coloring

pencil shavings from a pencil sharpener. sharpen your mind. create your own coloring book. a coloring book with no lines, no boundaries, and no color-by-number. creativity is coloring. it's not so much about the artist talent or the shading of your still life replica; it's about the release, the expansion, and ultimately the relief for getting it out. a big exhale. a big sigh. for a second your body is empty, and maybe your thoughts can pause. the constant scratching of pencil on paper is methodic and lulling. then you have to inhale again and begin your next picture. you can sit and admire the work you created, but you know there is always more to be done. still, it feels good to something completed, and if nothing else, it is something that has meaning for you. you can see the flaws, the things you wished you had done better. ignore them. deny judgement. it's hard, really really hard; we are often our worst critic. it is likely no one will see your errors, but if they still don't like it, screw them.