Sunday Journal Prompt

“Carpe diem.”

 

– Horace 

 

 

This morning my husband awoke at 4 a.m.—a rarity while traveling. “Do you want to see the sunrise?” he asked. For a split second, I considered staying in the cozy bed, but then I thought about the opportunity I might miss. “I’m in,” I responded. Ten minutes later, we were walking on Prague’s hauntingly beautiful Charles Bridge. Pink clouds illuminated by the yellow-orange sun served as the backdrop for structures built centuries before Columbus sailed. Usually packed with tourists, the bridge was nearly empty, giving us the feeling that we had our own private viewing.

 

When have you “seized the day” by saying yes to a rewarding opportunity?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and be who you are.”

 

– Brene Brown

 

While on a hike with my family, I joined fellow park visitors in snapping photos of waterfalls, mountain vistas and lagoons. However, people on the path passed me by when I stopped to admire tree roots—tendrils upon tendrils of exposed tree roots. I couldn’t get enough of them.

Pausing, admiring and photographing tree roots, for me, is a way to honor often-unseen complexity and beauty. I’m most interested in people’s depth that few get to see. Those who share their hopes and heartbreaks—the side of themselves they usually keep buried—are the people I’m most drawn to.
 

What side of yourself do you rarely reveal? To whom might you showcase your depth?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“This room would offer a refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”

 

– Claude Monet of the vestibule he designed to house Water Lilies

After the first World War, Claude Monet donated Water Lilies to France, offering Parisians a haven of peace. When he first considered the project in 1909, he wrote, “Nerves strained by work would relax in its presence, following the restful example of its stagnant waters, and for he who would live in it, this room would offer refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”

Enthused to see the paintings and experience the way they seamlessly merge water, air, sky and earth, I hadn’t expected to feel awestruck by the room itself—the way the artist designed the well-lit oval-shaped room to create a space between the hustle of the city and his works. I felt as if I were immersed in art in a new way, and I noticed myself breathing more deeply. After taking it all in, I enjoyed watching the expressions of wonder in visitor after visitor as each entered the room at Musee de l’Orangerie. 

What room or space offers you a sense of peace? What do you notice about yourself there?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.”

 – Pablo Picasso

After years of taking her kids to art classes, my friend Debbie began taking ceramics classes herself. Recently she gifted me a coffee mug she made, and I’ve been drinking from it while sitting on my deck in the mornings as I watch the sun rise. Its warmth and sturdiness have become a reminder of our treasured friendship.

Still, many adults don’t think of themselves as artistic, but creativity comes in so many forms: creating a yoga class sequence, experimenting with a Kung Pao chicken recipe, rearranging furniture for a retirement party, making spreadsheet columns that provide new insight on a work project, inventing games for children, reorganizing kitchen cabinets, planning a trip on a budget.

How do you—or would you like to—incorporate artistry and creativity in your life?