When I wander around my community, my overall impression is that people just want to be happy. They want experiences, they want engagement, they want a peaceful and happy life. The last thing they want, is war.
It has taken me a long time to realise that the only place I can really feel at peace, is in the present moment. In that place, I feel an overwhelming sense of connection. I feel connected to people. I feel connected to nature. I feel connected to the world that I live in.
It is only when I am out of that state, when I am thinking of the past or worrying about the future, where I feel any sense of lack. Feelings of conflict, anger and fear exist in that past or future state, but never seem to impact that deep, resounding, present moment place.
Luckily for me, my studio is a place of presence. I cannot paint in the future, nor in the past, but I can paint in the present moment. The studio almost demands that I let go of all thoughts and memories and just focus on the canvas and brush in front of me. I go into an empty space and allow the painting to happen.
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