Outside in

Drawing property of Ariana Salvo. May not be reproduced without permission.

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -Victor Frankl

Today has been a day of few words. I began my day by going through all my paints, spreading them out all over the kitchen table, and painting for a few hours, and I spent the afternoon drawing. I am feeling deeply grateful for my many creative outlets. Usually when I hit a wall I write, but when writing isn't getting me where I want to be, I notice that I turn to visual art. I am a very visual person--one reason that I love farming so much is that you can actually SEE what you have accomplished at the end of the day. I find that creating something visual that was not there before, or transforming something that was there into something else is deeply satisfying. I also find that when I have been trying to change a situation and nothing I am doing seems to be working that creating or transforming the space outside of myself somehow feels like it might eventually lead to an internal breakthrough as well.

If you have a moment in your day where you feel like you are stuck, or just need a shift in perspective, grab a piece of paper and draw something....it can be anything. Try not to start with a clear idea of what you are going to draw. The doodle above started off as a little tiny pattern, but then it just kept growing and growing. When I take a step forward in life I have no idea how things are going to turn out, and when I put my pen down on paper or my paintbrush to canvas, I don't really know where I am headed or what I am going to end up with. I just follow my intuition and let the process lead me to a natural conclusion. The creative process has so much to teach us that can be transferred to our lives in general if we trust the process off the page or canvas as much as we do on it. Does your creative process help you to influence internal shifts as well? How? 

Happy gratitude Monday, friends!