenwereld van de palaeolithische of archaïsche mens beziet. De studierichting die dit tracht te achterhalen wordt ook wel palaeopsychologie genoemd. In de huidige archeologiestudies wordt meer waardering opgebracht voor mysterieuze rituele activiteiten die niet marginaal maar relevant voor de menselijke ontwikkeling waren. In 1982 introduceerde Colin Renfrew, schrijver van het boek The Ancient Mind: Elements of cognitive archaeology, het nieuwe concept van palaeopsychologie als ‘Archaeology of the mind’. Een net zo moeilijke als interessante discipline. Om palaeopsychologie succesvol toe te passen vereist het kennis over hoe de mens zichzelf en de omgeving ervoer. Veel deskundigen veronderstellen dat de mens zich niet bewust was van een eigen identiteit zoals wij dat zijn. Het onderscheid tussen ‘ik’ en ‘jij’ was ondergeschikt aan een groter besef dat alles wat leefde gerelateerd was aan en met elkaar. Oftewel, een wereld zoals die in mythische verhalen wordt beschreven. Uit de interpretatie van zo’n mythische wereld wordt duidelijk dat er geen wezenlijk onderscheid is tussen mensen, dieren en sterren. De identiteiten zijn aan elkaar gerelateerd, weerspiegelen zich in elkaar. Toen deze verbinding met elkaar minder werd, zijn er nog een aantal pogingen ondernomen om deze relatie en weerspiegeling te herstellen. Door ‘recentelijke’ citaten kan men kennis maken met hoe mensen eens met de aarde en de overige levende wezens hebben samen geleefd. In 1855 liet Chief Seattle ons zien hoe erg wij vervreemd zijn van het samenleven met de aarde en haar schone nazaten.
“Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people. We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man, all belong to the same family. The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. Each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father. The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. The carry our canoes and feed our children. (…..)”.
Opmerkelijk is de overeenkomst van deze levensbeschouwing met de levensbeschouwing of mystiek van de Kelten. Ook de Kelten hadden een orale traditie van verzen en gedichten die blijk geven van een enorme verbondenheid van alle denkbare werelden; de kosmische, de Onderwereld (wereld van hallucinaties, meditatie en mystieke communicatie met Goden en dieren) en de aardse wereld. Zo verliefd als ik als tiener was op de wijsheid van de Indianen, zo gefascineerd ben ik nu door de kunst en wijsheid der Kelten.
Celtic Art by Paula Kuitenbrouwer: boars, swans and ancient faces in blue, silver and gold.
Nu we -heel bescheiden- de geest van de oude mens hebben geprobeerd te analyseren, kan iets gezegd worden van het verbond tussen mens en dier. Chief Seattle zei het al; de dieren zijn onze broeders. Er is sprake van een familie en een bloedband tussen de levende wezens. U kunt zich het gevoelsmatige trauma voorstellen dat ontstond bij het doden van een oudere, wijzer familielid, de beer uit de grotten van Les Trois Frères. Het was niet alleen levensgevaarlijk, het was een zaak van tegengestelde ideeën: de beer was wijs en z’n leven was een aanwinst op de dun bevolkte aarde en de beer moest dood want er waren magen te voeden, kleren en gereedschap te maken en vet te branden. Zonder religieuze implicaties te willen opperen, omschrijft ‘bloedzonde’ deze situatie het meest treffend. Het laten vloeien van het bloed van de beer was gelijk aan het schade toebrengen aan de Moeder Aarde. De grottekeningen zijn mijns inziens ontstaan uit een levensgroot gevoel van conflict. Want pas toen het leven in de natuur en het volmaakte besef van eenheid nolens volens barsten ging vertonen, zocht de mens een compensatie en ventilatie voor het gevoel verscheurd te zijn tussen tegengestelde gevoelens. Uit het beschreven conflict werd de religie als compensatie geboren en de kunst als expressie ervan.
“Because the unity of life is the central phenomenon of the situation of psychic origination, every disturbance of this unity -the felling of a tree, the killing or eating of an animal, and so on- must be compensated by a ritual offering, a sacrifice. For early man all growth and development depend on man’s sacrifice and ritual activity, precisely because man’s living bond with the world and the human group is projected upon nature as a whole”.
De religie, het offer als troost. De kunst, het voortvloeisel uit rituele activiteiten.
“If the blood of an animal slain in returned to the soil, it will carry the life principle back to Mother Earth for rebirth, and the same beast will return next season to yield its temporal body again. The animals of the hunt are regarded in this way as willing victims who give their bodies to mankind with the understanding that adequate rites are to be performed to return the life principle to its source”(J. Campbell).
REïNCARNATIE Al is Campbell een autoriteit op dit gebied, zelf geloof ik niet in incarnatie van individuele mensen of dieren. Daarmee bedoel ik dat individuen ofwel karakters kunnen sterven. Een terugkeer van dit unieke karakter, hetgeen de optelsom van een constitutie, conditie en conditionering vormt, is volgens mij uitgesloten. Het unieke duidt al op het onvervangbare aspect van een persoonlijkheid, dier of plant. Sommige fenomenen zijn eenmalig, waaronder elke levend wezen. Dat een in de aarde begraven dier of mens z’n energie laat vervloeien in de aarde en dat de aarde deze weer kan afstaan aan andere levensvormen, ja, dat lijkt mij aannemelijk. Maar dat identiteiten aan recycling onderhevig zijn, neen, dat zou ook het verhaal van de Palaeolithische identiteits-loze identiteiten ontkrachten en derhalve de sterke verbondenheid tussen alle levende wezens als één familie onder druk zetten. Ik hanteer de minimale definitie van reïncarnatie. En beschouw het derhalve meer als een metafoor dan een term die een incarnatie van een al eerder geleefde geest in nieuw vlees verondersteld. Voor mij is reïncarnatie een begrip dat gerelateerd is aan de idee dat energie nimmer verloren gaat en transmutatie toelaat. Dit wil zeggen dat bij het sterven energie vrijkomt. Al ken ik de aard van de energie niet, op celniveau of spiritueel niveau, in wezen maakt het niets uit om de idee reïncarnatie toe te lichten. De mens heeft geleefd en het verschil tussen leven en dood is de aan-of afwezigheid van levenskracht. Deze kracht, lijkt mij, neemt aan het eind van het leven af en vervalt bij het sterven in andere vormen of blijft nog een tijd na-ebben. Het zal deze naëbbende energie zijn die mensen kunnen ervaren indien ze dicht bij de dode mens verblijven en diens ‘aanwezigheid’ voelen. Niet alleen mensen zijn bekend met deze naëbbende energie, waarvan aangenomen kan worden dat die in de sterkst uitgekristalliseerde vorm, te weten de botten, aanwezig is.
Ook olifanten zoeken contact met de dode soortgenoten door het aanraken van de botten. Zij keren terug naar de plaats alwaar het dode dier tot ‘stof’ is wedergekeerd. Ik heb films gezien waar de olifanten de botten koesteren, aaien met hun slurven, een eindje mee rondlopen om het stuk bot vervolgens weer te rangschikken bij de andere overblijfselen. Het is indrukwekkend te zien hoe deze intelligente dieren soortgelijke handelingen verrichten als de palaeolithische mens (naar schijnt), die niet alleen botten verzamelden voor het maken van gereedschappen, maar ook om ze lange tijd te vereren. De Chinese filosofie vertelt het ons duidelijk: hoe harder de opgebouwde materialisatie, botten, tanden en nagels, hoe groter de daarin neergeslagen energie. Niet voor niets worden relikwieën (botten, tanden, haren en nagels) van heiligen zo lang bewaard en vereerd. Naëbbende energie roept de behoefte aan contact op en vormt de steeds meer subtiel en vager wordende binding met de gestorvenen.
Lascaux’s Crossed Bison by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
TERUG NAAR DE DIEREN Opmerkelijk is dat de dieren van de grotschilderingen zo gesitueerd zijn dat het lijkt alsof ze de grot verder inrennen. Wanneer men er van uit gaat dat de grot de opening naar de Moeder Aarde is, de poort naar de dood en het nieuwe leven, zoals ik dat beschreven heb, valt één en ander samen. Het lijkt zonder meer de dood van het dier te bevestigen en een actieve weergave te zijn van de wens dat de dier snel door de Moeder aarde geabsorbeerd wordt. Zo’n these zou niet alleen het jachtritueel an sich bevestigen maar ook het concept van de zorg, het respect en de verwerking van de bloedzonde betreffende het dode dier. In principe zijn veel theses te interessant te negeren. Ook die thesen die andere tegenspreken. Het is immers mogelijk dat de grotschilderingen, net zoals de Megalieten, een speciale functie hadden in de continuering van bepaalde rituelen. Dat de monumentale vorm over tienduizenden jaren heen steeds gelijksoortig is, wil niet zeggen dat de interpretatie van deze monumenten, grotschilderingen of steencirkels, uniform moet zijn. Zoals de steencircels begrepen kunnen worden “as a complex of grandiose manifestations of ideas that could well have been diverse, but among which the cult of the dead, nevertheless, played an important role”. Zo zouden de grotschilderingen diverse vormen van animalisme kunnen weergeven. De term animalisme is niet geheel op z’n plaats omdat het hier een falend concept weergeeft: de palaeolithische mens zou niet hebben ingezien dat de mens superieur is aan het dier. In de palaeolithische tijd, maar soms ook nog in de huidige tijd, waren dieren heilig en dus superieur. Dat op de grotwanden soms nog een mens geschilderd is, soms geantropomorfiseerde figuren van half mens half dier, geeft aan dat er een intieme relatie was tussen mens en dier. Het vereist een intense studie deze relatie te achterhalen, men zou ervoor buiten de moderne denkkaders moeten gaan. Men zou de legpuzzel moeten bestuderen van allerlei rituelen; het gebruik van dierbotten als orakels, het offeren van dieren in meren, het namaken van beren van klei, het naspelen van vruchtbaarheidsrituelen van dieren en de idee aannemen dat dieren superieur zijn, een ziel hebben en magische krachten en wijsheid bezitten. Deze studie vereist niet alleen een mentale inspanning, maar vooral een mentale flexibiliteit. Het verstand moet uitgerekt worden tot 30.000 voor Christus!
BATAILLE Diegene die een intense studie van de grotten heeft kunnen opbrengen is de Franse filosoof Georges Bataille. In 1955 publiceerde hij een boek onder de naam Lascaux ou la naissance de l’art. Het boek wordt helaas noch door palaeontologen noch filosofen gelezen. Ik had zo graag 25 jaar lang z’n studie van Lascaux willen volgen. Vooral de dagen en nachten die Bataille in Lascaux verbleef ten einde de grottekeningen te bestuderen. De bevindingen die Bataille heeft gemaakt zijn interessant. Ook Bataille is gefascineerd door het verschil tussen de afgebeelde mens en dier. De mensenafbeeldingen zijn schetsmatig en lijken soms niets met de dierschilderingen, veelal gestileerd, te maken te hebben. De dood moet angst hebben ingeboezemd, aldus Bataille, getuigende het feit dat de palaeolithische mens hun doden begroeven. Op de dood rustte een soort taboe. Het profane, noemt Bataille het doelrationeel handelen dat de palaeolithische mens eigen was en de graven die uit die tijd te vinden zijn. Uiteraard staat het profane niet op zich. Is er sprake van een heiligschennis, dan bestaat iets heiligs. Het doden van dieren is heiligschennis, mensen en dierenoffers kunnen in het licht gezien worden van het verzoek om vergeving. Het empirische argument van Bataille spreekt een pragmatische functie van de grotschilderingen tegen. Bataille beschrijft het verschil in gevoel en ervaring bij het schouwen van palaeolithische gereedschappen en de schilderingen. De grotschilderingen maken een veel diepere indruk, aldus Bataille, ze raken het hart. Dit valt niet te verklaren uit de pragmatische functie die men deze schilderingen destijds (rond 1955) toedichtte. Volgens Bataille roepen de schilderingen het beeld op van het heilige. Het beeld van de dieren, het naturalisme waarmee ze geschilderd zijn, geven blijk van het respect dat men voor de dieren had. Dat de mensenafbeeldingen dit niet doen getuigt van het feit dat de mens dit respect reserveerde door de dieren alleen. Mijns inziens treft Bataille in z’n beschouwingen een goede snaar. Immers wanneer de schilders zo fraai, artistiek zo buitengewoon kundig, zelfs rekening houdende met de oneffen wanden van de grotten en daar zelfs voor het effect gebruik van makende…dit talent had ook aangewend kunnen worden voor de mensenafbeeldingen. Maar dit is doelbewust niet gedaan. “Slechts getooid met het prestige van het beest” een vacht of een gewei, dan was de mens een afbeelding waard. Pas dan werd de mens gethematiseerd.
Met zekerheid kan het volgende gesteld worden. De dierschilderingen zijn buitengewoon prachtig. Het heeft de palaeolithische mens veel inspanning gekost. De dieren rennen de grotten in. De mensenafbeeldingen zijn artistiek benedenmaats afgebeeld. De palaeolithische mens heeft doelbewust de schilderingen over tienduizenden jaren aangebracht. Het verhaal van het waarom is complex en uiterst moeizaam te achterhalen. Misschien zal er net zo weinig met zekerheid gezegd kunnen worden als het aantal grotten dat ons ter beschikking staat. Door de stijgende zeespiegel ligt het merendeel van de beschilderde grotten waarschijnlijk onder de zeespiegel. Net zoals vele grotten onder de zeespiegel liggen, zich als het ware onttrekken aan onze vinding, zo ontglipt de ware betekenis van de schilderingen zich aan ons bewustzijn dat -als door een zee- gescheiden lijkt te zijn van de diepe palaeolithische geest der voorouders. Ergens, diep in ons oude genenmateriaal ligt het antwoord, maar een zee van nieuwe informatie heeft het overspoeld en alleen door intense studie, zoals van Bataille, komen gefragmenteerde, intelligente inzichten aan de oppervlakte.
HET DODE DIER Ik herinner mij dat ik een geliefd huisdier moeten laten inslapen. Het werd steeds zieker. Ik herinner mij een enorm verzet en hoop dat het onvermijdelijke te vermijden was. Het was één van de meest tegennatuurlijke dingen die ik moest doen; ik wilde het dier verzorgen en bij mij houden en moest het opgeven. Het dode dier werd in de koude grond gelegd en de aarde dekte het nog lauwe beestje toe. De warmte van het dier, de energie zou vervallen en het dier zou verder sterven. Uiteraard was het dood, maar in tegenstelling tot een geconstateerde dood -het wegvallen van biochemische funkties- is sterven geen momentopname maar een proces. Nadat ik het dode dier begraven had, speelde schuldgevoelens en verdriet een grote rol. Ik herinner mij dat ik somber was. Zo viel ik, de eerste avond na de dood van het dier, somber in slaap. s’ Nachts werd ik plots wakker. In m’n droom had ik het dier zien zitten op een zacht, blauw kussen. Dit symboliseerde zondermeer een hemelse staat. Ik had het dier voer gebracht en terwijl ik het dier benaderde, knorde het van genot. Het zat prinsheerlijk, ja, het gaf zelfs blijk van genot. Ik was stomverbaasd. Het was zo’n contrast met hoe het dier de laatste dagen stil en zielig in een hoek had gezeten. Zo gelukkig had ik het dier bij leven de laatste tijd niet meer gezien. Hoe kan zo’n beeld in m’n droom dan ontstaan? En, hoe kan ik in een zo’n trieste stemming een zo’n plezierige droom ontwikkelen? De volgende nacht schrok ik wederom wakker. In een lucide droom had het dier onder de slaapkamerkast gezeten en had z’n kop omhoog gegooid. Ik kende dit gebaar maar al te goed. Het was een teken van plezier. Het dier leek niet alleen gezond maar ook erg in z’n nopjes. De dag daarop gaf ik toe aan de idee dat er iets vreemds gaande was. Met mij of met het dier, ik weet het niet. Het dier was stervende en ik riep het steeds weer op in m’n dromen, in m’n gevoel en bewustzijn. Ik herinner mij dat ik overvallen werd door een vreemdsoortig idee. Wat zich sterk aan mij opdrong, ja, inderdaad als een idee dat niet door mij voortgebracht was, maar zich aan mij opdrong, was een indruk dat het dier een grote vorm aannam. Niet zichtbaar, niet voelbaar maar als een aanwezige identiteit waar ik opnieuw kennis mee maakte. Het riep respect en ontzag op. Ik was er zeer verbaasd over. Ik herinner mij dat ik schrok van deze ideeën of indrukken. Diverse malen riep ik mijzelf tot de orde, maar de indrukken bleven dominant. Ik wist ze niet te plaatsen alleen maar te observeren. Ik meende er goed aan te doen de ideeën scherp te onthouden om, wanneer het verdriet over was, ze rustig te overdenken.
Later heb ik bedacht dat het een unieke ervaring was. Het was een ervaring met de dood, die, omdat het hier een dier betrof in een geheel andere maat of omvang bestudeerd kan worden in vergelijking met de dood van een mens. Dat wil zeggen, bij het sterven van mensen is het verdriet zo allesoverheersend dat het opvangen van de glimp van de dood of van een ziel onmogelijk is. Het verdriet was beperkt (in vergelijking met verdriet over het verscheiden van een mens, het was groot in vergelijking met het verdriet over een gekapte boom) en kon daardoor niet domineren over gedachten en gevoelens met betrekking tot de dood van het dier. Ja, zelfs de dood van een dier roept vragen op over de onmetelijke afstand tussen leven en dood.
Ik zei tegen mijn man dat er twee verklaringen voor de dromen en indrukken waren. De eerste heeft met hersenfuncties, verdriet en normale droomactiviteiten te maken. De tweede is archaïsch en verlangt een studie van de bovenbeschreven relaties tussen mens en dier. Het heeft te maken met de ziel van het dier, verdriet, conflict en het losweken van een verbintenis tussen mens en dier. Van een relatie tussen mens en dier zoals de palaeolithische mens, de Indianen en de Kelten wellicht hebben gekend. Hierover had ik gelezen met een afstandelijke academische instelling. Na de dood van het dier meen ik deze materie beter te kunnen begrijpen doordat de materie zelf was ervaren. Of zelfs een zeer bescheiden idee te hebben wat palaeopsychologie met betrekking tot het onderzoek van de relatie tussen mens en dier kan betekenen. “Een kleine Keltische ervaring”, heb ik deze wonderlijke indrukken genoemd. Wat het voor mij zonder meer bevestigd heeft, is dat leven en dood mystiek verweven zijn en als dusdanig ervaren worden. Zowel bij mens als dier.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer werkt als kunstenaar te Utrecht. Ze studeerde af in de Wijsbegeerte en is alweer 12+ jaren vegan.
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Dit essay voert de lezer mee naar een rijk waar de mens respect heeft voor dieren en planten. Een rijk waar respect is voor het leven gebaseerd op gevoelens van gelijkwaardigheid. In dit rijk, dat de mens waarschijnlijk al wel eens eerder heeft betreden -al is het alleen maar in de geest-, laat men zijn conditioneringen vallen. Met conditioneringen bedoel ik misschien wel het meest de conditionering dat dieren dom zijn. Pavlov heeft met zijn proeven ‘bewezen’ dat dieren gewoonte beesten zijn. Dit associëren we met niet-flexibel kunnen denken, geen zicht hebben op menselijke verwachtingen en dit alles zou getuigen van een inferieure positie ten opzichte van de mens. Conditioneringen die de mens heeft gemaakt tot een wezen dat zich superieur voelt aan dier of plant. Wanneer deze superioriteit vervalt, volgt respect. Men ontdekt dat de dier ons vervuld van onzekerheid. We weten maar bar weinig van wat een dier bezielt, denkt, voelt of over wil brengen aan de mens of aan zijn soortgenoten. Wanneer het menselijk denken zich niet meer bedient van oppervlakkige oordelen, sentimenten en angst met betrekking tot het niet-menselijk leven, wordt de juiste mate van respect en liefde voor het dierlijk leven ervaren. De mens heeft mogelijkerwijs al eerder dit rijk van respect betreden. Getuigen de prehistorische grottekeningen niet van een groot respect en empathie van de mens met het dier?
