Tag: joy connections

revisiting genealogy as calming distraction…

I’ve written before about genealogy (as well as looking through old newspapers) serving as calming distraction for me. I enjoy genealogical research and exploring old newspapers anyway, but the calming and distracting aspects for me add to their benefits.

As so often happens, I’ve had periods lately of intense anxiety. I spend time with my usual tools and helpers: painting, praying, porch time, reading, brain retraining, hanging out with my husband, watching “comfort” shows, talking with friends…and, yes, spending time with genealogy (and newspapers.com and findagrave.com and facebook groups focused on the history of my family’s area).

Trying to fit the puzzle pieces together that make up my family tree. Researching places and businesses where my relatives worked or spent time. Learning about what was going on when my great-grandparents (and beyond) were alive.

Doing this gives my brain something to focus on instead of fearful thoughts about the future.

Although any aspect of this can be helpful and enjoyable and lead to new discoveries or confirmations, there are certain things that have captured my attention in a deeper way. I turn to these again and again as I try to learn more about them.

My father’s paternal grandparents fall into this category. An old abandoned and mostly-vanished factory cemetery is another one. A long-standing building in my hometown is also on my list. Another is a church that, over the last 130-plus years, has changed names and merged and moved.

I dip in and out of researching these people and places. They are smaller “pet projects” under the larger umbrella of genealogy and local research, and they give me familiar things I can pull out and give attention to whenever I want.

They are calming distractions I keep in my toolbox of things that help when the anxiety is high…or things I can focus on simply because I want to spend time with them.

I don’t know if I’ll ever uncover more details or find more answers to the questions I have about these people and places, but I enjoy the exploration.

And that’s why I keep on researching.

♥

gelli plate play…

Almost a decade ago, I got three gelli plates of different sizes, used them a few times during the first few weeks of having them…and then didn’t touch them again for years.

Last summer I put them into one of the boxes of items we were donating to the local animal shelter’s thrift store, thinking I probably wouldn’t do anything with them anymore. After all, if I hadn’t used them in so long, why keep them around? I’ve been in a lengthy and ongoing process of trying to declutter and downsize (a process which is a big challenge for me) and I count it as a win any time I make any progress, no matter how small. But right before my husband carried that particular box to the car, I pulled out the smallest gelli plate to keep. Just in case I changed my mind and wanted to use a gelli plate again.

And I’m so glad I kept it.

During this time of my personal at-home summer art retreat, I was encouraged by a friend and a few videos to get out my little gelli plate and give it a go. I let myself play. And I had fun.

I made prints on papers I plan to tear and cut to use on journal pages. I started decorating some unused tags I’ve had stored away for years that maybe I’ll (finally!) start using in mixed media projects. I didn’t worry about how any of it turned out, I simply enjoyed experimenting and playing.

Do you have an art supply you haven’t used in a while – and thought you might not ever use again? Or maybe a supply you put away but haven’t tried out?

It could be that one day you end up surprising yourself the way I did…and discover it brings you a sense of play and joy you didn’t expect.

♥

personal at-home summer art retreat…

Back in 2019, during a time when I needed something to help me get through a difficult period, I decided to have what I called my personal at-home summer art retreat…a summer when I spent more time than usual with painting and doing art-related activities, and connecting to the joy and the calming those things bring to me.

This year, in late May, I decided to do the same this summer – and on June 1st I began this year’s personal at-home summer art retreat.

Although I’ve had a daily painting practice for several years now, for the past month I’ve been painting even more. And I’ve spent more time doodling. And mark making. And doing mixed media.

I’ve been using some of my art supplies I’ve barely picked up in years, like stamps and stencils. I’ve even come across supplies I forgot I had.

Most days I’ve been watching at least one painting or art journaling or mixed media video – not only for techniques and ideas,, but also because watching those kinds of videos will usually spark my own creative juices and get my fingers moving to create something (even if it’s not creating what the video is demonstrating).

And I’ve been trying new things…like making my own journal from torn watercolor paper, using pieces of one of my acrylic-on-canvas paintings for the front and back covers, and binding it using tools from a small book-binding kit I purchased half a dozen years ago but had never used until now.

With the painting, the doodling, the mark-making, the journal creating, the “arting” in general…it’s not about how it ends up looking, it’s about the process, the doing of it.

And the doing of it is having so many benefits for me.

All of this has been fun. Playful. Calming. Relaxing. Joyful.

It’s helping me get through hot days and stressful periods.

Creativity joy is a real thing, and my personal at-home summer art retreat is helping me stay connected to creativity and to joy.

I hope you have something in your life that does the same for you.

❤