Making progress (plus, new art for sale!)

“A beautiful thing is never perfect” – Proverb

I have been thinking a lot lately about sensitivity. 

I mean this both physically and emotionally – we all approach the world in such varied ways, influenced by how easy or difficult we find the journey of our daily lives.

While I was generally a happy kid, I still found the world to be a little difficult. Shy, overwhelmed easily by social situations, and practically allergic to socks and shirt tags (certain textures, such as the feel of socks between toes, were so difficult for me that I would feel absolutely distraught when putting them on. Just ask my mom!)

Needless to say, I have always been a very sensitive person. Until the past few years, however, I viewed my sensitive nature as a flaw to be overcome. For example, I thought that my need for lots of reflection time after a big social gathering was a flaw, as was my discomfort meeting lots of new people at once. I thought I was flawed for not being able to eat many foods without a reaction, and for allowing the moods of others to affect me so deeply. When someone would refer to me as sensitive, I would feel insulted.

Imagine: feeling insulted because of your body’s natural reaction to the world. 

Then I discovered this book: The Highly Sensitive Person. When I started to read more about people who approached the world similarly to myself (approximately 15 to 20 percent of the population), I felt such relief. This piece of my experience with the world began to make sense.

What is your source of daily inspiration?

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

Each day I try to stay present enough to experience magic, even if just for a moment at a time. 

Often these moments catch me by surprise, and this is always better – I’ll be sitting on the train, look up from my book, and catch sight of an unlikely patch of bright flowers on the side of the tracks. The sun will hit my cat’s fur and glitter, for just an instant. A breeze moves through still air and my whole body is refreshed, almost instantly.

Every day magic: the unassuming, thoughtful, quiet moments that come to life because we know how to appreciate them. 

Listen: a reminder that when we stay present, magic is everywhere. Original painting, fine art print, and note cards available in my shop.

As an artist, especially as an artist who believes so deeply that we all need sources of daily inspiration, I am always thrilled when I experience something lovely and unexpected.

One such moment came this weekend when I was working on a new painting.

The strength in symbols: from trees to water

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them” – Paulo Coelho

As I start to brainstorm my next collection of paintings, I’ve been thinking about what visuals show up most often in my work.

Trees. Suns. Moons. Flowers. Water. Boats. 

Photo courtesy of Lisa Schaffer

As a child I went to The Miquon School, an elementary school set in the woods. While we certainly spent time learning in the classroom, the trees and paths and creek became teachers of their own.

I learned that the water holds countless tiny creatures that can barely be seen unless you know how to look; I learned how tall trees become when they have the space to thrive.

Most of all, I learned to never take for granted the amazing diversity of the forest, and the give and take of the plants, sun, and rain.

That some of my most influential teachers should show up in my paintings does not come as a surprise, though this is the first time I’ve painted them into shape.

These symbols – the simply drawn moon or the tree painted with bright streaks of purple – do not aim to realistically reflect that moon or that tree. Rather, I dip inside of my heart and feel for the most important aspects to paint – the energy and movement, for example.