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By Sheryl Keen 18 Mar, 2024
Recently, a friend of mine told me that she is trying to be gentle with herself; not to be as overly critical of herself as she tends to be. When it comes to love, our focus usually falls on others. There is nothing wrong with that, the world needs all the love that it can get and if you have love to give, give it. However, we can also give love and care to ourselves in a healthy way. We know that as humans we are imperfect and prone to make mistakes. When we do make mistakes, we need to give ourselves the same grace and love that we give to others. In fact, giving grace to ourselves may make it easier to give it to others. If we are not compassionate to ourselves, it may be difficult to be kind to others. On the other hand, if we can be loving and kind to others when they fall short but full of criticism of ourselves, it means we need a different approach. Self love is not narcissistic. It makes for a healthy way of being. We practice giving love and care to ourselves so that we can be resilient; we can rise and move on from our failures and not be paralysed by extreme self criticism. It means that we can set boundaries that are not easily and constantly breached so that our peace is protected. We can set goals and intentions and pursue our dreams to become our most actualized selves when we practice self love. We are prepared to meet life’s challenges because we are rejuvenated and restored by the daily practice of nurturing ourselves. The love we want to give to others will come easily because our own practice with ourselves teaches us how to give it to someone else. Everything takes time and practice if we are not used to doing it. Let’s be patient with ourselves in the pursuit of this state of being. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my next post. Sheryl
By Sheryl Keen 14 Mar, 2024
Every day brings its own newness, the opportunity for change and the opportunity for us to grow into our best selves. Today is no different; we just need to decide whether we are going to stay and fight the way things are with ourselves or if we are going to run away. Flight is easy, we don’t even have to go to someplace else; we just need to not pay attention. And while we are busy fleeing what needs to change within ourselves, our higher selves are patiently waiting on us to stand and take action. Fighting is hard; it’s tiring. And when the person you are trying to change is staring you in the mirror; it is even more tiring. But it can be inspiring too. Finding, knowing and being our highest self is a goal and it requires work. And it is challenging work because more than likely, we have been this self for a long time. How dare our highest self try to teach an old dog, a new trick? Is growth worth the fight? Is pushing our limitations and exploring our own endless possibilities worth it? Is reveling in our own self-expansion worth it? I think that it is and so we have to seize the day. Thanks for reading and stay tune for my next post. Sheryl
By Sheryl Keen 20 Jan, 2023
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By Sheryl Keen 29 Oct, 2022
I love fall and know that it is a bittersweet time for many. The leaves fall and winter is coming. But fall is a time to enjoy and appreciate nature's colour palette. The oranges, reds, browns, and yellows bring a sense of wonder and warmth that provide a foil to the cooler weather. As an artist who is partial to warmer colour palettes, this time of year brings inspiration and ideas. Apart from the beauty of the colours, fall is also a time of change. Falling leaves that lead to bare trees seem like a kind of death, and it is. But for change to happen something must go. We can take cues from nature and let go of things that do not make our lives great. Change and transformation require some action on our part. We too have our seasons of change. I have learnt that leafless trees are hardy because they need less energy to stay alive. They are also able to withstand mighty storms and massive gust of winds in winter because the wind finds it easier to move through trees that do not have the obstacle of leaves. Letting go, it seems, is essential to our survival. Changing seasons and the transition can be uncomfortable but it is about perspective because this time can also be exciting and inviting. Like trees in winter, being grounded and knowing who we are can be our security blanket. We can be confident in the knowledge that we will persevere and like trees we will gain new leaves. Seasons change and so do we.
