Yoga + Art

Rhoda had an event on Tuesday night called Yoga + Art in her studio. I am still healing from a concussion and whiplash with some serious neck injuries so I did not feel up for doing the yoga, but I figured a few hours of meditation as well as art would be good for my soul. After all, it was attending Rhoda’s last open studio event in February that was the catalyst which got me back in the form of drawing on a daily basis, so I knew that much good would come from this event. There were only a handful of people present, but the handful that were there were in for a real treat. The idea of the event was to stretch out doing yoga for about 15–20 minutes and then do some drawing or writing for 10 minutes. This cycle was repeated 3x. Stretch out the body, mind and soul, and then create in a peaceful and relaxed environment. 10 minutes is almost never enough time to create a finished piece, but it is enough time to get a nice foundation created for a future piece. The result of one of the 10 minute drawing sessions was the basis for the piece depicted above, and will be the basis of other pieces in the future.

This event helped remind me the idea that when it comes to bodily health, spiritual health and creativity, all are connected. If you want to produce good art, you need to take good care of your soul. Art is the expression of the soul. Thus if you are feeling unmotivated or unproductive as an artist, perhaps your soul needs some replenishing. This does not mean you have to go to church, per se, although some time on your knees praying may be exactly what your soul needs. Spiritual replenishment could come in the form of a long quiet walk through the woods taking in the beauty and sounds of nature. It could come quietly sitting on a secluded beach listening to the waves. It could come by attending yoga or even a vigorous workout at the gym. You can’t expect to take, take, take from the fountain of creativity without also taking the time to replenish that source. So, be good to yourself and take the time to recharge.