Synchronicity and Sense-making…

Don’t you love it when an idea that has been bubbling, just at the edges of your consciousness, springs forth in full bloom from a completely serendipitous encounter? I sure do!

Habits from “before” are supporting me now…

For the past few months, I have taken to listening to a podcast early in the morning—specifically those that feed my soul and inspire my thinking. It’s become my time to quietly enjoy the start to the day… it is such a treat!

What are your rituals—whether they start your day, are a breather during your work, or a nighttime delight? In this time of disruption, what habits are you leaning on to support yourself?

Today’s spot-on experience ( it felt like it was meant just for me!)

I am loving my latest find, Julie Fei-Fen Balzer’s Adventures in Arting podcast. This morning’s interview with Lindsay Weirich was wide-ranging and showered me with ideas. It opened up the part of me that sometimes gets left behind in my focus on day-to-day work… What do I think about my work and in the various roles I play, what is important for me to keep top of mind, and what do I want people to know and understand about how I do, what I do, in the world? Listening to the podcast was like a strong wind blowing through an open window in my mind, stirring up ideas that I hadn’t thought about for quite a while, spinning them about, and revealing possible inconsistencies— providing new perspectives.

The conversation was wide-ranging and shifted throughout the hour:

• defining what it means to be an artist—how relevant to my work as a visual practitioner and Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) — wherein, I do not consider myself an “Artist” yet I believe that everyone is an artist (if that’s confusing/I am not being clear/it feels inconsistent, let’s chat)
• determining what is art — who does it, how does it happen?
• the value and process of critiquing artwork — my head became filled to overflowing with images that represent how I envision and engage in feedback with participants in my sessions.

And, I LOVED the authenticity of Lindsay’s remark, “I am always very interested in doing things that I am absolutely not qualified to do.” And, then she finds a way to do it! I feel the same way, and that’s probably the reason why my life, both professional and personal, has been so multifaceted, as I wrote about in the chapter, My Journey as a Visual Facilitator, in The World of Visual Facilitation. My interests are diverse and yet connect to my big vision of who I want to be in the world.

How about you? What questions are you asking yourself at this time? Or, are questions feeling too big to tackle right now, with a greater need to be more connected to the real challenges of our day-to-day lives.

I hope that you will share what you are discovering about yourself during this unprecedented time. How are you nourishing and taking good care of yourself so that you can engage with your world?

One last thought…

I have found that offering Zentangle, a meditative art form (no skills required) is one of the ways in which I relax. Offering Zentangle sessions to colleagues on Saturday afternoons has been one of the ways I am consistently connecting with others. If you’re interested, contact me to learn more, look on the Graphic Facilitation FB page for more details, or just sign up here, I hope we’ll tangle together!