By Sheryl Keen 07 Aug, 2022
This is a busy summer for art shows. Etobicoke Arts Fest took place over a month ago and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came by booth #145 to say hello. Outdoor art fairs make for long, exhausting days and company makes everything better. Time goes by much quicker when talking with old and new friends about art. It's not a show if people do not turn up. This is also a great time to say thanks to the art lovers who buy and support my work. Art is more than a product. It's a feeling, it's an experience, it's your personal connection with something more. There are many artists out there, so if my work resonates with you and you choose it for your experience, I am grateful. I am grateful because you have given me the opportunity to have an impact on you and your space and that is priceless. My hope is to touch not just your physical space, but your mental and emotional ones as well. I'll end with this quote from Voltaire; " Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." Cheers, Sheryl
By Sheryl Keen 08 Mar, 2022
We collect art for different reasons. Collecting could be for investment purposes, to improve the aesthetics of our space, to own a piece of history, or maybe it's to get in on a trend. If you love art, you can become a collector as well. It is a good thing to collect art. ( I am biased, I know ) Our space reflects who we are and we can use the art that we collect to reveal aspects of our personal taste and personality. Added to who we are on an individual level, art can tell stories about us collectively and do so in ways that we cannot say with words. Art can help us preserve our history and by collecting art, we can pass down our stories to others who then become the keepers of those stories. Then there is the community that we can build with other collectors and artists. Having a forum to discuss our collections, what we want to collect next, and why we are collecting, can do wonders for our communal spirit because we are communicating with like minded individuals who care about what we care about. Being surrounded by art definitely makes us see different perspectives and allow us to change our minds. There are many other reasons why collecting art is good for you. What are your reasons for collecting or for starting a collection?
By Sheryl Keen 18 Oct, 2021
I love hiking and I love art. There are some fantastic connections between the two. Nature is good for us and has mental health benefits. Walking and allowing our minds to wander and our eyes to take in the greenery around us can be therapeutic. In a similar way the process of creating art relieves stress and rearranges our brain to take a break from our usual thoughts to think about something new and perhaps something random. Both enhances our mental and emotional energy making us less susceptible to the everyday pressures of life. Our minds process a million thoughts per minute. It is a machine that is always going. But even machines need to take breaks. We need to quiet our minds so that we can get clarity. Nature offers us the silence, the peace and the space to get clear. The process of creating art also allows the decluttering of the mind, allowing us to focus and regenerate our thoughts. Hiking is a peaceful escape – birds sing, the clean air is charged with possibilities, the trees are magnificent, the flowers are vibrant, the sounds of water calm us and take us away and if we happen to see a deer, it’s fascinating. When I am creating art, the possibilities seem endless, I am surrounded by vibrant colours, my mind is focused and I am carried away by the rhythm and flow of what I am trying to portray. In a world of distractions, this focus increases our mindfulness. We are more observant. We listen. We pay more attention to our environment. We can even be meditative. The natural settings that nature provides allows our minds to meander like a stream which can increase our creativity and in turn produce an abundance of ideas. While a stream may wander; its direction is always clear and concentrated. The very beauty of nature enhances creativity. One of the themes of my art is growth and nature inspires me endlessly. It is ever present in some of my art. In a space that has no limitations and boundaries, there is only the limit of our imagination. This is true of hiking in the outdoors and true for art. Where we choose to go, how far we go, is determined only by our own boundaries. An offshoot of creativity is a sharper mind that is able to trouble shoot. Our creative thinking helps us to navigate an unpredictable world. I can plan an art piece but it’s never certain how it’s going to turn out because I may have additional ideas or the art may have its own ideas. The possibilities are endless and you learn push the boundaries. In a similar way, hiking can bring about unexpected twist and turns. Getting lost, getting injured, a fallen tree across your trail, an advancing animal, are all things we may have to deal with in nature. When these challenges arise, how we deal with them determines how we experience life. We can scream and throw our hands up in the air or we can get creative with solutions. We navigate all these things in the same way we navigate life – by using our creativity.
Mind Matters #2, 2018
By Sheryl Keen 02 Jul, 2021
There has always been this ongoing debate about art - is it necessary? This post highlights why art is necessary and gives reasons and perspectives on why this continues to be so.
This artwork
By Sheryl Keen 12 Dec, 2020
This blog post explores the ideas of dreams and dream logic in particular. "Blooming" the piece featured in this post will be exhibited in the "Dream Logic" Exhibition at Station Gallery. Are dreams logical or illogical?
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