restART: The ART of rest

We constantly make strategic moves throughout the day. How often do we consider how far those moves get us towards our goal? There is a saying, the only thing constant in life is change. How often are we assessing and aligning with our goals? Sometimes going backward and making a few u-turns gets you right where you need to be. How often do we acknowledge success is NOT linear? I believe success is infinite with a little restART.

Ever since my car accident in December 2016, it has been a tradition for me to search for the best still shots on the last day of the year. Let us GLOwBack to my 2018 creative journey when I captured these memorable shots of my lifetime. On December 31st, my fiance and I were in Flowood, Mississippi, USA driving across the Barnett Reservoir when we witnessed this once-in-a-lifetime moment. I startled her with excitement as we passed the beautiful scene that was hard to miss. She was focused on driving, so her eyes did not spy on what I saw with my very eyes. She asked me if I took a picture, but I was still wrapping my head around what I saw.

She wondered why I did not take a picture and my normal response when I am reflecting is, “I’ll catch it another time,” but she insisted that we go back for the picture right then. So, as soon as we made it across the ridge she made a u-turn back toward the bridge. Then she made another u-turn to head back in the original direction. As we headed back toward the pelicans, I was in awe again. It was such a beautiful sight to see. As I took a closer look, I realized that they were resting on mud and aquatic vegetation.

I assumed that these birds must have been migrating and needed a place to stop to rest for their long journey ahead. It caused me to reflect on my creative life and how busy I became with art. I asked myself when was the last time I experienced rest and took a break from the hustle and bustle of creativity to enjoy it? I was literally going to pass up the moment to take a once-in-a-life-time picture because I was rushing to take pictures somewhere specific. It was not until I rested and enjoyed nature that I captured one of the best pictures of my lifetime.

The divine thing about this picture is that I went back six months later to get a better picture or at least something similar. To my surprise, there weren’t any birds around. Fast forward to July 2020 when we moved to Mississippi. I have yet to see this sighting or anything like it again. It was truly an honor and blessing to capture this shot. Not only am I proud of it, but it provoked me to deeply reflect. It inspired me to write an acrostic reverse poem called restART: The ART of rest.

It is more difficult to be creative in the midst of a storm than under perfect conditions. However, it is essential that we continue to seek inspiration in spite of our current circumstances. We should push forward until we reach our breakthrough. The "restART: The ART of rest" series was designed to help restart the day in our productivity-driven society. Explore the benefits of rest in the midst of managing hectic schedules and environments.

restART: The ART of rest

reason to live

everything has changed

somewhere I got lost along the way

that was the best thing for me

Alcohol to Alchemy

Rush to Rest

The Thrill to Thrive

(in reverse)

The Thrill to Thrive

Rush to Rest

Alcohol to Alchemy

that was the best thing for me

somewhere I got lost along the way

everything has changed

reason to live