Quatrain #27: En Plein Air

En Plein Air is a French expression that defines the essence of somebody doing something in an outdoor environment. In the late 19th Century it was a phrase frequently used to describe the Impressionists and other groups of painters that preferred to produce their works outside. Today we just might call it working on location.

Nevertheless, what inspires the quatrain is a visceral sense of rawness, exposure to the elements, and the things we do sometimes to seek adequate shelter and protection to endure life's rough edges. Regardless of what form the protection [coping mechanism] takes, what the experience looks like to the outside world can be rather confusing, mysterious, and strange. Sometimes just being agile and adaptable, shifting into survival mode, taking cover, and letting function overshadow form is all one can do. These layers of protection are typically temporary, but sometimes they need to be built for the long term to enable growth and the act of moving forward. I mean, everyone has a security blanket, right? What's yours?