Diving Deeper

For years my practice has been, at the dawning of each new year, to choose a word or phrase that acts as my North Star. For 365 turns around the sun, this word is my rudder to guide me through the unknown waters of the year to come. A word that reminds me of my intent and helps to cement it for the year.
One year my word was “no" not in a mean or callous way but rather a means to avoid overcommitting. To mindfully take on commitments that I knew I could participate in fully and mindfully but also to allow myself to kindly say no. To me it is disappointing to say yes and then find that your schedule is so full that you and the ones you love suffer the consequences. “Connection” was another word I chose one year. I worked hard to do things that would foster deeper connections in my art, in my relationships and more meaningful interactions with the world around. I often feel in this digital age it is far too easy to become fragmented and disconnected.
Over the years, this practice has served me well often with surprising and positive results.

This year I took a different approach. Instead of a word, I chose a concept.A concept from Raptitude blog by David Cain. I would begin a year of diving deeper.
I have decided to take the whole year during which I wouldn't start anything new or acquire any new possessions that I did not need.
No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this time. Instead, I'd find the value in what I already own or in what I had already started. Explore it more deeply. I would work to improve my skills rather than learn new ones and delve into the media nestled in my bookcases and piled next my chair.

Read the whole article here : https://www.raptitude.com/2017/12/go-deeper-not-wider/

This all came about last November when a friend of mine, Larissa, was visiting my studio. We talked about the abundance it contained. We discussed tools that were waiting to be fully explored, resources that were yet to be utilized and boards that were begging to be finished. The studio held a wealth of inspiration calling for attention. Time to take a deep breath. What if I were to just slow down and for one year, use the tools I have, finish the unread books and magazines, complete the abandoned paintings that had been passed over for something new? What would that year look like? Wouldn’t it create a richer art practice? Could completing the abandoned and unfinished, learning from those troublesome pieces create space and breathing room in my mind and my studio? I thought it might.

Thanks to my friend Larissa and her sharing with me the included article, this year became my year of Diving Deeper.
A year of diving deeper not to look out but to look in.

And now, as it turns out the world has conspired to help me in my quest. It is time to focus on what we have.

I am choosing to put my energy into fostering the friendships I have, to make my space more my own, to concentrate on my art, to read the books I left unfinished, to explore the tools and treasures gathering dust. In other words, to do the things I love. I am choosing make this a time to reset and to enrich myself and to practice patience and gratitude.

Perhaps this your time of going deeper. I hope that you too can find your moments of brightness and ways to enrich your spark. Pull out that guitar that has been sitting in the corner, crack the spine of that journal or sketch book, unfurl your yoga mat. Whatever makes your heart sing.

with Gratitude,

Megan

Studio Ganesh