Like many people I’ve spoken with lately—maybe including you?—I’ve been finding it harder and harder to find my inner strength at times.
As an empath, I feel others’ emotions so deeply sometimes that it can overwhelm me, and waking each and every day to more heartbreaking news of suffering on so many levels and in so many places, I’ve felt my strength falter on many occasions.
I’ve felt powerlessness before… and I’ve also witnessed the incredible power of nature and discovered the power my painting can hold.
So in these times when I find myself overwhelmed and doubting my own strength, I turn to my tried-and-true practices for stepping back into my power: morning meditation and journaling, connecting with like-minded others, and, of course, painting.
When I can combine those things, it’s all the better—and I got the chance to do just that a few weeks ago when I was invited to do a live, hour-long demo on Eric Rhoads’ Art School Live.
When I first said yes to this opportunity a few months ago, it was a full-body yes. I knew in my bones that I couldn’t pass this opportunity up, even though my doubt started speaking louder as I thought about teaching live for thousands of viewers.
I spent weeks mentally preparing, turning over the potential outcomes, and asking myself, “what’s the worst that could happen?”
And, among that doubt came the feeling of power I know my painting holds—the power of light, of connection, and of beauty.
I painted beets in my studio using no artificial light, just the north light that naturally streams through my windows.
Someone asked why north light is considered best, and while the best answer I could give during the live demo was, “I just really like it,” I did consult Richard Schmid’s Alla Prima (a book I believe every painter should own!) to find that north light is a consistent, cool, soft, indirect light from the northern sky that’s used to create luminous, atmospheric paintings without harsh shadows.
Painting in the beautiful light of that morning, feeling the camaraderie of fellow painters following along, I embraced my power.
It’s a feeling that’s becoming more and more familiar—a power that recognizes that I may not be able to take away the pain or suffering of the world, but I can share the light, the color, and the goodness of nature and humanity through painting.
It’s never too late to find your power. To make it a more familiar feeling. To find that you, too, can bring light to the shadows of the world. Your strength may falter, but your power is innate.