The end of the year is near. Some of us look back, maybe satisfied, maybe with a few regrets and some of us look forward to the upcoming year. But I guess most of us are just living day by day, hour by hour, trying to get things done before the holiday starts. A persistent misunderstanding about living in the Caribbean, is the assumption that a tropical climate automatically means you don’t do a thing all day. Yeah, maybe you do have a job to earn some money, but most of the time you’re relaxing at the beach, singing reggae or rocking your hammock, lucky you! I guess it might really surprise people what an average day looks like for most of us. Believe me, it involves getting up early (5.00 – 6.00 am), working hard and crashing the couch at night…
One of the traditions on Curacao is getting your house prepared for the holidays. A good cleaning job won’t do it, most people make an extra mile or two. Do it yourself stores are the most likely place to spontaneously meet friends or family these days. Some fresh paint, new curtains, a new lounge set, or shining Christmas decorations are brought home to enter the new year in style. Great to see people making an effort to create a beautiful and inspiring environment in which hope, love and friendship can flourish. But what if we all just put those paintbrushes down, leave the floor dirty and the garden a mess? That would make some great extra time to chat, play, tell stories and watch a great Christmas movie together.
Fresh air
I know, it’s something you probably have heard already or thought of yourself. A lot of us try and keep on trying. Maybe we do a little better each year. I also try to focus on what really matters in love and life myself… and find myself running, forgetting and feeling anxious over and over again. Finishing up work, getting things done and making a checklist of all your checklists, it is part of the game. But to stay sane, you do need time off. Even if it seems like there’s no time to waste. Especially then. You need to get fresh air once in a while, in order to appreciate the smell of a Christmas tree again.
Transforming a blank page
The way I like to ease my mind, is to work in my art journal. An art journal is a sketchbook or notebook you keep to create whatever you feel like. It can be messy, ugly, beautiful, surprising, confronting, funny or just some scratches without a meaning. For some people it might seem childish, unnecessary or simple. Don’t mind, those are probably the ones who didn’t give it a try. The way transforming a blank page into something new, that only reflects who you are and what you did, it is kind of like a therapy. Next time I will share some tips and tricks on how to start and keep an art journal. You don’t need any fancy stuff to do this, so no need to go shopping first. You can start right away.., so leave your to-do list right where it is. If you feel like trying already, you can check out these useful tips on my Facebookpage Peace of Art.