Art

I have always loved being creative. From sketching to photography to filmmaking, translating my thoughts into images has always felt liberating. Writing these blog posts has the same effect.

There’s a scene in the film, Stealing Beauty, where Liv Tyler writes words on pieces of paper that she burns before she releases them in the wind. It’s as if she’s reaching for the words from deep inside her. Handing them off to the universe frees her of any hold they have over her.

Saturday, I woke up grieving my cat, Poe. I didn’t realize it until later in the day when I had a friend call to check on him. My friend and the owner of Eat, Pray, Love AirBnB, Nathi, is a beautiful artist. She woke up with a plan to spend the day outside painting on canvases and invited all of us to join.

We sat in the garden under the sun and used one of Nathi’s paintings of a sky as inspiration. They say art is a gateway to the soul. Without much thought, I covered my canvas in a setting sun with a black bird at its center. My favorite time of day in Miami has always been during sunset, when the sky lights up in different shades of red as if it’s on fire. By the time I was done, the raven from Edgar Allen Poe was staring back at me.

We all bonded even more and a group was created so we could all keep in touch. Some of us are going back to our native countries, while the rest are starting new chapters here in Miami. The energy has shifted around us this last week and brought us closer together. There’s something special about this current group of tenants and how well we meld together.

We are planning on another art day where canvases will be passed around so every person puts a personal touch on all the other paintings. Wine will be added to the equation. Every person that participated produced something unique to them. Not everyone had an art background.

I wanted to share what we did today because you don’t have to be an artist to draw or paint. You don’t have to be a trained dancer to dance. You don’t need lessons to sing or play an instrument. You don’t need an umbrella every time it rains. I prefer standing under it without one. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.

If you aren’t willing to venture out into the unknown, how will you ever grow? In my experience, if you’re not growing, you’re not living. In honor of my beautiful Poe, I plan to fill every day of my new chapter as much as possible. We may have no control over the time we’re given but we have the power to make every moment count.