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When Your Heart Wants to Break

1/11/2021

6 Comments

 
Picture
When Your Heart Wants to Break
​"When Your Heart Wants to Break" - acrylic on cradled wood panel,  11" x 14" x .75".  Ready to hang (sides are painted; no need to frame.  Hanging wire is attached). Available here and at Artfinder.

When your heart wants to break, let it break. If tears want to come (or perhaps a flood of love or gratitude), allow that to happen. Grant your heart all the space it asks. To do so feels deliciously alive, because it locates you in what’s real in the moment.  - JAN FRAZIER, "Be Kind to Yourself"
Many thanks to artist Dotty Seiter, who introduced me to the wisdom of Jan Frazier in her blog post this week.  I've spent hours noodling this article and the concept of being kind to ourselves - which includes ​resting from wishing things were otherwise.​

It's been a wild week in the world.  It is temptingly easy to spend a lot of time wishing things were different.  Instead, I'm trying to let my heart break if it wants, to cry if I feel the tears, to give my heart the space it wants.   It is a feeling of overwhelming relief to think of this allowing as a self-kindness.
In the most recent Studio Visit with Brian Rutenberg,  Rutenberg says: Feel your own pain.  All art comes from sadness.   So, with my miner's headlamp firmly strapped on, I spent a day mining my own sadness in the first self-portrait of the year.  Again, thanks to Dotty Seiter for reminding me of the unbridled joy of blind contour drawing, which became the base start of this painting.

There was a kind of joy in the mining of sadness, tears in the allowing of heart breaking space, and relief in the self-kindness of not wishing for other than what is.  And as Frazier suggests in her article, it was ultimately restful.

I am only disappointed that the whole exercise did not include a big slice of pie. :)
Picture
6 Comments
Dotty Seiter link
1/11/2021 11:26:44 am

Jen, maybe we can just keep sending these messages back and forth via our blogs! EVERYTHING about this post—the quotations, your words, your blind contour sketch, your painting, the link to Rutenberg—takes a little hammer to the invisible shield around my heart and tink tink tinks until the glass breaks into little pieces and restful energy flows.

Reply
jen
1/11/2021 03:00:37 pm

Dotty! I mean, why not? Blog messaging works! :). I am so glad this hodge-podge resonated with you...not surprised, since my inspiration began with your post! But something about the message from Jan Frazier seems SO needed in the world right now. Self-kindness is a struggle for the multitudes. Resting in the flow - I am enjoying not wishing for otherwise.

Reply
Carl
1/11/2021 05:34:09 pm

Yes! We have to allow ourselves to be ok with how we feel. It’s especially important now as we navigate our way thru covid and the current general state of unrest in the world around us.
I love the painting. As much as I love the wonderful bright character driven pieces. The introspective personal ones always stop me in my tracks.

Thanks for the art and inspiration.
Carl

Reply
jen
1/11/2021 06:12:24 pm

Carl! Thank you, lovely human. The self-kindness of being ok with how we feel. Yes! And stopping you in your tracks is the goal! Woooohoooo! (does a happy dance). Thanks!

Reply
Carol Edan link
1/12/2021 02:38:54 am

Yes, that was an impressive site.... have signed up! Shows so much down-to-earth philosophy. Your self portrait is amazing plus the contour blind sketch! So much expression through those eyes!

Reply
jen
1/12/2021 09:15:30 pm

Carol! Thanks bunches, my friend! I also signed up...could use some wisdom in my in-box!!!

Reply



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  • Home
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