Focusing on the Good in Strange Times
I came to a realization recently… Maybe never feeling content in ourselves is OK. Maybe it’s because there’s always more to do, more to learn, and more to grow. We are in a constant state of becoming. We are supposed to be. We are ever changing, because our life experiences are ever compounding. I think accepting this truth has actually given me some small level of contentment. My perception of the word content has shifted for the better and it’s really helping my entire state of mind during this COVID-19 pandemic.
“An artist has got to be careful never really to arrive at a place where he thinks he’s at somewhere. You always have to realize that you’re constantly in a state of becoming. As long as you can stay in that realm, you’ll sort of be alright.”
Being an artist during a pandemic has been strange. Being a wife and parent during a pandemic has been strange. It’s all been strange for us all. Any time someone asks how I’ve been doing through it I say something about the emotional roller coaster I’m living on repeat. Think Ron Burgundy, “I’m in a glass case of emotion!” I feel like I've been on these waves of sadness, then gratitude, then fear, then love... all the extremes one after another for months.
Things have been less up and down for me in the last several weeks, but I think it’s because of the second thing I always tell people who ask what I’m doing. I’m trying to focus on the good. I do not want to be falsely positive, but have gratitude for the good things. I strongly believe that false positivity is a problem. If you’re mad, or sad, or whatever you are, let yourself feel it, before moving on. You don’t have to pretend everything is OK, if it is not OK.
That being said, focusing on the good things is a great way to help you go through the not so good stuff.
Here are five good things I’ve been able to keep focus on lately:
✨ Being present with my family. It’s my word of the year after all! Quarantine forced us to be home all the time and now that things are opening up we are still being very cautious at our house. It would be a lie to say it’s been easy every moment of every day, but I have really enjoyed the extra time with my kids and husband, when he was working from home.
✨ Time to think about what life will look like moving forward. Slowing down has allowed me to assess the things I used to do, with family and work, and think about which ones I want to keep and which one to let go of moving forward. We don’t have to live a jam packed schedule if we don’t want to.
✨ Reassessing goals and priorities. Allowing myself to change my mind, unapologetically, in regards to goals and priorities. Did I want to have a record breaking year for my business? You bet I did. Was I on the right path to do that in March? I sure was. Am I still on track? Nope. Do I care? A little… but I’m kind of over it. Family trumps all the things. I'm grateful for the perspective I've gained these last months and that lens of a pandemic has changed the way I think about what I need to be doing with my time right now.
✨ A deepened appreciation for family and good friends. After not being able to see people so easily for so long, it really makes me thankful for the people in our lives. We still haven’t seen many people in person and I miss so many people!
✨ The ability to pivot. I have incredible gratitude to be in a position to be able to reduce my work load, and be home with my kids for virtual school this fall. I know many people are not in this position and I do not take that for granted.
What’s something you’re grateful for or have realized about life during this pandemic?
“When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”
In an effort to foster a creatives community I’ve started a Facebook group called Art is a Record, the same name as this blog. I would love for you to join in the fun as we discuss creative living, projects, art, and life.
