I have so much to be inspired about these days. It’s seems a bit ironic with how things have been in the last 8 months. However, I honestly feel more connected to my creativity even more now. When you are in a position where working from home is the new normal and helping your kid succeed virtually, it changes something inside of you. It opens up new ways to connect with others in ways you wouldn’t have otherwise. You start to see reach out more in new ways. You call instead of text. You video chat instead of call. You plan a quick lunch or coffee chat only 6 feet apart. You change the ways you connect. You have meaningful conversations because you deeply care about your friends, family and colleagues. There is more depth in what is happening all around us. My art is a portal to diving deeper into what it means to really connect. This is why I love playing with layers of mixed media, mixed papers, collage, text, words and create new textures onto of other layers. I want my art to connect with others in new ways. I want to let others know that they can experience depth and connection too. I sometimes used to feel as if I was looking from outside the world and looking in. Now, I see from so many different perspectives and it’s incredibly freeing. I love how my imagination just wants to explore new sounds in music, colors and patterns. I also try to get outside more and go for a walk. This fall has taught me to slow down more and to enjoy what matters in our lives. Instead of focusing on the news or a random scroll, it’s really important to look within and hear that voice inside. This voice often gets overlooked or disappears in the noise of the world. This past summer I tried to let myself really experience life from so many different angles. I am so grateful I did. Now that we need to pause here in Oregon and go inward a little more, I am embracing it rather than feeling any resistance to it. I am allowing it in. It’s important to slow down, hear the rain fall, cozy up with some extra blankets, stock up free little pantries with lots of good food around town, write in my journal or doodle a new drawing. These are some of the little things I relish in. Slowing down and counting each blessing as I see them. Hope you all have a lovely Fall and transition into a beautiful winter season. Stay healthy and safe!
Balancing Act By Sophie Navarro
Queen of Passion
It has been some time since I have updated my blog! I have been working on a new series of black, red and white paintings. The theme is tapping into my own self-love, self-acceptance and embracing my solitude. Many of my faces in my paintings have closed or open eyes, the reason for this is, I value the power of going inward through meditation.
As a single mother, I have found it is very important to take sacred moments even if it is 15 minutes here or 45 minutes there, to close your eyes and breathe. The consistent balancing act we perform in our outer lives can impact our inner world dramatically.
Painting regularly in between meditation sessions have provided me with the ability to tap into my intuition on a deeper level, keeping me grounded and reminding me that I have everything within me. I have inspiration, creativity, love, passion and freedom from just pausing and going inward. The act of painting on canvas is also soothing and very meditative for me.
It is often easy to look outside of ourselves to fill up on media, shows, movies and even certain types of food that seems to fill a void, however if we can remember that we are enough without all this outside noise, we can truly pause and accept ourselves fully. I recognize when my emotions feel intense, it means I need to pause with myself in a quiet space.
The red signifies adding more passion into my life. The gold represents the divinity inside my heart. The white adds a layer of clarity and freedom. The black reminds me of the contrast in the everyday, such as the yin and yang balance within my life. Using these different variations in my paintings shows how these different meanings provide a powerful message of love, passion and balance.
I have also been working on adding more love into my life by writing regularly in my journal. I have found by writing regularly, keeps me connected to my higher self, spiritually and also reminding me that I have so much to offer just as I am.
These pieces are like puzzles from my heart. I question regularly where do I fit in and who will fit with me? I choose to create paintings that reflect parts of my heart. The heart is a temple with little worlds within it, each reflecting doors or portals to a new place. I open my heart to you to see my journey to love.
By Sophie Navarro
“There was no question in my mind. This state of complete and utter love is our collective birthright, the state we are born to inhabit, the way of being that is eagerly awaiting humanity at the end of a long, perilous journey. We either walk toward love as a way of being, or we walk away from it. There are only two directions. This decision shapes our life and our world.”
― Jeff Brown, An Uncommon Bond