Year of Jubilee-My 50th Birthday

Apr 22

Year of Jubilee

My fiftieth birthday slowly emerged on the horizon. It was sometime before I turned forty nine, yet, this big mile stone had my attention already. I had heard about ‘A Year of Jubilee’ and read about people applying the idea to their own fiftieth year. However, the full meaning was a bit of a mystery to me, so I decided to look into it.

I learned that the Year of Jubilee is not just about a happy celebration. The Biblical concept is much more of a process. It is about people being set free, about property going back to the original owner, about not planting and harvesting for a whole year, and about letting the land recuperate.

So, the year between my forty-ninth and fiftieth birthday became special in my mind. I decided to make the Year of Jubilee concept as practical as I could think of. I made a list, and first came my garden. I love to garden and usually sow and plant new things during the year. Not so the year towards my fiftieth birthday. Second on the list, was to refrain from purchasing any new paint or supplies for my art studio. And my third choice was to not buy any clothes for a whole year. This surely made me creative with what I had in my closet already.

During this year, the concept of a ‘Year of Jubilee’ became so meaningful to me. The importance of taking responsibility for rightful property. To check where the boundaries actually are, and to become aware of what is happening inside those boundaries.

The idea of being accountable for my own domain, started to become clearer. I became aware how easy it is to neglect one’s own garden for all kinds of reasons. It is possible to totally lose sight of it’s condition by being busy caring for others, or attempting to resolve dynamics which are ultimately out of my control.

-Boundaries are not a goal in itself,

but a means to provide a place to flourish-

Every day of that year, I took a blank 3x5 notecard to mark the day. I would either write a thought on it, a verse from Scripture, or draw something. As an artist, the comparison to a courtyard garden increasingly resonated with me. I pictured a safe area where all kinds of beautiful things can flourish.

As the idea of a clearly defined, and carefully tended domain turned into images in my mind, it was so tempting to just start painting and sharing with others. Instead, I took time to carefully prepare the soil. To check if it was nourished and rich, or lacking essential nutrients. Also, underneath the surface, there might be rocks or obstacles which would prevent healthy growth and fruit to spring forth. This last part took dedication. It would have been easier to level the surface, and to call it a garden. Nevertheless, taking time was essential for the next steps.

On the day after my fiftieth birthday, I went out and bought a stack of canvases at great art store in the Jordaan neighborhood in Amsterdam. It was such a joy to start painting and depict some of the ideas I had treasured over the year. These paintings turned into the first Mokum Art collection; ‘A Place by Me ’.