I'm okay, you're okay.

I've been doing well, lately.

Honestly, I have. It's been a year and a half since Papa Callan died and almost one year since I cleaned out his house and put it on the market. Some days it feels as if my father has been gone for ten years and some days it feels as if he shuffled off this mortal coil only yesterday.

Today is one of those days.

I'm sad.

So many of my contemporaries are losing (or have already lost) their parents now.  Every day I hear of another loss. And we're all sad. Perhaps you're sad too.

What's a creative person to do with this sadness? 

First of all, resist the urge to dismiss it. Or deny it. Rather, just let it be. Sit with your sadness.

Next, find the inspiration that comes from getting in touch with a dark emotion. Explore it. Swirl the paint around. Notice the texture of your feelings. After this, go ahead and add some burnt sienna and go even darker. 

Explore contrasts. Add some Roadster Blue, a dab of Shortbread Yellow. How about a touch of Navajo White? Or Lavender?

Friends--your creative assignment for this week is to explore your Blue Period. Give yourself the freedom to follow the shadows. Without the shadows, there is no light. Keep mixing. Finally, you will find that things look a whole lot more balanced. And you might find that you're not so sad. But even if you're still sad, that's okay. Keep mixing colors. Discover the complicated nuances of your own emotions. Give them a name, a title, a symbol, a backstory, a hit song, a wild hairdo. Invent a new pasta dish in their honor. Design a bedroom for them to sleep in. Go ahead and give them their own Broadway musical style dance number. You can still be dark. (Think Sweeney Todd or Hedwig).

Finally, step forward and take the hand of these dark emotions—and dance.

Most importantly, have fun.

Love,

Jamie