“I said to myself, ‘I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me—shapes and ideas near to me—so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn’t occurred to me to put them down.’ I decided to start anew to strip away what I had been taught." — Georgia O'Keeffe
As a mother of two, and with a natural tendency to worry, I often find myself spending the better part of my day worrying about things beyond my control. Yet, as a visual artist, I've built my practice around embracing the lack of control over color, line, and pigment— a delicate juxtaposed dance between life and art.
Raising a thoughtful, strong-feeling, and remarkably empathetic little girl has deepened my understanding of worry as she matures and navigates her spectrum of emotions.
I’m relearning as I teach my daughter and she teaches me. What to do with worries, thoughts, fears, darkness.
I first shared this practice in 2020 during the COVID lockdowns. It resonated deeply with many, as we collectively grappled with a shared sense of strange powerlessness.
Yesterday, my daughter woke up from a bad dream and we loosely followed these prompts together. She transformed her fear of the menacing blue octopus from her dream into a piece of art. Her new piece of artwork adorned the kitchen throughout the day, sparking discussions about her bad dream. By day's end, she confidently declared that the drawing was no longer needed and promptly disposed of it. I wholeheartedly agreed.
For paid subscribers, below, I invite you to enjoy this exercise. If you feel compelled, please share your own work or thoughts on the process. My hope is that it brings a sense of lightness to your day.
With love -
Jess
"I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do."
— Georgia O'Keeffe