Back when I was younger, before the internet was a thing, I had never heard this term. I was introduced to it by what is still one of my favourite films: Dead Poet's Society. That film taught me that every day mattered and also that being creative and artistic was something that was a calling for the soul. I was brought up to be somewhat risk adverse and this film advocated making every minute of our ordinary lives count, something quite outside my comfort zone.
Now, of course, the term Carpe Diem (or Seize the Day) is well known, used and abused for marketing everything from cafes to vitamins and tourist destinations. Nonetheless, the message, "Seize the Day" is still worthy of grabbing with both hands, to literally seize every moment you are lucky to experience...and suck the marrow from it.
This was recently brought home to me on a very long road trip interstate to visit various far flung members of the family. My husband and I drove from our home in SEQ to Canberra via Coffs Harbour and Newcastle as far south as Melbourne and back via Lakes Entrance, Canberra, Dubbo, Gilgandra and Goondiwindi. It was a long trip, with lots of miles driving on bad roads and through very dull landscapes. But, this was interspersed with irreplaceable times with family, stunning landscapes and the opportunity to commune with animals (at Dubbo Zoo) that I will likely not see in their natural environment.
Art has helped me to "seize the day" during the trip. Firstly, I took photos throughout, sharing with family members so that they were virtually travelling with us. I can now look back on this curated selection of images and remember the good times we had throughout the various stages of the journey. The internet has some uses, as does the camera on my phone. Due to its point and click technology, though, taking a photo captures tiny amounts of time. It was the planning of the photos, which shots to take and add to my little curation that makes the time so memorable. You can see some sample photos below:
I would have liked to do more artwork during our time away, but that didn't really happen. I did, however, do some sketching in the the little journal I carry in my bag. One of the sketches I did was of my son - its not the best drawing I've ever done or even a good likeness, but this little sketch which I did without him realising, takes me back to when I executed it, the living room we were sitting in, the lighting, the way I felt at the time and how much I love and appreciate my son. Drawing him allowed me to drink in his features and any time I look at the sketch, I am transported back to that time. Seizing the moment, seizing the day.
When you make a sketch of a moment, it actually takes time - much longer than the moment you are capturing, which allows you to drink it in deeply and internalise all of those environmental qualities that go along with that experience - way beyond what you can see. You are also taking note of what you can feel, hear and even smell when you are doing the sketch. You are really in the moment, rather than being a spectator in your own life, which is largely what the digital world allows.
When we finally got home, in need of a bit of a lie down, really, we had to deal with a family emergency involving my aging parents. To make a long story short, my father had a life-threatening infection and is only just now pulling through. Another reminder that life is finite and we had best make the most of whatever time we have. I'm not gonna lie, it has been a gruelling week, with one thing or another. And I will be using art to help me to get back on to an even keel emotionally. It allows me to be mindful, to understand issues that have come up for me and how I reacted or dealt with them and to some extent why.
If you can relate to any of this, then I recommend you do what you can to Carpe Diem. Maybe involving yourself in art and artistic activity will help!
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