This moment in time feels like a giant magnifying glass hovering over my life. It is amplifying the hard things; the grief and feelings of helplessness that were already part of our family story right now. It is also making the moments of sweetness linger longer and soak in more deeply.
Joy and suffering, fear and delight all seem so close to the surface right now. I weave in and out of so many different feelings throughout the day. Later in the evening, when I finally catch my breath and have no little ones interrupting my every thought, I have been siting in the jumbled mix of it all and drawing the messages I need to hear.
I turned my drawings into coloring pages and put together Coloring for Resilience: A 9-day journey for reflection and connection so that whether you are a professional artist yourself, or terrified of art-making there is an accessible way to tap into your creativity. Science is finally catching up with what every culture around the world has known to be true, the arts heal our souls. They calm our nervous systems, slow our breathing, and bring ease to our thoughts. We all need art right now.
Over time, creating every day can have a profound effect on our entire lives and ripple out into our communities. Towards that end, I thought it would be helpful to create a structure and something to look forward to in your inbox every day! Starting on April 3rd, I will send out a new coloring sheet daily for 9 days. Gather to color with your family, turn on Facetime or zoom and color with those you want close, or turn on some music and spend some time appreciating your own company each day. You can sign up on my website here.
Please spread the word to your friends and family, community groups, neighbors or anyone who might appreciate this experience. Once completed you can tape up your pieces around your house as reminders of what to hold close, send them to friends, or hang them around your neighborhood as messages for your community. And if you use #radicicoloring and share on social media we will all get to enjoy a big beautiful colorful gallery of colorful creations.
I have spent hours and hours putting this together I offer it out to you in the hopes that it may bring us all comfort, resilience, and connection during this challenging, wild, moment in time.