PERMISSION TO Paint And Follow Your Art (And Life!) Wherever It Wants To Go
As an artist you know how healing art can be - for others and yourself. You understand that creating and sharing your art is essential. But sometimes life gets in the way, and you forget.
Let me remind you.
Hi, I’m Mary Brutsaert. I’m a healer and an artist, and it took me years to discover a way to take care of myself that is truly nurturing - something simple yet radically different from what I’d been told to try. Now, I’ve woven this practice into my life and my art, and I’m excited to share it with you.
In my newsletter, Permission To Paint, I write every two weeks about cultivating joy through radical self-acceptance and permission to do my art like the world needs it. Because it does!
Are You a Good Listener?
When we feel seen and heard and accepted in our most vulnerable moments, we can step into a bigger version of ourselves.
Do You Take Yourself Seriously?
So, to remind you that you are important, and that your needs and wants are important, I invite you to take a few quiet moments to yourself today.
Take a piece of paper (or your journal if you have one) and make a What-if List. Write at the top, “Wouldn’t it be great if…” and start writing anything and everything that comes to mind, whether it seems realistic or not. Don’t think about it. Just write.
That’s it.
Let the list sit as a product of you. That’s enough.
The Cost of Authenticity
Being authentic means being willing to look at the things we wish were different in ourselves, in those around us, and in the world. And to allow the pain associated with it. Even if this means we can’t function for a while.
The cost of authenticity is that we feel our grief more keenly.
What’s the Point of Making Mediocre Art?
There’s nothing quite like creating something out of nothing. It makes us feel alive. It helps us connect to ourselves in a way that is more immediate than almost anything else.
This is the point of making mediocre art: to feel alive and to pass the spark on to others.
It’s Not You, It’s Your Nervous System
Funnily enough, showing up as who we are - aka being “authentic” - doesn’t exactly come naturally.
We are built for survival. That’s our default.
To bypass the default, play!
When you’re having fun, you’re exercising the muscle of being yourself.
When you’re playing, you’re strengthening the neural pathway of joy.
What’s Wrong With You?
In those moments where everything suddenly feels wrong, lacking, or simply too much, using words of reassurance and encouragement is one way to stimulate the vagus nerve and access this state of calm and confidence.
There’s nothing wrong with you.
You are human.
Our task is to have the courage to look our humanness in the eye and to allow it.
All You Ever Have to Know Is the Next Step
Painting has shown me that there is a bold, fearless, confident, trusting, and accepting person inside of me who can handle anything.
She’s the one I’m inviting to be in charge of my life.
She sticks up for my needs. She’s not afraid to say no. And she talks me through uncertainty.
She’s the one I nurture.
Pushing Through Is Out of Style
When we push through, we dip into our energy reserves. And we will deplete ourselves.
When we speak or act from the heart, our energy is there to meet us.
It’s not rocket science. But we need lots of reminders that the old ways of doing things are no longer viable.
Do You Feel Seen and Heard?
How you feel nurtured, and seen and heard, is by NOT leaving this important job to others, who may or may not have the wherewithal to give this to you.
To feel seen and heard, we need to start by giving this gift to ourselves.
Once we feel seen and heard, it’s easier to let go of our worries and start showing up in the world in a way that allows others to see and hear us, too.
It’s kind of miraculous. And there’s more.
What’s The Big Deal About a Daily Practice?
So, how can we be our own best friend? How can we build a daily practice that feels nurturing and sustainable - a practice that accounts for those difficult days?
What’s The Big Deal About Painting?
And, what everyone always says but no one believes, I found that what makes painting so joyful is not the final product. It’s… you guessed it, the process, and how it spills over into all other areas of my life.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Have you ever wondered why we have this critical voice, how come it’s so harsh for some of us, and what we can do to quiet it down?
Follow the Breadcrumbs
When we start showing up for ourselves, we send a message that we’re worth it, we matter. There’s an insecure part in each of us that needs to hear this, over and over. You are worthy of love and attention. Once we start believing that, the world becomes an entirely different place.
It Shouldn't Be This Hard
If life feels hard to you right now, it’s because it is. There are no “shoulds” when it comes to emotions (or anything else, for that matter). We can only feel how we feel, and be curious about what our emotions say about how the world is affecting us today.
Are You Ready To Do Something Radical?
Stepping out of our habitual ways of coping and rising above survival mode requires a radically different approach. One that takes each moment as it comes - without judging it against what it should be or what we would like it to be or what we could make it to be if we just tweaked it a little.
Messing Up Is The Right Thing To Do
Being human means making mistakes. We all know this. We know it’s how we learn. We know it, yet in the moment we forget.
Why 50 Joys?
“Clean sheets, the smell of spring in the air, a smile on my daughter’s face…” That’s how a grief group participant started their list of 50 joys.