Inner Peace

Whenever I have been asked what creative activity I turn to when searching for inner peace, I have always had trouble answering. In all truth, anything that is creative is peaceful too, and it depends on my mood and the situation at hand. I find peace in painting mini-village pieces, drawing traditional and digital art, writing poems, working on my stories, taking photographs, and creating a needlepoint canvas design.

If I am extremely depressed and emotional, I find that writing poems help. It is a nice way for me to get the emotions out safely and creatively. I have even written some poems that I turned into song lyrics.

If I am having an off day, better known as an emotionally empty day, I find painting the mini-village pieces relaxing. It gives me something that I can get lost in that does not take a lot of extreme focus. Well, at least until I get to the final step, which is to add all those little details such as grout between bricks or dirt on a window.

For those rare days when I feel sick, I tend to turn towards drawing as it is something I can do while relaxing on my bed or in my chair in the front room. I can create detailed designs on a regular day if I focus, but I have found it easier to draw if I am not completely focused on it. I know how weird that sounds, but it is the truth. There have been times that I would have a pencil in my hand and a sketchbook on my lap while I am watching a movie or something on TV and look down to find an intricate design on the page that was blank.

When it comes to wanting to escape the stress that comes from living with other people, photography is my peaceful escape. It allows me to go outside and get lost in taking a unique and beautiful shot of the nature around me. I get to get lost in how peaceful nature can be, and there is the thrill of getting the perfect picture.

Writing my stories is the only peaceful thing for me if I need to escape everything. By this, I mean there are times when I need to get out of my head and get lost somewhere where I am not. By creating a unique universe and writing what my character is doing, I can get lost in their life and away from my own.

If I had to pick just one that brings me the most peace, I would have to create a needlepoint canvas design. A lot of people have looked at me strangely for saying this is what gives me the most peace, but it is the truth. I can relax in bed after a long and hard day and get lost in the routine of stitching a pattern. While it can be tedious and stressful to get the right design, it is calming to stitch the design.

I will explain it to those of you who do not know what a needlepoint canvas design is. First, it is created using yarn and a flexible plastic canvas covered in holes. The canvas looks like a stiff net in the shape of a piece of paper and is a lot firmer. It is always surprising to see what can be made out of something as simple as yarn and some plastic. The larger the canvas sheet, the more detailed design can be done as there are more spaces for more stitches. As it is, the normal size that I use allows me a little over 60 stitches by a little over 80 stitches.

The rhythm that I can achieve while stitching a design onto the canvas is a very relaxing task that helps to bring me peace. I find it a great thing to do before bed as it helps me to stop thinking of everything that happened during the day.

To be completely honest though, the reason why needlepoint is one of my more peaceful activities is not because of how easy and relaxing it is to create. It would have to be because of the joy I can give someone when I give them a completed canvas. That is why I have the tradition of creating one every year for my mom for Christmas. I enjoy getting to see how happy she is when she sees what I created, and that brings me peace. That is why this is the one I tend to pick when someone asks me what brings me inner peace.