The Way In
From The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice For An Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad:
“It’s easy to be energized when you’re in the grip of a big idea. But what do you do when you don’t have anything to work with? Just stay in bed?”
The book is about the art of journaling and its healing power. I’m not sure I would be able to journal for 100 days, even with prompts. But I do know that I could take a picture every day for 100 days, as long as the rules are loose and I can make it my way. This is my form of journaling: taking pictures. Sometimes I am hesitant to call myself a photographer, choosing instead to say, I love to take pictures. You don’t have to be a photographer to notice light and lines and movement and color.
We were buying paint for our front door makeover. Doors on 40 year old houses need a fresh coat of paint and new hinges, and sometimes, a fancy new keypad entry thingie. As the nice young person in Home Depot mixed our paint, the color of red peppers, I stood at the counter, surveying the workspace. When my eyes landed on the paper towel used to clean the paint can opener tool, I was immediately drawn to the random little swipes of color. I weighed my love of this accidental artwork against my need to not be a bother, to not impose, or stand out in any way. It’s a small thing to ask for what you want, and yet sometimes it seems like an insurmountable task. In the end, I took a deep breath, and asked if I could have the paper towel to take home. I explained that I take pictures and this paper pallet was something that caught my eye. The salesperson laughed and smiled and handed the paper towel to me. Looking for goodness is the way that I dispute negative beliefs and train myself to be optimistic.