"the space between yes and no." - that is the title for an upcoming show by Madeline Denaro at the Cheryl Hazan Gallery in NYC.  I ran across that title yesterday and was hit blindside.  I can't get that thought out of my mind 'the space between yes and no.'

Today was really not a good day for me so I bypassed the studio time, lounged around, cried around, tried to cheer myself up by a horse ride and now I'm trying a tea latte.  Artists go through these times automatically as they create, get blocked and can't seem to overcome their fear of making art.  Somedays artists just 'plow through' and the work almost happens like magic.

I don't usually like to get in to too much of my personal life, however I do realize that my personal life and art life really are one.  I'm in the process of a divorce that is taking longer than it should and I am not looking for sympathy, but I do believe hard times as an artist are even more difficult because we tend to be over-sensitive and caring about others over ourselves.  We can't help it, it's part of the left brain/right brain thing!  These difficult times I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.  Everyone has a difficult path and one way that I, as an artist, found some healing was through journaling and sketchbook keeping.  On days, and there were many, that I couldn't get my heart and mind to work, I would write my thoughts down in my journal.
Thus the sculpture: it is what it is.  was created.  This winter I spent my evenings working on 'making' some journals.  These are getting filled up this year and I will try to fill them up with good thoughts!

In life (and on Facebook) I believe in POSITIVE thoughts and I try to keep my negative thoughts to a minimum.  I realize my problems are no different than the problems of everyone else.  Luckily I have my art, my friends, my family, my kids and my new gallery to keep me on the positive side.  Divorce though is like death, 'moving' on 'or getting over it' is not easy and some of us may never 'move on' or 'get over it'.  That is where I am at right now, in 'the space between yes and no' and I've been stuck there for some time. 
So...what I am getting at is I may be having a crappy day, feeling stuck and realizing I can't seem to move on BUT I can guarantee you that my posts on Facebook or my blog will always be positive!  Because we need to fill this world with more positive thoughts!  So I hope and pray that my heart heals some day, one way or the other, and that all of you can fill the world with your positive thoughts too!
Often when I am writing in my journals I try to incorporate pages of 'gratitude'!  Yes!  Just full pages of what I am thankful for - try it - you'll feel better to!
Near my Michigan Home is an amazing abuse shelter that one of my good friends works at.  Recently I saw a post that they were in need of all kinds of donations from personal care to everything...including journals!  They, too, know the healing power of journaling and writing down your thoughts during difficult times.   So....because I so believe in the healing power of journaling, my gallery CAPPAERT CONTEMPORARY GALLERY in Egg Harbor, WI is donating 40 journals to the Rainbow House.  Let's stop the heart break and spread the healing...one small act of kindness at a time.