We’ve Made it to May 2020
We’ve made it to the month of May 2020 in this very unusual year.
When everything comes to a grinding halt, as it has this Spring, we’re forced to think about what matters most. Your life is put on hold. We focus on what matters most right now. Time slows to a crawl – no one is sure what day it is – our priorities are reordered. Some of the things we thought were so important suddenly aren’t important at all. Things we took for granted earlier now are what matters the most.
Some days seem especially stressful – actually every day is stressful any more – we all have lots of concerns and worries about all sorts of things. In the 1980s and 1990s I taught classes in relaxation and meditation. Now I find myself revisiting a lot of that for quieting thoughts and peace of mind. There was very popular list of life’s stressful events and each event had a point value attached. Things like moving, starting a new job, and several more. Most of us are probably maxed out these days. This will end and we can always hope for a better day coming soon.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all” ~ Emily Dickinson
Projects – Paper Beads
Since we are at home, there’s a lot interest in projects – projects for kids and for adults. Here’s one everybody can enjoy: Making paper beads. This is a fun project that produces something pretty that you can use for earrings or a necklace and paper beads are quite popular. It’s fun to make these beads and adults and kids of all ages can enjoy making them.
When my son was quite small, he made a paper bead necklace for me. I still have the necklace tucked away. His beads were coated in wax. These days there’s ModgePodge and similar products that will produce shiny finished beads.
You start by cutting long triangles or rectangles of colorful paper – wrapping paper, paper scraps from magazines, etc. The longer the paper piece is the larger the finished bead. The width of the paper is the length of the bead. You’ll need a glue stick, scissors, and paper, plus a wire to coil around. Lots of ideas and instructions are available through Google and YouTube.
Meditations for Artists & Everyone Else
Meditation soothes, quiets, and strengthens. These are all things we desperately need at this time. I’m providing a link to an issue of THE CHARMED STUDIO that’s all about meditations for right now and later on, too. The meditations are not just for artists – they are for all of us. https://thecharmedstudio.com/meditations-just-for-artists/
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day this year will be a little different. Much of the country will still be under stay at home restrictions, so it’s harder to get everyone together. If you can’t be together, try a virtual party! You can invite everyone in the family to participate and there are a number of ways to set this up using something like Zoom or you can exchange videos of people in several locations celebrating Mom. You can have a Netflix party and all watch the same movie.
Questions or Comments? Contact me.