Reflection: It was about 20 years ago – way back at the turn of the century – that I started dabbling in art. If you’ve followed me over that time, you’ve seen my dabbling turn into a full blown passion.

Over that same period of time, perhaps your interests have also shifted and evolved. Maybe you, too, find yourself excited about things that were barely on your radar way back when.

As we launch into a brand new decade, I find myself thinking about what I find so compelling about my adventures in art.

Here’s what I realized:

• It keeps me noticing things – inspired by the sights around me, paying attention to light and color and design.
• It challenges me to keep learning – stretching to master new techniques, experimenting with new materials.
• It has opened up a whole new world of relationships – with fellow artists, collectors, gallery owners.
• It meets my need to create beauty in my life and share it with the world.
• It delivers deeper ways to experience the places to which we travel – visiting museums and galleries and sketching in the streets.

I don’t know what this fascination with art will bring my way in the years ahead; but I do know I appreciate its presence in my life and welcome what it has to offer.

Action: There are many forms of creative expression – from visual arts, music, and dance to photography, crafts, and cooking to welding, carpentry and beyond.

Think about the passions and interests that populate your life or those that may be simmering in the back of your mind.

Reflect on this handful of questions as you launch into your new year:

• What are your most compelling interests and passions and how do they enhance your life?
• What changes and growth have those interests brought for you?
• Are there any interests you have outgrown that you might be ready to discard?
• What gaps in your life might be filled by the pursuit of a fresh new interest or by diving deeper into a current one?
• What new creative ventures do you foresee on the horizon as you step into the 2020’s?

Quotes Of The Week: Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time – Thomas Merton

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. – Pablo Picasso.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. – Edgar Degas

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is. – Jackson Pollock

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. – Katharine Hepburn

Creativity is contagious, pass it on. – Albert Einstein

Resources Of The Week: This HBR article (The Unexpected Benefits of Pursuing A Passion Outside of Work) by Jachimowicz, He, & Arango discusses the positive value of pursing a passion outside of work as something that benefits both your career and your personal life.

Check out this article, 24 Health Benefits of Drawing, Painting And Art.

Readers Write: In response to the recent message, Why Not End Your Year In Gratitude, Pause reader JM writes: I consider myself honoured to be receiving all your good words for well over 20 years. You have been part of my self-care routine to the point where I feel like I am being visited by a close friend. Your words inspire me to become a better person to myself and to others, and to cut myself some slack when I get too hard on myself or wound up with life.  Here’s to many more years of PAUSE.

Pauseworks Studio:  My paints and sketchbooks travel with me whenever and wherever I go. The pic up top is from a winter get away to Phoenix where we spent a relaxing morning in the Japanese Friendship Gardens. If you see a photo of me painting, you’ll always find a big old grin on my face!

To view my sketches and paintings, visit the Pauseworks Studio Gallery.

To receive direct updates and news from the Pauseworks Studio, visit the home page and subscribe in the footer on the PW Studio website.

BTW –  If you’re interested in following my art posts on Instagram, just search for Pat Katz and click to follow.