31 Comments
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Lisa Kahn Schnell's avatar

Beautiful, Duane. And this reminds me of the book From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. He’s talking about writing fiction, but a lot of it is broadly generalizable.

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you Lisa! This looks so good! I just saved it! Looking forward to reading it!!

Davor Katusic's avatar

Beautiful collages, Duane. And the thoughts as well. But I wouldn’t be so sure that creativity arises only from suffering and longing for something.

I think it can also come from pure joy and a childlike sense of play. From celebration of life.

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you Davor! I think you’re right. I think creativity can arise from jot and play, but I’ve never experienced it that way. Everything I’ve ever made has come from a place of heartache and pain. Thanks again! I appreciate you!

Danni Levy's avatar

The lack of longing - I believe that this is the dis-ease that scares me most. The lack in humans today, especially the younger generations. They are being stripped of their roar, the ability to stargaze, to move towards a dream, to dream. May the holy hunger never leave us. May we remember the sacrifice to arrive at the light (at love) is sacred. Thank you for all of this. Love your work. Are the collages originals or prints? Do you make larger pieces? Do you ship to Italy?

Duane Toops's avatar

Beautifully said! Yes to all of this! Almost all the collages are originals. I do offer a few prints though. Most of my works are 8.5”x11”. But I do also have a quite a few that are A3. I do ship to Italy.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Ordered your print shown at the end of your post! Thank you!

Duane Toops's avatar

Thanks so much Paul! Means the world to me!

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

I love your work, Duane!

Duane Toops's avatar

I appreciate you Paul!

Kate Jara's avatar

Gorgeous sentences and sentiments!

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you so much! That means a lot to me!

Kay's avatar

I love this, Duane. Thank you.

That there is longing at the heart of the things we create and the feelings with which we reach out into the world. Yes.

And maybe consciously or subconsciously with our acts of creation, our reaching out, we try to define this feeling of longing - to give it a shape and a name?

But perhaps this longing is something fundamental to what we are, and from a remembering of something ancient and primal - a desire to reconnect.

And to fully enter into that longing and yearning, to reach out for that ancient connection, requires an opening of ourselves - and then with that openness continuing to search.

Then magic comes from what we create in our searching.

As you say, this longing can be the light that leads us home.

Duane Toops's avatar

“perhaps this longing is something fundamental to what we are” - Kay!! Yes!! This exactly! in one sentence you summed up everything I was feeling and trying to say! thank you!

Kay's avatar

Thank you as always for posting, Duane!

Vanessa's avatar

And when the hunger ceases, as it does from time to time, know that creating from

The void is just as holy

Duane Toops's avatar

“creating from

The void is just as holy”

That’s so beautiful Vanessa! Thank you so much for that!

Kim Nelson's avatar

Just "yum" today, Duane!

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you Kim! I appreciate it!

Kimberly Warner's avatar

Thought you might resonate with my In Defense Of Longing? Isn’t it freeing to reframe it has something to feel instead of fill?

Duane Toops's avatar

It’s so delicious!! Thank you so much Kim! Love you with all my everything!

Terryble Twitch's avatar

Nailed it!

The longing deep within, when allowed to exist without barriers, is the voice we hear guiding us to do better and be better, while simultaneously being the fuel and oxygen for the heat of creativity.

You’re a rockstar, Duane!

Duane Toops's avatar

“ the voice we hear guiding us to do better and be better” - You’re the rockstar, Terry! That’s gorgeous! You’re support and encouragement are incredible. And thanks so much for attending teh live stream yesterday! Meant a lot to me!

Terryble Twitch's avatar

Thank you, Duane! I was doing some automotive maint. in the garage, so the “live” was a good listen while tending to my task. Allowed me to get out of my head.

✌🏻💙

Duane Toops's avatar

Love it! So glad we could help! Thanks again!

Cesca Diebschlag's avatar

Yes!

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you!

Abbey Wade's avatar

This is so beautiful, Duane. I’d have more to say if I weren’t accidentally high on pain medication.

Duane Toops's avatar

teh fact that you still made a way to say something, whew. Means everything ;-)

Manuela Thames's avatar

Yes to all of it!

Duane Toops's avatar

Thank you Manuela!