Meditation of Creativity.  Thoughtful Art. In this second half of life, I have discovered that thoughtful art is art that pours out of your spirit onto a surface through color and texture. I’ve learned that when you are not afraid to explore what you don’t know – it is absolutely freeing! This discovery has given back to me a deeper understandings of self and even healing. Be not afraid – rings in my consciousness! When I paint with acrylics and layer textures and color, I am no longer afraid. Nearly all the pieces have an ugly duckling stage.  In the past I would have abandoned these canvases early on. Being afraid they wouldn’t turn out, that others wouldn’t like or understand them.   Patience, receiving and giving grace have often converged to a place of peace and satisfaction in my life. So too with painting. Being patient with the process, giving myself grace and working through difficult stages isn’t so difficult anymore.  Why?  Because I’m taking joy in the laying down of delicious colors and textures.  The process simply becomes the whole point.  My paintings may not look like what I intended and end up tangential to my initial inspiration.  And that’s absolutely fun and inspirational.   I now come to the canvas and paint to experience a meditation of creativity.  The end result is simply a summation of that joy.