The Peace of the Present Moment

I call this painting “Paradise Lost.” In making it, I realize all is not lost and there is much good lying ahead in “Whatever is Next.” I am moving on to new days which, I am trusting, will be full of new pieces of paradise. My painting process allows me to see that the road I traveled yesterday was paved with unexpected wisdom. This process also allows me to see the wisdom in “Right Now” and “What’s Next.” Yesterday, I didn’t feel prepared for what lies ahead. Today, I am ready. Time is wise and gives me what I need for tomorrow.

I am in the present moment when I paint. I am more mindful and aware of what’s happening right now. Creating lets me see the end of a long journey of accepting things I thought I’d never accept. Seeing this, ironically, brings me home. I see that mindfulness is not about focusing on a place, a person, or an event. It’s about the lens I choose to see the present moment as it happens. It’s why I look forward with hope.

Consider your creative process and how it can help you to be ready for “What’s Next” and say goodbye to “What Was”? What steps do you need to take so that you can see hope in the present moment? Find a creative outlet that lets you experience life as it is: without looking back or forward. “Paradise Lost” brings me unexpected peace. I know that no matter what happens, I am the master of my present moment. I see “Right Now” through the proper lens and understand that today opens great gifts for me. My creative process lets me see through this lens. I experience the peace of the present moment. What can you create that will adjust your lens and let you see “Right Now” with this same peace.

Paradise Lost, 2020