I have had a rough few weeks dealing with depression and just not feeling like doing much of anything that I enjoy doing. I’ve been stewing on things and usually that means I shut down, tune out, and watch a lot of Netflix. But my Freerange Friday Post called “Wonder or Wondering?” inspired me to do a practice that helped me process my emotions.
I prayed with ART! Creating! Creating things brings me life. Sometimes when I”m down, I will make chocolate chip cookies, or a pie to give away to friends or neighbors, sometimes I journal, and sometimes I do art. Art brings me joy! Creating brings me peace. Two weeks ago, I had a large blank canvas waiting for my art class to restart. This large blank slate seemed to call me. I grabbed some bright crayola markers and wrote down all the questions that were spinning around in my mind. Just having these things written down helped. But having these things written down in a larger format that I could see daily, made an even bigger impact in my mood and attitude. After pondering the questions
What is being planted in your Garden of Wonder?
What needs Planting?
What is already being planted? What seeds are already there?
What signs of wonder can you already identify? What do you notice?
What needs Pruning? What Needs Cultivating? What needs more water?
What WONDER produce might need picking and sharing with others?
I decided to add to the canvas. I got out my Modge Podge, my gloss medium, tissue paper and some old sheet music and started covering the canvas. I also used my markers to write down things that I wanted to grow in my Garden of Wonder…..
Things like: Freedom, Peace, Justice, Joy, Hope, Love, Forgiveness.
As I covered the canvas with color, I began to ask Jesus to show me more of His love and grace. I used the process of messy gluing, and writing and painting as prayer. The collaging process was good therapy. I asked God to fill me with more wonder, more peace, more creativity, more awareness of the needs around me.
More of Jesus, less of me.
I let the newly layered prayers sit for several days. Allowing the colors and the covering of the words to cover me too.
Then this week I began adding paint to the canvas. Adding to the melody of words and paper. Allowing the Wonder Garden to really grow. Allowing the Wonder Gardener, God, to til the soil of my heart and heal my emotions.
How about you? What things heal your soul and bring you joy? What creative process brings you life? What if you allow this creativity to bring you closer to Jesus?
What could you learn through writing out, drawing out or collaging your prayers? I’d love to see and hear about it!
