Art therapy

Years back I bought a large painting as a consolation prize after a business deal fell through. It was a painful time in my life, but I got through it, and ended up opening my own store. I came to think of the painting as a way of marking that time. It hangs in my living room as a reminder of the beautiful surprises that life has to offer. A door was closed, slammed shut really, but a new one opened.

When we moved to Phoenix and I sold my business, my life went through another painful shift. This time, I closed the door myself, but nevertheless, for a little while I hovered on the threshold unsure of where I was going. I knew I wasn't heading back into retail, the loss of our investments made sure of that. I started writing to keep my sanity and on a whim I registered for a writing class.

In that class I met Cyndi Coon who is an artist and fellow writer. Last summer, she and I met for lunch and a tour of some of her paintings, where I promptly fell in love with this one.

Something about the circular shapes just hooked me. The top sections are like a pebbled pathway, but the lower images seem to be floating along, much like I am now. After seeing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it, but also couldn't justify the extra money I would need to set aside to make it happen. I haven't been working since we've been here and we're getting by, but things are somewhat tight and bigger purchases have to be planned for.

Anyway, this weekend I took the money from my first editorial sale and made a down payment with Cyndi. She'll hold the painting for me and I am planning to make payments as I earn money for my writing. Soon enough, I will have this one hanging in my house too.

One door closed and another one open.