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Published in Artella Magazine
Oz: Are We There Yet?
By Karen M. Jones
My mother loves to tell the story about me, at age 4, insisting to her bridge club members that I am Dorothy. Every week, they would try to call me Karen, and I'd quietly correct them with the solemn assurance of an imaginative
pre-schooler: "I'm Dorothy."
I must have known that the creative life lay ahead for me. The one that follows an unpredictable winding road, often with no one to cheer you on but some small, otherworldly characters in your head, with oddly pitched voices that shout, relentlessly: "Follow the yellow brick road!" Ultimately, though we might wish for a smoother path, a familiar map or some slightly more conventional guides, we have no other choice that will satisfy our yearnings. So we step out in our red shoes and hope they know where we're going.
Along the way, the scenery grows ominous. We worry we will never make a living at [fill in your own artistic calling here]. Plenty of people tell us so. If we persist, we wonder if our brains are missing. At times, we lose heart. We are certain that we lack the courage called for. Stumbling under the weight of self-doubt, we get the stuffing knocked out of us, or our dreams rust over from benign neglect. We pull our own tails and say, See, they were right.
When we really lose perspective - when we're convinced that not just income, but society's respect and loved ones' understanding aren't forthcoming, either - flying monkeys carry us away to places we're sure we can't escape, where time runs out and our fates are sealed. We take well-paying, structured jobs we hate, or low-paying jobs with more flexible hours to pursue our art - if only we weren't so exhausted. Wicked witches trail us and derail us, and threaten to destroy all we hold dear.
But this isn't the end of the story.
If we embrace our journey, our steps become more certain. The yellow brick road leads to an Emerald City, where ultimate wisdom resides. You think you need answers or affirmation from the experts, your parents, a professor, your favorite celebrity or guru or properly credentialed mentor. That man behind the curtain -- he must know something.
You learn, finally, that you have everything you need already. You had it all along. You are Dorothy, and no one can tell you otherwise.
So put on your red shoes for all to admire. Travel with endearing friends. Prop each other up when the trees look
especially menacing. Bring along a little dog (or cat) who carries loyalty and love to ridiculous extremes. Accept
occasional, benevolent help from a wand-waving Good Witch. But know where the real power comes from.
There's no place like the home your soul provides and tends for you, with your collaboration. It's decorated with your most dazzling potential and everything you know to be true. Just click your heels, reclaim your instincts … and make your magic happen.
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