Work in Process ♥ Big Love ♥ hurling

From my heart to yours: a big starburst of love and appreciation for a year full of creating, connecting and delivering heartfelt artwork into caring, new hands.

 

 

I hope that your holiday season is bringing you joy and peace and moments of togetherness, but also aloneness. Time to yourself, to imagine, to feel gratitude, to sleep, to rest. To be.

 

You didn’t hear from me in the last 2 weeks and here’s why: I was sleeping one morning, and into my dream came a wave of aggressive dizziness that grabbed me, woke me, and hurled the insides of my skull in violent circles. I held on as the world seemingly spun me by my frontal lobe. Much actual hurling followed 😊

 

Over and over came a nauseating spin of my whole consciousness. It was very scary but I fairly-calmly assumed I was having a stroke. I grabbed my phone and made a voice memo after the third wave, sure that my husband would find me and would need to know what had happened. Stumbling to the bathroom, I lay across the counter with my feet in one sink and my face in the other.

 

My husband finished his meeting upstairs, encountered my misery, and did a google to determine what was going on. He then spent the next several days tending to me. 

 

Have you experienced this? It’s called BPPV: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. One of the worst things I’ve ever experienced inside my own body. But that word “benign” is comforting, because it DOES go away eventually, with the help of simple (though nauseating) body maneuvers.

 

It’s 13 days later, and I’m happy to say that yesterday I drove, and besides the first 5 minutes of my brain feeling like a goat on roller skates, the rest of the journey went great! Throughout this unwelcome adventure, I didn’t miss Christmas or Christmas Eve get-togethers and I have actually pulled many positives from this experience. Not mad. Just glad it’s (almost) over. Especially now that I know what to do if it happens again. 

 

If you want tips, just let me know and I’ll send them to you.

 

 

Several days ago I began the above painting, Live Simply, and standing for hours at the easel has been satisfying. I’m not 100% sure where I’ll go next with this piece, I’m not sure where I’ll go with ANYTHING right now… so I’m embracing the unknowing and relying on trust as I put paint on the canvas. I like what has happened so far, and inspirations are coming in fast: sketching today, a hike in the woods around the lake with my step-father yesterday... inspiration doesn't hide for long. I'm gathering notes and sketches and staying open-minded.

 

I’m sending you big love for the new year. Are you also kind of unsure about what happens next? I think that’s okay. I think we take it one day at a time and take note of what brings us joy – those are the things we keep.

 

And if we want to let go of some 'things', relationships, ideas, intentions or plans that no longer fit us... that's okay, too. Be gentle, be kind, lead with love.

 

 

 

 

Love & Sincerely, Katie