Dealing with grief -
I could tell I was in the kind of place that needs action. I used to paint on silk, and now, I rarely do. I would place silk in hoops and paint what I felt. I called them sacred hoops, and if I liked them I kept them whole, and if the design didn't cohere, I cut the silk into hearts and gave them away. Each heart was a beauty. I haven't painted now in a few years, but today was the day.
I decided to use paper, water colors, and then, I got out acrylics and mixed the two. I painted what I needed, and words came as I painted.
The first painting screamed, "No, Death cried, I won't let go, I won't." It morphed into "Let the heart walk."
The second work is very simple and says, "The Heart is not alone."
The third began as "The trail is wide," and became, "The trail has tides," then, "The moon says now I thrust," and finally it came to subside with "The moon says, Sun, I'm gold."
The fourth began, "Where do we touch when the lamb is nudge," which became "Land is nudge," and finalized as "How do we let kinetics fly?"
The fifth was easy. "Toothmarks of Heart."
I like the idea of toothmarks of heart. There I came to rest. All will now be gathered up and carried downstairs until the next time something is needed to ease my heart, and let pain flow out through my hands to come to rest on paper.
I suggest it if you are having a tough time. It is not about the finished product. It is about letting your heart speak, about listening to what roams within.