HET RIJK VAN RESPECT, DE GROT VAN LASCAUX
Op 12 september 1940 betraden vier jongens, Marcel Ravidat, Jaques Marsal, Georges Agnel en Simon Coencas de grot van Lascaux. Zij troffen daar de best geconserveerde wandschilderingen aan uit de Paleolithische periode. Wat zij zagen kunnen we vandaag alleen nog maar op foto’s zien omdat de grotten -zeer terecht- sinds 1963 voor het publiek zijn afgesloten. Niettemin zijn de foto’s van de grottekeningen indrukwekkend. De jonge mannen hadden de grot geopend en waren afgedaald in het diepe en donkere gedeelte van de Hall of Bulls. Toen zij de wandschilderingen ontdekten, beloofden zij elkaar dit geheim te houden. Dat de geheimhouding van een zo grote ontdekking een te zware last was, dreef hen ertoe een oude schoolmeester, Monsieur Laval, hun verhaal te vertellen. Deze man betrad enige dag later de grot en ‘shouted cries of admiration’. ‘I had literally gone mad’, zou hij later hebben gezegd. In de Hall of Bulls, een ruimte van 17 meter lang, zijn wandschilderingen te bezichtigen van een bijna niet te beschrijven schoonheid. Middels het bezien van foto’s die de wandschilderingen van de grot weergeven, kan men een fictieve wandeling maken door de grot. De wandschilderingen van Przewalskipaarden, van Chinese paarden, van wilde runderen, de voorouders van onze runderen doen je duizelen van schoonheid.
‘Sometimes a detail in the rock with a particular shape was the initial motif: the eye, for example, of a horse whose body will be perfectly integrated on the wall. Some animals were distorted by the painter to give the spectator, who will view it from a different place, a more striking perspective. The use of undulations in the wall is frequent, and they give a surprising volume to the paintings. Thus a concavity forms /the belly of a pregnant cow. Also to give a third dimension, the artists have detached- by the means of a blank or uncoloured area- the legs that are most distant from the spectator from the rest of the body of the animal. Thus the artist knew perfectly how to render this perspective with the bison in the Nave‘.
Zo betreden we het atelier met schilderijen van 17.000 jaar oud. Een ruimte waar hoogstwaarschijnlijk riten gehouden werden en religieuze bijeenkomsten plaatsvonden. Het diep in de aarde wegkruipen, begeleid door de geschilderde dieren op de wanden en het plafond moet de prehistorische mens in vervoering hebben gebracht zoals 17.000 jaar later de oude schoolmeester Laval.
Dit is de grot van Plato. Hier kunnen de dieren worden aanschouwen. Als afbeelding én idee. De schaduwen van de dieren kan je zien bewegen alsof een fakkel hen illusoir laat bewegen. Zo kan men een reis maken naar het diepste van de grot. Voel het respect voor de vele zwangere, laag hangende buiken en de krachtige dikke bizon-nekken! Zo’n fascinatie duurt uren, dagen, neen een heel leven, zoals ook Jacques Marsal, de jonge ontdekker die zo geïnspireerd werd dat hij zijn hele leven bij de grot bleef en nu rondleider is. Deze werkelijkheid, de stille getuigenis van een 17.000 jaar oude vervlogen tijd, tegen de wand, fascineert en ontroert. Wat is werkelijkheid? Buiten of binnen in de grot? Kan van de in de grot op de wanden geschilderde werkelijkheid iets worden geleerd? Welk verhaal vertelt de grot? Ligt tussen het zonlicht van buiten en de 17.000 jaar oude impressies van een lang vervlogen tijd een speciale waarneming? Een boodschap? Gaan de schilderingen het juiste verhaal van de oude tijd vertellen? Kan dat verhaal juist geïnterpreteerd worden? En wat vertellen de reeds uitgestorven dieren? Zoek maar in de verste uithoeken van de menselijke geest naar wat er in de relatie tussen mens en dier fout is gegaan. Doe dat snel. Want de oude grot met tekeningen getuigt van de voorbijgegane tijd, maar wonderschoon gestold in ons heden. De grot slokt in zijn oudheid de vluchtig menselijke ideeën op. En het individuele, vergankelijke menselijk bestaan.
De grot, het huis van 17.000 jaar oud waarvan de inwoners of bezoekers reeds lang geleden zijn gestorven, toont de dieren op weg naar het binnenste van de aarde. Zij bestaan en zullen blijven bestaan. Zij zullen nog eeuwen doordraven op die wanden. De vergankelijk moderniteit buiten de grot is ten dode opgeschreven. En met die moderniteit alle vergankelijke paradigma’s. Geen paradigma zal de grot overleven. Wil men het verhaal van de dieren vernemen, dan moet men bereid zijn vooroordelen ten opzichte van dieren te laten voor wat zij zijn. Er zal dan experimenteel gedacht moeten worden vanuit dier-perspectief.
DE EMPIRISCHE OBSERVATIE Grote steun voor dit denkexperiment of voel experiment vind ik bij de schrijver John Cowper Powys. In zijn ‘My Philosophy up to date as influenced by living in Wales’ schrijft hij over hoe hij het leven ervaart. Hij noemt zichzelf een empirist.
‘For I am proud to be the sort of empiric who is called a quack, a charlatan, and even a mountebank because he insists on accepting the immediate shocking, startling, soothing, tantalizing, transporting, terrifying physical -psychical contacts with life , as his starting-points -‘the many’ as against the ‘one’ entering, you see, at the very start -in forming his patch-work hand-to-mouth philosophy’.
Powys beschrijft hoe hij impacts van het leven maar ook van natuurbelevingen of literatuur kan nemen als zijn startpunt voor zijn levensbeschouwing.
‘My system of thought-tricks or of thought-gestures, then, represents a return with a difference, with that inevitable difference which all such Renaissance must reveal, to the chaoticisme, animism, fetishism, polytheism and pluralism and even something uncommonly like magic, of those happy ages before the authoritarian Parties and Dictators in both religion and science became the totalitarian absorbers of and the infallible announcers of all the truth as they have taken upon themselves to be to-day’,
…vervolgt Powys zijn uiteenzetting van zijn levensbeschouwing. Voor mij klinkt dit citaat als muziek in de oren omdat deze empirische levenshouding noodzakelijk lijkt te zijn voor het achterhalen hoe de relatie tussen mens en dier in de prehistorie is opgeschilderd in de grotten van Lascaux.
BATAILLE’S ONTROERING Wanneer ik de beschouwingen neem van de filosoof Bataille, die 25 jaar lang met dit onderwerp bezig was en dagen en nachten in de grot van Lascaux verbleef om de schilderijen op hem in te laten werken, sluiten deze aan bij Powys’ levensbeschouwing. Dit omdat Bataille zijn inzicht in de afbeeldingen van de beschilderde grot-wanden baseert op een empirisch argument.
‘Als ik naar vitrines vol prehistorische fossielen en gereedschappen kijk’, redeneert Bataille, ‘doet me dat niets. Het feit dat de prehistorische mens wellicht honger had en daarom op een succesvolle jacht hoopte, doet mij ook eigenlijk niets. Maar de afbeeldingen die hij heeft gemaakt, die doen we wel wat, die raken me in mijn hart. Dat valt niet te verklaren uit één of andere pragmatische functie die de afbeeldingen misschien hadden‘.
Dat de schilderingen nog steeds tot de verbeelding spreken komt volgens Bataille doordat ze een beeld oproepen van het heilige. Er bestaan talloze beschrijvingen van volken die het heilige zien als iets machtigs dat tegelijkertijd ongrijpbaar en levensgevaarlijk is. Het heilige was bovendien nauw verbonden met de overtreding van verboden. Een universeel en fundamenteel verbod is het verbod om te doden; dit verbod wordt in veel culturen overschreden tijdens offerrituelen. Misschien zijn de schilderingen gemaakt in een tijd dat de overtuiging dat mensen superieur zijn aan dieren niet was uitgekristalliseerd. Het onderscheid tussen mens en dier berust tenslotte op een overtuiging dat mensen anders of beter zijn in vergelijking met dieren. Maar waren de mensen ten tijde van Lascaux beter dan dieren? Het naturalisme van de schilderingen geeft aan dat men respect had voor het dier. Datzelfde respect had men niet voor de mens; in de mensen afbeeldingen wordt het menselijk onderwerp als het ware verminkt, onder meer door de toevoeging van dierlijke kenmerken. Blijkbaar ging het erom het menselijke te ontkennen ten gunste van iets heiligs dat geassocieerd werd met het dier. Slechts getooid met het prestige van het beest is de mens in de schilderingen gethematiseerd.
Batailles’ these is zonder meer interessant. Zijn argument ‘De schilderingen doen mij meer dan vitrines vol prehistorische gereedschappen’ is een empirisch argument dat interessante bespiegelingen tot gevolg heeft gehad. De bespiegelingen zijn zinnig maar ook eigenzinnig. Ze onderstrepen dat iedereen zijn eigen interpretatie kan en mag geven van Lascaux. Totdat het wetenschappelijke onderzoek is afgerond en de filosofen zijn uitgedacht, kan je veronderstellen dat de kennis verloren is gegaan. Wat overgebleven is, is de schoonheid en die interpreteert ieder naar believen.
DE ONVERSTAANBARE TAAL De prehistorische grotten vertellen een verhaal, zoals ook de tekeningen en hiërogliefen in de Egyptische piramides een verhaal vertellen. Zoals ook de zegelringen uit het oude Mesopotamië een verhaal vertellen.
Het verhaal van Inanna, de godin van het oude Mesopotamië, is een aantrekkelijk verhaal. Haar naam is in Noord Sumerië Ishtar en haar grootheid ten tijde van de Bronstijd is vergelijkbaar met Isis van Egypte en Cybele van Anatolië. Zij is het archetypische vrouwelijke en haar leven is het verhaal van geboorte, moederschap, sexuele liefde en vruchtbaarheid, de hemel en de dood. In haar verhaal van het heilige huwelijk wordt de maan en de zon, de aarde en de hemel symbolisch verbonden. De vegetatie-god waarmee Inanna zich trouwt, is Dumuzi-Tammuz. Het overgeleverde gedicht van deze ceremonie vertelt hoe de Summarische bevolking dit ritueel op de juiste maanstand in het Summarische paleis uitbeeldt. Rond 2250 voor Christus liep de hoge priester die Dumuzi verbeelde naar de tempel en bracht offers mee voor Inanna. In het gedicht van 2250 voor Christus wordt het huwelijk tussen Inanna en de vergoddelijkte koning Isin-Dagan uitgebeeld:
She embraces her beloved husband. Holy Inanna embraces him. The throne in the great sanctuary is made glorious, Like the daylight. The kind like the Sun-God, Plenty, happiness and abundance before him prosper. A feast of good things they set before him, The dark-headed people prosper before him.
Tot hier lezen we een in scène gebracht ritueel. Het toneel is als het ware geschetst. We denken dat twee mensen elkaar ontmoeten. Maar dan volgt een dialoog voor tweeërlei uitleg vatbaar.
Dumuzi zingt; My sister, I would go with you to my garden. Inanna, I would go with you to my garden. I would go with you to my orchard. I would go with you to my apple tree. There I would plant the sweet, honey-covered seed.
Inanna zegt; He brought me into his garden. My brother, Dumuzi, brought me into his garden. I strolled with him among the standing trees, I stood with him among the fallen trees, By an apple tree I knelt as is proper. Before my brother coming in song, Who rose to me out of the poplar leaves, Who came to me in the midday heat, Before my Lord Dumuzi, I poured out plants from my womb. I placed plants before him, I poured out plants before him, I placed grain before him, I poured out grain before him. I poured out grain from my womb.
In dit gedicht lezen we twee talen. De liefdestaal tussen man en vrouw. En het verhaal van het zaaien, oogsten en de vruchtbare aarde. Inanna spreekt over haar baarmoeder waaruit ze graan laat stromen wanneer Dumuzi haar mee naar de tuin -de vruchtbare aarde- neemt. Voor de meeste lezers zal het duidelijk zijn dat het ritueel waarin Inanna en Dumuzi samenkomen een vruchtbaarheidsritueel is. Het gedicht is als het ware dubbeltalig. Dat dubbeltalige aspect vinden we ook terug in het verhaal van de Egyptische Isis en Orisis. De relatie tussen Isis en Orisis is te beschrijven als van de creatieve krachten van de aarde. Het is een verhaal van mensen die de creatieve krachten van de aarde verbeelden. Zo groeit uit Orisis graan dat door de priester water wordt gegeven. Is Orisis een mens? Of de aarde? Of verbeeldt Orisis zowel de aarde als de mens? Valt in dit verhaal de vruchtbaarheid van de mens samen met de vruchtbaarheid van de aarde? Of moest het verhaal van de aarde geantropomorfiseerd worden ten einde het begrijpelijk te maken? Zoals ook het geval is in het fraaie verhaal van Inanna en Dumuzi? Wat hier in ieder geval uit geconcludeerd kan worden is dat oude verhalen, tekeningen, rituelen een andere taal kunnen hanteren die ons als dubbeltalig overkomt. Maar misschien lopen hier niet twee verhalen door elkaar. Wij, moderne mensen, lezen er twee verhalen in: het verhaal van de vruchtbare aarde en de zaaitijd en het verhaal van de mens. Wij lezen er twee verhalen in omdat wij de natuur en de vruchtbaarheidscyclus van de aarde, de seizoenswisselingen, de zaai en oogsttijd onderscheiden van het verhaal van de mens en diens liefde en intermenselijke relaties. Net zoals wij, maar nu loop ik op de zaak vooruit, een onderscheid maken tussen mens en dier door te veronderstellen dat er überhaupt een onderscheid te maken valt. Wanneer we een denkexperiment doen en ons trachten te verbeelden dat deze onderscheidingen tussen aarde, dier en mens niet zo evident zijn als het nu voor ons lijkt, ontstaan er nieuwe interpretaties. Ineens bezien we het verhaal van Inanna en Dumuzi of Isis en Orisis niet meer als dubbeltalig maar als een consistent verhaal. Een verhaal dat mens en aarde als gelijkende en gelijkwaardig beschrijft.
OUDE VERHALEN
Wanneer we kennis hebben gemaakt met de dubbeltalige oude verhalen van Isis (3000 v. Chr.) en Inanna (ongeveer 3500 v. Chr.) kunnen we terug naar de prehistorische grottekeningen van 17.000 v. Chr. Dat is een hele stap terug in de tijd. Welhaast een te grote stap. Om zo’n gapend gat in de tijd te kunnen overbruggen, moeten we nadenken of dat het überhaupt tot de mogelijkheid behoort. We zouden moeten concluderen dat het verhaal van Inanna en Isis al moeilijk genoeg is te lezen met de bedoelingen en intenties zoals het ooit eens neergeschreven is. Te lezen met de geest, de denkwijze en de cognitieve inhoud van een persoon van 3500 jaar terug. Kunnen we de grottekeningen zien en begrijpen door een transformatie van onze geest naar een grotschilder van 17.000 jaar terug in de tijd? Kunnen we onze mentale inhoud transformeren? Zelfs Bataille nam er 25 jaren voor om tot heel bescheiden, hypothetische argumenten te komen. Laten we eens bedenken wat we met zekerheid kunnen zeggen van de grotschilderingen. Zonder twijfel opperen we dat er dieren geschilderd zijn. Maar is dat zo evident? In het verhaal over Orisis -waar graan uit groeit- denken we een mens te zien waaruit graan groeit. We hebben al moeite om met zekerheid te stellen of het verhaal van Isis en Orisis een mensen of vruchtbaarheidsverhaal is. Wij zien dieren geschilderd op de rotswanden van Vallon Pont d’ Arc en Lascaux. Maar wanneer Orisis als mensenfiguur de aarde verbeeldt, dan zouden de dieren van Lascaux zonder enige twijfel een vergelijkbare verbeelding kunnen zijn van iets bewegelijks (ze draven immers allemaal een kant op) en derhalve bijvoorbeeld de wind kunnen verbeelden. Of een waterstroom, of de trek van mensen naar een veilige plek.
Het volgende feit dat we zouden kunnen stellen van Lascaux is dat de mensen er veel voor over hadden de rotsschilderingen aan te brengen. De inspanningen en de gevaren waaraan de mens zich blootstelde ten einde de schilderingen aan te brengen zijn indrukwekkend. Lange passages werden afgelegd om in de beschilderde ruimtes te komen. Dieren, gehuisvest in de grotspleten, werden getrotseerd. De koude, de duisternis, het gevaar te verdwalen…en dan het schilderen zelf met giftige pigmenten bij het bewegelijke licht van een fakkel. De krassen in de rotswanden met scherpe voorwerpen en het zoeken en gebruik maken van het oneffen vlak en plafond. Een Sixtijnse Kapel van 17.000 jaar geleden? Nou nee, de (on)comfortabele positie van Michelangelo (hij lag op steigers) is niet vergelijkbaar met de barre condities waaronder de prehistorische schilder moest werken (vuur, koude, gevaar). Dit argument, het argument van het ‘er veel voor over hebben’, blijkt stand te houden. De bezieling die de schilder had en schilders van prehistorische schilderingen hadden, is wel degelijk vergelijkbaar met die van prehistorische bouwers van monumenten zoals Stonehenge, Avebury en Silbury Hill. En ook met de piramides en de latere Kathedralen in West-Europa. Meer feiten hebben we niet dan dat er dieren geschilderd zijn om waarschijnlijk het schilderen van dieren zelf. Nogmaals, misschien zijn dieren geschilderd om het water of de wind te verbeelden. En dat er sprake is van een enorme bezieling die de schilders ertoe motiveerden de schilderingen aan te brengen.
Minder subjectief is dat de schilderingen mooi zijn. Ik geloof wel dat zo’n subjectief oordeel kan rekenen op instemming, maar misschien vonden de schilders het naturalisme waarmee ze schilderden niets meer dan gewoon. Het probleem dat zich na het verzamelen van deze harde en minder harde feiten voordoet, is het identificeren van de schilderingen. Gaat het hier om buitengewoon fraaie en bezielde schilderingen van dieren of moeten we sceptisch zijn en concluderen dat het gaat om schilderingen van iets dat door dieren uitgebeeld wordt. Proberen we deze twee voorlopige conclusies met elkaar in overeenstemming te brengen dan mogen we spreken van een belangrijk gegeven met betrekking tot de dieren. Immers, wanneer het gaat om het dier of wanneer het gaat om iets dat verbeeld wordt door het dier, het dier is het belangrijkste gegeven tot dusver. Of het dier gewoon of mooi of buitengewoon mooi is weergegeven, de kunstzinnige waardering van de schilderijen is irrelevant wanneer we het hebben over de keuze van het te geschilderde object, te weten, het dier. Het dier was belangrijk, als medium om iets te verbeelden of als wezen an sich. Het dier was het object van de bezieling: door het schilderen van dieren werd een passie, een missie volbracht. Welke en waarom weten we niet, maar dat er veel voor over was, fysieke ontbering en artistieke inspanning, is klaarblijkelijk.
Het laatste feit dat we kunnen overdenken, is dat er vele grottekeningen zijn gevonden waarop het dier prominent vertegenwoordigd is. Het dier vormt op de rotsschilderingen, waarvan er waarschijnlijk vele onder de zeespiegel liggen en nimmer meer gevonden kunnen worden, steeds het object van de thematisering van een ons onbekend verhaal.
