Navigating Motherhood & Creativity

296d5-tracy2bcarlton

painting created by FEARLESS Painter Tracy from DEEP

One thing we discuss in DEEP is painting from devotion–and how this simple practice alone can make miracles happen. One thing that many of the FEARLESS Painters in DEEP (& BIG) have in common is navigating motherhood and being an Artist simultaneously. I know that many of my Dirty Footprints Studio readers have this same concern, and I wanted to share Tracy‘s recent post on DEEP where she speaks about her experience with this challenge.

Tracy also extended the conversation on her blog HERE.

I approached this exercise with my Devotion ~ LOVE. And that meant not waiting until 10:00 at night and everyone was asleep and I was exhausted and actually kinda too tired to paint. It also meant that I was going to do this with my son home with me today, MLK day. And so I approached it with LOVE for him and his needs, knowing he’s only 6, expecting him to not need me for 30 minutes straight would be asking a bit much (and nigh impossible!). But with LOVE I also sat down and explained to him what I was doing, what I needed, and what I would like from him. Emergency interruptions only. Since I was approaching this with LOVE though, and not my usual place of “lack of time” and “frustration in trying to find space for myself,” I could allow for brief interruptions if need be.

I also knew that I wanted to be in the moment. To not worry about “finishing” the painting. To just be one with the brush. To take my time and not hurry just because there is a timer.

Intention set!

So how’d it go?

Great! Of course my son interrupted, one emergency was not being able to find his new lego fire truck, so each time I reminded him what I was doing, and he was able to problem solve on his own! By coming from a place of LOVE and not frustration, wow, duh, I got LOVE back! He’d come over and whisper… “I like your painting mama.” Sweet!

And the creative flow? It didn’t go away! It was able to stop, and then go back and continue. I was able to go into and out of it and woohoo it kept flowing! I also noticed with the flowy approach I was able to focus on each of the 4 paintings individually, then pull back, see the bigger perspective, then focus in close on the details, and back out again. Flow. It felt so right!

The best thing was how FAST the time went, and not out of “lack” of time, but because I was so in the flow and into the listening and painting itself. Totally present! Totally present in painting, totally present in helping my son, totally present in feeling the LOVE!

Ok! This ROCKED!

Now, to bring this LOVE, this approach through LOVE into every. moment. of. my. life.

I can do it!

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