Atiliay noun, a play off the French word “atelier”; a workshop/studio, esp of an artist or designer; my creative space

Notes plural noun, a brief record of facts, topics, thoughts written down as an aid to memory; a short informal letter

 

This month's mantra is centered around navigating through the unknown.

There is something unexpected when creating. In visual arts, I have found this to be especially true with certain materials and techniques. I feel like I never really know how watercolor will turn out until it's completely dry or where paint splatters will land and what shapes they will take on. And sometimes even when there's a specific idea planned out, the piece does its own thing and turns out a completely different way! The unexpected in art comes with curiosity and experimentation and collaboration. 

 

Could that be applied to other areas of our life?

 

From the opportunities that find their way to us to the tough losses to the routine days that go as planned to the changes that happen daily in the world around us--I am wondering, can those things be approached the same way as art? Can I tap into curiosity, look at it like an experiment, find ways to collaborate? When it's an unexpected event that brings up hard or negative feelings, can I still somehow approach it in this way to find a way through it, to process it, to turn frustration / sadness / anger into some type of healing action for myself or others? These are some of the ideas I am trying to embrace as we continue to navigate through all the twists and turns that is life.

 

While this mantra came quickly to me, I got a little stuck on the art part. When I told my friend Archna, she said, “Don't put too much thought into it and be open to the unexpected 😂". Excellent advice! Lol. It totally helped me unblock and I chose to do things where I would not know what the outcome would be: writing with my eyes closed, using markers and water and letting the ink flow, and adding splatters! It's nothing fancy but I had fun creating it and letting go. Here's a short process video.

 

Mantras: I let go of what I can’t change / I am rooted in the now / I let go of worries from the past / I release anxiety about the future

Quote: “The only constant in life is change". This quote is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. His philosophy emphasized the idea that there is constant movement and transformation in the natural world; that nothing remains static. It reminds me of another phrase, “expect the unexpected” and “find comfort in the discomfort".

 

Art Prompt: I mentioned above how splatters are unexpected--they are also a prompt for this month's Creative Spark Challenge and a favorite element of mine--it adds movement and feels like the finishing touch that is needed sometimes. This is something anyone can do and it's so much fun so I am sharing a few ideas to encourage you to make some splatters this month :) 

I love the slow growth of projects over time and looking back at the journey so here's a recap of the mantras and art shared so far! I've also linked the newsletter about it if you'd like to see / read more. As we embark on these upcoming months, I hope these words can help support us if and when we need them.

January | Every day is a new day
February | I trust myself, I listen to my intuition, I look within, 

I am gentle with myself,  I accept myself, I love myself

March | I am rooted, I am steady, I am strong

April | I live with ease, I move with ease, I love with ease, I give with ease, I accept with ease

May | I honor my grief as a testament to love

June | I am open to the unexpected

There are 6 months left in this year and I honestly have no idea what to expect. Will I still be living in Washington? Will the country and world be in a better place? What will I be doing with my art and work? So much can happen in this timeframe.

 

It feels like it's been a while since I could predict the upcoming months or year and I've gotten more comfortable with this. I've realized that at the end of the day, even if I could tell you what I think was going to happen, we never truly know until we get there. And maybe this discovery is part of the fun and how we learn and grow.

 

“The unknown used to be really scary, just that fear of, 'What's next? What if I'm not prepared?' I just don't feel that way anymore. I feel like the best is yet to come.” - Mandy Moore

 

Take good care and talk to you soon,

PS: Thank you for the feedback on what the next virtual workshop topic will be--we'll be using layers to create a mixed media piece! Due to some summer plans, the workshop will be happening in July. More info will be shared soon!

 

PPS: Nature is full of unexpected beauty and surprises from tide pools to majestic mountain ranges to trees and flowers at the local park or growing in the sidewalk cracks. A few snapshots from recent adventures outdoors that made me appreciate this.

You've received this note because you've provided your email address. You can expect 3-4 notes in your inbox per month.