Finding the in-between

It’s a beautiful spring morning. One where I’m wearing a little t-shirt under my jacket. The air is cool and dewy but the sun is warm. I take note of which fresh spring flowers found growth overnight. There’s moss phlox, daffodils dying off, and blue irises (we don’t consider them a weed here).

I stroll with Forest pup watching his puppy curiosities lead the way. Every part of this is new to him being born last September.

I’m lost in thought a bit. Reminded of the summer artist residencies I’ve researched. And mentally drafting the words for this post. Dreaming of my newest collection. Solving problems within my artwork while away from my easel.

I do this sort of thing a lot - and it wasn’t until my latest call with one of my artist mentees that I had more tangible words to describe it.

She asked me what I thought about finding mindfulness in mindless moments. It was a part of something she read recently - or so she thought but couldn’t quite remember. And, after a short pause, I replied to her that she so beautifully paired words to a process I’ve attempted to explain so many times.

A little while back I wrote a post called Challenging Consistency. The whole notion of the essay was that you don’t have to be physically engaged with art-making to find progression in your creative practice. And I believe that’s because a lot can come from reflection. From finding moments to be mindful when you’re engaged in mindless tasks.

I called these mindless activities the moments in between. Like making a daily commute, cooking dinner, doing the dishes, and brushing your teeth. I partake in these activities so frequently, and it’s in these mindless moments, my brain starts to wander. To process and reflect. Something that perhaps feels akin to REM sleep - emotional processing.

Now, I recognize thinking isn’t always encouraged. There is often a need to practice true mindfulness (finding presence in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) just like we do when we enter deep sleep. This is a place for our brains to mend and repair.

But on this spring morning, I’m reminded of this in-between moment. And leaning into this rendered energy - and a part of me that’s been dormant all winter. I’m allowing my head to wander a bit.

I know I’m capable of the body of work brewing inside me. It took its first steps inside my sketchbook. I’m hesitant, perhaps scared. I’m in my own way. And I’m this moment to lean into what I’m feeling, to gracefully accept it with question or judgment. To reflect and consider. To learn and process. So that I can return to my studio with a bit of perspective.

So today, I am choosing to find mindful moments in mindless activities. I will allow myself to get lost in thought and to wander a bit. I will embrace this in-between moment and use it to reflect, consider, learn, and process. And when I return to my studio, I will do so with a renewed sense of purpose and perspective.