She's Back

Finally after months of trying to get settled after this move, I am working towards some reasonable form of life. I have found this transition from Europe to the US a difficult one. I never thought returning to my home country would be so difficult, but I am missing the people of England so much. I am slowly settling into our home here and very slowly getting the house into a place we can call home. Surprise of surprises, I was even able to make it into the studio recently. True enough, I only prepared some canvases, but I was in there enjoying myself.

During this transition, I have been thinking about how I am going to have to go back to some of my previous techniques for keeping my life sane and for keeping my creativity flowing. For me, that is a balance of things. I know my yoga is an important part and I have been doing that several times a week for a while now. I also find interacting with my young adult children keeps me fresh and ready to go. But one of the old techniques that worked so well for me before that I have just re-discovered is journaling.

Now journaling means a lot of things to a lot of people. I think it means what helps you process your ideas and thoughts. It helps with organization of perceptions and feelings. This happens in different ways for different people. Some people like to just write, some like to doodle, some use photography and others use a variety of techniques. Like me, there are people who do or have kept multiple journals at the same time. I know this will be effective for me again as I try to keep up with this new life.

I had let some of my coping techniques go when we were in England, because my day to day life there was like a journal. I wanted to soak it all up in a different way. It was great for me then, but now I do have to get back to what worked for me before. I think it will work again to keep me clear and open to all the possibilities my life has to offer.

What keeps you going? What is a part of your life that remains important to keep your creativity alive and processing? There are many factors which need to come together for me, is this true for you, too?