What gives you peace? Peace is really a different feeling for all of us. Is it a state of mind? Is it a calming sensation?
One of my favorite words. Something I wanted so badly in my younger years. I treasure it. I have a peaceful life now and it is, by far, one of the more valuable things to me.
I can think of a few things that bring me peace. Like, knowing all the bills are paid. Having a pantry full from a recent trip to the market. Fresh sheets. A clean house. I could go on and on. But what I find interesting is thinking about and drilling down to why these basic little rituals give me peace. There’s a lot to unpack there but leave it to say that when you really need stability those small rituals end up meaning a lot.
I failed to mention my art and painting practice. It also gives me peace. Even the act of putting wire on the back of a finished painting I find peaceful. I think about what is hanging in my studio space and I wonder where I should make the next mark when I get there again. I think if I should have done something differently. I wonder if anyone will ever see it or if anyone would like it. I think about my art all the time. That may sound the opposite of peaceful but it is a very calming practice while I am doing it. Artists refer to it as the ‘flow state’. You are so deep in your mind that you stop hearing sound (or you brain doesn’t want to recognize any sound). It’s a very cool thing. When I am relaxed and I don’t have any chores looming that is the best time to paint. I enjoy the ‘butteriness’ of the paints. The smells of the different solutions and glazes and varnishes. The way the light changes throughout the day and makes the painting change as well. That is when I can freely fall into the flow state. As long as no one calls down asking about ‘what’s for dinner’.
Do you have a practice that you really appreciate or even cherish?