Nurture

On Monday evening of this week, I went to a performance by Marc Bamuthi Joseph. (Spoken Word artist--incredibly inspiring to say the least!) During the Q&A after the show, Bamuthi answered a question about creative blocks by saying "Be kind to yourself." I have been reflecting on these words a lot this week. I have been hearing this message from others as well over the past month. "Be kind to yourself."

This morning, two words popped into my head: Nurture and Challenge. This became my abstract mantra for the day. I have recently started going to Yoga classes on Friday mornings. It is challenging for me--physically and mentally. I am a dancer, yet the yoga postures require a different kind of muscle use than dance classes. My brain tells me that after 30 years of dancing, I SHOULD be able to do it. "Be kind to yourself."

For my Art Every Day project, I tried something new again. I took paper and pastels to Julie's Tea Garden, ordered a cup of coffee, and made art, right there in public. I sat at the table right next to the entrance not realizing initially that everyone walking in and out of the cafe would watch my art unfold. Ack! This is my first pastel drawing and I can't draw and I'm letting all these people see that I can't draw!!!! "Be kind to yourself."

Feeling inspired by Chris Zydel's process of letting the painting lead her, and with nothing more than the word "Nurture" to guide me, I let the image reveal itself.