Recently, I’ve felt uninspired. There’s a heaviness in the air. Heaviness of injustice, grief, and uncertainty.

I want to escape. I want to run from my internal messiness. From the discomfort, shame, rage, and deep sadness. And still, I stay.

Years of meditation have taught me that mind states (and emotional storms) do not last. They’re uneasy, raw, vulnerable, and temporary.

This is the very place where we make deep connection.

The messiness is life. Our path of healing is through, not around.

Saturday was soggy and gray. I felt blah. But I noticed rain drops on the big leaves of my canna-lily plant. I paused. Then I picked up my camera.

In these moments, I’m not looking for an amazing photograph. I have no idea what will happen.

Mostly, I want to be present with light, details, and beauty.

As I take photographs, curiosity awakens, internal lightness appears, and my world becomes bigger. All of this without trying. Mostly, just getting out of my own way.

This image comes from my front-stoop pause. Some days, I delete all my images. Other days, I feel moved by the scene created.

Photography is a portal. It’s a new lens on life.

I used to tell myself: I’m not creative; I’m not artistic. Yet there are many ways to make art. And many ways to express from our heart.

Our creative expression—our soul work—is linked to our healing. At a time of complexity and global pandemic, self-care is vital. Not “spa day” indulgence nor surface affirmations, but regular, small, powerful doses of kindness, creativity, and acceptance.

PS: My online class, Seeing: Photography + Mindfulness, begins September 22.

PPS: Use the special code 10OFF at checkout to receive $10 off the price. (I love my blog readers!)