The more I learn to say no, the more life opens up. It is not a harsh or heavy no, but a loving one, the kind that clears space for something true to enter. Each time I choose it, I feel more of myself arriving, ready to create, ready to listen, ready to live from a place that feels deeply mine.
For years, I let my boundaries blur. My voice got lost beneath the weight of expectations. My own and everyone else’s. Now, saying no feels like a quiet act of devotion to myself. It invites a deep breath, a pause, and a chance to hear what has been waiting patiently inside me. It is less about turning the world away and more about opening the door to my own presence.
This shift has transformed the way I create. Inspiration no longer feels like something I must chase. Instead, I wait and listen. Sometimes it begins as a flutter in my chest, a sudden pull toward a color, a texture, a single mark on paper. Other times it is a slow, steady hum in my body that says, “now.” I have learned that creation begins not in my mind, but in my willingness to be present with what is moving through me.
Each piece of art becomes an echo of that moment. A vibration of truth found in stillness. Some arrive through courage, others through the simple need to release what I can no longer hold inside. Either way, each one feels like a welcome home.
There is vulnerability here, in creating without filtering or over-explaining. But the more I trust it, the more I find peace in knowing that my art is not about perfection, it is about presence. And sharing it with you is part of that presence. Another way I invite more of myself forward.
Reflection: “Echoes Within” A reminder: In the quiet, I hear the truths that have always lived inside me.
Feeling: alive, spacious, bold, peaceful, confident, trusting
Writing to you is becoming a practice of uncovering. Each word I put down reveals a part of me that once stayed hidden. I am learning to give myself permission to write and create from that uncovered place. It feels like a gentle homecoming.
Recently, listening to “Dream” by Common Saints, II felt that familiar surge of steady knowing that comes when I honor my no. The music wrapped around me like warmth, reminding me that each choice to stand in what is true for me opens the way to greater clarity, deeper peace, and the freedom to create without compromise. Thank you.
My intention is to share openly with the world and create meaningful art that others can connect to through their own feelings, colors, and language, in a way that invites authenticity and allows each person to receive what resonates most for them.
If this all sounds great, please me at [email protected] with how this artwork made you feel, how you are feeling in the moment, and what inspires you to create. I would love to hear from you.
The artwork featured in my newsletter will be available for purchase in the near future. I am currently testing different print studios and sharing my journey as an artist exploring how to find a print studio that meets my needs, offers quality at a price that makes sense to customers, reduces shipping costs, and more.
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