... and then 2022 was over and it was 2023!

It's hard to believe that I have posted so little and that we are already in the second month of the new year.

Looking back at my "best 9" on instagram it is at least obvious that the year wasn't all smiles and joy: this first full year of being retired sure had its ups and downs. More downs, really. I continued to struggle with not making part of the working world, I missed the office and my colleagues (not really the work itself), my days continued to lack structure and any motivation to start something new was far to be found ... I moped around quite a bit!

With the start of the new year I finally decided to focus on the positive side of this new season in my life. DECIDING is not yet really LIVING it, but I am working on it.

I am slowly finding my way back to art, to painting. Not that I was a "real painter" ever before, but my creativity was always there - if mostly dormant - since not going to art academy after being an art major in highschool (my parents wanted me to study for a real profession i.e. something that made money!). 

So my carefully styled room (our guestroom with the murphybed) is turning slowly but surely into a studio. While being inspired by the modern art from Nepal (green painting on the left wall by Saroj Mahato and the leaning horse painting by senior artist Shashi Shah) I am making my first steps with paints, paper, and canvas ... experimenting ... practising ... PLAYING!

I started with grid jounaling and am follwing classes on abstract art offered digitally. I am amazed at the wealth of information out there, both free and paid. Surely grateful for all those wonderful artists out there willing to share their knowledge and experience.

I have grasped the very basics of layering and continue to be amazed how many times one needs to go back to the canvas. Right now I am struggling with adding structure to finally arrive at the idea of MIXED MEDIA:

The process brings me joy and brings light to my days. Especially since teaching yoga is experiencing a lull: I have temporarily quit, one reason being that my Kundalini yoga lessen didn't draw enough of a public to be financially viable - but also because I finally want to travel a bit more again this year. I still haven't found my taste back for long-distance travel (am loathing long flights), but I will be moving around Germany (going back to my old Ashram and visiting friends in Berlin) and later Italy, France ...

Looking at 2023 with a more positive outlook sure feels good!