Looking up at the gathering clouds, I see two tiny specks flying so high I can barely see them. I realize they are a pair of hawks riding the air currents in and out of the clouds. They swoop and soar - I can only imagine what the world below must look like as they gain altitude then pause just long enough to turn and dive at breakneck speed back towards the earth. I wonder if these are one of the two pairs of red-tailed hawks that I see (and hear) in the field and woods. As I’m imagining what it must feel like to be so free and powerful, I wonder - how high can a red-tailed hawk fly?
Courtesy of a National Geographic search result, I read that hawk pairs (who mate for life) “fly in large circles and gain altitude before the male plunges into a deep dive and subsequent steep climb back to circling height”. A red-tail can circle at over 5,000 feet and when diving, can reach speeds of 120 mph. Amazing as that is, there are certain kinds of geese that can reach 29,000 feet in flight, but the record’s held by a Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture - an astonishing 37,000 feet! (Unfortunately, I believe the winner met his demise in a jet engine…)
Just by watching the hawks, I shared in their exhilaration - the rush of wind, the feeling of lift from a thermal, the absolute freedom of flight. As artistic people, we dream - it’s critical to our spirit and soul. We know what it feels like to experience that unseen lift of inspiration that can take us to new heights of imagination and productivity. We understand laser focus on a goal, and the feeling of freedom that comes from a burst of creativity that transcends time and place. As artists, we are powerful, especially when we simply let ourselves take creative flight and soar!v.
Seek wonder. Embrace joy!
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