Sunday, February 24, 2013

Be Your Own Beloved #14

Every day, I am taking a self-portrait in conjunction with Vivienne McMaster's Be Your Own Beloved e-course.

Painting a Love Letter to Myself

This flu has completely thrown me off track for this project. Today, I am finally feeling like I can function like a real human being again. So, I am picking up where I left off - The Valentine's Day assignment of writing ourselves a love letter. When I read Vivienne's assignment, I knew immediately that I wanted to paint my love letter. I always have layer upon layer in my paintings and I often write myself notes in these layers. You rarely can see my words in the final piece (although sometimes some faint words come through) but I always know they are there and I feel that they infuse the painting with spiritual energy and power. I learned this process from the wonderful Flora Bowley.

Self-love is a big one for me. I feel like it is one of my life's never-ending journeys. Sometimes if feels like a completely foreign land to me. I put on my anthropologist hat and study the people in my life whom I feel really, truly love themselves. How do they do it? How do they always choose their well-being first? What does it feel like in their bodies, to truly love themselves? Sometimes this is helpful, but I am realizing that my self-love is unique to me and is going to look differently than the self-love of anyone else.


Love Painting Letter to Myself

This is the Love Painting Letter I wrote to myself. It feels very vulnerable to share it with the world, but it also feels important. I chose to love myself today and to express it in this creative, public way and that feels like a gift.

1 comment:

  1. Tristy! This is so powerful!! Powerful in the simplicity of your words. "I love you." Saying that to yourself really hit me! I guess it is something we all need to do. And the colours and the writing and your pensive pose and everything about this painting make me envious of you and your art. You really must share this with the world. So glad that you are feeling better and can enjoy taking your photos again. Alison

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