Purple Haze

Originally a desk with laptop screen and keys became a bus and has now morphed into an excavator or crane. 

Hmmm, wonder what i’m excavating?

The mirage of equipment emerges from a “Purple Haze” or could it be a delicious raspberry fog instead of a disturbing dream?

When Purple Haze popped in my head as a post title for the latest version of this drawing, i couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Then upon a search, a light went on and instigated some fun exploring of the meaning and story associated with this iconic Hendricks song.

Mmmorph, merge & evolve… i’m enjoying how a tumble of thoughts & ideas blend with the earlier version of Who’s Driving?  

This week in a Zoom call with colleagues, we did a review of the year, Phew! As i reflect on that more today, i am struck by how the last 2 years have, on a world wide level, been a purple haze bad dream.

Then, i wonder if we might be emerging?

You could certainly doubt that, if you watch/listen to much news. Mainstream media news (about anything) seems to be a bad dream continuing… So much hyped fear.

This week as i worked to finish this drawing, Who’s Driving?  i thought:

What if, no one is driving?    

What if the ride we’re on is all feedback loops at this point. A system, perpetuated through self reinforcing loops.

Are we helpless then? A victim to the crazy hazy ride? In a doubting moment, i can consider it. However despite the seeming runaway nature of many of our global crisis, i believe we can affect change by even very small acts that can all combine with others to create bigger shifts.

i think there are cracks developing, letting light in to the bad dream we’ve been lost in.

The many challenges we face can seem overwhelming… and yet i find hope in understanding how systems work and that even when maybe no one is actually in the driver seat, we can still affect change. We can disrupt the feedback loops, get them moving in a different direction, reinforcing a new regenerative collaborative evolution.

So how do we help open those cracks, change the loops and contribute to that transformation? 

How can we transform the disturbing purple haze dream into a delicious raspberry mist? One where a golden bus on a great adventure emerges?  

One small way is to expand your awareness, notice what you are focusing on and become more conscious of what you choose to pay attention to and contribute to? It has more bearing than we might imagine.

Meditation and walks in nature, getting present in my body have been important in the last couple of years to release and refocus when i get caught up in the collective fear.

My return to making art has also shined a light on my path out of that fear haze.

What are you choosing to focus on?

How might you nudge open a crack, change the hue, disrupt a destructive feedback loop?

Thanks for reading and sharing with anyone you think might enjoy.