Newsletter: December 2005

New Life / Old Life

New life begs us to let go, to break off our relationship with the past. It almost hurts because the past is so comfortable and comforting. It is what we know.

And yet something stirs inside us shaking things loose, unsettling, disquieting, disgruntling, breaking apart things of the past that no longer serve us. Why, oh, why must we grow? Why must we leave things, places, people behind us to begin our new journey? Pain. Heartache. Whining. Temper tantrums. No! I won't go. I can't. Not me, please do not ask me to do that.

Yes, we must move on. Life moves on without us. December 31 will come. And January 1 will replace it. We cannot control some aspects to this life. All we can do is roll with it.

Then, one day when we least expect it, we are happy. And we say Yes. Joy. Gratitude. Happiness. All of these things rush in where the emptiness and longing for the past and the familiar once took root. Free at last, we look forward to the new journey ahead of us.

Are we ready? Probably not. But, that does not really matter. Life is engulfing us at each and every moment. Life is inviting us to jump in and swim with its currents. Are you swimming with the flow or struggling against it?

A person, Mary Dineen, whom I had just met captured me in the photo above at the beautiful Hartford Elizabeth Park. As I look at it, I realize that I am a happy person at last. I'm finally jumping into the current of life and stopping the struggle.

Studio News: We are leaving our Hartford Studio on December 31

Due to a personal major life transition, I am leaving the old life behind and closing the door to my beloved Hartford studio. This space has been a safe sanctuary where painting has brought me much pleasure. It turned out to be more of a studio for me and my inner artist than a working studio for workshops.

This is the space where I discovered for myself what I have been teaching and honoring in each one of my participants over the years -- allowing the artist within the space to create. It was amazing, really.

One day during my college painting class, a classmate asked me where I painted. I told her that I had a basement studio at home that I hated painting in. When I showed up at my Hartford Studio the next day for a workshop, I looked around and realized that I had a studio space! I just had not claimed it as my own.

I always looked at it as more of a public studio. So, that day, I claimed it as my own studio space that I happened to share with the public. I moved all of my art supplies into the space and have been happily painting there ever since.

The workshops that were held there will always remain special in my heart. Thank you to everyone who has taken a workshop or private coaching session at this space. It has been my pleasure to serve you.

Last Day of Operation: December 31.

Paint Your Year 2005 Away and Receive in the New Year 2006

Have you been wanting to do a Wisdom Painting workshop and just have not gotten around to it?

Last call -- Come and paint your way out of 2005. I don't know about you, but I'm am SO READY to see 2005 behind me! How about you?

We will be doing my process that I refer to as Level II -- Scrunch It! In this session we will contemplate and reflect back on 2005 and paint about it. Then, we'll let that all go and recreate our new year of 2006.

9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Cost: $99.00 includes all materials.
RSVP by Dec. 28 -- session will be canceled if you do not respond by this date, so call now!

There is NO MORE TIME. Register NOW!

Call Mary Gravelle at (860) 649-9701

Goodbye Hartford

Goodbye Hartford. Thank you for everything. I'll keep in contact and let you know where we land next.