DIEREN EN HUN TAAL Onze hedendaagse relatie met het dier kenmerkt zich door een nogal tweeslachtige houding. We beschouwen het als etenswaar, proefdier, sportattribuut en knuffelobject. In al deze functies wordt het dier ondergeschikt gemaakt aan de doeleinden die de mens stelt. We knuffelen het dier zo intens dat het dier zich gaat richten op de mens en zijn natuurlijke leefomgeving en taal met soortgenoten vergeet. We gebruiken dieren als proefobjecten om onze make-up en medicijnen op uit te testen. We willen bekers en medailles halen, desnoods maken we het paard na de wedstrijd af omdat het z’n benen heeft gebroken. En tenslotte zijn we niet erg kieskeurig met het eten van vlees, althans de economische belangen prevaleren boven de ethische. Onze relatie met dieren is door de steeds verder doorgedraafde veronderstellingen dat wij superieur zijn aan de dieren, doorgeschoten in willekeurige utiliteitsbeginselen. Markante voorbeelden ten over: we hebben een schaap voor het gerecht gesleept, apen naar de maan gestuurd en ergens in Nederland liggen een op intensive care honden hun derde chemokuurtje te doen. Uiteraard zijn er ook biologen en de wat meer kritische mensen die zich inzetten om een ‘natuurlijke’ leefomgeving en condities voor dieren te realiseren. Die het bestuderen van dieren in hun eigen leefwereld interessanter vinden dat het dier in de kooi of aquarium. Maar dat het dier te lijden heeft van de superioriteit van de mens zal toch door de meesten beaamd worden.
LEREN VAN DE DIEREN VAN LASCAUX Wanneer men de geconditioneerde superioriteit ten opzichte van dieren afbreekt, beseft men hoe de mens het dier tekort doet. Zelfs wanneer we voor het dier zorgen of het knuffelen, schieten we tekort in gevoelens van respect tegenover het dier. We leggen reservaten aan, prachtige dierentuinen of hangen een kooi vol hamsterdraaimolens…het is nog steeds een zorg om het dier dat niets (behalve geld) van ons kost. Waar we onze superioriteit niet voor hoeven in te leveren. Maar stel dat we dat wel doen. Stel dat we onze superioriteitgevoelens eens op de tocht zetten. Dan doen we nieuwe ontdekkingen.
Eén van die nieuwe ontdekkingen betreft de grotschilderingen. We willen het verhaal van Lascaux leren ontsluiten maar moeten erkennen dat we maar weinig harde feiten kunnen achterhalen. We bestuderen de grond, de verfstoffen, de artistieke waarde, de menselijke inspanningen die nodig waren de schilderingen aan te leggen. We bestuderen de handafdrukken, de cirkels, de krassen in de wand, de botten en voetafdrukken op de grond. We bekijken de voorouders van onze dieren, we concluderen dat ze zwanger zijn afgebeeld of dat ze al rennende zijn weergegeven. We hebben het over een Sixtijnse kapel van de ijstijd, oude graffiti of een prehistorische kunst. Maar wat overgeslagen wordt in al deze beschouwingen is het geschilderde object, het dier. Ik bedoel niet dat we de dierenschilderingen niet bewonderd hebben. Dat we hebben gekeken naar welke dieren geschilderd zijn. Naar hoe ze geschilderd zijn. Waar ik op doel is dat we de schilderijen hebben bestudeerd maar niet de dieren zelf. We bestuderen het verhaal van de prehistorische schilder, maar we vergeten het verhaal van de prehistorische dieren te bestuderen. We trachten met het onderzoek naar de grotten de geest van onze voorouders te begrijpen, maar we kruipen niet in de geest van het prehistorische dier. Neen, dat doen we niet omdat het kijken in de geest van onze voorouders een schier onmogelijke taak is, het proberen te begrijpen van dieren is zo niet uitgesloten. Maar toch, er zijn voorbeelden die het tegendeel bepleiten.
HET DIER VAN DE MENS Dat er een onderscheid valt te maken tussen mensen en dieren is geheel te danken aan de menselijke eigenschap zich te willen onderscheiden. Wij zijn geheel vertrouwd gemaakt met deze onderscheiding. Wanneer we niettemin de mythologie bestuderen, kan een andersoortige relatie tussen mens en dier vast beschreven worden. Heel makkelijke voorbeelden zijn bijvoorbeeld de uitspraken en riten van de Amerikaanse indianen. Niet zelden leest men vol romantiek de prachtige uitspraken van Chief Seattle die spreekt over de dieren en rivieren als zijn ‘voorouders’ en ‘broeders’. De wijze Indiaan spreekt niet tegen ons om ons een romantisch beeld bij te brengen. Neen, hij legt zijn levensbeschouwing en cultuur aan ons uit. Zonder sentiment of romantiek moeten we met kracht proberen ons in te leven hoe het werkelijk voelt een beer of paard als je broeder te beschouwen. Misschien lukt dit denkexperiment nog. Moeilijker wordt het je dierenbroeders en zusters te beschouwen als wijs. Of als medium voor goddelijke boodschappen. Neen, niet zozeer het dier maar de heilige krachten welke het dier onthult, zijn dan het object van de verering. Maar er zijn ook middenwegen bewandeld. We herkenden dierlijke driften in ons hetgeen ons lichaam dierlijke karakteristieken gaf. Maar onze geest, onze ziel was goddelijk. Althans dat was de Middeleeuwer de mening toegedaan. In de moderne tijd is deze visie bijgedraaid. Biologen kunnen na nauwkeurige observatie sociaal gedrag aanwijzen bij bijvoorbeeld apen en koolmezen. We zijn dankzij het werk van biologen weer naar elkaar toegegroeid. Immers, dieren en mensen hebben gemeen dat ze met elkaar kunnen praten, ze onderling seksuele en sociale relaties vormen.
Wanneer we de taxonomie (het wetenschappelijk classificeren) van mensen en dieren even terzijde schuiven, kunnen we nieuwe gedachten ontwikkelen. Uiteraard moeten we dat niet alleen in gedachten doen, maar ook met ons gevoel. We moeten een enorm taboe opheffen dat is ingesteld om de gebruikelijke classificatie te doen standhouden. Ik bepleit niet met een aantal dieren rond een tafel te gaan dineren. Noch met een duif te gaan picknicken. Echter, willen we het raadsel van Lascaux kunnen ontrafelen dan moet er een soort respect en empathie ontstaan dat dwars door de taxonomische barrières breekt. Het onderscheid tussen mens en dier moet als het ware semipermeabel worden: noodzakelijke onderscheidingen blijven bestaan ter preventie van ziekten, sentimenteel gedrag, idiotie en sodomie. Maar uitwisselbaar moet worden het vermogen tot communiceren, gevoelens van respect en liefde. Dit element van uitwisseling of vloeibaarheid is op veel verschillende wijzen uitgedrukt. Om enkele voorbeelden te noemen; het sociale karakter van het totemisme, de mythen van geboorte en dood van de wereld uit dieren. Maar ook visueel heeft de mens een scala aan hybride entiteiten gecreëerd die doen vermoeden dat de relatie tussen mens en dier een enorme reikwijdte aan motieven en implicaties heeft; de Centaur (paard-man), de Minotaur (stier-man), Echidna (slang-vrouw), Pegasus (paard-vogel) en de Sfinx (vrouw-leeuw-vogel). Het belangrijkste aspect van het doorbreken van de grenzen tussen mens en dier is wel het werk van de sjamaan. De religieuze specialist die dwaalt tussen hemel en onderwereld en niet zelden een gevecht moet leveren met een dier of een dier ontmoet als zijn begeleider. De sjamaan transformeert zichzelf in een dier en heeft contact met de overige dieren. Enkele aspecten van het werk van de sjamaan zijn verrukkelijk speels beschreven door Terence H. White. Deze auteur laat Merlijn de jeugdige Koning Arthur in meerdere dieren transformeren als scholing voor zijn aankomend leiderschap. Wanneer Koning Arthur vele jaren na zijn scholing zijn innig geliefde metgezellen in een grot ontmoet;
“Doe de deur open en kijk”, (zei Merlijn tegen Arthur). Hij deed hem open (…)…en het beste van alles was, zijn oudste vrienden waren er (…). Zij (de dieren c.q. Arthurs vrienden) zaten in een kring rond het vuur; das, die zich bedeesd overeind hees terwijl een ware lawine van beschreven vellen papier uit zijn schoot in de haard vloog; T.natrix, die zich ontrolde en met een ebbenhouten tong trillende waarmee hij van plan was, zo nodig, de vorstelijke hand te kussen; Archimedes, die op en neer danste van plezier en verwachting, de vleugels half spreidend en ermee fladderend, als een kleine vogel die vraagt om gevoerd te worden; Balin, dier er voor het eerst van zijn leven verpletterd uitzag, omdat hij bang was dat hij misschien vergeten was; Cavall, zo gekweld door de heerlijke van zijn gevoelens dat hij zich in een hoekje moest afzonderen om over te geven; geit, die de keizerlijke groet in een vooruitziende flits lang geleden had gegeven; egel, die loyaal en rechtop aan het eind van de kring stond, waar men hem afgezonderd van de anderen had doen plaats nemen vanwege zijn vlooien, maar vol vaderlandsliefde en verlangend, indien mogelijk, te worden opgemerkt. Zelfs de enorme opgezette snoek, die een noviteit was boven de schoorsteenmantel onder de Stichter, scheen met een smekend oog naar hem (Arthur) te kijken. “O, mensen!” riep de koning uit.
Het antropomorfiseren en de reactie van Arthur op het weerzien van zijn vrienden ontroert de lezer. Terence White heeft speels geschreven aan de hand van een prachtige legende. De premissen zijn ‘scholing door observatie van het dierenrijk’ en ’empathie met het dierenrijk’. Als vanzelf volgt het moment waarop we onze dierenvrienden begroeten met ‘O, mensen!’. De sjamaan, Merlijn en de vakkundige bioloog vertellen het verhaal van nauwkeurige observatie en empathie. Deze ingrediënten zijn onmisbaar om gevoelens van verantwoordelijkheid en empathie op te bouwen. Op een meer directe wijze verhaalt het volgende gedicht van een puur inlevingsvermogen:
Vlinder/papillon
Een vlinder danst rond mijn hoofd
en zet zich opeens op mijn knie.
een trillend rustpunt van leven.
in het gras aan de rand van het water
zit ik een vlinder te zijn.
De Klimmende Boomvrouw Catharina van der Linden
LASCAUX ADEMT SCHOONHEID MAAR ZWIJGT IN ALLE TALEN Zo wandelt men denkbeeldig door de grot van Lascaux. Men probeert vanuit mensen en dieren ogen te kijken naar de schilderijen. De dieren zijn zo vrienden, neen zelfs broeders en zusters. Net zoals de jonge Koning Arthur is ontroerd, begroet men de dieren met ‘O, mensenlief, wat mooi zijn jullie’. Net zoals Bataille, die een interessante filosofie over de grottekeningen heeft ontwikkeld, loopt en kruipt de ware geïnteresseerde mens daar rond. Zo bevoordeeld als Bataille was, is men helaas niet. Vandaag de dag zal men zich met plaatjes en kleurenfoto’s tevreden moeten stellen. Desalniettemin valt te denken aan Franciscus van Assisi en aan de ontroerende foto’s van het zwaar autistisch kind dat lacht wanneer een dolfijn langs zwemt en tegen het kind spreekt in dolfijnen-taal.
Zo zal men beseffen dat de grottekeningen niet alleen ontroeren vanwege de schoonheidservaring. De grot ademt schoonheid maar zwijgt in de ons bekende mensentaal over haar verhaal. De gedachte dringt zich op van een menselijke tekortkoming; het tekort schieten in broeder en zuster gevoelens ten opzichten van het geschilderde dier. We bestuderen de tekeningen maar slaan iets over. We bekijken het als een schilderij, maar het schilderij heeft een object. We beschouwen Lascaux als een Sixtijnse kapel maar vergeten dat het de prehistorische mens misschien geheel niet om het schilderen was gedaan. Zij, deze schilders, waren gefascineerd door het object dat in talloze grotten een hoofdrol speelt; het dier. We willen Lascaux ontsluiten en doen enorme moeite in de geest van de prehistorische mens te kruipen. We moeten echter onthouden dat het onderscheid tussen mens en dier door de geschiedenis heen diverse vormen heeft gekend. De schilder was bezield in vrij letterlijke zin van het dier en als weergave van deze bezieling schilderde hij of zij deze dieren op een naturalistische wijze.
Willen wij het verhaal van Lascaux leren kennen dan zou het kunnen zijn dat we in de huid van het dier moeten kruipen. We moeten onze huidige veronderstelling van superioriteit verlaten, experimenteren met onze empathische vermogens en een subtiele wilskracht ontwikkelen. Want wij zijn ergens in de geschiedenis gestopt met ons in te leven in het dier. Met onze superioriteit kwam het breekpunt in het communiceren met hen. Deze dramatische breuk moeten we herstellen. Want het Lascaux-dier spreekt wel, maar de mens verstaat ’em niet meer. Wanneer we onze superioriteit transformeren in respect en op den duur respect in liefde, dan zal het communiceren tussen mens en dier weer op gang komen. Vele verhalen zullen volgen.
Drs. P.M.L. Kuitenbrouwer is kunstenares in Utrecht. Ze studeerde Wijsbegeerte aan Utrecht Universiteit en aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam.
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Paula’s Etsy shop is hier en Paula’s portfolio is hier.
Over the last month, I have designed and worked on a new Mandarin Duck composition. A mandarin duck couple happily swims in their duck pond that is surrounded by five chrysanthemums. The duck pond has a pentagonal ‘Sakura’ shape, sakura referring to Asian cherry blossom. I combined the sakura, chrysanthemums, and mandarin ducks and was delighted and surprised by how harmonious the combination turned out.
At my Etsy art shop, I have several of these compositions available, mounted and not-mounted with a passe-partout, with full colour mandarin ducks or with albino or leucistic ducks. I am going to experiment with another Japanese flower shape: the Yukiwa flower, an equally harmonious shape that will elegantly ‘frame’ the mandarin ducks.
Should you like to commission a larger mandarin duck composition or you like to order a wedding set, feel free to contact me.
Cassandra Syndrome, also known as Cassandra Complex, Phenomenon, Predicament, or Curse. What is it? In this blog-post you will learn about Cassandra. Three women describe their experiences with Cassandra Syndrome.
IN SHORT: Cassandra Syndrome applies to a person whose valid warnings or concerns are not believed by others. This is a terrible burden.
Cassandra by Ferdinand Rothbart
A TAD BIT LONGER
In Greek mythology, Cassandra is a beautiful daughter of King Priam of Troy. The young god Apollo smitten by her beauty, gives her the gift of prophecy. Despite this gift, Cassandra does not return Apollo’s romantic feelings. As a result, Apollo is so angry that he ensures Cassandra’s prophecies are never believed. Thus, in stories, Cassandra often appears as a prophet of doom, forewarning all her warnings stay unheeded. Over time, Cassandra’s name has become synonymous with prophets of doom.
IN DEPTH
Modern people have little knowledge about prophesies; we prefer statistical data and scientific simulations to map out our future. Those who dare to speak about prophecies are seen as mad or religious fanatics. That said, we fill our days with policy making. Whether you are a housewife/man, or a governmental senior policy maker, we run errands for the rest of the week and make plans for the next five year. We are very busy with forecasting and foretelling our future. Keeping an eye on the future is an integral part of living a well-planned life.
Remember the fall of Troy? Cassandra attempted to warn the Trojan people that Greek warriors were hiding in the Trojan Horse. Nobody believed Cassandra. Instead the Trojans resorted to calling her names and hurling insults at her. At night, the Greek soldiers hiding inside the horse, take the city of Troy, leading to its fall. So, what is Cassandra Syndrome? It consists of two aspects: prophesy and disbelief.
PROPHESY
Prophesying is about seeing, or believing, or knowing something goes wrong. This knowing is based on a gift by the god Apollo in Cassandra’s story, but we -modern and often secular people- can base this knowledge on life experience, intuition, or scientific data. Whatever the source or method of knowing, Cassandra Syndrome is about knowing what is about to happen, and this can be very stressful.
I once read about a man who saw his whole life playing like a movie in his mind when he suffered a NDE (Near Death Experience). After this NDE, his life evolved just the way he had ‘seen’. He knew what would happen, who would die (first), just as he had ‘seen’. I gave this much thought and asked myself ‘Would I want to know all that? And would I be in such acceptance?’ The man’s wife died before him. ‘Would I put effort in trying to change that, to change the ‘natural’ course of things as they had presented in his NDE?’ These are difficult questions.
DISBELIEF
It is extremely stressful if your warning or knowing is met with disbelief. People die; Troy falls. All of that could have been prevented had people listened to Cassandra. Most climate change advocates must have suffered from Cassandra Syndrome. Who believed their doom scenario (of rising sea levels, increased heatwaves, horrendous floods) till we actually saw it happening?
Max Klinger, Cassandra, 1893
Have you ever suffered Cassandra Syndrome?
I did at least twice and it was very stressful. Am I bestowed with the gift of prophesying? No, of course not. Whether knowledge comes intuitively, divinely, logically, or scientifically, that is rather irrelevant. The point is that you had knowledge about a future development and you weren’t believed. Like Cassandra, I was ridiculed.
Cassandra was seen as a liar and a madwoman by her family. Her father, Priam, locked her away in a chamber and guarded her like the madwoman she was said to be. How could Priam rule when his daughter could foretell the future? As a king, he should be in charge of the future, not his daughter. But because of the gift of Apollo, Cassandra was the real policy maker; she could anticipate the future. Thus, she was shamed as a madwoman. She was silenced.
THREE PERSONAL NARRATIVES ON CASSANDRA SYNDROME
I
‘I got Cassandra syndrome from a conflict with my father. We strongly disagreed about his future. In my opinion, he should sign up for an old people’s home because he needed care and socializing. He was in denial and said I was psychiatric, which is a very classical reaction of an old man in relation to a woman speaking her mind. Priam, father of Cassandra, drove a knife in Cassandra’s back to stay in power; my father back-stabbed me in order to silence me. And boy, my siblings didn’t see it, too willingly believing the Master of Manipulation. Calling women psychiatric is what (some) men do when women notice and say things they dislike (like seeing the first signs of dementia). This begs the question; has anything changed since Ancient Greece?’
II
‘When I think of Cassandra Syndrome, I think of Camille Claudel. She was a very talented sculptress but she lived in the shadow of Auguste Rodin. Claudel made art at the time when it was highly unusual for a woman to make a living as an artist. How could she ever step out of the shadow of the famous Rodin with whom she was in a collaborative and passionate relationship? It is said she lost her mind and lived for 30 years, till her death, in a mental asylum. Why was it that the woman of the artistic couple was stored away? Was she a madwoman or was she silenced by a male oriented society? Most likely the later because that is what men in power do and society at that time thought it was unthinkable that a talented women could start a career as an artist (the shame!) No wonder so many talented women gave away their innovations, thoughts, ideas, and art to men who lived their fame’.
Camille ClaudelCassandra by Max Klinger
III
‘How long did it take for the pharmaceutical industry to acknowledge that it has been a men’s industry, testing medicines on men, for the benefits of men? How long have women taken medicines that were designed and tested on men? I understand there has been reluctance with testing medication on women for fear of damaging the reproductive system or unborn babies. But when these male designed medications didn’t help women, women too often were advised to seek psychological help for ‘psycho-somatic’ illnesses. In essence, the pharmaceutical industry was failing women and by suggesting they needed emotional help this industry was ridiculing and silencing women, saying they were a bit loopy, in need of mental help. In fact, the industry should have designed medicine for women. I think that women collectively suffer from Cassandra syndrome.’
