It's Hard to Be Creative When...

An Example of My Mother's Design Sense and Playfulness

...your aging parent is experiencing a life-threatening illness. I knew that this was going to be difficult. While packing for this spur-of-the-moment trip, I threw in some art supplies and a journal so that I could keep myself occupied while I sat next to my mother's hospital bed. I was going to try to keep to my challenge no matter what. So rather mindlessly, when I am not focusing on my mother's needs, or dealing with her temper tantrums, or feeling absolutely helpless, I cut up magazines and color and glue. Maybe for only a few minutes each hour. Somehow it grounds me and helps me to reconnect with a strength that I know exists somewhere within me. So it is possible to be creative in the midst of turmoil. In fact, I think it's a lifesaver. At least for me it is.

I also am aware that this trying, painful time is just part of the whole picture...we live in a beautiful, flawed world. Aging, illness, and death have nothing to do with immortality, vibrancy, beauty, life. And yet they both seem to exist together. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the space in between.