StayHomeRetreat

Lesson 4

A lesson of Love and Growth

This is such deep and beautiful subject. I’m feeling so touched to be sharing about this particular theme. It’s something that I’ve been holding close to my heart. The thing I’m discovering about emotional, intellectual and creative growth is how they all seem so entwined and interwoven and I know if I want my creativity to grow I also have to do the emotional and intellectual work together with the creative work in order to make strides forward.

More than anything else, growth like all things, takes time.

I know sometimes we have to steady the course and do the work to yield the rewards of growth. Be kind and patient with yourself and don’t rush the process.

Two years ago when Cape Town announced that it had a major water crisis from a prolonged drought - the few things I noticed was (a) how as a city we had to come together as a community in our time of crisis, (b) to change the way we were doing things that were clearly no longer working in order for growth and change to take place and (c) the city had to be vulnerable to admit to mismanagement and had to ask for help.

[community, change and vulnerability]

The death of plants and greenery I was experiencing in my environment that comes from no water had deeply impacted me. This feeling of parchedness in my environment in the physical was affecting every aspect of my being. I thought this was particularly profound and powerful analogy to my creative life at the time. I started going within and asking myself the question… Was my creative life in drought too and was it still yielding life for me? After 7 years of creating fervently with intense creative energy, it felt like the honeymoon phase was over… and now what?

I started looking at these things that I saw worked in the physical… in order to grow I would have to start by being vulnerable about where I was at. I would need to change how I was doing things and I would need to come together in community, even in a time when instinctively I wanted to retreat.

Walking in this world was powerfully restorative and inspirational… some of these elements started appearing in my creative works. I was being impacted by my environment and my own story during this time.

I know a lot of us are homebound at the moment and getting to walk in nature may not be possible. If it is, walk for us who aren’t allowed out at this stage. I have been spending as much time in my garden as I can and in the sun. I walk around or just sit and I can see green and I can hear the birds. The butterflies are keeping me company too and it’s helping me stay grounded.

Try and create some way to keep nature coming in if you don’t have access to outside or a garden. These are beautiful touch stones to help us in these stressful times.

Let’s begin…

Supplies List

1. Canvas of your choice, I recommend a round canvas for something different. Working in circle is a wonderful experience.

2. Paints I used: Prussian Blue, Raw Umber, Green, Violet, Venetian Rose, Red, Warm Grey, Titan Buff and White.

3. Brown and Black Stabilo.

4. Elements of nature for inspiration and references for inspiration.

In review…

What I learnt in the physical was (d) that the rains did eventually return. Now we are just better equipped to manage our water-wells well. We had learnt to harvest our water, redirect it and steward what we had with care and love.

In terms of my creative growth and care, I’m also doing my best to steward well.