Dream Beauty

It's been an exhausting few weeks...with just one more week till my job as a social worker ends. Every day feels a little like riding an emotional roller coaster. And every day feels more about endings than beginnings.

By the time I get home at night I feel drained. Not much left in the way of creative energy.

But the wheels in my head are still turning...and I'm still looking forward to spending more time painting.

In the last few weeks I've been seeking out comfort by heading to some of my favorite places. One of my favorite places is the flower gardens at Lyndale Park Gardens in Minneapolis. I not only found comfort there, but also beauty and inspiration.

Perhaps my favorite gardens at Lyndale is the Peace Garden (also known as the Rock Garden). Among the flower gardens are also several stone sculptures with words that reflect the theme of peace carved into the stone.

On one stone I read: 
"Breathe truth. Dream Beauty. Imagine Justice."

And also: 
"Grieve Honestly. Nurture Nature. Remember Humanity."

"Accept Fragility. Return Love."

I'm letting these words and images guide me through these coming weeks. 

And I'm also using these words and images as inspiration for a new series of paintings...because the one thing I know is that painting will lead me to my new beginning.