I visited Hotcakes Gallery in Riverwest last night for a yoga class, and not surprisingly, found myself having an artistic experience as well as a physical and mental one.
"Triangle" pose found me staring intently at a piece depicting a rusty stapler. I focused on the mantra "remove staples here."
"Tree" pose allowed me to focus on the stream of water flayed off the end of a canoe paddle. Images of dumpers and diggers and scoopers by artist Paul Kielland reminded me of all the things my son loves.
I stopped doing yoga when I was pregnant and my back hurt so badly that walking from my cube to the bathroom became a challenge. Once the baby came, time management -- or shall I say the lack thereof -- kept me away from both yoga and art for quite awhile.
Some people think that when you have a child, you sacrifice everything for that child. While I agree that my family is my top priority, I really want to have my "own" life as well. I would like to be able to continue to learn and grow as an individual by pursuing things that I enjoy and that are of interest to me.
The voice of my former midwife (and current yoga teacher) led me into relaxation at the end of the class and took me back to the feeling of helplessness I experienced during my pregnancy -- that my body (and life) was being taken over by a force I could no longer control. A deep inhalation of the energy and art around me strengthened me, and reminded me that is possible to integrate my life with all the things I love. I am doing it, and can continue to do it. I can find a balance.
Another of Kielland's pieces depicted a scooper bashing down a house. Maybe I will never get my pre-pregnancy body back, or nearly as much free time, but I can work on building something that works out even better.
Jessica Laub was born in Milwaukee in the spring of 1970, thereafter spending her childhood days enjoying the summers on the shores of Lake Michigan and winters at the toboggan chute in Brown Deer Park.
Alas, she moved away to broaden her horizons, and studied out East for a few years at Syracuse University. After a semester "abroad" at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, she graduated with a B.A. in English and advertising.
After college, she worked at Glacier National Park, a ski hill in Steamboat, Col. and organic farms in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California.
In 1995, Laub moved to Nicaragua where she worked on community gardens, reforestation and environmental education as a Peace Corps volunteer. While there, she learned to speak Spanish, pay attention to world politics and how to make tortillas.
Laub then returned to Milwaukee to join the ranks of the non-profit sector. Currently, she works at the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) and keeps busy by painting, throwing pots, reading, trying to understand her two-year old son, seeing performances and howling at the moon.
