I’m heartened to see a lot of people turning this time into a time to grow creatively, or to pursue and hone a skill or hobby. Years ago, I turned something that gave me great pleasure and relief into work; I would do it all over again, but it has left me with a hobby-shaped hole. It does not offer me relaxation to draw or paint - not that it’s not fun or I don’t draw pleasure from it, but it is not typically a time I can turn my brain off.
I’m trying to work on that; doing art for myself and no one else. It’s difficult for me to want to “waste” time on that, by not thinking about the Instagram post it could be, or whether it could sell. But I’m working on it.
I’ve been thinking about getting another plant, but it feels unfair to a plant to sentence it to death like that.
The value of soothing yourself with creative or creative-ish work cannot be overstated; now is a time we must treat ourselves with kid gloves. Our spirits are injured right now, and we need to treat the injury. We need to soak our spirit in epsom salt and warm water, to rest and elevate it. We need to be gentle so we can make it through, and heal properly afterward.
The past couple days, I’ve converted some of my paintings to coloring sheets you can print at home. I wanted to make sure they were accessible to all, so there is an option to download them for free if you can’t pay (use the discount code COLOR). I think they could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I colored one in for this photo, and it felt GREAT. It’s funny because they talk about the benefits of coloring for adults, but I kind of thought I was exempt because I am an artist. I should already be getting those benefits, right? Apparently not. Even though I made the sheets and was coloring one for a business-related purpose, it was extremely relaxing. So, give it a whirl..
Anyway, download yourself or your kids some mental and emotional relief.