Photo Pause: Winter Storm, Winter Beauty

Note: Photography is a path to mindfulness for me, a meditative and grounding practice that prompts me to slow down and notice the world around me. May these images offer you a space to pause, a respite in your perhaps busy day, and a reminder to take a moment now & then and notice what's going on in the world around you.

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We got 51 centimetres in one day - that's 20 inches, for my American friends.

It was shitty if you had to commute or drive in it, really really shitty (thankfully neither D. nor I had to).

It was a crazy amount of accumulation.

It was also beautiful. The next morning, all I wanted to do was play.

On Purging, Shifting, and Creating Intentional Spaces

Last weekend I spent time cleaning my office/studio. Five days later I declared a painting complete for the first time since June 2014.

That's no coincidence.

For a while I'd been wanting to shift something in my creative space, so this past Saturday morning I queued up some Jazz, tuned in for guidance from my Higher Power and started sifting through my art supplies.

As I sorted through unfinished projects, bits of paper, and supplies I have no intention of ever using again, I held the vision of how I wanted to use my space in the coming year - how could it support who I want to become?

I moved my print and card-making supplies out of the closet and made them easily accessible. I replaced the old vinyl tablecloth on my art table with a piece of clear plastic that didn't look so bulky and awkward. I set up a tripod with D.'s DSLR camera in the corner of the room as a reminder of my intention to learn how to use it this year.

Creating intentional spaces. I'm a believer.

I'm also a believer that purging, re-organizing and creating white space are powerful ways to shift energy that's become stagnant - both physically and metaphorically.

Add a healthy dose of intention and intuition to the mix and those shifts become even more potent.

first completed piece since June 2014: Man With Cap (Homme à casquette)

© 2016 Stephanie Guimond, 12"x12", acrylics on canvas

But don't take my word for it.

Is there an area in your life where things feel stagnant at the moment? Are there any related physical spaces - an art supply cupboard, kitchen pantry, office filing cabinet - that could be sifted through or spruced up? On the flip side, do you feel an urge to purge but you're not sure why?

Either way there may be something good waiting for you on the other side of cleaning.

Why don't you give it a try and see what comes? At the very least you'll have a neater space to show for it and that's bound to make you feel better!

~~~

Related posts:

• Creating Intentional Spaces
• Decluttering: The Power of Purging Inclusively
• Decluttering: The 15-Minute Blitz
• Five Benefits Gleaned from Marie Kondo's Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up