Settling into Gratitude

This morning's meditation included a powerful affirmation:

In this moment, I choose to settle into a space of peaceful gratitude.

What particularly struck me was "settle". Like the Monarch butterflies that graced my garden this week, I flit and flutter about sometimes. I go from one bloom of activity to another, and forget to

I even noticed a few days ago that my InkTober practice had been all about "getting it done".I was forgetting Step 1 of the Zentangle Method: Gratitude and Appreciation. My drawing, not for the first time, was about cranking it out. This had happened before with my cards for our Meals on Wheels friends as well as for my class preparation.

This week's Meals on Wheels cards

I felt a powerful reminder as I drew the first tile and a rainbow appeared on it!

That never happened before!

I hope to remember to take a moment, or several, to feel gratitude this week before picking up my tools. I miss that deliberate moment that we always take at the beginning of our classes. I invite you to remember, too, if you sometimes forget.

I invite you to "settle into a space of peaceful gratitude" and to take time to wonder. It's the seed, in my view, of all beauty and creativity.

Remember: Even butterflies stop and enjoy!

Note(s) to Self

I love quotes and proverbs. (I recently learned the word for a collection of proverbs: a paremiography.) During this time of healing my back, I have restructured my day into "micro-bursts" of joy. These are 20-25 minute periods for gardening (without bending!!!), walking outside, making cards for our Meals on Wheels friends, tangling, reading, writing. I try to alternate between the sedentary and the standing, and then throw in foam rolling, yoga and tai chi. Most of the drawing has been for InkTober. I'm so grateful for this tangle-a-day format to complete a brightly colored 2-page spread in my art journal. Put on your sunglasses. Here's the first page:

I'm pleased, and surprised, with how I've used so many colors! 

You can see a bit of the distress ink background on the right.

I've also done some calligraphy pieces on distress ink backgrounds. These go pretty quickly and serve a purpose. They remind me of the things I'm learning during this slow life time. They bring me joy and a sense of accomplishment. Even though my time and productivity look different these days, I can still do something I find beautiful and worthwhile.

Finally, my end of summer tribute to the lovely purple cone flowers we had in abundance this year. 

Effie

Wishing you a bright and colorful week!

Oops! I did it again!

Once again, I've left my post unattended! Once again, I've overdone the drawing, hiking, reading, and gardening and had to  s l o w  down! I'm now on a "baby steps" approach to my activities, since sitting around idle doesn't seem to work for me! Small spurts of all the things I mentioned above allow me to stay sane. Sadly, I haven't found a way to teach in small spurts, so I have put my classes on hold for now. I am grateful for my students' thoughtfulness, support, and understanding.

And in that mindset, I am also grateful for Mindful Arts Studio, and the 12-day Inchie Challenge I undertook in August. Every day brought a new prompt.  Once I had my coffee and supplies set up,I set my 5-minute timer and began to make art. I especially appreciated having a small travel box of watercolors to work with, and find that I enjoy using these now on a regular basis. A new tool! As you can see, most of my inchies incorporate some Zentangle. (If you're not familiar with inchies, they are simply a small square. Mine were 2 x 2 inches.) Thanks, Amy, for inspiring me to grow and try new things! I thoroughly enjoyed this project!  And for those of you who are always looking for a new rabbit hole, I highly recommend Amy's Slow Drawing and Painting Parties! You will give yourself a relaxing hour of art exploration in a judgement-free zone. What could be better?

How about you? Have you had any "micro-bursts" of creative joy?