Waiting Room, John Register, 1990 |
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Some of my favorite moments are those times you have no other choice but to sit still and think — the waiting times, the pauses, the storm days. I do some of my most creative work there in those unencumbered moments, those times in between the Busy.
I outlined an entire book during an MRI scan a few years ago. And my Words by Jen logo? I came up with that while waiting for a client to arrive at a coffee shop.
When I travel, I always show up early at the airport and sink into the slow wait of boarding and waiting and flying. Often, the tires hitting the tarmac come too soon — no matter what adventure is about to commence.
For me, there is something about that hollow space that gives my brain permission to go explore something new and unknown. Like Alice, following rabbits down rabbit holes and discovering things I never imagined!
It's challenging to find those moments, though, especially these days when headlines have our rapt attention. When rabbit holes seem too frivolous in comparison to struggles and turmoil.
But as Carolyn Gregoire explains in her article Creative in Times of Crisis, “Art seeks to make sense of everything from our smallest sad moments to the most earth-shattering tragedies. It helps us to process and come to terms with the things in life that we can’t control and can’t really explain.”
“Any experience that shakes your world and challenges your assumptions can lead to heightened creativity and more authentic self-expression. Positive or negative, any experience that leads us into the unknown is also guiding us into the birthplace of creation.”
So, I encourage you to make time to explore that unknown, even now in these days of unending challenges. Give yourself breathing room, claim those unencumbered moments, and connect with your creative voice — it can be a solace, a grounding force, an anchor in the storm.
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Creativity thrives with mental breathing room, wide-open inner spaces to roam, and unstructured time to dream and reflect. — Carolyn Gregoire
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WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE: A SORT-OF LOVE STORY
by Jen Payne
An epistolary novella told through a series of emails, about two people who reconnect after 15 years apart and work to reconcile their pasts…and futures. Influenced by the work of Brené Brown and the bravery of storytelling, it’s also about having the courage to speak our truths, about trust and vulnerability, and about the true blessings found when we open our hearts. ($16)
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MANIFEST (zine)
Issue 7, Water
Inspired by the release of Water Under the Bridge, this 7th issue of MANIFEST (zine) is a collaborative effort featuring work by friends and fellow creative spirits Tara Buckley, Joy Bush, Jimine Camille, Anne Coffey, Juliana Harris, Rhonda Longo, Nancy Fitz-Hugh Meneely, Kristin Merrill, Mary O'Connor, and Laurel Valli. Includes a full-color, 24-page booklet, inserts, and a curated, collaborative Spotify playlist. ($8)
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This salon-style exhibit by Sarah Zar is on view at Guilford Art Center through April. If you haven't seen it yet, Sarah’s paintings are filled with bizarre figures, interacting or inhabiting solitary scenes with other unnatural presences, absences, and transpositions. She paints on old book pages and found remnants, preferring the polished texture of things with lost histories. In any medium — painted or three-dimensional — Sarah’s works are often figurative and a bit fabulist. She thinks of her objects as love letters to the unconscious minds of strangers. Click here for more about the exhibit, and be sure to make time to stop by Guilford Art Center!
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The only thing missing from the amazing experiencing of publishing my new book was the presence of my long-time friend and mentor Dale Carlson, who passed away on January 23. I treasure this photo of us at the launch of my first book in 2014, and know for sure she'll be there in spirit for the next!
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