In my work as a psychotherapist, I invite people to think of themselves and their lives as works in progress. I hope that creates progressive room for people’s progress in healing, patience, acceptance, and gentleness with self and others.
Yesterday, while I was not at work and I was looking at other people’s work instead, I saw this:
That “Work in Progress” by Carolyn Callahan was at the Fort Point Channel Artists Open Studios. My friend Deb and I saw many works in progress there, including ourselves!
That’s Deb, whose colorful hair reflects the progressive work of Mia, our wonderful hair artiste in Watertown. Deb and I were working on our breakfast, at Flour Bakery in Boston, when I took that picture and saw more works in progress, including this:
After breakfast, Deb and I progressed to the Open Studios, where we saw some progressive works by Jenifer Mumford.
Jenifer told us about somebody who had progressed into her studio the day before and had turned around the work hanging on the walls, declaring “These look better like this!”
Deb and I thought it was quite progressive and kind of Jenifer not to tell that guy what a piece of work he was.
After we talked to Jenifer, we saw some wonderful work by my ex-business partner Jonathan Stark, whom I worked with in the 80s and 90s, creating progressive corporate videos and other advertising/marketing work.
That’s Jenifer Stark, Jonathan’s lovely wife, who does amazing work creating fabrics and clothing. Jonathan and Jen got married in 2010. Good work, Jonathan and Jen!
Here are some other works in progress we saw yesterday at Fort Point Channel, Boston USA:
Actually, I saw that last work at a supermarket in Waltham, Massachusetts last night. Do you think powdered peanut butter is progress? If not, what progress do you see here?
When I progressed to YouTube to look for progressive music about work, I found this great work by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet:
Now I need to progress to work.
Progressive thanks to all the artists who helped me create today’s post and to all the works in progress out there, including you!
What wonderful art! I have always said I am a work in progress, learning from new experiences in life and learning how to change from them!
I’m always so grateful when you progress over to my blog, wonderful Lisa!
Wow that’s an amazing post – almost a thesis! What a wonderful journey around all those brilliant people. I can definitely attest to belonging to the work very much in progress gang..
I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the works of Jane Austen, but I never progressed to finish my perhaps brilliant graduate thesis on the modern film musical. Therefore, I love thinking of this post as a thesis in progress, Chas! Thanks for this wonderful comment.
Hope you take a stab at the postgrad completion. Sounds great
I loved the art you shared. Thanks! But powdered peanut butter? Makes me shudder.
I love all the feelings you bring here, Emilie!
Great stuff Ann! I love that thought too…yes, I’m a work in progress 😉
Aren’t we all, Kellie? Thanks for this lovely, great comment.
You too are a piece of art in progress Ann! Love the wooly ewe and lamb on the water … That’s out of the box progressive!
Love ewe, Val!
Lambie Annie – love ewe too!
❤
Love the Angel perched on the shelf, and I have used that powdered peanut butter.nits pretty good! But after reading the China Study, I opt for the organic version from a different company I found at Whole Foods.
Sounds like you’re making progress in lots of areas, Sunny. I am grateful for your lovely visit here, today.
Oh my — someone who has used powdered peanut butter! Amazing! That’s progressive thinking!
I like the progres you made in moving this post through art to sheep on the water to a tub of powdered peanut butter — I guess if you think about it, peanut butter itself must be progress for peanuts… so why not powder?
Hmmm…. I’ll have to really progress my thinking to embrace that one!
It takes one progressive thinker to know another one, Louise! I embrace your visit today, with gratitude.
Absolutely fascinating!
Thank you, fascinating Julie!
Hi Ann, you do go see some interesting stuff. All I saw yesterday was my front garden which is always a work in progress, the inside of the laundry room (like a million times and also a work in progress – the laundry just keeps coming) and Whole Foods. Powdered peanut butter is brilliant. I must tell my kids about that – they are always adding peanut butter to stuff to boost their protein intake and it is gloppy and doesn’t mix well. But powdered peanut butter sounds like it would be much easier to add to stuff.
Have a superbly wonderful day!!!!
Thank you for this superbly wonderful, brilliant, progressive and interesting visit, SD! ❤
You are most welcome!!!!!
The way you look at things always opens me up to new possibilities. Suddenly I see progress everywhere. Every work of art is a work in progress. That reminds me of the 20th century painter Francis Bacon (not to be confused with the 16th century philosopher). He had a terribly cluttered studio and once a woman getting her portrait painted by him was shocked to realize he wasn’t looking at her but at a picture of a rhinoceros on the floor.
It was all part of a work in progress.
I’m looking at your picture, Chris, as I’m working on this response. I’m grateful we can all make progress together.
I know that work is in progress, and I really mean it!
Thanks for posting this, Maria. Great work!
The power in silliness…a perfect mantra. Love it ! ☺
I love the power in silliness, too, Van! Another way to make progress together.
I think it was Dali who was caught in a museum adding to a painting of his that had been hanging there for decades – he said he felt it just wasn’t finished yet.
Dali was a very progressive thinker and painter. Thanks for doing the work to share that progress here!
Lovely, amazing and inspiring! (And the artwork is very nice, too.)
I would love to see these artists’ work in person, and as I can’t, I feel very lucky that you shared it with us today. I feel energised and ready to dive into my own work-in-progresa.
Thanks for sharing that work-in-progress energy with us, lovely, amazing, and inspiring Maureen.
Was that a gigantic sheep-shaped soap-on-a-rope in the habour?
Not a baaaaad guess, Maureen.
I’m actually trying to piece together pieces of my life that way, in some sort of mosaic, that holds the most significance today. It has to be made of parts old and new, and all things in between. Don’t you think?
I like the way your progressive mind works, Eli!
It’s a scattered mess, actually – I try to put the best of it out on the page though.
You don’t just try, Eli, you succeed!!
great job if
you can get it 🙂
I get it!
Thank you.
I love the progress of your eye at play, Ann. Nice work!
I like the way your mind works, Mark!
My life is a work in progress
My life too, Joanne!
Blimey! Is Leonardo STILL working on that painting? Seriously, open studios are a great opportunity for work in progress
Your comments work for me, Derrick.
Now peanut butter
shakers find an honored place
by salt and pepper,
I don’t need a calendar
to see I’ve seen too many days.
I’m so glad you’ve seen the days you’ve seen,
and progressed the way you have.
Your wisdom is always welcome.
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