Make Art
Art doesn't need to make sense to be meaningful
When the words are hard to come by Make art When you feel disconnected from your neighbor Make art When disbelief clings to your heart Make art When my inability to see the other perspective gets hard Make art When things feel pointless Make art. Nothing needs to make sense With art - Brenda Umaña | Nov 6, 2024
As we near the end of 2024, this might be the last time I write to you this year!
The simple little poem above is what came through post-election. And that is all I’ll say about the election because I know I’m personally hearing so much everywhere else.
I truly believe that we are all artists. Not necessarily an artist with a paintbrush 👩🏽🎨 — but an artist of your life. An artist when you speak. An artist at work. An artist of your ideas, passions, and desires.
In April, I wrote about my transition from identifying as an entrepreneur to ARTIST. After 4.5 years of entrepreneurship and self-employment, I decided on a different stream of income known as a 9-5 job. It was a shift I didn’t expect, but one that felt like it made room for a deeper, quieter kind of creativity.
Have you ever found that what you expect to be a step back, actually turns out to be a step forward in surprising ways? Sometimes, making room for new experiences leads to unexpected growth.
And so, what came through in Artist Mode?
I called on patience during this time.
That patience unfolded as LOVE:
After 10 years in a relationship, we planned an intimate wedding, and I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from our family and friends—and amazed by how my love for my husband could evolve after all this time.
That patience expanded into WORDS:
After spending 3-5 years curating a small collection of poems, "Familiar Roots: Tending to Healing Through Poetry" will be released on April 4, 2025, during National Poetry Month!
Have you ever nurtured a passion or project for years, only to see it take on new meaning over time? That’s the beauty of patience—it grows into something richer and more profound than we ever expected.
The launch and distribution of Familiar Roots is a community effort. And I’m currently looking for pre-readers/reviewers. If you’d like to be a part of that journey with me, I’d be so grateful— please fill out this form!
Every moment, every choice — is a stroke on the canvas of our lives. As cheesy as that sounds I’ve found it to be true sometimes.
I invite you to reflect: how did you make art this year?
Whether it was through a conversation, a small act of kindness, or the way you moved through the challenges, each of us has created something uniquely beautiful.
△ What word or phrase or feeling do you call on to show up in artist mode?
△ What did it reveal about you?
In the end, your version of art doesn't need to make sense to be meaningful. It simply needs to move you toward your slower, intentional, and inner spaciousness Self.
Cheers to Your Inner Artist,
Brenda
△ Ways I’ve Been Rekindling My Practice and Projects
Listening to the audiobook of The Power of Now during my commutes. I actually hate the narrator’s voice but sticking with it when I can. 🙃
Signed up for a monthly membership at Zen Yoga Garage, short walk from my house.
I'm continuing to expand my networks and friendships, and on that note, a friend of mine has just started as the Director of Wellness at Sam—a new platform for women navigating career transitions, eldercare, and/or health challenges. She’s looking for participants for a focus group and offering free access to the platform! Reach out to Maura at maura@towardbetter.me for more info.
Join the convo here on rekindling practice:
△ Artist Mode Resources
The Artist’s Way: While I only got to week 6 in this book, some of these lessons have stayed for years with me like Morning Pages or Solo Dates. A must-read.
Visualize, Write, and Release Without Judgement: Guided Meditation
△ what I’m listening to:
I was back home in LA this month and something about CA makes me nostalgic for the 70s and classic rock.
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