This past weekend I took an art class. I am not a regular taker of art classes, but when I do them, I choose ones that offer training in mediums that don't have a right or wrong way of doing things so that I am less likely to judge myself while making art. The class I took was Paper Marbling from the Center for Book Arts in downtown Minneapolis https://www.mnbookarts.org/. The instructor, Heather RJ Fletcher, made the comment that "Marbling offers the opportunity for many happy accidents." My kind of art class for sure!

The class reminded me of how beneficial it is to spend hours checked out from my usual routine in order to engage in something new and novel. No dishes to clean. No snow to shovel. No dependents to cater to. I just got to show up and let someone else be in charge while I had some fun and learned something new.

In the group setting, I was able to learn from both the instructor as well as my fellow classmates as we all experimented with different colors and techniques and discovered how the marbling process worked. Many of us commented on how meditative this art form is. Watching ink colors interact with the water, depending on how they were added and how they were manipulated once in the water, was fascinating and captured our full attention. The instructor, Heather, shared that teachers love her when she works with young kids as it creates the elusive quiet classroom setting.

While art may not be your thing, this is my PSA to encourage you to find something you can get lost in that allows you to step away from your usual routine. Quiet your mind. Soothe your body. Refuel your spirit. Enhance your wellbeing.