Hello !

Many years ago I was inspired by a woman I went to see at a workshop she was facilitating. She was an artist from New Mexico who had forgone the typical daily journal that many of us do. Instead she decided to tap into her familiar medium and would create a self-portrait. This was not necessarily a complete and detailed portrait as we know. It was a portrait of how she felt that day. She would release her feelings on a sketch pad with pastels and draw the colors and expressions that were tailored just for that day.

I was so touched by this exercise  , that I could barely wait to go home to get my sketch pad and pastels ready and go to sleep so I could wake up the next day to do my own self-portrait. I did this for many months with a huge amount of satisfaction in what I was able to convey on paper. Even though I know how to draw, I almost never drew anything recognizable as a human. Instead I released colors and shapes of my insides. Some days you could see the turbulence and some days you could sense the peace. It was truly a gift I had received and continue to dabble with it as needed.  

, you may have an expression of self that differs from this. You may be a poet or musician. You may be a dancer or a singer. Try using your creative self-expression to do your own self-portrait and see how it feels. Sing your feelings or write a poem that demonstrates what you are dealing with. Enjoy this personal way to honor yourself and notice the results.  

Paint the town red, ,

Enthusiastically,  

Fran

DID YOU ENJOY THIS MESSAGE? Click Here  to share about it.   

(Look for this posting on my Facebook page)