Therapy

I am a bit conflicted here, posting these paintings progress shots. They are still a long way from being finished and, although I have hinted at their development I wanted to keep them private until their reveal. But something my wife taught me made me want to share them.

She told me that we all need a form of relaxation. She noticed that I seem to have grown more impulsive as I became more involved in various things, and that I always seemed to be on “yellow alert”. I seemed consumed with thinking about things I should be doing.

This kept me from working on my hobbies. When the times came that I was almost driven to pick up a paintbrush she began to notice a pattern in me: As I painted I relaxed, became more fun to be around, and slept better. My irritability and anxiety lessened.

This echoes Boyd K. Packer’s observation of the healing effect of carving birds from wood. With all the things he had to do, this additional thing he did added peace and richness to his life and the lives of those around him.

I am going to continue experimenting with this. Hopefully this will enable me to engage with life more meaningfully and effectively and to perhaps be more in tune. Maybe it will work for you.

Just an FYI.