The lens through which I see the world has changed through the practice of mindfulness. I practice being present to “what is arising” in the moment. In the instance of art, I am learning to sketch with pencil crayons or paint with water-based oils what I actually “see”. I try to embrace and move through the emotional obstacles of doubt, self-judgment, “not-good-enough” and “too busy” that inevitably arise at different stages of the drawing and painting process. All the subjects I choose to draw or paint are meaningful to me in some deeper, more soulful way. I have discovered, unexpectedly, and with utter joy, how much I love the practice of meditation through painting and drawing. Here are a few of the paintings and sketches I’ve done over the past couple of years. Perfectly imperfect.