Project Finding Beauty

Food for the Soul

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen 
November finds me prepared with pencils.

backstory: You might have seen the image above, I’m reposting it, nonetheless. Because November is a time I reach for storage boxes of my old artwork and hobbies to nourish my soul. Revisiting creative hobbies I do only for my eyes is the beauty of the November month; a space for me for to fly or fail with no pressure.

p.s. The illustration is from Enchanted Forest, an adult colouring book by Johanna Basford. I’m also responding to a prompt at Poets and Storytellers United.

Project Finding Beauty

October Endings

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

Auroras set the landscape ablaze
and October goes out with a bang
for the dead are not really dead
but live always, only in a state
of profound dormancy.

backstory: Not the usual weekly six-word memoir… but Northern Lights were forecast to be visible across the whole country, continent and beyond, last night. I didn’t get a glimpse because it was cloudy in my area. Nonetheless, hosta leaves (pictured above) that turn yellow in autumn always remind me that nothing is really ever dead. All living beings must rest. So, October’s end and changing of clocks to winter time help me access the gift of meaning. There’s beauty in that.

p.s. Also linking to Poets and Storytellers United.

Project Finding Beauty

Contemplative Practice

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen 
 In contemplation, I stop and breathe.
The Sculpture Promenade of Contemporary Art

backstory: Some people do yoga, tai chi, meditation and so on, as a contemplative practice to calm the mind, I walk. As autumn advances and darkness (November) approaches, it becomes more important for me to pay attention and keep finding beauty. Because when I moved North, I inherited seasonal affective disorder. Combine that with anxieties of present days, and you get the picture!

Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe. – Wayne Dyer

What practices or rituals help you nurture your mental well-being?

p.s. I’m also linking to Poets and Storytellers United.