Nine years ago, I took a leap outside my comfort zone and said yes to a two-week painting retreat in the South of France led by Lori Putnam.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that trip changed my life. As I said then:
“Never before have I felt such a sacred power—and never before have I appreciated the magnitude of this magic we create.”
Following that trip, I asked Lori to officially be my mentor, and in the years since, I’ve experimented in more ways than I can count with my painting, I’ve traveled to the most miraculous places to continuously expand my bank of inspiration, and I’ve connected with some of the most gracious and talented painters and people across the country and globe.
Just two weeks ago, I found myself back in the South of France, again with Lori—this time residing at Marouatte Castle, a medieval painter’s retreat in the Perigord Vert region of the Dordogne.
For 11 days, we’d start the morning with breakfast before breaking off to go and paint wherever we chose. I welcomed those hours of solitude, alone with my thoughts and the sounds of nature, before we rejoined the group in the late afternoon for illuminating critiques before dinner.
It was during one of those critiques where Lori made a point that my work could use some “restful areas”—certain areas in the painting where there’s less energy; where the eye could take a break; where a pause could take place.
I was struck by this idea—that I don’t have to have the same energy throughout a whole painting. That I can deliberately create space in a scene. That I can plan places for a pause.
As with most things that cause me to go deeper with my painting, I see this as a metaphor for our lives.
We don’t have to carry the same energy from sun up until sundown, from day to day, or from month to month. We can deliberately create space. We can plan for pauses. We can create restful areas.
This trip to France was my pause. It was a break from daily life, yes, but it was also the pause that marked my transition from being a full-time graphic design agency owner to a full-time painter.
Without allowing myself this restful area, I would still be making that transition, but I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t be entering this chapter with nearly as much intention, confidence, and curiosity, had I not taken that space.
With the turn of seasons here in the northern hemisphere, the newfound chill in the air, and the shortening daylight hours, it might just be a good time for you to evaluate your energy. To take a pause. To create space.
Who knows what you might come out of it with? Whatever it is, I hope you find your restful areas, and I hope they help you create even more magic in your life.