For more on women and healthcare issues: Voices of Women. Books: Invisible Women, Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. And: Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn.
How many women (and men) -do you think- have been Cassandra during a time in their lives? My guess? Too many. Far too many.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, owner, commission artist, and writer at Mindfuldrawing.com, a website full artwork, art-musings, art-appreciation, and art-essays. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and loves painting and drawing. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Paula’s artshop is at Etsy. Just go there and have a look. You do not need an account to order art. Paula is also at Instagram, where she uses her Instagram as a portfolio for pictures and videos for you to enjoy.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? It is my wish to make my website more self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two Mandarin Ducks Art Cards (standing)
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed, showing a mandarin duck couple standing closely together to confirm their life long bond. Comes with two matching envelopes. Free Shipping.
€18.00
Two (2) Butterfly with Poem Art Cards
Two beautiful art cards with autumn butterflies, a Peacock and an Atalanta. There is a poem by William Wordsworth inside (on page 3) but also on page 2 there is a page full of white space for your text.
One for keeping; one for sending.
Ina, a former arts & crafts teacher, tells her story about a failed character assassination attempt. Her narrative does neither focus on the conflict that lies at the root of the bullying nor on the mortally malcontented being in need to vent their frustrations on her and her family. Instead Ina’s story centers around the notion of a failed attempt. Why did it fail? And how did it fail? What role did art play? Ina shares her experiences because she profoundly hopes that it might help others. ‘Even if it is one teenager or woman that is helped by my story, I am happy‘. Her story is illustrated by several artworks.
Medieval Illuminated Manuscript of a Phoenix burning and regenerating itself. Ina says that she adopted the phoenix as her role model. She got burned but regenerated herself.
Ina’s interview takes place at her studio. Her large work table and various artisan tools ignite a desire to become creative. Various unfinished projects give evidence of an overload of inspiration. Ina reluctantly revisits a time in her life in which she and her family received hate mail after hate mail. ‘Hateful emails seek a reaction, a response, they invite a counter attack’.
‘I read ‘Religion and Violence’ by historian René Girard when I was in my twenties and I was impressed by his theory of the Scapegoat Mechanism. How important a scapegoat is for social cohesion and how collectively accusing is more important than the substance. Thinking back of Girard’s theory, I concluded that -unluckily and apparently- it was my time in life to experience that mechanism first-hand. Scapegoating me was skillfully done with drip-feeding fabricated and exaggerating accusations that resulted in attacks on me’.
As soon as Ina realized that attempts to counterbalance false accusations didn’t help, that there was no real conversation, and that she wasn’t responsible for one other’s envy, she withdrew and refused to interact with those who made it their mission to bring her down. She hoped that the campaign against her would die down as soon as some fact-checking was done. It was not the accusations that hurt her (they were silly, made-up, and unfounded) but the fact that people were so willingly believing gossip by a formerly very clever instigator but now in his early stages of dementia. Ina knew therefore that trying to get into the good books of her aggressors was a Sisyphean task. Thus, Ina decided to wait it out but that didn’t work. Eventually, she had to hire a lawyer as a firewall. ‘Seal off your personal space, and resort to things that are soul nourishing, like studying, being creative, doing sports,’advises Ina.
‘Just because there is an attempt to harm your life, to bring you down, to harm your family, it does not imply that you should get emotionally involved. That said, hate-mails hurt no matter how utterly unfounded or dumb the content is. I noticed that I started to excuse myself and resorted to using disclaimers, I adopted an apologetic attitude. That was not good, so I changed that’.
‘I realized one has to live one’s own life, suffer one’s own sufferings, and rejoicing in one’s own luck and happiness. Not to say that I have adopted a hyper-individualized form of existence, instead, I am Aristotelian in believing that one’s telos, one’s full potential should be the focus of our lives in relation to others. We are inherently social beings. But you need to select carefully with whom you hang out. Relations are healthy when they support each other’s telos and growth, unhealthy when they hamper one’s telos. It was unfair to ask from me to absorb other people’s hate and discontentment. I decided not to become a sin-eater for envious others.
What does character assassination look like? What is its anatomy?
‘It is much more than an ordinary squabble or an unresolved conflict. Character assassination is a coordinated and prolonged effort to maliciously harm a person, to damage a person’s good reputation, and to destroy someone’s self esteem. I will not sum up the long list of areas of my life that were targeted but the vile accusations were emotive, paternalizing, and downright hateful. There was relentless criticism on almost every aspect of my life along with reproaches and objections. My education, my past, my choices, what I said-thought-felt, the way I looked… my husband, his work, his voluntary work, even my child, nothing got spared. It was frighteningly obsessive.
I noticed many characteristics of conspiracy thinking too: deep and unfounded suspicion, blaming without evidence, no fair hearing (jumping to conclusions or unsubstantiated ideas). The amount of emails describing me and my family as elitists and elite were significant. That word ‘elite’ was obsessively used. And of course, the ‘elite’ was to blame for ‘everything’.
It grew -even without me interacting- and after a few months the hate had accumulated in that I was a despicable and dangerous person. That I was dangerous made me almost laugh, had it not been so sad, because I am a boring, good citizen. And, also very conspiracy-like, I was to blame for everything that was wrong. My villains were so proud of echoing that I was the single cause of a layered, multi-faceted, and complex problem of having a geriatric parent suffering from the onset of dementia, showing paranoia, combativeness, lack of empathy, a need for quarreling, and manipulation. I was a called a witch! Such is the beautiful, simple world in which one woman causes the fall out of paradise.Ever since Eve!
‘Things completely spiraled out of control. It was frightening (and interesting) to see how every next email or letter was harsher in tone, more accusative. When I received a physical threat and a death-wish, I was advised to go to the police and a lawyer, which I did.
‘At that time, I came across ‘Tax Collectors’ by Reymerswale but I did not know the title of this artwork. It shows two tax collectors doing their paperwork. Despite their luxurious clothing and fine interior, the painter has deliberately made them look downright ugly. To me, this painting could have been titled ‘Two Hate Mail Writers’ because hate makes ugly’.
Later I read Julian Barnes’s ‘A Sense of an Ending’ in which a hate-mail plays a pivotal role, and the fall-out and regret it causes! It is a rule of thumb, isn’t it: never send an email (or letter) in an angry mood; start running or cleaning instead’.
Workshop of Marinus van Reymerswale Two Tax-Gatherers probably 1540.
‘I asked myself what in my life had been left untouched by hate. There was not much left. Others who received the same treatment by my foes said there was a need for hating, a need for venting conflict and anger, exactly like Girard had theorized. There was a need for a shared enemy to ease tensions. I had become a lightning rod for an unsolvable conflict and frustrations. I was deeply shocked.’
HOW TO DEAL WITH ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY YOU?
‘I suffered terribly. I have had moments wondering whether I could cope with all the anger directed at me. Hate is a terrible monster, like Cerberus (the three-headed dog of Greek myth guarding the entrance to the underworld). Envy is an even more devilish monster. You have to protect yourself against monsters. I was greatly supported by my husband and grown up child but I needed judicial help too. So, get help is number one.’
‘Number two: look at where the anger comes from. Is it justified? Does it come from a well-educated, well balanced person (or persons) who is open to mediation, respecting the choices you make in your life? Or from an ill person who benefits from blaming you for whatever. Try to stay unaffected. People willingly venting their unrestrained anger are harming themselves; it is like the trash taking itself out. So, get help and try to stay unaffected. That sounds contradictory, but it isn’t’.
Peasant Mother by David Alfaro Siqueiros. To Ina this painting shows there are times you feel surrounded by cacti.
Ina came across a painting of a mother with her child positioned between man-high saguaro cacti navigating her way through a barren and hostile landscape. She felt one with the painting. ‘This is a great expressionist painting. You immediately are drawn into the painting. The background shows a sunset but it looks like it is on fire, adding to the dramatic scene. I loved this painting because it so cleverly shows danger juxtaposing tenderness. I felt like the mother in this picture. But I also felt like the child, held by the protective arms of my family. As long as my family and I kept on walking, that landscape would change for the better’.
Phoenix Regenerating, Aberdeen University Library: showing a Phoenix after its regeneration.
‘During the prolonged attacks, I felt as if I had died a bit inside. A crisis can break or make you. If I died a bit inside, I decided that I would be like a phoenix, the mythological, immortal bird, who dies by flames and arises from its ashes. It took time, but I completed my regeneration. My health was restored (that took more than a year) and I felt good again. I adopted a Phoenix as my mascot. Its picture helped me to keep strongly focused on regeneration. That was very important to me’.
Will you forgive and what did you learn?
‘It would be a mistake to forgive because it was a well-planned and prolonged attack, not a faux pass. I decided against forgiving because I am setting an example to never allow emotional abuse’.
‘The long period of harassment happened during the pandemic. It was a shameful fact that in the Netherlands there was an increase of women and children’s abuse during the pandemic, especially during lock-downs. Apparently, some were in need to vent their boiled up anger. Perhaps it helped them to write hate mails, but they should have dealt with their frustrations differently’.
‘What I learned? I learned that people are shockingly easy to mobilize against another persons even by a demented parent classically falling prey to tearing his family apart due to old age character changes. All the instigator had to do is preying on feelings of envy or frustrations. Such is the tragic of dementia and its wide spread degeneration’.
DID THE HARM CAMPAIGN FAILED OR SUCCEEDED?
‘Shame withheld me to look for help. It is probably a womanly thing to react as a sin-eater. I felt ashamed being so hated. Shame is a very bad reaction to bullying (there is no way you have brought scapegoating onto yourself). It results in withdrawal and silence. What one needs is the opposite, to set up a robust defense. I remember my lawyer hearing my story and saying; ‘This is awful, let me take it from here and I’ll run this pass a criminal lawyer too because it is seriously bad’. The intense relief that caused! So, did the character assassination fail? Initially, no. It caused emotional and physical damage. Also, money was spent on judicial helpwhich better could have benefited the next generation. And I still keep my friends at an arm’s length, afraid they too pop out of Pandora’s box as hateful puppets. But overcoming shame and seeking help changed everything. I am absolutely not a fan of Nietzsche, but he is frequently quoted for having said that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. In the end, the character assassination epically failed’.
Any advice for teenagers who get bullied, for women who become conduits of anger?
‘In teenage language? ‘Switch on your WTF-mode! Seek support NOW. You are worth living your cool life without the bullshit of others’. To adults, I advise the same, though in different wording: go to the police, get a good lawyer. Stop feeling shame, stop suffering; harassing behaviour by others is socially or judicially unacceptable. Seek help’.
–XXX–
THE MORAL OF THIS BLOG-POST? You have read this before on this website: We make art, appreciate art, and see our lives reflected in art. The great stories about the human predicament, whether Ancient Greek, Biblical or classical literary sources, or famous fine art paintings, all cover some part of our lives. Seek refuge in art and literature. Nourish your soul with literature and art. Art matters. Books matter. Art heals. We -humans- have created a huge reservoir of healing properties to be found in libraries, museums, galleries, studios, and bookshops. Use it; enjoy it.
Mindfuldrawing.com is owned by Paula Kuitenbrouwer who holds an MA degree in Philosophy. Paula’s pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic. Paula has an Etsy shop here. Her Instagram account serves as an online portfolio and is here. Contact Paula freely by email or a contact form for commissioned artwork.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supporting. Should you have enjoyed this essay and website, please consider supporting my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two (2) Marvellous Mandarin Duck Art Cards
Two marvellous Mandarin duck art cards, double folded and professionally printed. Come with matching envelopes. Free shipping. Lovely cards: one for keeping (framing?) and one for sending.
€18.00
A cup fo coffee for the author/artsist of this website.
It might sound paradoxical but thanks to the heatwave of Summer 2022, I have my Midwinter holiday season art cards available in my Etsy shop. I know this is very early so let me explain why.
I am too much a northerner to enjoy weeks of deep blue skies, high temperatures, and sweltering nights. In fact, during a heatwave I prefer to stay out of the sun, pretending trees, shrubs, and plants do not suffer from drought, animals aren’t thirsty, and all is perfectly normal. But of course, it isn’t. We are breaking weather record after weather record and these high temperatures are very challenging. The heat also has taken a bite out of our holiday. Not that we didn’t enjoy our holiday; we did! But the high temperatures prevented us making long walks and caused long delays on motorways due to fires on the shoulders of roads. So, these are the downsides to a heatwave. Now, the upside! A deep longing for cooler temperatures, made me work on two Midwinter compositions. Perhaps, subconsciously and illogically I thought that as long as I focus on winter, I can endure the hot summer a bit better. ‘Art-heals’ is said, isn’t it?
Midwinter ForestSix languages
I designed a round composition showing a midwinter forest with deer, hares, and a squirrel with pine trees and holly. Inside there is a Christmas wish in six languages and on the backside you find a deer, the title of this painting as well as my name in small print.
The other composition shows a mandarin duck couple resting near their duck pond that is surrounded by holly, ivy, and overhanging rowan branches. The scientific side of me urges me to tell you that a mandarin drake loses much of his bright plumage before winter arrives. Should he keep his outrageous bright colours, he would stand out too much and soon would become a colourful meal for predators. That said, you won’t spot a teddy bear with a snowman’s hat during your winter walk either; the holiday season allows us some room for imagination.
Enjoy my Midwinter Mandarin Duck postcard and Midwinter Forest double folded note-card. Should you like to order a set, or a large quantity, contact me freely. As I will have them printed on demand, allow me 2-3 weeks of production time.
There is nothing better to have all seasonal greetings cards ready halfway November. Not only because it takes away last-minute pressure, also because there are still postal delays.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
I have my shop at Etsy & my portfolio (including videos) at Instagram.
I could have been living the life of Esme, the main character in The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, going through my days learning new words. When I am reading and I come across a new word, I use a dictionary and make notes. New words are intriguing. I like to share a (to me) new word and supplement it with personal reflections and artwork.
FUTURE FAKING
Future Faking is when a person lies or promises something regarding your future in order to get what they want in the present. It is often used in the context of men telling lies to women. For instance, a man does not like to bring a relationship to the next level but also do not like his girlfriend to date others, thus promising a future. His lies sound like ‘When I introduce you to my parents’ or ‘When we go on holiday together’. That is future faking (if it turns out to be a lie). The same counts for gifts, inheritances, and rewards. ‘Take care (of me), work hard, stay loyal, and one day you will receive a reward’. Or, ‘One day I will deal with my indebtedness towards you’. But that day never comes. The rewards or gifts never materialize, hence the faked future.
Apparently, women suffer more from future faking than men. When it comes to trust, women are more gullible (forgive me this generalization). Perhaps this is because women do not easily negotiate proper payment, deadlines, promotions, or rewards (forgive me also this generalization). A woman asking for a raise, a promotion, or expenses is often seen as unbecoming, over-assertive. Because the natural state of a woman should be voluntary caring anyway, so why pay?
Future Faking symbolized by an empty gift box.
EXPERIENCE & ADVICE
“I have suffered a good dose of future faking. Once, I was promised a compensation for caring/assistive work that I had done for many years. After waiting and waiting, I mustered the courage and asked for it (friendly). What followed was moral indignation and conflict. Instead of being compensated, I was shamed. Not the person (a man) -who for years ‘forgot’ or postponed to compensate me- was being accused of being shameful, but me a woman asking for a compensation was breaking traditional rules”.
‘I have a word of caution for young (or new) female artists. Beware of future faking whilst building a business as an artist. ‘Exhibit your art for free’ -followed by a future faking- ….’and you will gain a lot of exposure’. And that will bring in sales. Or, ‘Let me do some P.R. for your art’. Or ‘You will gain followers’, which are exactly that ‘followers’, not customers. I believed it, foolishly. But the promised results never happened; the only thing that de facto happened was giving away art for free. My advice is to never take the future-faking bait. You should always make signed arrangements on paper or draft a contract to prevent future faking’.
Are you now more aware of future faking before you knew the word? Do you have a more acute awareness of this manipulative trick?
ILLUSTRATING FUTURE FAKING
When it comes to choosing an illustration for this blog-post, my head swirled with stories. God and Moses and the opening of the seas? No. That was a case of a kept promise. ‘(Exodus 14:21) Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” Moses reaches the holy land. No future faking.
I have chosen Orpheus and Eurydice trying to walk out of the Underworld to illustrate this blog-post.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld, 1861
Hades, god of the Underworld, promises that Orpheus is allowed to guide Eurydice out of the Underworld as long as he does not look back at his beloved Eurydice during their perilous journey. What does this mean?
In Hades’s Underworld dwell those who have died. Orpheus can’t accept that Eurydice has died and thus has parted from him. Orpheus descends into the Underworld to plea for his reunification with Eurydice. Hades promises Orpheus a future with Eurydice however Hades’s promise is conditioned: Orpheus is not allowed to look back at Eurydice during their journey out of the Underworld.
During their journey, Eurydice is in tremendous need for support, and constantly begs Orpheus to check on her during the long and perilous journey to the end of the Underworld. Imagine the darkness, the horrors. Moments before stepping out of the Underworld, Orpheus can’t ignore Eurydice’s need for his encouragement anymore. He looks over his shoulder to Eurydice (‘Is she still there?’) and by doing this, he irretrievably loses his Eurydice to Hades (to death) again. He was just about to live with Eurydice again and have a future with her, when he loses her again. The suspense in this story is breath-taking and has inspired musicians, writers, and painters forever).
Hades knows beforehand that it is impossible for Eurydice to leave the underworld (death is final). As long as Eurydice dwells in the Underworld and does not see daylight, the natural order of things (Eurydice being dead) is not breached. Read: ‘no-one is brought back to life after having died’ but close to entering daylight, Orpheus loses Eurydice because Hades will never give up his power over his realm of death. However, this does not withhold Hades from perfectly preying on the deep longing of Orpheus for Eurydice.
The moment Orpheus looks at Eurydice, she slips back into the underworld. Orpheus and Eurydice by Carl Andreas August Goos (1797–1855)
Hades foresees that Orpheus will feel an overwhelming urge to support the vulnerable Eurydice along their journey. Is she still following his footsteps? Has she fallen back? Does she still trust him when he is not making eye contact with her? Has the darkness swallowed her? Orpheus loses Eurydice but he was never able to retrieve her from the underworld in the first place. Odysseus is deceived by Hades. Hades has made a false -future- promise. Orpheus and Eurydice being united again after her death? No. Impossible. Too good to be true, future faking in hindsight.
Perhaps the end of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is the most haunting. Orpheus has given it all; he has ‘convinced’ Hades and has tried to guide Eurydice out of the Underworld. Yet, he loses Eurydice twice. A double heartbreak is too much for Orpheus. He becomes so pitiable, being alone (again), that he is murdered by malicious wood nymphs. Perhaps Orpheus’ death symbolizes that something dies after a breach of trust.
Future Faking has inspired writers to great stories and artists to haunting paintings. Forgive yourself when you have been a victim of future faking, but don’t make the same mistake twice.
THE MORALE:
Future faking is a highly manipulative method; its relational or emotional damage should not be underestimated. Especially women should pay heed.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Commission artist living in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and owner, artist, and writer at Mindfuldrawing.com. Mindfuldrawing.com is a personal blog full art, art-appreciation, art-musings, and essays on art plus artwork made by Paula Kuitenbrouwer.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.You can support my website by buying my art cards or a coffee.
Two Mandarin Duck Art Cards
Two double folded art cards, professionally printed, showing a mandarin duck couple standing-closely together- to confirm their life long bond.
Comes with two matching envelopes.
Free Shipping.
€18.00
A cup of coffee for the author
Thank you very much!
€3.00
Contact Paula freely by email or a contact form for commissioned artwork.
