Dear friends,
When these IQ’s get emailed by the magic elves at Internet-land, they do it around 7am Sydney time. As such, you are the ones to whom I refer, when I use this quote:
“Morning without you is a dwindled dawn.” – Emily Dickinson.
This IQ is a dedication of love and appreciation to each and every single one of you, who have put your hand up to receive my small gift of art every day.
Your act of choosing to receive my work is an enormous vote of confidence, a sturdy affirmation, and a tender declaration of love and worth, all in and of itself.
The fact that some of you choose to write to me directly and tell me so in your own words, is a most beautiful gift and compliment.
For both of those things, I’m extremely grateful, and feel utterly validated and proud that my work has resonance beyond my own head.
There is more.
This IQ is actually also a huge, heartfelt dedication to my wife and children – but especially my wife, Belinda.
This particular image was taken out the window of seat 34A on Delta flight DL17 from LAX to Sydney, as I returned home from Fargo and Misfit Conference.
In the moment of taking this photo, I was completely awed by the natural beauty present in the world, and grateful that I was able to view it from such a unique perspective.
I was also desperately excited to see my beautiful Belinda and my darlings Indrani and Rilien again after a short/long 6 days away.
Flying in to Sydney, filled with wonder at the remarkable miracle nature decided to show me that morning, I felt that the dawn was symbolic of several things:
1) Seeing my family again – the sun was shining into my heart more strongly, the nearer I came to them.
2) A new beginning in how I consider my work as art, and how I consider myself an artist.
3) A new start on doing work that matters, making a difference in the world, and living intentionally and with choice.
And yet, there is still more.
Right now, tonight, my wife and I have returned home from a long dinner where we discussed our plans to travel Australia with our kids.
We have several purposes behind this trip, from seeing the vast diversity and beauty of our country, to sharing a message of Family, Love and Wellness with our country.
The thing is, planning a trip such as this is difficult, and at this point in the journey, we have far more questions than answers.
We each have strong wills and personalities, and we each approach problems from polar opposite viewpoints – I’m all about fluffy big picture ideas and goals, and Belinda is very detail-oriented and focussed on structure.
When these traits are present, in the face of challenging circumstances and too many unanswered questions, tempers fray.
Harsh things are said, easily reached buttons are pushed, and strong, stormy silences are punctuated only by angry breathing and jarring movements.
I wish this scenario was not a description of how our dinner date finished, but I know that we sometimes work like this, and that typically, by facing adversity, we triumph with a solution that re-defines synergy.
For now, I’m going to finish by saying to my lovely wife Belinda, that mornings without you are a dwindled dawn.
My life only makes sense when you’re there with me, holding my hand, watching the sun rise and feeling it shine into our hearts.
Here’s to many, many more dawns together, and many, many more projects, crazy ideas, and artistic expressions of who we are together.
I love you.
Thanks for being here, friends, and please continue to write me. I love it. I love you.
With gallons of love,
Israel. xo