I’ve always hated flying. And over the past year, we’ve flown far beyond my comfort level. With so many trips across the country from California to Tennessee, I knew I needed to do something to quiet my mind and shut off my fear brain.
The day after flying, I always feel a little light-headed and untethered. What helps me feel grounded once again, is stepping in the running water of Patina Meadow.
But what about during the flight itself?
When you’re married to someone like Steve, you never really think of drawing as an option. He’s the artist and the drawer — that’s his thing. I’ve drawn the same way since I was five years old — little stick-figure girls in triangle dresses.
A while back, I was taking pottery classes with Leila and while she flourished in her pottery throwing at the wheel, I discovered that it hurt my back. So I began creating little pinch pots.
And then I noticed someone else drawing on their pottery and I started thinking about my doodles from childhood. Instead of aspiring to become an incredible artist, I could start with my doodles.
That’s when I began sketching different flora and fauna that inspired me from nature.
And then I began sketching them onto the pottery as well.
Rather than striving for perfection, I enjoyed these little representations of the plants and animals I’ve come to love so much. And soon, I realized that I would lose myself in the act of drawing. It felt like the reward was in the process of the art, rather than the art itself.
So when we started flying back and forth to Tennessee, I began doodling during the flights. Soon, I noticed that hours would fly by and we’d be landing. Drawing became a meditation practice without me even trying.
Isn’t it amazing — the things we can do when we just let go?
I once heard someone giving a talk and they pointed out that if you ask a kindergarten classroom, “Who in this class is an artist?” almost every child will raise their hand. How many of us raise our hands now that we’re older?
My doodles have now become the inspiration for the branding behind our new store, Patina Home and Garden. You’ll see them on our website, on the door to the shop, and in so many other materials.
And it all began with a stick-figure girl in a triangle dress.
What things have you thought about doing but haven’t done? Maybe it’s picking up the piano again, singing in a choir, or sitting down and putting pen to paper. I find that it’s often the things we think about periodically but quickly dismiss that may help us most. Often, we know what we need deep down if we just care to listen.
Tell me in the comments below, what’s been speaking to you? What are you going to try?
xo
Brooke