Should you need a mandarin duck display in your home, think about a commissioned painting. Consider real, original art. The benefit of ordering a mandarin ducks commission is that you have a large say in your exhibited artwork: you can order a mandarin duck composition in bright or toned-down colours, the position of the ducks can be discussed, the background (floral, water-plants, or no background), all preferences are cared for. Do you prefer a border, Asian or West-European, gold or blue? We will discuss the possible use of a tiny bit of iridescent paint to highlight the awesome plumage of the mandarin drake too. And so on.
Wood Ducks, ‘America’s Mandarin ducks’ .Framed in a golden green frame with a small mount. Framed postcards.Mandarin ducks surrounded by large, lush lotus plants. Mandarin ducks hiding between roses.Mandarin ducks in a Jugendstiel inspired composition of lotus plants. A box with mandarin cards at Etsy.Minimalist mandarin duck composition.Deep vintage colours with golden hearts: mandarin ducks resting at duck pond side. Et Etsy. Golden Mandarin Duck Couple.Albino Mandarin duck couple. Small and framed mandarin duck couples at Etsy.Large mandarin duck artwork with lush lotus plants and bamboo. Four golden hearts in all corners.. At Etsy.
Mandarin ducks come in all sizes, positions, and environments. Some couples sit, others swim. Some rest and hide, whilst others are out there in the open. Look at your room and look at what you favorite quality of your (possible, new or existing) relation is: you like to be depicted synchronized? Lovingly looking at each other? Side by side? Resting or bobbing on high waves? All is possible.
Room with my Mandarin Duck artwork (imagine a mount and frame).
Fengshui says: ‘Mandarin ducks are the most effective remedy for love, devotion, marriage and luck. Since mandarin ducks are clear sources of love and romance, the ideal spot to place them is the couple’s bedroom. Place an artwork -showing a marvelous mandarin duck couple- to cherish their attractiveness. For married couples, the strong vibes given by the mandarin ducks keeps them together and deepens their love for each other’.
I happily work on Wood duck and Albino mandarin duck commissions too as these ducks are as pretty as full colour mandarin ducks.
Contact me freely to discuss your mandarin duck wishes. I might have a painting ready to ship, or otherwise, I welcome your commission.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Owner, artist, and writer at Mindfuldrawing.com, a website full artwork, art-musings, art-appreciation, and art-essays.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Two Mandarin duck art cards: double folded, professionally printed with a larger image inside for framing. Comes with matching envelopes.
Mandarin ducks symbolize love and loyalty; they sit closely together to confirm their life long bond.
€17.00
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons.
This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute.
This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners.
Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
Paula at Instagram. I use my Instagram as a portfolio for pictures and videos. Mainly, for videos that that show me working on a drawing or painting.
I wrote ‘Felix 120’ as a contribution to the writing challenge ‘Write like Kazuo Ishiguro a dystopian piece of max 500 words’. I received encouraging feedback: ‘Your darkest and best piece so far’, which surprised me because I do not favour dystopian literature. That said, I highly admire Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never let me go and The Buried Giant. Allow me to share my writing with you.
-+-
FELIX 120
Once upon a time there was a man named Felix, and goodness, did he live up to the meaning of his name happy and lucky. Felix rode the waves of the economic boom following the Second World War which meant that he could afford the life he had in mind. He loved his life. In fact, he loved no one or nothing more than his life. This wasn’t surprising after all; he had been able to turn disadvantages into advantages. Felix was the embodiment of the principle that effective egoism is best achieved by calculated altruism. Thus his life was long and fortunate. Health-wise he was lucky too. Not only had his deceased wife helped him through all the minor health troubles he had had during their time together, Felix was also blessed with a strong immune system. He survived a war and two pandemics brilliantly. In fact, so blessed was he that it was hard to glow in his shadow.
Felix set out to become a centenarian, which he did with ease and in good health. It slowly became obvious that he stood a good chance to become 120, even 122, which scientists regard as the limit of a human life. When Felix turned 100, a few remaining children attended his birthday but when Felix turned 118 it was a lonely business. His last children had expired in their eighties due to a combination of fragile health and the four year lasting nuclear winter following North Korea’s bomb.
The mayor of Felix’s town paid his annual obligatory visit to his city’s oldest man, Felix. Cheerfully the major advised to all that were in the room, a medium sized cooled cell, to enjoy each other ‘whilst they were still alive together’. The director of the retirement home quickly whispered to the mayor that there was no family present. Later, after Felix was hauled to bed by his robotic nurse, the mayor and director walked to the exit exchanging some facts and figures.
‘Any children left?’ the mayor inquired.
‘No, only a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rumor has it that they all moved north’. The mayor was well aware of the ‘moving north’ phrase; it meant escaping global warming by moving closer to the arctic circle.
‘Who pays for his Aircocoon and assisting robot then?’ asked the mayor.
‘He himself’ said the director, ‘Felix is a man of great self-preservation’.
The director and mayor continued their walk to the exit passing tens of cocoons. Soft neon lights and whooshing sounds of bleeping assistive nurses emanated from the cabins.
Outside a scorching sun burned down on the roof of the former warehouse.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
N.B. Whilst googling for illustrative pictures -to my surprise- I found photos of a Japanese assistive robot that is capable of putting immobilized patients to bed. During my writing, I had projected these robots in the future, however after I had written my piece, I learned that their implementation into nursing homes is well on its way.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
My husband and I were driving through the countryside just around the time of a wonderful pink-orange sunset. I was driving and my husband was sight seeing woodlands and meadows. Suddenly, I decided to drive slower which prompted my husband to ask if anything was wrong.
‘Nothing wrong’, I replied, ‘I do not like to hit crossing deer’.
Not many seconds later a suicidal squad of weasels crossed the road just in front of our car. I braked (reflex), stopped breaking (for fear of being hit by someone driving behind us) and asked full worries to my husband whether I had hit the daring family.
My husband checked his mirror and said he saw no roadkill. Big sigh of relief! That was close.
Later, I recalled that just before breaking for this twilight loving family that I had slowed down, knowing there could be a confrontation with wildlife crossing our road (or, and better, our road crossing their habitat). I interpreted my ‘knowledge’ as a worry for crossing deer.
The point is, one knows. Ones knows more than one knows. That intuitive knowledge, or intuition, is a very subtle knowing, extremely easy to dismiss or being overrule with thoughts, day dreaming, or reasoning. It is not vague or nebulous. But it is subtle. In fact, it is so subtle that one probably and unknowingly fails to act on intuition perhaps 99% of the time when it tries to gets its subtle message across to you. A suitable metaphor would be picking up the song of a nightingale at the time ten lorries are passing.
Driving through the lazy countryside, at sunset, with very little traffic to worry about, I did pick up on intuition and it saved four weasels. I wish that more often I would be able to hear, feel or act on intuition, because it is so beautiful. It makes you feel an actor in a large play in which you are allowed to act with the overview and wisdom of the director.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
P.S. Allow me to show you some recent work. I’ve been very productive which makes me very happy. Happiness equals art-making and vice versa: art-making generates happiness. 😁
New Mandarin Duck compositions for my Etsy shop. Also, designed during the heatwave (😁) my Midwinter Forest art card showing deer, evergreen, bunnies, and a squirrel. Also at Etsy.
For my artwork click here. I have a portfolio of at least 100 artworks. Should you have questions regarding my work, please feel free to contact me.
Stay happy and cool,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
They always come in handy, mandarin duck art cards. They are perfect for weddings, marriage anniversaries, engagements, Valentine’s Day, to reaffirm friendship, or to renew wedding vows, or just to express a bit of kindness to a wonderful friend.
Would you like to receive a set of mandarin duck art cards? I have a selection of 4 double folded note-cards and 4 postcards. They all come with matching envelopes. The set contains only professionally printed art cards that will delight you. You will receive four very different mandarin duck compositions. Minimalist, romantic, 19th century and vintage-like, the four different compositions will make it easy for you to select the right card for the right occasion.
It is almost a point too obvious to mention that these cards are only at my Etsy shop and that they are nowhere else for sale. They come with some add-ons and as long as my stock lasts, with a special vintage mandarin duck postal stamp that I bought from a Canadian philatelist.
Follow the link or contact me if you need some help. You do not need an account to check out at Etsy. But even should you need an account, that is okay because Etsy supports small businesses, craftsmen and artists.
Click on the link underneath this picture to be transferred to my card set:
Not all that is handy is nice. Take, for instance, digital postal stamps. How can you positively feel nostalgic when you have to pen down a Sudoko sequence of 9 or 12 numbers on the top right corner of an envelope? I feel a bit like cheating on the art of philately.
DRESS -your stationary- TO IMPRESS
Dutch Post offers the possibility to order your own postal stamps. All you need is an image stored in your computer, upload it here, and Dutch Post turns it into an eye-catching stamp. Many countries offer this possibility. The stamps cost a few extra cents, but they are worth that.
Should you like to commission a postal stamp, there is no need to look further. I have designed postal stamps and I can do the same for you. All I need is your favourite theme, perhaps an animal, a butterfly, or a flower?
Here are a few of my designs: mandarin ducks, angel wings, and/or Christmas stamps.
The wonderful thing about a commission is that you might use the commissioned drawing also for a personalized bookplate.
Where to find beautiful and professionally printed art cards without opening an account? At Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s art shop which is part of her website that has welcomed nearly 190.000 visitors.
Angels’ wings … how do they look like? Do they have to resemble birds’ wings? Or can we express the wonders of the mystical realm in various creative ways? Creatively inspired by the elegant way bird wings have been added to human models in fine arts, artist Paula Kuitenbrouwer has set out to paint various…
Almost 190.000 views on a small, personal art website prompts a fresh new index. Paula Kuitenbrouwer, artist living in Utrecht, the Netherlands, explains her art and writings categorized in various ways.
Would it be possible that Swedish Death Cleaning helps to delay (among other interventions like good health and exercises) dementia? Paula Kuitenbrouwer offers her döstädning musings.
Swedish Death Cleaning Part 3 follows on Swedish Death Cleaning for Artists and Writers and Part 2. This part focuses on not feeling embarrassed but celebrating your aspirations.
Recent Mandarin Duck Gouache Paintings with Gold Leaf and Iridescent Paint
Who are the Killers and Midwives of your Art?
Upon visiting our local bookstore, my eye caught two titles. ‘The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness’ by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. And ‘The Beauty of Everyday Things’ by Soetsu Yanai. I did not need encouraging reviews to bring these books home.
With my new books safely stored in my backpack, I walked home musing over the question of what if I had lived, like Robinson Crusoe, on an island and there was nobody to admire or criticize my art, what would be my creative take on my life, on my small island, on my spiritual growth and so on. Or to put it slightly different, in a void of art appreciation and art criticism, what kind of artistic development would I experience? Is inspiration a divine energy or a genetic trait that keeps its steady flow despite having no social relevance? And with the book title ‘The Courage to Be Disliked’ in mind, if inspiration is independent of art appreciation, is it also independent of being disliked?
I have a deep and unwavering dislike for ugliness, hate, and aggression. My art therefore always will be beautiful, meditative, calm, and romantic because that is what flows out of me on my canvas. There is enough ugliness and hate, that it doesn’t need more spotlight. (I need to make a disclaimer here for political art; artists have to paint the human predicament, thus also war, hell and death, think of Picasso’s Guernica).
Time for some self-inquiry. Keep the answers to yourself and enjoy possible new insights:
Who has stimulated your art? Who has tried to kill or belittle your art? Who are the killers and midwives of your art?
What art would you make being a Robinson Crusoe (miraculously having a free and fully stocked art store available but alas nobody to appreciate your art)?
What would be your L’art pour l’art (‘Art for the sake of art’).
A bit of musing can yield astounding results.
Success!
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Elegant Tulips. Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes.
Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.
€17.00
Two (2) Mandarin Ducks (standing) Art Cards by Paula Kuitenmbrouwer
A lovely couple of mandarin ducks are closely standing together, relaxed and keeping an eye on each other, bonding and celebrating their life long partnership. Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes.
Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.
Graphite drawings (parts of it) by Paula Kuitenbrouwer.
I have been working on large graphite drawings. Whilst the world around me bursts into colour (it is spring here), I find myself turning to graphite artwork more and more. Somehow Dutch 17th century artists, working with graphite, ink and chalk, have me under their spell. I can not get enough of their soulful art. The thing is that I love colours! If the world would fade before my eyes and represent itself as monochromatic, I would cry my heart out. Yet, when I study graphite artworks by 17-18th century landscape artists, one has to admire their beautiful artwork.
We see a drawing more clearly when it is reduced to its essential lines, textures, light, and shadows. Like a philosophical essay: one selects a subject (like a scene or scenery in drawing), adds perspective (like an architectural artist), focuses on an essential aspect or subject (as an artist does), and makes it clear what part of our complex world should receive our moral (in art, our aesthetic) attention.
Work in progress. Under -layers in graphite. The outside border shows oak-leaves. The inside border will hold my brother’s name, date of birth and death in Latin numerals, as well as a Latin text that I find suitable for remembering my brother’s life. The passion flowers allude to my brother’s academic passions which will be worked out in the centre of this large drawing.
I am also working on an In Memoriam drawing for my late brother. I like to share a few observations. First, this is a self-assigned task which I haven’t done before. I had to let the first weeks of grief pass because I needed a calm mind to assemble a composition that celebrates my brother’s life. As soon as I had worked out a composition, I noticed that I had postponed working on it. To my surprise, I found myself somewhat deliberately delaying working on this large drawing that will eventually become a prayer-card, a remembrance card, and an Ex Libris. Why, I asked myself? I am a far stretch from being a procrastinator; procrastinating is not me. Then I knew. I do not want this drawing to be finished, at least not any time soon. I want to stay with the drawing, as if sharing -in mind and in spirit- moments with my late brother.
I know myself well enough; this drawing shall get finished as I will offer it to those who want to have a remembrance card or Ex Libris with my brother’s name on it because this is not about me, but about remembering my kindhearted brother. Yet, I now understand more profoundly why artists add ‘unfinished’ symbols to their artwork: an open book, a broken off branch of a tree, or an open door, to name a few. As long as I am transforming my grief into artwork, I feel less grief, and delaying only shows that one needs time. This is not the kind of art-making that should be hurried.
*Note later added: the Remembrance drawing can be viewed here.
Working on Monochromatic Book Illustrations
This is a large and ongoing project: creating book illustrations for my daughter’s future publications. I use floral and plant motives and browse through richly illustrated books for inspiration and education.
Illustrations that hold me under their spell are those by William Morris, who himself was inspired by Medieval books. Today we find William Morris and Medieval book illustrations too dense, too busy, because they bombard us visually and we need a bit more calm in our full lives and busy world in order to focus. Despite that I adore William Morris’s work, I plan much calmer and specious illustrations. Nonetheless, Morris’s work inspires me as much as Mother Nature does.
William Morris BookWilliam Morris Book
More updates shall follow soon. For now, may my fellow artist friends feel a steady flow of inspiration, and wishing all others the very best.
Have you enjoyed this article? Do you like to contact me for a commission? Please use the contact form.
I have two shops: one at Etsy and one on this website (for art cards only). Contact me freely should you need artwork.
Two cards with Mandarin Ducks Standing on One Leg
Two mandarin duck art cards that are professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Inside you will find a larger image for framing. They come with matching envelopes. Free shipping. One for sending to a friend: one for you to keep.
When you compare and contrast taking care of a toddler and geriatric person, you find yourself dealing with brain growth and brain damage. It is simply wonderful, in fact enchanting, to read aloud to your child and see how your child absorbs knowledge, language, and illustrations as a dried-out sponge. This is such a rewarding and pleasant, if not addictive, task, it brings pure joy. That lovely warm body of a relaxed child to hold close to you, seeing these beautiful big eyes staring at illustrations, and these sweet small fingers pointing out what riddles him or her.
Taking care of a geriatric person is completely different. It feels like a Sisyphean task. (What is a Sisyphean Task, click here). There is forgetfulness, decline, less energy, and an increasing need for rest. Eventually, just like taking care of a baby, you end up just sitting close, holding hands and dwelling in the here and now without expectation or ambition.
Roman sculpture: Silenus with Dionysus by Lysippos. Glyptothek Museum Munich Germany
I had an uncle who was full of character. He thought that the old only had a ‘nuisance value’. He was in his late seventies when he talked about this, so we laughed off his notions. The first time he made my husband and me aware of his old age ‘nuisance value’ ethics was when he had to stop his car (in which we sat) and wait a long time for a very old person, bending like a crooked tree branch, to cross a street. All the while step… wait… step… wait. .…my uncle shared his philosophy on nonexistent values of old age. He knew that old men often become aggressive and very old women often grow depressed. To him there was no way out of this Sisyphean predicament other than dying on time, which he did.
Whether you agree or disagree with the nuisance value philosophy, we need to nourish one’s soul, keep the brain going (or prevent further declining), and see that sharing every ounce of love is worth the effort.
Guido Reni’s St. Joseph with infant Jesus; the beauty of young and old united. For more on this painting click here.
The difference between taking care of a toddler and an old person is that with a toddler you are gearing all education towards gaining independence in the future. Whereas with an old person, you accept the loss of independence and find comfort in sharing memories about the past. One embraces the inevitable and inescapable short timeline we all have. Whilst it is so incredibly fulfilling to witness the growth of a child and its growing cognitive capacities, it takes courage to come to terms with loss, with a brain that is shutting down operations. That said, is it therefore not wondrous that in an old person, childhood memories are so manifest? The first memories that were written in stone (in the brain) are those who will disappear last. I find incredible comfort in this because it shows that a healthy and happy childhood keeps its value for a lifetime. That said, it is also an urgent reminder how we need to take excellent care of every single child’s early life. (‘It is easier to raise a happy child than to fix a broken man’)
As an artist, I like to add that painters overall seem to be more inspired by old age than by young life. A baby is a tabula rasa, a clean slate, nothing written on it yet. It is lovely, beautiful and adorable, yet it has no depth. A baby is like an angel, pure, and alluding to heavenly innocence.
Raphael’s baby Jesus with Maria
Take the old, they have lived. Lived! Life has thrown 101 blessings and troubles to them. They have dealt with war, conflict, illnesses, labour and misfortune. Oldies have weathered heavy storms. How did they do that and what resilience shows in their countenances? They have turned into wise sages or mean, ugly elves with too large ears. It is an inspiring challenge paint an old man or woman; trying to capture the many layered life experiences that a human being has endured, the blessings and damage they are responsible for, the rewards and punishments.
The same counts for painting a sea or body of water. A calm sea only mirrors the heavens (like babies do), whilst a stormy sea is great fun for an artist; one hardly can’t go wrong with the wildness and chaos of high waves and lots of foam (just like the wrinkles in an old person’s face).
Christian Seybold (1695 – 1768) Portrait of an older woman. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany
Make sure you have lived…because life has been given to you and staying a young is no option. Keep your brain active, keep your enthusiasm going. Accept high waves. Make sure that when you get your portrait done to give a painter enough wrinkles. Makes sure you give a biographer enough soul.
Geschreven door Paula Kuitenbrouwer, zus van Michael.
Mr. Michael Bernardus Plechelmus Kuitenbrouwer
Jurist
I. In Memoriam in Dutch
II. Photo & Memorial Card
III. Tribute to my brother (English)
IV. Dream (English)
V. Contact form (bilingual)
Beste familie, vrienden, (oud) collega’s en jaargenoten,
Met groot verdriet deel ik u mede dat mijn broer Michael op 28 Januari 2022 plotseling is overleden. Graag wil ik stilstaan bij mijn lieve broer en u een schets geven over zijn leven, wie hij was en wat hij heeft gedaan.
