How do you shine?

Every morning my mother, now deceased, would greet me saying, “Good Morning Sunshine!” Now during my college years I might have been a bit groggy at 5 a.m. especially when my first class wasn’t until noon. I treasured those early morning conversations with my mom. Believe it or not, I miss those 5 a.m. phone calls. My mother recognized a light in me long before I became aware of my own ability to shine.

I have been thinking about how I might capture this shine in my art. In memory of my mother and as a declaration that I am finally ready to embrace my shine. I have so many ideas. The one that keeps coming up is to create a themed art series of some sort. Since sitting in my journal since 2020 the idea is finally taking shape.  I attended a pop-up virtual creativity workshop where the idea was to make a journal page about ‘how do you shine.’ I think this workshop helped to bring some spark to the art series idea that has been taking up residence in my head and heart.

As is often the case with people who experience chronic pain, I was watching the workshop while lying in bed. I didn’t have the energy to gather art supplies. So, at the facilitator’s invitation to write about how we wanted to feel; I decided I wanted to feel relaxed and therefore gave myself permission to just write in my journal. No lamenting about my inability to get to the art desk. I was able to relax and use what was in front of me. Here is what I jotted down and doodled.