Noticing Our Own Progress

Why Paying Attention to Your Own Journey Towards Healing is Important

If you take a peek into my office space (over on Baseline & Alma School Road), you might see a few pieces of art that I have made. That perfectionist within me is embarrassed to have them showing, because I am not a professional artist by any means, but that is kind of the point. By showing aspects of me that are imperfect, I signal to everyone I help that imperfection is perfectly welcome here.

However, I also keep these pieces of art because they remind me of the thoughts and feelings that I had while making them. This collage, for example, represents the movement from pains in my past to where I am now emotionally. By stopping and remembering what I have experienced and how I have moved past the hardest parts, it reminds me of my own strength and resilience. I think we all need reminders of that from time to time, because it is hard to feel capable in moments of powerlessness.

Then in this second picture, it was a simple coloring project using markers, but it was meant to remind me of a few key lessons that I want to remember about the journey I am on. I tend to think of life as being a series of peaks and valleys, where sometimes we feel on top of the world, and there are moments where we couldn’t feel any lower.

On one hand, it reminds me that the journey upwards is hard and tiring, but it won’t last forever, and it is leading towards our goals. If we don’t look up from the ground, by being so focused on how hard the journey is and forget to take some time to notice just how far we have come, we might not get to actually enjoy the view from the top!

Then on the other hand I am reminded that, on the journey downwards, we are tired from working so hard, and it feels pointless to keep walking because we can see that the path in front of us just leads downwards. I try to reframe those downtrodden times in my life as a reminder to rest and rebuild, because I will need the energy for the next hill to climb. It is also helpful to see from the bottom new peaks to reach, and how exactly we need to get there. The low moments bring us back to earth. Plus, just like in real valleys, some of the most beautiful sights gather there in those tears and pain. The lows give meaning to the highs.

So, if you ever see my office, enjoy the art, and we can talk about what you see when you view them. They might tell you an entirely different story, or maybe we can relate in what messages we both find ourselves needing from time to time. Maybe we could even make a session where you create art to tell yourself something meaningful and important!