The Namesake







Years ago, I sat around a table with a career coach who was helping me refine my vision for the next year or so. At this particular meeting, she said I reminded her of a Magpie, a bird well known for finding lightness in darkness (i.e. digging to the bottom of the pile for the gold). This idea deeply resonated with me, especially because of my deep connection to the animal world.

I did a tiny bit of searching around and came across the following, which I loved, “Magpies are curious and…use whatever they find and teach us how to be resourceful. Magpie medicine people have the ability to succeed in life. Those with this totem are usually eclectic and able to draw on a variety of resources to assist them in their pursuits. Being able to adapt to different situations in a spontaneous way is one of the Magpie's strongest attributes. Those with this totem often find that their interests are varied which make master ship of any one thing difficult although not impossible.”

For as long as I can remember, I have felt like a Jackie of All Trades...pursuing and holding a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things, but no real sense of competence or sense of ownership to any one arena. Holding this knowledge of the Magpie inspires me to reframe what I have chalked up to lack of focus. 

At some point in my research about the Magpie, I came across a magnificent story about one such incredible Magpie (http://www.penguinthemagpie.com/penguins-story/) who rescued an Australian family, and it moved me to paint a piece above (last in the series above) and served as the inspiration of the name of my art company. I ended up selling the art piece at my most recent show...and it was a little hard to let go of because it represented such a significant period of healing and growth for me. Beautiful lesson in letting go. I was so happy though to see it go to a woman who made a beeline to the piece. 

Then come full circle: about a month ago, I spotted Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved a Family on my sister's coffee table and was blown away by the depth of a story I had only surfaced years ago. Reading it was a saving grace during a recent medical procedure. If you can get your hands on a copy, savor it!  

Comments