We live in uncertain times. Times of confusion, where things are not what they seem, nor are the lines of decision clearly defined. It is frightening to feel you have no control over the outcome of things set in motion by others. I believe that action is the antidote to feelings of helplessness, despair, and sadness. That’s why I paint. It’s a meditative process for me. I use color, shape, and form to help me get centered.

In creating Transformation, with its deep flowing colors, I found a way to express the Yavapai Indian belief that the healing spirit of the bear had transformative power. When I finished the piece, I felt renewed and replenished. When you are in the presence of serene and calming art, and that presence speaks to you in a way that reaches you on a spiritual level, the physiology of the body also changes from being stressed out to being deeply relaxed, and from being fearful to creative. I found that when I felt stressed or uneasy, just looking at one of my own watercolors, calmed me down. And the process of painting, itself, is an experience that, for me, can be so uplifting that it can take me from one level to another, much higher level, where worries don’t exist.

As the spirit of the cougar stands guard over its domain, we must also stand guard over our thoughts. To move from powerless to powerful, we must find our center. Instead of being scattered and shaken, allow time for the growth of certainty. This can only be done through centering while the cyclone whirls around us. We must be the center of the cyclone, in order to stand firm in our beliefs.

So it seems wise to seek ways to stop, sit, and listen to your heart. One way to do this is to find a place where you can feel calm and peaceful. To me, rivers seem to be passages to the soul, joining together in the flow, two opposing ends of the same path. Mist rising from rivers or ponds, bounded by prairie grasses, are calming to me, as I think about what is unseen, as being the source of all.