Vancouver, Washington, has been showing off this fall. The weather, the leaves, the Pacific Northwest colors. I think this might be one of the most beautiful falls yet.
When I wrote Finding My Way Back in August, we had moved back to the Pacific Northwest, but we hadn’t yet moved home. On September 1st, we did. Since then, I’ve been putting everything back together.
It feels like I did spring cleaning in the middle of fall. I cleared out the blah and put only my favorite things back (well, not all of my favorite things. … lost a lot in the travels…Amazon wish list started!). And somewhere in there, I realized I felt that way about more than just my home and my studio. I felt that way about me. Things are quieter around me, and I can hear myself better.
Looking back, I can see how much healing I was doing this summer. In April, I wrote about my vision changing and how hard it was to look at something I’d made and realize I couldn’t see it the way I used to. By August, I could tell my paintings were changing right along with me.
There was a lot of grief in that. I miss seeing the way I used to. I miss being able to do things the way I used to. And here’s the super cool thing. Painting helped me work through it. I could put some of what I was feeling into the texture and movement of a piece, even on the days I couldn’t see clearly.
And now I get to say something I’m really excited about.
I found my voice as an artist.
I’m going to leave a little mystery around that for now. I’m excited about where my art is headed in 2027, and it feels good to have a direction and still feel free to play.
As for the rest of this year, I’m in my fall back era. I’m falling back in love with being home, being in my studio, and making things with my hands. I want to be creative for the holidays and enjoy a little art bliss.
Mostly, I’m gonna roll around in the leaves of life for a while and take it all in.
❤️ Melissa
