In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests writing three pages by hand every morning, whatever comes to mind, before the day has a chance to edit you. Many people swear by them.
Some days, though, we would rather not start the day with words. This is the same idea, with colour.
What you need
A small watercolour set (a child's set is perfect), a glass of water, a brush, and a few sheets of cheap paper you won't mind wasting. Leave them on the table the night before, next to your cup.
The ritual, in ten minutes
- Minute one: before touching anything, take three slow breaths. Imagine your mind waking up the way the light does, gradually, from the edges.
- Minutes two to four: wet the paper. Choose one colour for how you feel right now, without thinking too hard, and let it spread.
- Minutes four to seven: add a second colour without planning where. Watch the two meet and bloom into each other. Ideas often work the same way: unexpected connections between things that already exist.
- Minutes seven to nine: look at your coffee cup and draw its outline on a second sheet without looking down at the paper. The result will be strange. That's the point.
- Last minute: look at both pages for a moment. Write the date in a corner and leave them to dry.
That's all. No one will see them unless you want them to.
Why it works
Before coffee, your inner critic is still half asleep. Your hands are busy, your mind loosens, and you begin the day having made something, however small. It's a gentle start rather than a productive one, and often the gentle start is what makes the rest possible.
If you enjoy this, you may like mark making, the meditation for perfectionists, or contour gazing, its more patient sister.
A painting that began as watercolour
My print Anthropos, whose title means "human being" in Greek, began as a watercolour. Each print is revived by hand with fresh brushstrokes, so no two are quite the same, and each is signed and comes with a meditation letter.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi