Heartsong Studio

There was no question of any art-making after freak snow storms left us without power for 5 days and nights. House-bound, cold, and in the dark, keeping myself and my family warm and fed nipped any creative urges in the bud.

At first it was fun.

It was almost an adventure, like pioneering, or candle-lit dinner . . . for about an hour.

When things happen which change your day-to-day existence dramatically, like illness or accident, your priorities change in a flash.

Through no fault of your own, your art-making routine can be disrupted all out of shape by the overwhelm of added responsibilities. Even the holiday season can sabotage your creative habits.

You start to lose something.

A prolonged removal from the personal expression of creative work begins to affect your health too. Especially in times of stress, it can be very disconcerting to be deprived of this natural outlet.

Then suddenly the situation ends.

And, another type of stress is added. Things don’t always easily return to normal. It took a few warm nights sleeping without hat and mitts, and a few hot showers before I could relax and trust the return of power.

Many stops and starts - power on an hour, off again for two. Resetting digital clocks, and answering machines. Burst water pipes all over the neighbourhood. Phones dead whole days.

It’s not that you can’t benefit from a break.

The problem is afterwards, returning to some routine. Overcoming the inertia and returning to your art-making habits can take quite an effort after a prolonged absence.

Here’s an antidote to ease you back.

1. Don’t make art. Not yet.

Like finally taking a warm shower, ease yourself gently back with this loving care.

2. Just play.

Give yourself permission to be a child. Your inner artist will love to be cradled and played with.

3. Close your eyes and let your arms move in their own rhythm over paper. Use a cheap piece of paper and some ready media like crayons to further reduce the pressure.

A session or two of indulgent play will do the trick to get you back into the healthy habit. It could unearth some new possibilities; show you a fresh path to explore as well.

Much later, once you’re fully recovered, you can inch back into a regular discipline.

Turning tragedy into a blessing is a long road.

Though you may have no choice in the circumstances that limited you, you do have a choice, in the long run, of how you will view it. Once you have exercised resilience of this kind, you’ll be that much stronger in the future.

Think of the creative energy this will release ! There will be no stopping you !