It happens now and then.
And this is definitely NOW!
Unlike a migraine, with its frequent warning signals, this snuck up on me. A really big case of news-overdose!
I know. I could just not watch. (And sometimes I don’t.) But, in this moment, it all feels really big and close and there’s a muscle in my back that’s more committed than usual to the really cool chair and – well – I have 2 granddaughters trying really hard to grow up in this world!
This world which feels overflowing with discrimination and hunger and conspiracy and book banning and guns and rampaging vested interest.
(This is me… trying to be something approaching broad-minded, which – frankly – can be pretty exhausting!)
So… you fill in the blanks. Suffice it to say, that I was literally drowning in news.
I did take time out for a virtual meeting with a dear friend and former intern. Predictably, the conversation turned to paint!
She’s been invited to share a workshop on Spirituality and Art! And that, when you get right to the heart of things, is a whole lot like Medicine Painting.
And, yes… you can probably guess where this is going!
One of the things we reviewed, as we chatted, was the amazing fact that painting – especially the practice known as prayer dots – helps our whole brain be occupied with something other than the horror of the news!
It has to do with primary patterns of neuro-processing and boils down to this… when we move our hands to make a mark while saying/thinking a word of intention, we see the mark with our eyes, and we hear the word, and our brain is doing kinesthetic, auditory/digital, and visual processing all at the same time.
It’s a bit like patting your head and rubbing your belly while singing a song!
And, it gets easier with practice because our brain actually gets more integrated while it happens.
This, by the way, is even more miraculous to me, having had my hands inside human skulls with real, living brains… which are not remotely like the plastic models in bio class!
So… canvas, paint, an old, scrubby brush, and a squirt bottle. A bit of Vision anointing oil on the crown of my head. Plus, the intent to heal, move, or transform, which is the working definition of Medicine Painting in the land of Intentional Creativity®
Oh! There’s another intention which goes with such an adventure!
…to heal and receive insight both during the painting and afterwards.
Which, all things considered, feels a good deal better than swearing at the news!
After I painted, scrubbed off most of the paint and fixed myself some food – along with a bit of really dark chocolate – I switched to Madame Secretary.
I don’t have it memorized yet, like I do The West Wing, but I’m making progress. (Feel free to shake your head and laugh if you need to!)
Here’s the bit that jumped out at me in this moment:
It’s only impossible if we fail to try!
And that, dear heart, along with the paint spatters all over my glasses, is quite likely to get me out of bed in the morning, ready to try again.
And that ain’t nuthin’!
Let us begin with Peace….
ps… huge thanks to Shiloh Sophia McCloud, and the host of art ancestors before us, for sharing the hope!
pps… curious??? I do Medicine Painting journeys virtually and in person! Stay tuned… or ask!!!
ppps… want some prayer dot leggings??? I’ve got you covered! (Literally!) Just ask the elves at FierceArtWithHeart to show you around. They wear and wash great and you can choose your own intention!!! (Choose two pair and add the magic code BUY 2 – SAVE $8 at checkout for a great savings!)
