September 15, 2025
Welcome to my blog on All Things Theron. It is wonderful to have a place to share my thoughts and feelings on things in this very busy age. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. The only thing I would ask is that you be kind with one another in your reflections and interactions.
VIEW
I really feel compelled to comment on the multitude of disturbing events in the recent past. In every case, I feel sincere sorrow for the loss of lives, and the disruption of the lives of those gathered or at school, and their families and friends. Watching the reactions on social media, often full of fear, anger, and sometimes outright hatred, is a reminder of our fragile state of existence here on earth. These tragic events are individually shocking, and taken together over time, traumatic for our collective psyche. The responses of anger are natural and often the first and easiest way to express fear in response to tragic events. This is heightened when one looks at the loss of trust in the institutions we once depended upon for civic, and civil, life. When we look closer at the anger expressed, there is an underlying sorrow and fear being expressed, even if it is represented in a protective stance. When we turn inward and do our work including exploring the sorrow and loss, we can find compassion for ourselves, and in turn for others. Compassion is the word of the moment, and we need it more than ever.
While it is many times our desire to collect every detail and microscopically, scientifically break down, and assign blame, guilt, and motive to the events, it is this very behavior that can lead us to miss the bigger lessons. In our search for the answers, we can loose the interconnection, between ourselves, nature, myth, the numinous. It is my conviction that we need to know less and be open to experience more. To let go of the snide remarks, and cruel, rigid, all knowing stances common in our interactions. To recognize one another as fellow beings, interconnected and interdependent with each other. Actually, with all of nature. This challenge requires our humility and compassion, openly engaged and present with ourselves and one another in dialog and wonder. It is painfully obvious that we as a people are not able to stay in this coherent state of presence currently. However, with a flexible yet persistent practice, each of us is capable of expanding our experience of compassion and being cared for in our daily lives.
I am reminded of our temporal nature by these events, both the widely publicized and the personal. How each of our moments are valuable and yet fleeting.
ART
My love of art is as old as I am. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to play with materials and form things. My great aunt and uncle worked for Marshall Studio near Veedersburg, Indiana. As a child, we would go for visits, and I feel in love with clay. Of course, as a child, it was don’t touch, and be careful. This only made the desire to make things with clay grow.
Clay is representative of the primordial goop, the mud that oozes between our toes when we play in the lake. The place where the creative can freely express from the muck. Creativity, like the muck, goes through seasons, and there are fallow times, and times of great activity. This natural rhythm is a large part of the creative life, and adjusting to it takes acceptance along with compassion. Learning this dance is challenging and rewarding. It is humbling as you grow to see how little we know. Don’t mistake what I am saying, we can gain some mastery of the materials, but if you are attending to the process, you find there is always more to learn and discover.
I am coming out of a long fallow period in my writing. I have been working on a series of drawings for the past 4 years and am about to shift to painting the “favorites” or most promising of the works. This series is based on a long standing tradition in art to work with or express the spiritual in a multitude of ways. In this case, I have worked to let go and allow the spirit to move through continuous line on the page. While I am aware of my activity in the process, I am also aware of the unconscious flow of my hand in space, the breath that allows for that flow, and the ultimate realization that it is an expression made through me.
The rational and logical guide so much of our day to day life, needing to care for self and family, our homes and friendships. It is in art that we can “relax” and find spirits guidance. Find the flow state and enter process. As Kurt Vonnegut said, “ To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.” I concur. New work will be up soon on theronmattick.art
MUSIC
Sound healing, as a modality has recaptured my interest, leading me to consider signing up for the level two training. It would include further one on one work along with group sound bath training. I have been practicing for the past 3 years on family and friends with a level one certification. I have also been working on sound recordings for healing, focusing on yoga, meditation, and relaxation.
So honored to have been working with the Mad Lads for over a year now. Jon, Irish, and I are honing our chops on our special brand of doom funk, and mixing in some jazz, blues, and reggae. More will be shared as we continue to work on this project.
Leave a Reply