Art in the afternoon (or, feeding my soul)

This has been a challenging (aka 'sucky') week. I've let stress at work and sickness at home erode my equanimity. I planned to take today off work, to catch up on other pressing things that were weighing me down, but by late morning I was in the office, putting out fires. Not because my colleagues couldn't or wouldn't cover for me today, but because I was too stressed to let them.

Shovelling down a late lunch while blog-surfing, I was suddenly gob-smacked by this post from Mary Ann Moss. "Lately LA is blooming with light... These are days for walks & drives. To slowly roll by cottages tucked into verdant hillsides, stroll by gardens, and doorways." Um, yeah!! It's totally gorgeous out there! So why am I at work on my day off, with my shoulders up around my ears? Within minutes, I shut down my computer, and got out of there.

I considered a walk on the beach, or a hike in the hills, but the idea that appealed most was ... LACMA. It's been way too long since I was there. So I headed cross town to the LA County Museum of Art.





Admission is free after 5pm on weekdays. I filled the couple of hours till then by wandering the grounds, browsing the gift store, painting with Korean brushes in the Boone Children's Gallery, and finishing my current book. By 5pm I'd forgotten why I'd felt so burdened earlier. Another hour or so in the galleries and there was a definite perk to my step and smile on my face. This is SO important: I must remember what feeds my soul, and take regular and frequent doses.

Thank you for the nudge, Mary Ann. I owe you one.