(Recently finished painting: “Walking with care”)
The danish author, singer and songwriter Majbritte Ulrikkeholm recently posted a beautyful, soulwarming story about the butterfly and the creative process. Her writing has inspired me so much over the years, this was no exeption. I actually had tears in my eyes when reading it, because, well, she totally gets the fragile moment in any artists life, AND, she can explain it so poetic. She agreed I could share part of it with you here. Read it, it holds a good surprise:
“The creative process can be compared with the butterfly process from egg to caterpillar to full grown butterfly. And we can really learn from the butterfly….
…The butterfly starts as a tiny egg that later develops into a caterpillar, whose primary task is to munch as much food as it possibly can. When the caterpillar is filled up, it spins its cocoon from its own silk threads, and inside that cocoon it develops into a butterfly. At the time when the butterfly is ready, it breaks through its cocoon.
BUT what many don´t know – because this in itself is already such a pretty picture – is that the butterfly actually can´t fly when it emerges from the cocoon. As beautiful as it is, as grown and expanded as it is, there exists a moment in the butterfly´s life when it is fully grown, bursted through its cocoon, but it still cannot fly. Beautiful and fragile it lies on the ground and pumps body fluid into its wings. And this is the most vulnerable moment in the butterfly’s life, and here it is an easy prey for larger animals that can attack the defenseless beautiful insect in many colors, which calls for attention.
But if the butterfly survives this moment, it becomes a flyer. It rises high above it´s attackers and brings joy to people’s lives. For there is probably no human who doesn´t rejoice and feel an opening in the heart at the sight of theese light beings that remind us that everything one day will rise above limitations and fears -transformed from sheltered caterpillar to beautiful mature butterfly.”
(Majbritte Ulrikkeholm)
You can find her full Butterfly story here (english speaking? Throw it in google translate, it´s worth it!)
EXHIBITION COMING SATURDAY….
Oh, and if you live nearby here in Denmark, I am represented with around 10 paintings in an exhibition starting saturday 17th march in Galleri Warrer in Møn, read more here. Perhaps I´ll see you there saturday, I would really love that!
