Turning Empty Around
I read a quote the other day that made my mind wander:
The truth? Two years later and I felt empty. I felt like I gave and gave. The end result was most often a hollow Facebook message that says "thanks for the cards." Not what I imagined would happen. This was not part of the daydream. I had visions of pen pals and letters dancing in mailboxes. All the returned messages weren't hollow, but the heartfelt ones didn't feel like enough. I didn't feel like I was on the right path. So. I quit. I quit sending happy mail.
Give until your heart is full.
How much giving is that? Two years ago I started sending happy mail. Giving away what I made. Spending my own money on postage. Daydreaming about the smiles that were happening on the receiving end. Touting that I was doing this project to make myself happy, and no one else.
The truth? Two years later and I felt empty. I felt like I gave and gave. The end result was most often a hollow Facebook message that says "thanks for the cards." Not what I imagined would happen. This was not part of the daydream. I had visions of pen pals and letters dancing in mailboxes. All the returned messages weren't hollow, but the heartfelt ones didn't feel like enough. I didn't feel like I was on the right path. So. I quit. I quit sending happy mail.
This isn't the first time I've felt this kind of empty. I'm a giver, I give and give and give. Always feeling like I'm receiving much less in return. When I start to feel empty, I retreat. I recharge by being alone. Yes. I know there are some of you who won't understand that. I'm an extroverted, introvert. Yep, that's right. Spread too thin, I often run out of energy. I also internalize things too much and the only way I know to recharge is to retreat from the world around me. In the words of Yoda - Retreat I did.
I tossed the daydream and picked up my sketch pad and micron pens. I poured myself into drawing. Drawing is something I recently started doing when the stress starts to cripple my mind. I needed to do something for me. I stopped doing it for other people and focused on my art.
I tossed the daydream and picked up my sketch pad and micron pens. I poured myself into drawing. Drawing is something I recently started doing when the stress starts to cripple my mind. I needed to do something for me. I stopped doing it for other people and focused on my art.
I started posting pics of my work on Facebook and Instagram because that's what I do. I take photos and post them. One of my pieces sparked a request for a custom order. This, this made me change my focus. This encouraged me to embrace my art.
The art kept happening and I started focusing on a different type of giving. Pouring my talent out into the world and giving it life, filling my heart and helping me turn empty around.
The art kept happening and I started focusing on a different type of giving. Pouring my talent out into the world and giving it life, filling my heart and helping me turn empty around.
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