Before you begin.
Take a slow breath in.
And let it go.
Again,
A slow breath in.
And a longer breath out.
Let your mind become quiet enough to enter another time.
Imagine it is the 1920s and you are a painter living in Paris.
Your studio sits high above a quiet street in Montmartre.
Morning light comes through the tall windows,
Casting soft shadows across the wooden floor.
You can smell the faint scent of oil paint and fresh coffee.
Outside you hear the sound of footsteps on the cobblestones.
A bicycle passing by.
And the distant voices of people beginning their day.
Inside your studio,
Your brushes rest in a glass jar.
A worn sketchbook sits beside a half-finished painting.
You were not trying to create something perfect.
You are simply paying attention.
The way the light touches the canvas.
The colors waiting on your palate.
The small details most people never notice.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Pick up your brush.
Make the first mark.
Notice what begins to appear on the canvas.
Maybe a person.
Maybe a place.
Maybe a memory you didn't know you had.
Let the painting become whatever it wants to become.
Step back from your work.
The painting does not need to be finished tonight.
The best artists know when to stop.
When to leave something unfinished.
And return with fresh eyes tomorrow.
The streets of Paris grow quieter outside your window.
The studio grows still.
And for now,
You can simply rest here.