ART in FOCUS: Beginnings
The artwork that I would like to share with you today is called ‘Beginnings’.
This artwork is part of the collection for my exhibition INSPIRATION from WITHIN (opening next Tuesday 22 September!).
Accompanying message Beginnings:
See each experience with fresh eyes and wisdom gained.
Sharing my wisdom:
We carry with us, to each experience, memories and emotions of that which has been before. Often an experience can be marred by our expectations good or bad, our thoughts of similar previous experiences or that from others we have heard.
Choose to let go of the negative attachments to previous experience, by all means learn from them, but go into each new experience with a clear slate and open mind.
I brought this artwork and message in mind when I woke up feeling envious, annoyed and not looking forward to my day.
I was hoping for a day to myself to prepare for my exhibition and to enjoy the amazing sunshine of a spring day that was expected after a long winter. Instead I was ‘stuck’ (how I felt initially) with my daughter, needing to take her to an indoor party (yep no sunshine there) for the morning, then having to entertain her in the afternoon. I was envious of my husband going off doing something he enjoyed for the day when I had so much to do.
This negative thinking was weighing me down. (Yay me for acknowledging that fact, first step!) So whilst I was having my morning shower I thought about the artwork I had recently completed ‘Beginnings’ and made efforts to act upon the message it carries.
Instead of thinking of the things I wouldn’t be able to do today, and thinking about previous times I have had to sit and wait while my child enjoys a birthday party thinking of the other things I would rather be doing.
I stopped and did my best to clear my mind of those previous experiences, to be open to what the day would bring, to be open to the new experiences ahead of me.
Another thing I am needing to work on changing is my mindset in terms of looking after my children. During my struggles with depression and chronic fatigue it was very hard for me to look after my children, it was a chore and a very hard one at that. I was unable to feel the positive emotions and connect with them. It was a struggle to function myself let alone look after my beautiful kids. I am having to clear those thought patterns that not only no longer serve me, are not true. Even recognising the fact that this was why I was feeling so miserable before the day had even started, was uplifting.
In going into my day excited about the possibilities it would bring, I had a beautiful day. An amazing chat with a new friend during the birthday party, some fun painting and chats with my daughter, spend some time in the garden and I still even had the chance to do some of the framing of artworks I was hoping to do.
Yay great day! Pat on the back for being aware and ‘trying’ (and in case you are wondering, yes I give myself the occasional physical ‘pats on the back’ and many, ‘well done’s’, and ‘yay me’s’.)
Let each moment, each experience be what it is now, let go and allow it to be.