Finding my purpose

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso 

This picture is from a trip to California that I took a few years ago to visit a dear friend and meet her baby for the first time. We were standing on the beach and I was struck by the color and texture of the water. By the expansiveness of the sky.

Even years later I love that this simple image of the beach can bring me back to a memory of welcoming this new little life and making a new set of memories. Of standing there with friends and feeling so full of love and purpose.

I’ve found myself lately collecting moments in my mind where I’ve felt that same sense of finding my purpose.

Maya Angelou said, my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. 

Imagine life when your mission is to thrive.

I’ve been in love lately with purpose-filled moments, both art and non-art related. When you fill your heart with purpose, the negativity has nowhere to grow.

So far my list of these moments is all about connection (to myself, to others, to the world): spending time with family, writing with a big mug of tea, creating new art, building my art business, long conversations with friends, taking the time to take deep breaths, reading novels, and spending time outside in nature.

I also recently discovered these little cards called Angel Cards – which are quickly becoming my favorite way to begin the day. The aim is to close your eyes, enter a meditative state for just a few moments, and reflect on an issue or question you’ve been having. Then you intuitively reach for a card from the pile and think about how the message you receive can help you approach that issue or question differently. 

Here is my most recent message:

I was intrigued by pulling the forgiveness card because this is the second time I’ve heard recently that I have forgiveness work to do (towards myself, not others).

I’m not religious, but I do believe in something greater than ourselves. I love the idea that the universe protects us, nudges us towards the lessons we need, and gives us purposeful hints.

So today, I’m taking the hint to forgive myself.  For feeling like I should have figured out my life sooner (we can find our paths at any point in our lives). I forgive my doubts and insecurities (change is a long-term process), and I forgive the fact that I sometimes hold myself to an impossible standard (progress can be slow, and any success is still success).

Progress, not perfection! and forgiveness for the days when we feel otherwise.

Here’s to purpose and transformation and washing the dust from our souls,