Michael studeerde lang geleden af aan Faculteit Rechten van de Universiteit Utrecht. Hij was lid van de Utrechtse studentenvereniging Unitas. Na zijn studie volgde hij diverse Scandinavische taaltrainingen aan de Open Universiteit. Wanneer je eindelijk kon onthouden dat hij Deens studeerde, was het inmiddels Noors en wanneer je zeker wist dat het Noors was, studeerde Michael Zweeds voor Beginners. Michael was geïnteresseerd in de verschillen en overeenkomsten tussen de Scandinavische talen.
Michael studeerde breed af hetgeen terug te zien is in de diverse functies die hij had maar ook in de verscheidenheid van onderwerpen waarover hij gespecialiseerde artikelen schreef voor juridische tijdschriften in de periode van 1986-1989, 1995-1999, 2015-1019 en vanaf 2018 op Linkedin.
Het Tijdschrift voor Bouwrecht publiceerde in 2014 Michaels artikel ‘Anti-speculatie bepalingen sinds HR 14 april 2007 en 27 april 2007, een inventarisatie’. In een ander blad Bouwrecht 2015/68 publiceerde hij: ‘Juridische aspecten van handhaving bij permanente bewoning van recreatieverblijven, de stand van zaken van medio 2015’. Het tijdschrift Verkeersrecht publiceerde van Michael op 23-10-2016 ‘Juridische aspecten van de uitwegvergunning’ en in Bouwrecht van 31-12-2016 ‘De evidente privaatrechtelijke belemmeringen bij bouwaanvragen, een kwestie op de grens van het bestuursrecht en het privaatrecht’. Het blad Verkeersrecht publiceerde op 16-3-2018 ‘Verkeer en Evenement’ van Michaels hand. Een inventarisatie van Michaels artikelen is te vinden op Recht.nl.
Michael Kuitenbrouwer
Mike was tot zijn overlijden Juridisch medewerker evenementen bij de gemeente Breda via detacheringsbureau Solyne B.V.
Michael was een lieve zoon, een lieve broer en een lieve oom met een zeer grote liefde voor Geschiedenis. Hij had een formidabel geheugen voor geschiedkundige feiten.
In oktober 2020 vatte hij het plan op om enkele autobiografische verhalen op papier te zetten. Hij schreef twee A-viertjes vol interessante, grappige en ernstige ervaringen op, maar verder dan een index lijkt hij niet te zijn gekomen.
Een kort opgeschreven herinnering kenmerkt Michael zeer. Het was zomer 2016 en Michael ging op sollicitatiegesprek bij de gemeente Schagen in Noord-Holland. Hij schrijft dat hij gekleed in zwarte en donkergrijze kleding, kort haar, met zwarte schoenen, een zwarte tas en een donkere jas binnenstapte. Michaels fashion mistake resulteert in dat iedereen veronderstelt dat de sollicitant een bezoekende ouderling van de Hervormde Kerk was, waardoor hij zeer vriendelijk door iedereen werd begroet. Michael kon goed lachen over dit soort kleine en alledaagse grappige zaken.
De meeste familieleden en vrienden zullen minstens een paar lachbuien herinneren wanneer hun gedachten teruggaan naar Michael. Met Michael kon je serieus praten maar ook goed lachen. Hij hield van humor; hij hield van lachen. Zo herinner ik me een langlauftocht nabij Inzell (Duitsland) waarbij Michael zonder enige schroom een afdaling inzette en terecht kwam in een privé garage, om daar vervolgens nauwelijk uit te kunnen klimmen niet in de laatste plaats omdat de rest krom lag van het lachen. Ook denk ik (ik zeker niet alleen) terug aan hoe hilarisch Michael de schuld aan het ijs gaf wanneer hij tijdens het schaatsen viel. Met zijn schaatsbeschermers gaf hij het ijs dan een bestraffende klap. Michael was niet snel beledigd en ook had hij een flink incasseringsvermogen. Een doorzetter in hart en nieren.
‘De Schaatser in Landschap’ is een ets van Mart Kempers (1924-1993) dat tot 2022 in het bezit was van Michael. Het toont Michaels karakter, zijn liefde voor kunst, en illustreert fraai onze gezamenlijke schaatstochten.
Michael had een enorme werk- en levenslust. Tijdens ontmoetingen en diners konden we steevast rekenen op zijn optimisme en geschiedkundige verhalen. Wij zullen zijn zachtaardige persoonlijkheid vreselijk missen.
Michael is 60 jaar geworden.
Memorial Card
TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL KUITENBROUWER
In youth we learn; in age we understand.
Michael en ik in onze pyjamaatjes. ‘Nog even buiten spelen!’ ca. 1965.
REMEMBRANCE CARD & EX LIBRIS
In Memoriam Michael Bernardus Plechelmus Kuitenbrouwer 1961-2022 NON INUTILIS VIXI (copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer)
Michael Kuitenbrouwer, my dear brother, departed his life on January 28th, 2022 on the 60th year of his age. I have drawn an ‘In Memoriam’.
My drawing ‘In Memoriam Michael Kuitenbrouwer‘ shows a border of classical oak leaves, referring to my brother Michael’s love for green and nature. The inside border shows Michael’s baptismal names and Michael’s life dates -1961-2022- in Roman numerals. Non Inutilis Vixi means ‘I have not lived in vain’.
All four corners are decorated with Passionflowers, a plant that is associated with our hope for everlasting life. It also shows passion, which alludes to Michael’s academic dedication: Law and History. Lady Justice (Iustitia) takes centre stage: Michael studied Law and never changed his subject and profession, supplementing it with foreign language training and historical knowledge. The many stacks of books symbolize Michael’s unwavering love for living an intellectual life. In the front lies an open book showing the Latin text Rest in Peace.
Michael was remarkably well-read and he was gifted with an extraordinary memory for the past and the contents of his books. In the background, a buzzard is flying away to the horizon, symbolizing Michael’s departure.
Lady Justice surrounded by academic books, passionflower, oak leaves, a buzzard flying away from the scene to the far horizon, and Michael’s baptismal names.
Please, feel free to contact me should you be a former friend, acquaintance, or colleague of Michael and you would like to receive the above shown Remembrance Card or Ex Libris that I have made to remember and celebrate Michael’s life. I will post this card or bookplate (as long as my stock lasts) to you without costs. Please, do contact me through the Contact Form.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
DREAM
I dreamed that I felt somebody was at our front door. I went over to peek through the small window, but the door opened spontaneously and there were you! You stepped inside our house. I couldn’t believe it and hugged you. You carried your typical Michael atmosphere with you. I cried from sorrow and relief to see you one more time and my tears came from a deep well, located between the world of the living and the world of the dead. I said I was so so sorry that you had died alone, and I asked how you were doing. You comforted me so kindly, almost fatherly, and said you were very well. You were so relaxed! Not as tense as you often were in life. You clearly had developed in after-death life. I couldn’t stop crying and simultaneously enjoying your presence knowing intuitively this moment would be fleeting. You were so caring and reassuring. Since your death, I have had this line in my head; ‘If only you had died surrounded by family and friends’. But now it didn’t seem to matter anymore.
I woke up straight from us talking together near my front door. I woke up thanking you, dearest Mike, for reassuring me you are fine. I woke up and I could not tell my ‘dream’ to my family without feeling overwhelmed. I woke up knowing it wasn’t a dream.
Paula (2023)
Lighting a candle at the first anniversary of Michael’s birthday in the parish church of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. ‘Keeping Uncle Mike in the Light’ Maryse Kluck, April 2023 ‘Lighting a candle for Uncle Michael’ Maryse Kluck, April 2023‘A prayer for Uncle Mike’, ‘s Hertogenbosch, Maryse Kluck, April 2023
Keeping Michael in the light
Memorial Card & Bookplate
All text and images are written and made by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
I found an old diary that I had forgotten about. Being in a zealous decluttering mood, I was about to throw it away but leafing through some pages made me sit down to read a few old entries. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. I had mistakenly assumed that I had fallen prey to what A.S. Byatt warns against: diary whining. Encouraged by my old diary entries (it showed no whining) I decided to keep a pandemic/lockdown diary assuming that years from now I -again- would find it interesting to read back how my loved ones and I sailed through this unusual, pandemic time.
My Paperblanks Diaries
I bought a pretty Paperblanks notebook (which is such fun because oh-dear there are so many beautiful Paperblanks notebooks). However, as soon as I sat down with a blank page staring at me, I felt again apprehensive about keeping a diary, afraid that my writing would be seen as pathetic. And I had good reasons for that, because of the Corona pandemic! (What on earth is not whiny and negative about living through a pandemic?) How can one expect grand and compelling entries when one is living a lockdown life? I opposed self-sabotaging doubts by remembering Brother Lawrence, a monk in the 1600s, who wrote on mindfulness whilst being confined to a monastery. (Not that I compare myself to Lawrence, only comparing and contrasting our voluntary and involuntary ‘lockdown’ in a monastery and at home).
I concluded that for a diary one does not have to have an epic and sweeping life. A confined life amidst a clear and present danger that shakes our world, the corona-pandemic, has intrinsic value. So, no reports on being chased by the three-headed Cerberus, I am not surviving Odysseus’ ship-wrecking storms, and I am not discovering prehistoric cave paintings, but -instead- I report on thoughts, progress on drawings, on the joy of reading, and setbacks during lockdown. Also, on the growing anger in our society, cutting ties with caustic people, the intensity of lockdowns, the pressure of staying at home, a home that has turned into an office, studio, and library. Just the best solitary scribbles I can think of. The beautiful thing about writing diary entries is that one is part of the world but one is also a distant observer, reporting on the human predicament.
Book cover of Dorothy Wordsworth by Edmund Lee. This painting shows the two main actions involved in keeping a diary: the thinking part consisting of evaluating, musing, playing with memories, and the second part, finding a voice and penning down diary entries.
And what blessings are there to report! That said, nobody is the same anymore; we all have changed profoundly because of the pandemic. Our lives have changed and our priorities have changed. I have seen ill people becoming more ill; angry people become more angry, despondent people growing depressed, ambitious people becoming overworked. Everything has been or felt exaggerated, hyperbole I dare to say, due to a lack of social engagement.
Should you have doubts whether or not to keep a diary, please take my advice and do it. Do not think big; think about the small pleasures of life.
Diary sketch left: lotus flowers and water turtles. Middle picture; a large (this is a detail) graphite drawing of the initial sketch of a turtle-lotus pond. Right: Another diary sketch; I might be the only one to be able to decipher this composition. 🙂
So, what does my diary look like? I write in my diary most days, often before the day draws to a close. I have a stash of washi tape that I use to support pages that I often use. These pages I use for recording my book list, new vocabulary that I pick up from reading, how much Iron, Vitamin D & Vitamin B12 I supplement I take (I am vegan for 12 years now), and here and there inspirational pen sketches for new compositions. I mark some pages (like my book list) with stickers as tabs. Sometimes I let my daughter or husband write a line, like a Twitter tweet, when they have a witty remark or a smart one-liner. All in all, a colourful and engaging diary, a handy dandy notebook. My best friend.
A page of my diary showing bits of left over William Morris and Laura Ashley wall paper. I added a date to remember when I decorated my workroom.
Diary keeping is not working on a book. It is nothing big. It is one of the small pleasures of life.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Allow me please to offer some self designed diary embellishments.
Mandarin Ducks Bobbing on the Great Wave of Kanagawa (stickers)
Mandarin Ducks Bobbing on The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Four (4) Mandarin Ducks Stickers
Four small (diameter 3 cm) stickers. This couple of mandarin ducks are bobbing on Japanese artist Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. Despite the high waves (the chaos in life), they stay close together because they bond for life.
Perfect as diary embellishments or as seal stickers.
€7.00
ANGEL WING EMBELLISHMENT CARDS
Eight (8) Angels’ Wings Cards
Eight (8) Angels’ Wings Cards; size 7.5-10.5 cm, that is about 3-4 inches.
Absolutely decorative, interesting, and inviting to reflect on, these professionally printed angel wing cards are a delight. They can be used as embellishments, prayer cards, inviting philosophical musings, or just to comfort the soul.
I have painted many mandarin ducks, freehand but mostly as commissions for weddings, for Feng-shui purposes, or because they represent love and loyalty.
Enjoy my mandarin duck art and feel invited to browse through my shop at Etsy. Or to contact me should you like to have your own mandarin ducks as wall art.
Everybody’s heart makes a little jump when receiving a bit of kindness. Especially in difficult times. There is nothing wrong with a bit of extra attention and love. And the beautiful thing about mandarin ducks is that they symbolize love and friendship, just like doves and swans although ornithologists have observed occasional adultery among doves and swans (just ignore that).
Mandarin ducks melt our hearts because of their stories on life long partnerships, their cute colours and shapes, and their adorable ducklings.
Two lovely and professionally printed double folded art cards: one for sending, one for keeping. Inside you will find a larger image for framing.
They come with matching envelopes. Free shipping.
€17.00
All Mandarin Duck double folded, professionally printed note cards.
I have discussed the effects of the pandemic with many of my artist friends. I was wondering whether they loathed or embraced various lockdowns? I found out that long weeks or months at home brought them deep focus and a relief from the continuous time crunches they often experience combining art-making and family life.
However, I observed more. A pandemic causes many people to lose their equilibrium. Anxiety sets in and various lockdowns cause mass stir craziness and cabin-fever. People have become so aggressive! The Netherlands saw a huge increase of domestic or family violence towards women and children. There is such road rage on highways too. It is like people have become mad.
To the other end of the spectrum of mental health, people have also grown depressed. There is a radicalization of feelings due to a lack of social contact. It is not good for people to feel trapped because that easily leads to restlessness, anxiety or being agitated. Not that we should all pollute the air with kerosene again, but being cooked up at home is a hardship for most of us.
WELL BALANCED
But interestingly artists, avid readers, and musicians seem to suffer less problems (disclaimer, so it seems in my social circles) because they do a lot of mind traveling. They transport themselves to artistic, literary or musical realms and go on about their days making music, painting canvases, and reading books. In fact, for many artist friends the numerous lockdowns have been productive and inspirational, (though less profitable because of closed concert halls, galleries and shops).
ARISTOTLE’S GOLDEN MEAN
How can we explain this? Let us turn to Aristotle’s Golden Mean. The golden mean, or golden middle way is the desirable middle between two extremes. If aggression is an excess of energy, depression is a deficiency of energy. Let us go back to those who lost their equilibrium and became aggressive. Aggression is a deficiency of despondency; there is too much stirring up bad energies. It is extreme to be aggressive. It shows an excess of boiled up energy. Depression is a shortage of aggression, of combativeness; it is a lack of energy. It is extreme too. One should neither be aggressive nor depressed. One should have healthy, harmonious energy. So, if aggression and depression are two extremes, what or which is the golden mean state of being? What is the middle between aggression and depression? That is initiative, or resourcefulness, or name it creativity.
Take a difficult meeting in which compromises must be made. Those with too much aggressive energy walk out. Those who give up, look hollow-eyed. But those who have healthy energy show creativity, offering creative ways out of a deadlock.
#Artheals #Nevernotmaking
This creativity, imagination, this resourcefulness and initiative, did we just describe Aristotle’s’ golden mean or did we focus on personal characteristics of artists by naming inventiveness, creativity, resourcefulness and imagination? We did both. I think that the personal traits of an artist keep an artist well balanced and resilient during lockdown. Artists will resort to their habits of creating, taking initiative, keeping their creative juices flowing. #nevernotmaking is a trending hashtag on Instagram. So is #artheals. I see it with all my creative friends: they fare well through lockdowns. Of course, there are boring days, but depression? No. Aggression? No. Creativity? Yes, plenty of it.
Open museums and concert halls
Now that is established how important art making and art is, why not open up our (Dutch) cultural sector? Why are shops now open but museums and podiums closed? Apparently, it is because our government aims to keep us local (not spreading the virus). People are discouraged to travel beyond their region to visit museums or concerts. But in the light of this hyper contagious Omicron, this is a lost fight. Omicron will come as a tsunami and nobody will be spared. Open up our creative and cultural sector because it is hugely important to collectively feel well balanced. Art should not be an afterthought; it lies at the heart of our well being.
“So how are you keeping?”
“Very well, really“
“How come?”
“Because I have more time for drawing!”
I hope artists inspire others becoming creative too. Prevent depression and aggression by engaging in artistic, musical, and literary activities.
Ever since the pandemic I have been reading and reading. Of course, when there is plenty of natural light, I prioritize drawing. But since consecutive lockdowns came into effect and meeting friends, running errands, and going for a walk were pushed to the background, literature reclaimed its rightful place. I kept a list of books in my diary and every time I finished a book, I proudly ticked off a book title. I like to share the moment with you that within the time-span of two days I came across a book title and a harrowing painting. Let me first give you the book title. It stopped me dead in my tracks.
‘Generaals Sterven in Bed’, a Dutch book on WWII. Generals die lying in beds.
Generals die lying on beds
I thought the title was brilliant (disclaimer: I did not read the book). It rang so true to me. I have seen it again and again, those who have struggled in life have died an untimely, painful or medicine induced death whilst those who have ruled, manipulated, or were in charge, Machiavellians, lived a long, happy life and died a peaceful, luxuriously death neatly tugged between crisp white bed linen. But foot-soldiers die on battlefields, in the dirt, at a too young age. ‘Comes with the job, an occasional ‘habit’, collateral damage, kind of thing‘. But generals die at a high age on luxurious beds.
Dead Soldier, unknown (Italian) painter. Notice the skull and bones that symbolize death in case you overlooked the bloodless colour of the soldier’s face.
Next, the painting of a dead soldier. It made me wonder whether it is a detail of a larger painting because of its unusual angle that is a bit uncomfortable for a viewer. But perhaps, this uncomfortable perspective was something the painter precisely sought? I imagine the soldier has most likely fought for someone else’s cause, principles, or power games and now dies an anonymous, early death. Maybe he ends up in a mass grave, unlike the general.
The book title and the painting made me wonder what battles we fight and for who? Who are foot soldiers and who are generals? Do you know them in your life, amongst your friends, at your work? Who is dying for who? I thought of Machiavelli’s philosophy. But also of a very old flyer of a political party that I vaguely remembered. It showed a sweet, little girl, standing all alone in a desert whilst you are asked the question: What if there is a war and nobody is willing to participate? Nobody shows up on the battlefield?
Art and literature make us evaluate the roles we take up in life. Art and literature offer us endless inspiration to ask questions in our lives that need to be asked.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Next blogpost will focus on Aristotle’s Golden Mean in relation to lockdown/quarantine and living the artist life.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
You have seen him in fine art paintings, or in cartoons. He, Sisyphus, is as strong as Atlas who holds the globe on his shoulders. But Sisyphus is not carrying the globe on his shoulders but a huge boulder. He is a character in Homer’s Iliad, and it is said he was the reputed founder of the Isthmian Games, a festival of athletic and musical competitions in honour of the sea god Poseidon.
We are talking about an exceptionally strong man fit to complete a physical demanding chore. See, Sisyphus tricked death, he outsmarted death, and was therefore everlastingly punished by Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld (the Greek god of Death). Sisyphus is ordered to roll a great boulder uphill. Approaching the summit, the stone drops and rolls down. This happens over and over, repeat after repeat. A Sisyphean task therefore is characterized by that it is demanding as well as a completely fruitless.
What is your Sisyphean task? Read on….
Titian at work, a wonderful illustration in Collins Children’s Encyclopedia of The Arts of the World.
Tiziano Vecellio (c 1488-1576) a.k.a. Titian was one of the most famous artists of the Venetian School. He is categorized in the art-movement known as the Late Renaissance or Mannerism. Mannerism would later be replaced by the Baroque. Titan shows Sisyphus in his youthful strength. His arms, legs, torso and back are muscular. Titan achieves a rich effect of light using deep contrasting colours. We, viewers, are encouraged to emotionally interact with this painting. We are invited to feel empathy for Sisyphus’s endurance, strength, and suffering. We are invited to feel what he feels and thus enrich ourselves with deep understanding what a Sisyphean task is.
