Hand inked paper-made and photographed by Neva Bruce

      Stress leaves a feeling of additional heat, of increased heart beats, scattered thoughts, irritation and inefficiency. Art gives way to ease, calm, softness. De-stress.

      

      The feeling of panic, nausea that leads to confusion and inadequacy needs to be lessened in ones life. Stress can be useful, but not on an permananet basis. More research is speaking about the destruction of ongoing, unrelenting stress leading to "adrenal fatigue". Are we making ourselves sick? I would venture to say that with a lessening role in education of the arts and physicality/vitality, we are setting up our current and future generations for a life of inability? 

       The current focus on the physical body, going to the gym, working out, makes me visualize a gerbil on a wheel, rather than an overall health and wellness goal. The fashion and media message the "norm", when the norm that is portrayed is not normal or average. There is no average. However, this leaves many kids, and adults alike with a sense of failure. Stress leads to health issues. Anxiety is rising in our population and yet we continue on the same path. Valuing the left brain more demonstrated by curriculum, health care education and driven by society that values the intellect, concrete, quantitative measures.

       Years of nursing and seeing patients, clients, people, employees, adult, children or whatever the current pronoun used, has led me to believe we are all the same and all unique. As in the photo, the flowers are just flowers, but each unique as they are hand made. Some are more plain, less vibrant, subtle, dynamic, even "loud", but they are all made with Kozo, and they all have ink on them, mixed up with water to make them each original, even the ones that are attached to each other, as if in a family.

       So, we are unique. We are similar. We are individuals in a group. We are different colours, shapes and sizes, we are all made up of the same stuff. We need to take care of ourselves and each other.

      

       Art helps me take care of myself, destressing my fractured nerves after a busy day of conflicting priorities, ineffective policies, absent standardized processes, and institutional politics.

Have a moment and breathe, and do whatever "ART" you choose. I will today.

Cheers, N