We are previewing my in-progress series of Enso Oracle Cards this month, each card based on real issues from real artists in The Enso Circle.  We’ve already looked at The Wanderer and The Hump. More about The Hump later in this post.

Today’s Enso Oracle Card is all too familiar to me. It’s called The Shiny Object. It shows up when I’m knee-deep in unfinished projects, surrounded by half-torn mulberry paper and unanswered emails, and I still think, “Ooh, I need to check out that new cold wax thingy that’s water soluble – ” and off I go to Pinterest or YouTube to “research.”

The reversed Shiny Object is that moment when inspiration turns into avoidance — when curiosity becomes the perfect excuse not to finish anything at all. It’s not judging me (okay, maybe just a little), but it does nudge me to ask: Am I exploring something new… or running away from the work that’s calling me? Sometimes, the most courageous act in the studio is simply returning to what we already started.

So here’s this week’s Oracle Card:

THE SHINY OBJECT ENSO ORACLE CARD

aka The Rabbit Hole
Keywords: distraction, novelty, curiosity, temptation, redirection

A clever crow perches atop a cluttered studio table, its beady eye fixed on a sparkling bauble outside the window. Around it, the half-hidden remnants of abandoned projects and tantalizing tools—paint tubes, half-sculpted clay, unwrapped pastels, a digital stylus, rusted wire, wax pots—whisper promises of possibility. This card reflects the lure of the new and the irresistible pull of novelty.

Upright, The Shiny Object invites you to examine whether your current fascinations are playful expansions—or diversions from deeper work. You may be called to explore something new, but be mindful: every “yes” to something glittering may be a “no” to something important. Choose with intention, not impulse.

Reversed, this card can reveal stagnation disguised as commitment. You may be clinging too tightly to one medium or routine out of fear of getting lost again. Remember that the joy of experimentation doesn’t always equal distraction. Sometimes, chasing a sparkle leads to unexpected treasure—if your feet stay grounded.

Reflection Questions:

• What am I reaching for right now, and why?
• Am I nourishing my creative center or avoiding something deeper?
• Where do I need more discernment—or more freedom?

Affirmation:
I honor my curiosity, but I choose where to land. I can explore without losing my way.

_______________________________________________________

Confession: I chased a few Shiny Objects last week while I struggled with The Hump,  trying in vain to figure out my Altar for Celebration Circle. I knew what I wanted – it was going to be called Georgia’s Dream, a tribute to the legendary painter.

It started out great – I figured out how to attach a deer skull securely to the wooden altar structure. And then I found the perfect photo of Georgia O’Keeffe to use as my encaustic icon portrait. And then The Hump appeared. I was stuck.

The Hump stage:

It took three days and a few rabbit holes to give me the breathing room to get back to the Georgia’s Dream Altar. And then it just came together! Sometimes we need blocks and distractions to force us to look away so that we can come back with fresh eyes.

Here’s the story of Georgia’s Dream:

Georgia’s Dream
Assemblage by Lyn Belisle

In this poignant mixed media assemblage, artist Lyn Belisle constructs a shrine-like portal into the inner dreamscape of Georgia O’Keeffe during her later years at Abiquiú. Central to the piece is the bleached skull of a deer, crowned with delicate flowers and flanked by rusted metal leaves—symbols of both decay and transcendence. A turquoise cross rises behind it, evoking the spiritual landscape of the American Southwest and the sacred geometry of personal myth.

Beneath the skull rests an image of O’Keeffe herself, serene and centered, set into an aged niche like an icon. It is not merely a portrait—it is a mirror of longing and continuity. Below, a brush, thread, and turquoise fragments suggest the tools of her artistic and spiritual communion. The word “MILAGRO” etched along the base speaks to the miraculous transformation at the heart of the dream.

Georgia’s Dream imagines an ethereal journey: an aged O’Keeffe, her physical body frail, dreams of slipping into the spirit of a deer—fleet, luminous, unbound. In this dream, she races across the high desert mesas she once painted with such reverence, becoming part of the land once more. The assemblage becomes not just a tribute, but a vessel of metamorphosis—where memory, myth, and matter blur.

I’ll be back next week with a new card – see you then!!