What is Your Sisyphean Task?
Are you taking care of children during lockdown? Are you in quarantine with energetic, young children that need to burn off their youthful energies in playgrounds but are not allowed outdoors and are having frequent meltdowns? You are trying to stay calm but at the end of the day you feel drained and discouraged?
Do you have shielding friends who are in cancer treatment or remission and you are therefore not able to meet them face to face due to their vulnerability? You try to be a good friend but Covid restrictions make your efforts fruitless?
Are you taking care of an ill or elderly person and whilst their brain is undergoing alterations due to medication, illness or old age, you are -fruitlessly- trying to take away their confusion and anxieties? Perhaps they are mean, suspicious, and manipulative? Perhaps they are chronic complainers? Are you fruitlessly trying to improve living conditions but you only see the quality of life becoming less and less?
When a Sisyphean task affects your life, it can make you feel hollowed out. When life throws a Sisyphean task to you, all you can do is to accept that life never comes without hardship. We are not Sisyphus, luckily, we are mortals and all suffering will end because, unlike Sisyphus, we haven’t tricked death. We may try to carry a boulder uphill for a year, ten years perhaps, but eventually we will stop, sit down, and do some deep thinking. We will eventually stop with our Sisyphean routine, nolens volens. That sets us, mortals, apart from the everlasting, suffering Sisyphus.
Test you Knowledge, Questions & Lesson Ideas
What is the difference between a Sisyphean and a Herculean task?
Is Sisyphus preforming a Herculean task?
Compare and contrast Sisyphus, Atlas and Herculean using pictures of statues and painted artworks.
Which beetle reminds you of Sisyphus? And why is this beetle not preforming a Sisyphean task but a Herculean task?
Explore the mythologies telling you why Sisyphus was punished to carry a boulder uphill for eternity, and why Atlas is condemned to hold up the heavens and sky for eternity. Explore the multifaceted character and adventures of Hercules.
Hercules in Utrecht City Centre, graphite drawing by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Statute by Ton Mooij. You feel tricked? This is not Atlas. Hercules steps in for Atlas by taking over the globe because Atlas needs a moment to rest his back. See this blog post for more.
As from now you will remember Sisyphus and Titian’s painting. And perhaps you will see that art is able to comfort us. One feels understood by artwork or musical pieces that resonate with our predicament. That alone is comforting: art inspires and heals us.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer,
Commission artist
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay. It is my wish to make my website self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
You can support my website by buying my art cards.
Two (2) Mandarin duck art cards (standing ducks)
Two double folded art cards with matching envelope and professionally printed. Inside is a larger image for those who like to frame the card. One for sending; one for keeping.
Mandarin ducks represent love, friendship and loyalty. They bond for life.
€18.00
Two (2) Mandarin duck art cards (ducks are resting)
Two double folded art cards with matching envelope and professionally printed. Inside is a larger image for those who like to frame the card. One for sending; one for keeping.
Mandarin ducks represent love, friendship and loyalty. They bond for life.
I designed new Sympathy Condolence note cards. They are double folded and professionally printed. The details are amazingly clear.
Camberwell Beauty Butterflies fluttering nearby an autumn tree that shows old leaves and new beginnings (seeds). Camberwell butterflies –Nymphalis antiopa, are also known as Mourning cloak butterflies.
There is inter-religious symbolism in this elegant but solemn note card. My butterfly composition shows seasonal change and the cycle of life, in a realistic way. The autumn leaves and seed pods strongly suggest that, a new life will start, again, somewhere, somehow. This happens to the butterfly, too. A butterflies lays eggs, the eggs become caterpillars and the caterpillar becomes a chrysalis. The chrysalis turns into a butterfly. Everything lives on, although in another form.
The composition alludes to transformation and rebirth, to earth and heaven. It shows hope, or functions as a mindful and artistic reminder of impermanence and transformation. It is also a multi-religious condolence message in three languages open to your personal symbolic or religious interpretation.
Mourning, Sympathy Condolence Note Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two beautiful, double folded art cards. One to send, one to keep. Come with matching envelopes.
€18.00
WORK IN PROGRESS
Blackbird Nest, work in progress by Paula Kuitenbrouwer.
Leaf by leaf I am making progress with this large graphite drawing. I have to weave several plants (Ivy, Honeysuckle and Hydrangea) and thus build a nest for this sweet blackbird couple. By spring, surely this large drawing will be ready. I am intended to keep the blackbirds hidden from predators by filling my large drawing sheet with all sorts of lush plants. There will be no open spaces which makes this drawing so laborious.
Stay well! Keep yourself in your best possible health and joyful mindset.
Mandarin Ducks shapeshifting into Koi Carp by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Obviously, I was in one of my Celtic, shapeshifting moods when I drew these mandarin ducks morphing into koi fish. The mandarin drake shapeshift into a blue Asagi koi carp and the duck keeps her camouflage colours by shapeshifting into a regular orange koi. I used a graphite under-layer and various colours of ink to make the ducks and fish stand out: gold, black, blue, silver, and glittery grey.
What I like about Celtic art is its deliberately illusion. One is guided into a realm where one might see faces or animals but the next thing is doubting yourself. Did I see a duck or a fish? A deer or an owl? Perhaps both? It is a world of shapeshifting faces and animals inviting stories and poems, bearing testimonies to ancestral knowledge.
In an oral culture there is a need for imagery that has double, perhaps triple the amount of illustrations than prima facie noticeable. This makes Celtic art often clever art. It is practical art but it is also mysterious, enchanting, and engaging. But most of all, it is cunning and imaginative, a testimony of a time of great artists and craftsmen that were extraordinarily mathematically, psychologically, and mythological skillful.
My workstation with my drawing and tools
Shapeshift with me and notice the mandarin ducks and koi carps in their fluid realm. I have blended the koi carp and mandarin ducks, but in order to qualify for ‘Celtic’ art, I should push this concept to a higher geometrical and abstract level and add more illusions along the way. Till the moment the viewer sees and not-sees ducks, fishes, or faces, and questions his/her own perception. Then and there a Celtic shaman would step in to guide you to new levels of observing and understanding, aiming for healing, passing on knowledge, and bonding between tribal members. Like a nowadays art teacher or museum guides does. Isn’t viewing art not always an enriching experience?
How do the seemingly unrelated quotes above interconnect? They conjure up memories of my annus horriblis (Latin phrase, meaning “horrible year”). Misery sometimes comes down like torrential rain. However, I can now look back and see how literature and art brought me valuable insights.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1768-1826) Les adieux de Psyché à sa famille; Psyche Bidding Farewell to her Family
ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance is a powerful emotion. Acceptance causes less suffering than trying to change the unchangeable. But how does one reach this stage? That question -of course- requires a highly personal response. Some take to sporting, others to long nature walks. But art has been my method. This year, I worked harder than ever, and, luckily, inspiration kept coming and coming. I felt so blessed to be at my desk with its workstation and Arches sketchbook. No matter what happened, I always returned to my drawing pad. I would pour a cup of tea and work on various projects. The more hours I worked, the easier my deep focus would became and blissful moments would follow in which I forgot about all and sundry. Only my art would exist; more exactly, only art-making would exist (and my loving and supportive husband and wonderful daughter, of course). The world around me and myself would simply disappear. These moments of non-existing were nourishing and healing, offering me a transformation from sadness to acceptance.
Recently, I read Wintering by Katherine May. May defines winter not only as a season, but also as the process of going through an emotional winter. Author May resorts to walking. She pulls herself through a yearlong suffering by long distance walking, and unsurprisingly, she guides herself to a better (mental) place. Even though I have always liked Aristotle’s peripatētikos (‘philosophizing is best done whilst walking’) as to prevent stagnation of emotions and thoughts, for me art-making has been more crucial than my daily walks. For me, it has always been art-making, drawing and painting, that has pulled me through any hardship home or abroad, and through any winter, be it a seasonal winter, or a year full of farewells. One better accepts farewells; there is no use in fighting. Because winter, seasonally and emotionally, is a part of life, one can better sooner than later wrap one’s head around it.
Winter Holly by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Wintering, May describes, is also about preparing, stocking up stuff, or finding coping methods that help one endure the cold. And so, I did, and whilst I found great pleasure in stocking up crafts-tools, sketchbooks, graphite pencils, I came to experience my annus horriblis as a coming to terms with (a sudden and accelerated) ageing of beloved ones, ‘friends’ turning into foes, and family members falling ill to cancer.
I rigorously de-cluttered my house of memories, of stuff that till recently were reminders of pleasant ties, but now seemed to trigger vexatious feelings or sad memories of estranged ones. Letting go of all of that didn’t hold up eventually became a rewarding and deliberating exercise. And not only that, I have friends describing beneficial effects of the Corona pandemic and its various lock-downs as an exploration of what actually and really matters and of letting go of unnecessary frills of life. Apparently, vintage shops are more stocked than ever and employees have walked away from underpaid jobs in the thousands, giving new directions to their lives.
Not everything withstands the test of time
The Pandemic’s Battle for Life
The year 2021, the corona pandemic, obviously has been a battle for life. Literally, metaphorically, and personally. Worldwide, there has been a collective fight to prevent mortality numbers from accelerating. On an individual level, people battled with corona, with stress, with people falling ill or ageing beyond recognition, with their bosses, with siblings, or their landlords, and so on. In these fights, much was lost but those who took lock-downs as spiritual retreats reported gaining much wisdom. And isn’t a pandemic a ‘winter’, with being advised to stay indoors, scaling down social contacts, hibernating and living a postponed life?
Bookplate by Paula Kuitenbrouwer with a tree representing wisdom having its roots in literature.
I highly recommend literature and art at such wintry times. Literature offers a whole spectrum of pleasant effects from enchanting escapism to tapping into sources of wisdom. Art offers nourishment for the soul and healing from the pain that life sometimes throws at us.
Is my ‘winter’ over? Am I enjoying the merry months of May? Winter is about hibernating, withdrawing, decaying, dying. It is part of life. Is it possible to feel spring whilst there still are subzero temperatures? Yes. One can arrive at spring amidst a cold winter. For me, making art has been instrumental for working through a challenging time. I highly recommend seeking refuge in the realms of literature and arts where you will find much wisdom and inspiration.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Commission artist living in the Netherlands (see contact form below).
CHARLOTTE MASON, EEN TIJDLOZE ONDERWIJSHERVORMSTER
(Although this website and blog is normally written in English, Paula wrote this article for a Dutch educational magazine and therefor is in Dutch).
Charlotte Mason
Wat Florence Nightingale was voor de gezondheidszorg, was Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) voor het onderwijs: een zorgzame hervormster. Wie was Mason en waarom is haar visie zo tijdloos? [1]
Charlotte Maria Saw Mason wordt op 1 Januari 1842 geboren te Bangor (Noord Wales). Ze is enig kind. Wanneer Charlotte 16 is, sterft haar moeder en een jaar later haar vader. Charlotte wordt naar een docentenopleiding gestuurd en behaalt haar onderwijs-certificaat. In de jaren die volgen, ontwikkelt Charlotte haar ideeën. Mason verhuist naar Chichester alwaar ze de samenhang begint te zien tussen opvoeding en onderwijs. Ouders moeten meer betrokken worden bij het onderwijs. Mason geeft daarover lezingen die later gepubliceerd worden onder de naam ‘home-education’ (thuisonderwijs). Opvoeding en onderwijs hangen samen, stelt ze. In 1891 verhuist ze naar Ambleside alwaar ze gouvernantes opleidt. Ze wordt 81 jaar oud. Na haar dood wordt haar opleidingscentrum te Ambleside het Charlotte Mason College. Dit college bestaat niet meer. Maar Masons onderwijsvisie geniet hernieuwde belangstelling. Met name in Europa en de V.S. Wat is zo bijzonder aan Masons visie? Wat kan een Victoriaanse ongehuwde en kinderloze vrouw ons te vertellen hebben over opvoeding en onderwijs?
ONDERWIJS IS OMGEVING EN DISCIPLINE
Mason hanteert een brede definitie van onderwijs. Onderwijs, zegt ze, is een omgeving, een discipline en een leven (‘Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life’). Onderwijs is een omgeving. Wat bedoelt Mason daarmee? Een kind groeit op in een omgeving en in deze omgeving vindt het leren plaats. Onderwijs is dus niet synoniem aan school. Leerlingen leren binnen een gezin, buiten een gezin, in een dorp, een stad, op de boerderij, binnen de muren van een school, een museum, een sporthal en vooral in de natuur. Jongeren doen overal kennis op, leren overal regels en gedrag. Leren is daarom een omgeving. Deze leerzame omgeving definieert Mason beduidend omvangrijker dan de beperkte ruimte van een klaslokaal.
‘Onderwijs is a discipline.’, meent Mason. Met discipline bedoelt Mason een juiste opvoeding door aangeleerde goede gewoonten en goed gedrag. Mason stelt dat hoe meer je goede gewoonten aanleert, hoe beter het leven zal gaan. Zo word je gewaardeerd als je ‘dank je’ en ‘pardon’ zegt. Ouders mogen slecht gedrag niet door de vingers zien. Hoe jonger het kind is, hoe makkelijker het nog te beïnvloeden is. Een jong kind reageert nog op een afkeurende blik, een ouder kind heeft correctie nodig. Kun je niets kindvriendelijk zien in Masons Victoriaans accent op goed gedrag, dan ben je bij haar niet aan het juiste adres. Echter, heb je geen respect voor een kind, dan zal Mason je eveneens niet aanspreken. Mason stelt namelijk dat een kind niet gemanipuleerd mag worden met angst, liefde, straf of complimenten. In een tijd waarin kinderen gezien maar niet gehoord mogen worden, is Masons nadruk op respect voor een kind opmerkelijk.
Mason bepleit samenwerking tussen de docent en de ouder bij het aanleren van goede gewoonten. Ouders en docenten kunnen hierover controle pas laten varen wanneer een leerling in ruime en betrouwbare mate over goed gedrag beschikt. Masons onderwijsvisie past in deze tijd waarin men roept om goed gedrag. Denk alleen al aan onveilige scholen waarin een kleine groep vechters de leeromgeving van goedwillende leerlingen verpesten. Mason schenkt in perioden van 4 tot 6 weken aandacht aan het verwerven van goede gewoonten zoals netheid en beleefdheid. Mason weet een juiste balans te vinden tussen een ruime mate van vrijheid in de vroege jeugd en een juiste mate van autoritaire invloed van docenten en ouders. Vrijheid, formuleert Mason, is het resultaat van goede begeleiding, niet het gevolg van een ongecorrigeerde natuur.
LEVENDE OF BEZIELDE BOEKEN
Hoe kreeg Masons visie handen en voeten? Eén van de opvallendste en bekendste aspecten van haar onderwijs betreft haar voorliefde voor ‘levende boeken’ (living books). Mason houdt van betekenisvolle boeken, niet van saaie, feit-georiënteerde werkboeken waaraan leerlingen lees- noch leerplezier beleven. Wat kenmerkt een levend boek? Een levend boek is geschreven door een bezielde auteur. Deze hanteert een verhalende of sprekende schrijfstijl die getuigt van passie voor het onderwerp. Levende boeken voeden leerlingen met verhalen, ideeën en nobele gedachten, meent Mason. Een levend boek genereert leergierigheid, zelfs voor onderwerpen waarvoor de leerling op voorhand geen interesse opbrengt. Waarom gebeurt dat? Omdat het boek de leerling respecteert. Het boek zendt niet de verborgen boodschap uit: ‘Jij bent dom en ik zal je wel even leren’. Het boek daagt uit, prikkelt het denken, stelt de leerling vragen en weet vragen in de leerling op te roepen. Het is aan de ouders, docenten en leerlingen om te zoeken naar levende boeken. En dat is door de opkomst van de markt voor jeugdboeken geen ondoenlijke opgave. Integendeel. Wat is leuker dan een groep een Top 10 ‘Living Books’ te laten bijhouden? Mason schenkt vervolgens aandacht aan het navertellen van teksten, essays of boeken. De leerling wordt door de narratieve inspanning gestimuleerd de verhaallijn te ontdekken, nieuwe woorden te gebruiken en zijn geheugen te trainen. Een Mason-leerling zal niet snel verzuchten ‘Nou ja, dat vind ik nou eenmaal….’
VAARDIGHEDEN
Charlotte schenkt uiteraard ook aandacht aan vaardigheden zoals spelling, grammatica en schrijven door het dictee. Een leerling krijgt een tekst (of aantal zinnen) te bestuderen waarna deze zin voor zin gedicteerd wordt. Aan de hand van deze teksten worden de woorden, grammatica, spellingsfouten en zinsopbouw besproken. Zo blijft spelling contextueel en wordt direct aandacht geschonken aan handschrift-training. Maar daar blijft het niet bij. Op zo’n moment is het interessanter ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ of het ‘Cogito ergo sum’ te kopiëren en te bespreken dan ‘De theepot staat op de tafel’. Mason integreert zo geschiedenis, aardrijkskunde en literatuur.
Kunst, muziek en dichtkunst zijn ook een belangrijk onderdeel van het Mason-curriculum. Kunst wordt gegeven door leerlingen enkele meesterwerken te laten bestuderen. Van de vijf middagen op school wordt er één steevast buiten doorgebracht voor natuurstudie, natuurschetsen en om op deze directe wijze de studie van wetenschappen te introduceren. Mason plaatst de leerling graag en veel in de natuur. De natuur, zegt ze, is één grote onderwijzer. Mason laat leerlingen een Nature-Notebook maken. En dat niet alleen. Oudere leerlingen maken hun eigen dagboek waarin zij hun interesses uitwerken. Masons leerlingen krijgen aan het einde van de week tijd om in hun dagboek te schrijven. Zo ontwikkelen zij creatief schrijven. ‘Never a dull moment’ zou je kunnen zeggen. Althans, mentale overconcentratie wordt vermeden of afgewisseld met sport en spel.
MASONS VERNIEUWINGEN
Mason stichtte een meisjesschool en bepleit onderwijs voor iedereen, jongens én meisjes. Dat was progressief in haar tijd. Mason wilde de totale leerling zo evenwichtig mogelijk onderwijzen. Het aspect ‘leven’ (‘Education is a life’) verdient dan ook nog enige toelichting. Mason bedoelde niet dat onderwijs leven is in de zin dat een leerling vanzelf leert. Al leert een leerling elke dag door intrinsieke motivatie, Mason legde veel verantwoording bij ouders en docenten. Leerlingen leren door hen gedachten aan te reiken en hen met ideeën te voeden. Stel de juiste vragen die de jonge hersenen prikkelen. Vertel aan hen interessante verhalen waardoor de nieuwsgierigheid en de leergierigheid aangewakkerd wordt. Leerlingen bestoken met droge feiten is onvoldoende. Zoals je een kind moet voeden met voeding, zo moeten ouders en docenten hun leerlingen ook cognitief voeden. Leven en leren zijn met elkaar verbonden, aldus Mason. En dit wordt wel eens vergeten in Nederland alwaar de schoolplicht de indruk geeft dat scholen voor al het onderwijs verantwoordelijk zijn. Ouders vragen steeds meer van scholen: naschoolse opvang, seksuele voorlichting, lessen over goed burgerschap, maar is dat opvoeding of onderwijs? Masons pleit voor een actieve rol van de ouder in het onderwijs en een actieve rol van de school in de opvoeding van de leerling. Samenwerking, daar gaat het volgens Mason om.
