Gratitude in the Early Hours

In the early morning hours, when I couldn’t sleep, I went into my studio in my pajamas, coffee in hand, and felt that calm gratitude that I could even do this. How lucky am I?

Here I am in my studio, in my creative space, both figuratively and literally, when I’m not thinking yet of the neverending to-do list of getting ready for the next show, ordering aprons for my upcoming workshops, designing my next calendar (yes, it’s time already) and on and on, but the time when I can let my mind relax into creaitivy and calm

My gratitude for

Always being amazed when the “messy middle” part of the painting suddenly finds its balance.

Times when a surprising, luminous color that appears from mixing pigments you didn’t expect.

The simple joy of realizing: “I get to do this—right here, right now.”

This gratitude helps anchor me in the process rather than the outcome. Because all of the fun is in the process, the rest is really unimportant. At least in the early mornign hours, that’s where my thought live.

There are moments in the process where I am painting and it all comes together, like one brushstroke that seemignl took so little thought, pulls the entire piece together, and I’m aware enought to know that it’s time to call it finished.

As I always say, life and art go hand in had, so what feels like small wins to you, in your art practice, or in your life. Do you take the time to notice?

Maybe you are like me and have quiet moments of connection with art in your home—how a painting shifts in morning light, or how a certain color lifts their mood.

So here I sit, grateful for color, for the messy middle, for the quiet magic of a studio before dawn—and for the reminder that the smallest moments often hold the biggest treasures.