How often have you questioned whether what brings you joy at a given juncture of your life is important enough? How often have you thought, “I’d really like to do more of that, but [fill in the blank].”
This week I recalled how frequently over the years I told myself things like:
“Gardening isn’t important enough. Why did I become an international economist if I just want to dig in the dirt?” [Running tape 20 years ago.]
“Scrapbooking isn’t important enough. I’m a little embarrassed by how much I enjoy it.” [Running tape 15 years ago.]
“Photography isn’t important enough. If I was supposed to be photographer, I would have known that and started before I turned 50.” [Running tape 5 years ago.]
We so often try to talk ourselves out of joy.
A voice in our head tells us that it’s selfish to take time for something as frivolous as joy. I know you’ve experienced this! How, for example, could hobbies like gardening, scrapbooking, and taking pictures of flowers as a form of mindfulness practice ever add up to something meaningful?
I’ll tell you how. This week I moved my artwork into a permanent gallery space at Art a la Carte in Occoquan, Virginia. I didn’t go out looking for that opportunity, but when the invitation dropped out of the sky, I was ready.
Most important was recognizing the physical manifestation of joy in my body when the manager of the gallery asked if I’d be interested in joining their artist coop. I had heard of coops, but the requirements didn’t leave enough space for my broader mindfulness training work. (My artwork is a separate creative channel I use to inspire mindfulness, inviting viewers to slow down, take a breath, notice nature’s miracles, and experience the accompanying calm that comes with that process.)
I suppose it’s my clarity of priorities that accounts for my never having felt that I needed to be in a gallery for validation. Hence, my body never responded in a joyful way when the topic of a gallery presence came up.
Whenever someone asked if my work was in a gallery, I always laughed, explaining that I didn’t have the bandwidth to even think of making that happen. “If I’m supposed to be in a gallery,” I joked, “it will be because someone walks up to me and says, ‘Do you want to be in our gallery?’”
Well, that’s exactly what happened.
Just like the crazy synchronicity involving my book that led to my work landing in Sibley Memorial Hospital’s Integrative Medicine Department, the person who invited me to this gallery is also connected to my book. In fact, she’s actually IN the book! The scene took place back in 2001 at Karen Rexrode’s plant farm, when I discovered my then 3-year-old son standing face to face with a huge black snake, reminiscent of Mowgli hypnotized by Kaa in The Jungle Book. You can read about it in Chapter 6 of Blooming into Mindfulness (also available at Art a la Carte!).
I was still clutching my economist identity in those days, never having heard of mindfulness and certainly never imagining myself as a photographer. But here Karen and I are again, close to twenty years later, having reconnected just a few months ago, first at a garden center, then on Instagram (where we got to know each others’ artwork), then as judges at a local photography contest.
When Karen asked if I’d be interested in joining Art a la Carte, I waited for the usual heavy feelings in my body to signal “no.” My body took a moment to listen to the flexible set-up Karen described. The usual thinking patterns didn’t wait (thinking never waits), listing all the reasons why it probably wasn’t a good idea.
The good news is that I have learned to prioritize my body’s messages over my thinking brain. I allowed the dusty old thoughts to arise and float by, then tuned into my body more deeply. I felt a flutter in my gut, a lightness in my heart. Those signals are my body’s way of saying, “Yes. This sounds fun. I want to do this. Go for it!”
Let’s come back to those questions I had bullied myself about over the years regarding “what’s important enough.” The roles of the garden and photography are pretty obvious in this story (if you’re new here, my garden is where my photography journey started). What could scrapbooking possibly have to do with all of this? I haven’t made a handmade scrapbook in years. But when I needed to quickly create price labels and other signage for my gallery display, I had the skills and tools at hand to create the designs and cut the edges quickly, cleanly, and confidently.
You just never know where joy will take you.
My body’s wisdom has never led me astray. My thinking brain tries to protect me (that’s its job), but just like an overprotective mother inhibits growth of the child, my thinking brain can slow down my personal development and purpose work.
Recognizing how joy manifests in your body takes work. Stillness practices like breath awareness meditation, body scans, or simply sitting quietly in nature enhance our ability to recognize joy and other messages stemming from our highest intelligence (higher even than our thinking brain’s output).
My own experience has been that joy is a signal of purpose. In the moment, that may mean something as mundane-seeming as a scrapbooking hobby or staring out your window at changing light patterns and grabbing your camera to run outside when a golden hue lights a fire in your belly.
Learn to trust the wisdom below your neck and do more of what brings you joy!
I’m delighted and honored to be part of the Art a la Carte family of artists! Please visit us at 310 Mill Street in the historic riverside town of Occoquan, VA. Fabulous restaurants, shops, and an awesome creative vibe make this a truly magical destination. If you can’t make it to the gallery, my full and evolving collection is always available at damselwings.com. Just click on the photography tab at the top of the homepage. Seeing examples of my images in person at Art a la Carte, especially if you’re not familiar with metal prints, allows you to experience fully the depth and vividness of my pieces. Though my specialty medium is metal, all of my images are available to order on canvas, acrylic, or fine art paper as well. My notecards, journals, book, and a limited selection of matted prints are also for sale in the gallery. I love working with clients to find exactly the right piece for your space, even if it’s a tricky or extra large size. Shoot me an email at martha@damselwings.com if you have questions or special requests! You can also subscribe to my mailing list on my home page to receive my blogs and be informed of my events, new work, and inspirations.