MASONS REVIVAL
Mason schreef veel boeken, leefde een tijd van de opbrengst van vijf door haar geschreven geografie-boeken en gaf veel lezingen. Ook stichtte ze de Onderwijs Society Parents National Education Union (PNEU) en was redacteur van het maandelijkse tijdschrift ‘Parent’s Review’. Ze gaf les aan ouders en stichtte behalve een meisjesschool ook diverse basisscholen. Dit zijn opvallende ambities voor een vrouw uit haar tijd. Maar waarom kent haast niemand Charlotte Mason terwijl we wel Montessori kennen? Deze vraag doet er gelukkig niet meer toe, immers Masons onderwijsvisie geniet hernieuwde belangstelling. Docenten en ouders die teleurgesteld zijn in het huidige onderwijs herontdekken Charlotte Mason. Haar onderwijsvisie is buitengewoon kindvriendelijk. Elke docent en ouder ziet met eigen ogen dat levende (onderwijs)boeken het leerproces versnellen. Ook onderschrijven docenten het belang van natuurstudies en benadrukken zij hoe belangrijk goed gedrag is. Masons onderwijsvisie is een toegepaste visie die aan elke school, gezin of leerling aangepast kan worden. En dus ook aan deze tijd. Hoeveel ‘Mason’ je in de praktijk brengt, zal van school tot school, van land tot land en gezin tot gezin verschillen. Onderwijs is een middel tot een bepaald doel en dat doel is voor Mason niet een geslaagde cito-test maar een gelukkige, evenwichtige leerling met goede gewoonten en een gezonde en blijvende leergierigheid.
Dankzij Mason’s inspiratie om op zoek te gaan naar levende (of levendige) boeken heeft de schrijftster van dit stuk, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, nog steeds prachtige educatieve kunstboeken op haar plank die wachten op de volgende generatie. De boeken zijn simpelweg te fantastisch om weg te doen. Ook gaf Paula tien jaren thuisonderwijs. Haar dochter is inmiddels student aan een Nederlandse universiteit.
Enkele van Paula’s ‘levendige’ of ‘levende’ kinder-kunstboeken die opvolgende generaties zullen verrijken in hun onderwijs en levensplezier. Uiteraard zijn er ook ‘levendige’ leerboeken in andere vakken zoals wiskunde, geschiedenis, aardrijkskunde, biologie etc.
[1] Met dank aan Henny van Dongen en Pascale Hoek voor hun adviezen. The Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason. Dit zijn zes boeken. Voor de basisschool begint men met deel I. Voor leerlingen vanaf 9 jaar begint men met deel 3. Voorgezet onderwijs begint met deel 6. Zie amblesideonline.org voor meer over Charlotte Mason.
Een (thuisonderwijs-geinspireerd) artikel over de waarde van gedichten lezen en leren met kinderen, vindt u hier.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Mocht u tijdens het lezen van dit artikel een heerlijk kopje koffie hebben gedronken, wellicht is het dan een leuk idee uw koffie te delen met de auteur? Terwijl ik dankbaar koffie drink, zit ik ongetwijfeld te schrijven of te tekenen, in ieder geval, hard te werken aan nog meer inspirerende essays en tekeningen. Ik hoop dat u vaak terugkeert naar mijn website waar beeldende kunst, spiritualiteit, en natuurwaardering centraal staan.
Of wellicht steunt u mijn website door twee kunstkaarten te kopen? Deze zijn professioneel geprint en komen met een bijpassende envelop.
Twee prachtige Mandarijn-eendjes kunstkaarten
Twee prachtige kaarten met bijpassende enveloppen.
Professioneel gedrukt en leuk om te versturen én/of in te lijsten.
My study of Albrecht Durer’s Hirschkafer (stag-beetle).
I received a few interesting comments and questions after posting ‘Donating, Renewing, Inspiration’. As a result, here is Donating Renewing Inspiration Part II.
DONATING ART
There were two similar questions relating to giving away artwork that sits in an online shop or portfolio for too long. I can relate. There will always be artwork that doesn’t sell easily. Why is this the case? Without drawing any parallel between Rembrandt and me, why was the commissioned masterpiece The Night Watch turned down and stored behind a wall? Quality is not always the reason. More likely motivations to buy or reject art are price, style, fashion, or it could be that an artwork is too complex (for an online shop). For me, especially, this counts for my large graphite drawings. They have an unmistakable artistic quality and are technically above average, but monochromatic drawings are notoriously difficult to photograph and therefore selling is not easy. What to do? As always, when we are short of ideas, we should turn to literature for inspiration
The writer Chaim Potok in his ‘My Name Is Asher Lev’ offers a good idea. He describes a scene in which his main character, the artist Asher Lev, feels responsible for a poor widow with children. As Asher Lev himself is a young artist and not wealthy at all, Potok has Lev donating a painting every (so many) months to the widow. The first painting is accompanied with a letter by Lev in which the artist explains that perhaps one day his artworks will be sought after by art collectors and then the widow should sell off her Lev collection.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s art and art prints
INTANGIBLE GIFTS
Another comment came from somebody who promotes giving intangible gifts. The lady follows Marie Kondo’s advice and desires a minimalist home. Gifts, she experienced, seldomly match her home and despite her appreciation for the act of giving, she often perceives gifts as unwanted items. We can all relate to a lesser or greater extent. Gifts like walking somebodies’ dog, or reading aloud to somebody, or babysitting, a handwritten poem are often very valuable gifts.
For a long time the Financial Times had a column in which a famous and wealthy person would be asked about his or her relation to donating. The first question would always be ‘Should we, to your opinion, donate money or time to charity’. Donating time is as much a valuable gift as money.
A FLOW OF THINGS
As to what is ‘a flow of things’. My household has seen many, many occasions of donating and renewing. Having gone through so many international moves, I’ve developed a rather detached attitude to (most) objects. After the first moves (and first decluttering and donating sessions), I woke up at night, sweating from anxiety, panicking; ‘What have I done!’ But as with so much in life, one gets used to letting go. I grew confident over the years knowing that objects are not the memories of those objects; you can donate an object whilst keeping your memories.
An old art calendar turned into usable envelopes embellished with vintage postal stamps.
SHEDDING SKIN
There is a flow of things from one household to another. It brings a smile to my face knowing the pink slide that was used by me and my siblings as children, and later by my young daughter, I donated to a Kindergarten for chronically ill children. Objects should be used and enjoyed; they make fond memories.
As for things that hold bad memories… goodness…you should not have these in your homes. Your home should not only have things that have your love, you find beautiful or useful, but also radiate happy memories. Home is the one place that allows you to relax, to feel right at all times. Cleaning means not only dusting things off, it also means tidying up, making changes to something in order to make it better.
At primary school ‘Crafts Class’ was organized as an after-school activity and these ‘lessons’ were -at this level- more about doing crafts than learning about fine arts. Hammering, sewing, sawing, making ceramic pots or tiles, doing wood work, I still remember the sense of freedom whilst working on various projects. The name of the creative teacher organizing these after school courses I might probably remember the rest of my life and that is telling.
Classroom queens lined up for my help at middle school. That made me very nervous but I did my best and hoped that by helping them out with drawing a penguin or a dove, they would treat me kinder, which, of course, was not the case. There is an order to all things, especially regarding classroom popularity.
My fellow high school students were a rare mix. There were drugs and alcohol using flower-power students as well as conservative ones who were dressed too stiffly for school. The whole social and political spectrum was represented creating a special tension and tolerance. Our teacher taught us art-history as well as drawing and painting. She did this with infectious enthusiasm. She taught various art movements by studying various artworks. Whilst the darkness in the classroom made us all sleepy, our eyes were solidly glued to the wall on which large artworks were projected.
It was our teacher’s unwavering love for the arts that made us feel ignited. The visual stimulation and learning to identify art stopped about halfway through the lesson; for the remaining time our teacher challenged us to make art. It was not about being good at drawing technically, but about being refreshingly creative or extraordinarily artistic. I can say hand on heart that the art-classes of my high school teacher worked their educative magic for decades to come.
I benefited from all art classes and I am deeply grateful to all my art teachers I had, in and outside the walls of my schools.
What do you do when you face another international move and you are only allowed to bring a maximum of x square meters of personal belongings? You donate; you donate like mad. In South-Korea, I donated baby and toddler furniture to a local orphanage. In East-Europe, I donated to local friends. In Belgium, I drove a few times to a charity shop and in Ireland I posted furniture and stuff on Facebook (all was collected in no time). At home, I have a circle of friends and the Dutch vintage shop Kringloop for donating stuff and furniture. Shedding skin is never a sad thing; it is a good thing to donate. It de-clutters, it forces you to move one, and as a result you do not live in the past.
But what about my art? Luckily my older drawings do not take up much space. I store them in a portfolio and 4-5 portfolio maps may be heavy but square-meter wise are neglectable. Still, it is a good thing to go through your portfolio and say bye-bye to drawings and paintings that haven’t sold and therefore one could depart from. Nothing is holy or beyond scrutinizing its beauty, usefulness or what feelings objects provoke.
What Helps You To Select?
I have read books on this and I like to offer three perspectives. The first one is by the famous Marie Kondo. She offers you a selection criterion stating you must love an item in order to keep it. I discussed this with a friend and we both think that is too simplistic, after all you can love trash, you could love useless stuff, or you are attached to an object because you feel obliged to pass it on to the next generation.
Then there is Eva Jarlsdotter’s decluttering’s working thesis encouraging you to do research into what items (furniture, clothing, a huge basket full laundry) costs as in taking up space, working on your emotions (for instance irritation), or as costing you time (to clean, to move around). I did this for our laundry cycle and drew interesting conclusions which lead to changing habits.
Our new William Morris bed cover, throw, and pillows. Art inspires art: my ‘Ode to William Morris’s Trellis’ on a painter’s easel with our new Morris’s wallpaper in the background.
Last, there is William Morris, the much admired and famous British multi-talented artist who simply states that:
‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful’.
Perhaps all three combined offer the best evaluation, Jarlsdotter’s economic thesis, Kondo’s minimalist strategy, and Morris’ passionate direction. We need to surround ourselves with only beauty and useful things because it makes living so much more pleasurable.
As an ode to William Morris’ passionate and inspiring call for more beauty, about a year ago I chose his elegant Snakehead wallpaper and renewed our bedding. Shedding skin does not have to be a bad thing. The effect can be very uplifting. And, despite these beautiful photos, it does not have to be expensive. Our local vintage shops are full of lovely and affordable items. They say that one person’s trash is another persons’ treasure. But let me say; one person’s treasure can be another persons’ treasure. Donating is important; gifting is important. It causes a flow of things, it prevents stagnation, and it offers you a renewed feeling.
My Mandarin Duck Gouache painting with William Morris Wallpaper in the background
The most important thing, next to William Morris’ advice, is that you need to surround yourself not only with beautiful and useful things but also with things that hold good memories or radiate inspiration. To me, personally, this rings truth because art inspires art.
I decorated plain notebooks with leftover scraps of wallpaper and William Morris decorative tape.
In ‘William Morris in 50 Objects‘, I read more on Morris’s quest for surrounding yourself with beautiful things. I quote from No. 24 Morris explaining the importance of the decorative arts. He regarded ‘beauty’ as a basic human need that could only be satisfied by the best possible art. By ‘art’ he meant not just paintings or sculpture, but the home furnishings that surrounds us in our everyday life.
Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer (See Shop)Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer (See shop)
USE YOUR ERASER
Isn’t the purpose of an eraser to take away supporting lines and unwanted spots? Yes, of course, an eraser comes in handy when you make a mistake. However, you can also draw with an eraser. Imagine you want to create a texture. You can do this by drawing lines of dots that show the fabric of a pattern, for instance the nerves of a tree leaf. But you can also first fill a leaf with a dark tone and use the eraser to draw nerves. And you know what is very beautiful? Doing both, drawing highlighting lines and adding lighter areas in otherwise shaded sections. This creates beautiful illusions. Have a few different shaped erasers to help you: one that has a round top, one that is thinner and can be used to draw lines. Next to pencils and a drawing pad, invest in a few erasers as well. It will help you to create beautiful details.
YOUR MISTAKES ARE YOUR SIGNATURE
Drawing is not a mathematical exercise, unless of course you are working on an architectural or archaeological drawing which is about facts, measurements, and right angles. It is often charming when you are making the same mistakes again and again because this is your signature. Viewers start to recognize your style not only by your style but also by identifying (consciously or subconsciously) your mistakes. It is not that I say stop teaching and correcting yourself, stop improving your skills. It is just that tiny mistakes can be your truly charming style and why erase them? Your drawing or artwork is not made by a robot nor by Da Vinci.
Artwork by Paula KuitenbrouwerArtwork by Paula KuitenbrouwerArtwork by Paula KuitenbrouwerArtwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
STUDY YOUR MASTER’S ARTWORKS
How to learn without having Botticelli around? How to improve your drawing skills? Listen to feedback by fellow artists and copy artists you admire. Make studies of artwork that you admire. By copying these, you are pushed out of your comfort zone and you will learn so much. Remember that apprentices in Renaissance workshops of respectable masters received training of several years. They started taking care of tools, moved on to doing handyman work. Later they were allowed to mix pigments, or trace artwork. Only a few and the very best worked closely to the master. How can we copy this classical training? By copying masterpieces and seeing what trouble we run into. You will notice improvements straight away.
ARE YOU IN NEED OF ADVICE?
Are you in need for advice? Feel free to contact me via the contact form. Perhaps I am able to give advice.
Sometimes I take a photo of my first layer of graphite. As I use Derwent H7, the hardest of pencils for the vaguest and most subtle of layers, I can not see well how my drawing will look like. Here comes the magic trick; I take a photo and increase it in contrast and darkness. This way, I get to see ahead of my progress. I can evaluate the darker and lighter sections with ease. I can only evaluate, I am afraid, not change anything beyond this point because the composition by now is already set. Seeing the contrasting dark-light sections, however, provides me also with an impression of the movements in the drawing. With this drawing, I am very pleased. Can you see large lotus leaves and three dynamic turtles?
How to Draw an Underlayer?
I use H7 Derwent pencils for the first layer. Do I put the leaves or turtles (or any other subject) straight on an expensive sheet of Arches paper? No. I first make some rudimentary sketches in my diary or on the back of a payment slip, or on a carton of gluten-free cereals at breakfast. How often one makes a beginners sketch depends on one’s self confidence. With this I do not mean that I am confident all the time; new subjects demand more sketches than subjects you are confident with.
Is the use of a ruler okay?
Yes! I always use a ruler because I work on large Arches sheets and thus I divide my sheet in sections. Should I not do that, a turtle might perhaps have too little space and thus ‘falling’ of the composition. I use a ruler also to create white space around my composition, which is aesthetically pleasing but also handy for using a mount (passe-partout) or frame. By the way, with my remark to create space for all objects you like to include in your drawing, I do not mean that everything needs to be 100% included. It can be exciting when parts or objects ‘fall off’ a canvas or sheet. This creates suspense and an illusion that the real scene the artist had in mind is much larger than what he or she has been able to express within the limits of a canvas or sheet.
I hope this tips have been helpful. There are many more tidbits of advice on my website, just follow (the below) related posts. Or contact me freely!
This gouache painting -by your truly- shows lotus leaves still being visible within the inner decorative blue border yet not extending beyond the outer, indigo border. Some lotus leaves are put well within the double border. This variation -in order to have the signature included within the border- creates an irregular and therefor a surprising effect which is always playful and nice.
Ever since corona and ordering from home, delivery services shouldn’t be bothered with taking the elevator to deliver at our door. I kindly offer to put boxes in our elevator and I will call the elevator up to our floor. By now, this ritual has become a routine. But now the spiritual ‘beginners’ mind’ is added to the story.
There I stand waiting for the delivery man to put boxes inside the elevator and waiting for our ever so slow elevator to reach our floor. Out of boredom I try to study the white washed walls of our apartment gallery. There is no smudge to cling to. There is no pot with flowers to empathically worry about. There is no insect trapped in our gallery that I can heroically set free. There is nothing, absolutely nothing. Because I am in a creative mood I feel a need to add wall art to these utterly dead walls. Why? Why should I want that? Why is there a need to add wall art? This need is so deep, so prehistoric, that painting walls wasn’t it human’s first expression or art. Why?
As I stand waiting, I remember a mystical remark by a Sufi master. He explained that all we see and experience is Creation creating itself to see itself, to engage with itself, to see itself being reflected back at itself. When I heard this story on creation, I felt puzzled yet fascinated. I needed some time to see Creation as a force that enjoys creating a version of itself (not really outside itself and not even separate from itself but a bit away from itself) to be able to engage with itself, to see itself as a reflection of ourselves in a mirror. The more I think about it, the more I understand God creating the world in seven days; not God’s miraculous and exhausting timeline of creation but his will to create, or his need to create to interact with his creation. After all, what is God without people believing in God?
Back to me standing bored in our apartment gallery. I felt the need to create; an overwhelming need. These dead walls are painful. I imagine to be imprisoned in a white washed cell without crayons and I know that I would grow demented in record time or I would die due to having nothing to interact with.
The Sufi’s cosmogonic myth makes sense to me; creation needs to create. Without this creative force creating itself in order to interact with itself through thousands different manifestations all would deteriorate, seeps or drain away. We need art; we need music. We need to make art and music. Go and paint the umpteenth version of Monet’s lily pond; the umpteenth print of a sunflower. Creating is a good thing.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.
Welcome to my website, my blog and this page that offers two mandarin duck art cards. Should you have questions, free invited to use the contact form.
Kindest greetings from Paula Kuitenbrouwer
I am at Etsy too and I have my portfolio at Instagram.
Two (2) Mandarin Duck art cards (Resting)
Two double folded and professionally printed art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They come with matching envelopes. One for you and one to send to a friend.
€17.00
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Standing)
Two double folded and professionally printed art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They come with matching envelopes. One for you and one to send to a friend.
I have studied Golden Age Dutch Floral Painters in the past and Rachel Ruysch (1664 – 1750) was one of my favourite painters. Not only did she paint extremely well, she had ten children. How can one paint so exquisitely and go through 10 pregnancies and raise so many children, is beyond me.
Rachel Ruysch was a Dutch still-life painter from the Northern Netherlands. She specialized in flowers, inventing her own style and achieving international fame in her lifetime
Her dated works establish that she painted from the age of 15 until she was 86, a few years before her death. She had household help, which she could afford because she was a well-paid artist (another remarkable fact) and painted, before her death at the age of 86, hundreds of paintings.
I like to point out that Dutch floral paintings are an illusion. We tend to overlook this because we can buy lush bouquets at our local supermarkets year-round and lack knowledge about when plants bloom and where they come from. We care little about seasonal vegetables and fruits; we also have not much knowledge about where our veggies and fruits come unless we study supermarket labels saying ‘Olives from Italy’ or ‘Persimmons from Israel’.
Rachel Ruysch
Sketches as reference photos
Golden Age floral painters studied flowers by making meticulous sketches and writing down which colours they needed. Upon designing a large floral bouquet, they returned to their notebooks and sketches. This way they were able to put together flowers that in nature do not bloom or flourish at the same time, or at the same place, and adding seasonal butterflies and insects, showing spring, summer and autumn in one painting. How easy it is now to consult a book or photo and put together flowers from all over the world, flowers that naturally never bloom simultaneously.
My tulip study inspired by Golden Age floral painters
The difference between the Golden Age and now is that vegetables, fruits and flowers that are flown in aren’t good for keeping a low carbon footprint. Golden Age painters created illusions and prosperous bouquets not with the help of cargo trucks, cool cells or air crafts, but with their own notes and sketches. Isn’t that wonderful? Imagine a studio with sketches. Imagine the deep focus that comes with using your sketches as a reference portfolio. Having no digital assistance did not prevent painters to paint the most wonderful, detailed and beautiful paintings.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciate this blog post and are you enjoy my website? Perhaps you like to support it? I have a shop (see header) and at the end of most all my essays and articles I post one or two art cards on sale.
Two (2) Elegant Tulip Art Cards
Two professionally printed and double folded art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching (white) envelopes. Free shipping.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer 
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