"Release" - today's painting and reflections

“Release” 10x8 acrylic on canvas board

January 4th, 2022

This part of my journey is not going to be all curated and pretty, and neither are the paintings. A word I received during my early morning journaling and devotion time was “Release”.

After prayer and my walk (20 minutes minimum as per Julia Cameron’s program in “The Artist’s Way”, a book every creative soul would benefit from reading), I felt inspired to share how releasing control in my own life has been such a gift, although terrifying at times.

In my 20’s, I was a control freak, a neat freak, a health freak (purely for body image reasons), and just about every kind of freak you can imagine.

Picking up painting in my 30’s made a huge difference in my need to control everything, and partly because I had found something I was so passionate about. But I still wasn’t free from the anxiety I felt so much of the time.

Yes, we do soften with age (and not just our physical bodies), but the softening that has happened on the inside in recent years is not just the result of aging. It has more to do with me daily releasing control to the One who is ultimately in control. God, Creator, the Universe - for me it is my creator, God, who made the Universe :)

I’m not sure how best to navigate this desire I have deep inside of me to share some of the things that have turned my life upside-down and inside-out (in a good way), so for now I’m just blogging bits and pieces of it with the hope that one heart might be encouraged! If that heart is yours, I’d love to hear from you.

For the month of January 2022, my intention involves the word “nurture”. Not just nurturing myself, but nurturing others in whatever way(s) I can. Writing this feels like a bit of both. May you know how loved you are, this day and always.

Blessings and Peace,

~ Jenn xo