Wishful Painting Wednesday: I Keep My Mind and Body in the Same Place at the Same Time

This painting was born about a week after I came up with the idea of doing my new Wishful Painting Series. I was listening to NPR in the car and this man was talking about being mindful and present while being with his children. This is important to me, but I do fall victim to my wandering and often overstressed out mind. I find that even though I am getting a full dissertation from my kids about their day or their fabulous new idea, my mind is going away to solve all of my most recent problems. Not good. My kids are only going to give me that kind of uninhibited time for a little while longer and then I will have to share them with the world much more generously.

This is not only about my kids though. My life is getting wasted away in my head. Coincidentally, while I was working on this painting I tuned into Oprah's Super Soul Sunday episode with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk, author and philosopher. He shared his thoughts that if we live in the present moment, we will find happiness because we are no longer living for the next moment or thinking back on the past moment, we are only thinking about here and now. This is something I would like to work on.


I Keep My Mind and Body In the Same Place at the Same Time 12"x12" by Heather Haymart

When the man on NPR spoke those words about staying present and mindful, I had a very clear vision of how I wish I could keep my mind and my body contained in the same place at the same time more often. Like keeping our special treasures in a box labeled "here and now". This is a serious battle for me to work towards since being a creative lends itself to living in another world often times, but I must come back to NOW, where my body is, or I am going to miss everything.

This painting may be a bit confusing at first because the words don't flow like a graphic quote you can read quickly on facebook, but that is okay with me. I like the idea, that for a moment someone must concentrate to understand my message. It's good to have to pause and think. This brings us closer to the here and now.