Thoughtful Thursday: Word Art

I think of myself as a "sorta artist." You know, I can draw things, but not really make them into great works of art - I don't know much about how to shade things to make them look realistic, but I can draw my cat in a way that looks like my cat (I think) so I am a "sorta artist."

One of the things that I do enjoy and think I do well is graphic lettering and word art. I have always been fascinated by words (started reading when I was two), and I enjoy making word art. I have books with font ideas and lots of different types of pens to help me with this art form.

You may be asking, "What does this have to do with music therapy?" Not a whole lot - it has more to do with the "me" part of this blog, and it functions as a self-care strategy for me in my life as therapist. I also find that I am a bit more interested and involved with song lyrics after I have written them out and made them colorful or presented them in a way that is significantly different than the way I've experienced them before.

I think that this comes from my bent towards visual learning and my long-time attraction to the fact that letters make up words that make up meaning. My new project is to do some more lyric art. I think I'll spend some time just listening for phrases that catch my attention and then spend some time (on my currently cleared-off desk) making art before I run my last intern webinar for this series. I'll see if there is anything new to share tomorrow...

The thing I really want to emphasize here is that we all need to take time to focus on something that makes us feel truly engaged. When I am making word art, I am fully attentive to the words that I am replicating. I make mistakes, sure, but that's part of life - making and either fixing or living with mistakes. Liquid Paper or White Out is great for fixing mistakes in this case. Sometimes the words flow onto paper. Sometimes they don't. That's also reflective of life. There are times when everything works as planned - there are times when nothing does. We learn to navigate life as we are given.

Friends, do something that nourishes your soul today - certainly you can find 4 minutes in which to do so. Look at the sky and breathe. Listen to a song. Talk to a friend that you haven't spoken to in a long time. Give yourself those 4 minutes to just be you. The world will be better for it.

This afternoon, after work, I am going to make some word art. That will be my gift to myself - time to letter, color, and draw something that resonates with me in the moment. I know it will take more than 4 minutes, but I have the luxury of that time between work and webinar, so I am going to fill it with creativity.

I hope you can do the same.

Happy Thursday, dear reader!