Reconnect to Yourself Through Painting

When is the last time when you really connected with yourself? When after a busy day, or week, or month - or even a year - you took some time off from all the other people and assignments from your life and spent some half an hour or 45 minutes or even an hour only with yourself?

It is what I asked myself a couple of weeks ago, when during my time of 'rest and relaxation' I decided to book some creative classes for getting my self back to...me. My creativity boost is not something new for me, as once in a while I do take some time off and keep myself busy with various creative, self-centered activities. I did when I booked a full class of over 3 months of Chinese painting, or when I developped various idea-inspired home-made decorations projects, jewellery or even painting. 

However, the last 3 years as a fully self-employed single mother were particularly difficult - although rewarding - and the last priority on my agenda was painting or anything connected with art. After all, when think and schedule some artsy moment when you have way too many bills to pay, parenting priorities and other house chores that too often are overwhelming for just a simple human being?

I was only partially right. The positive energy and focus spent in one hour of 'me time' is as valuable as a healthy afternoon nap. It is regenerative, positivity boosting and healthy for your mind. Although not a great painter, that one hour quality time I spent with myself scribbling with colours, was a deeply reconnecting time which I recommend to anyone, especially those busy women coping with a lot of home and work stress. 

From many points of view, it is as valuable as a one hour of therapy: you can freely talk - but with yourself, you are enjoying a space of freedom and creativity. I also recommend to use some light, meditation music which will create a special relaxing ambiance.

This art class I took was just two weeks ago, but it looks so far away in terms of my inner time. I didn't schedule a new class but I know that my weekly program should include at least one hour per week of creativity. This time, I am decided to keep the promise to myself...

What about you? When was it the last time when you took some 'me time'? Would love to hear your impressions.

Creative DIY project in Lübben

During my travels, I always pay attention to various creative discoveries. If you follow my blog, you might notice that I share my discoveries in terms of interior design or decorations, or some specific art of a local creative mind. 

 As I was visiting recently the Lübben locality in the German Spreewald, on the way to the train station, I noticed the hall entrance to a block of houses. Massive wall paintings were made not only out of drawings, but by using natural materials, such as tree rind, for creating the image of a tree.

 For the bicicle, a real row was added to a fine wooden silhouette.

The fine crafts and details of every landscape makes everything more real and almost a slice of real life. Some details, like the cats here add a note of humour to the work, but also succeeds to go beyond the common. 

 It is more than a children painting and more also than a piece of street art. It is a mix of imagination and creativity using mostly natural ingredients provided by nature.

Sometimes, you don't need too much to be creative. Just a focus mind and the desire to create. The rest will slowly but firmly come by itself.

Colouring books for adults. Why not?

I must confess, again, that I am not a creative person. Better said, I am not the artistic kind of personality, ready to make an outstading work of art out of nothing. I prefer to concentrate all my creativity and energies for my various writing projects. However, once in a while, I need to go out of my simple world and encourage myself to go beyond my limits. I do have a lot of crafts projects ongoing, I am into jewellery making and decorations as well as illustrations.

Nothing compares, though, with my first and big love for colouring books. As a kid, I enjoyed the quiet moments when with my box of pencils and the black shapes in the front of my, I was trying to find out the best combinations for filling up the design and giving life to the page. Many of my colouring books were inspired by various historical and cultural events, my favourite having to do with some old style fashion design.

I do not remember exactly when I gave up this rewarding hobby, but very often I kept fresh in mind the full feeling of freedom experienced during those moments. And also the pleasure of hours later starting, I was admiring how my page was changing. It taught me patience and the sense of colour as well as the capacity to retire for a good time and put my thoughts in order. All these habits helped me later in life when I had to do with various challenging professional and personal situations.

Especially in the last year, I started to hear more and more often about adults having as hobby colouring books. Due to my strict education, according to which, you do certain things as a kid and never after as an adult, I regarded those story skeptical but without too much criticism though. After all, everyone is free to do what she/he considers the right thing to do with her/his time. However, in the last year, the frequency of news - even the New Yorker considered it as a topic worth to dedicate a couple of good thousand of words -, plus a certain decision I took to try at least once the week to do something creative for my soul, determined me to just go to the next Idee shop and buy one of those colouring books for adults. I also purchased some nice colouring pencils and without thinking twice, I started to silently colour the white surfaces, just the way I used to do any years back. The difference is that now, my life got more complicated and I have to think about much more things than years ago. I also noticed how I can organise my writing life better, being able to almost write full posts in my mind and instantly put online after my colouring task is done!

The plan is to have a book done every two months. I already dream about my nexgt book, also from Idee, totally dedicated to travel. The older I get the more free I feel to be exactly what I want to be and to do exactly what I want to do. Good things, I mean. Some of them will be for sure announced soon on this blog...