Minding Your Eds and Cues

Eddie the Cat sleeps peacefully. Like it’s the most important thing to do at this very moment.
And he’s right.
If one is going to nap, it’s the way to do it.
Wholeheartedly, as if it was the only thing that mattered.
He reminds me of the total relaxation that happens when I give in to a good nap.

He’s also very deliberate when it comes to stretching.
He works it from tip to tip, little paws reaching way to the front and far to the back.
It’s a full-body experience that smoothes out all the tension.
He reminds me to stretch and to give myself fully to it.

In reality, what Eddie provides are cues.
Stuff I already know but often forget.

Cues are pure gold. They quietly give us a nod. A passive way of saying—Do this, read that, drop your shoulders, or simply breathe.

I keep an uplifting book or five by my reading spot all of the time. They are there, in easy reach, to pick up and read a line or a chapter. Good words that help redirect my sometimes turbulent thoughts.

I keep journals, both large and small, with favorite pens attached, to grab a meaningful thought I stumble upon. Little nuggets worth recording.

I keep my vitamins on the counter. Yes, it’s a bit of clutter that I actually don’t like, but I know me. Vitamins behind doors become vitamins I forget to take.

I have watercolor kits I’ve assembled. I keep them out in plain sight—both at home and at my studio cottage. Art supplies tucked neatly away are easy to forget.

Cues are such a beautiful way to help guide us towards using our time and our thoughts and our energies in ways we find meaningful and good for us.

In this new year of 2020 let us see how many cues we can surround ourselves with—the kind that quietly encourages us in our dreams and desires.

I’d absolutely love to hear how you use subtle cues to keep making art and creating a life you love. Share in the comments below!

Note: In regards to last week’s confession (read here) I’ve been having some happy times painting at the cottage. I wanted to share what actually triggered me getting back to the easel. It was a back-end approach. I wasn’t trying to ‘find’ something to paint. I was actually working on my site and hunting for a photo of something I needed. I ended up uncovering heaps of photos I’d taken while in France. I dropped some favorites in a folder on my desktop, titled said folder ‘PAINT ME’, and that was that! Sometimes it takes so little to get us back in a flow state but we never know just what the trigger might be. Feeling stuck or in a bit of ‘I need to paint, but don’t know where to begin‘ kind of spot? Take a stroll through your photos. No pressure, no do it now. Just delight in the subjects that make you smile. You never know where that will lead 😉

I have some free photos on my site for you to paint to make it easy for you — go here!

And Eddie somehow turned up in my France pictures so of course, I had to paint him!

My Baby Has Green Eyes, 12 x 16in, oil