"The blues hold space for introspection, a dive into Self. This state allows for calm reflection and the embrace of feeling...as a Pisces, I dwell in the water, the blue. What I did not understand, was that the water did not have to drown me. As an artist, I now consider my sensitivity to be a great asset."
~Mya Kerner IN THE QUIET CALM OF THE BLUES

Real talk time: I spent most of yesterday sitting in my studio, struggling to be productive. Pushing papers to the left and then to the right. The struggle was real. For the past month really, I've felt stuck. My lack of productivity has only made me feel worse. After weeks of being swallowed by this "bleh" feeling, I finally stepped away from my work and took a look inwards. I decided to embrace the blues.

During my college years, an instructor once told me to "follow the path of least resistance." It was not until this morning that those words rang in my ears once more. For the first time in this month-long rut, I chose to lean into the overwhelming emotions I have been feeling. And rather than continuing to drown in them, I started to swim through them. I began to understand them. As a self-employed maker, I sometimes get caught up in this pressure to be a factory rather than a person: to work non-stop, all day, at full capacity and not let a second go to waste. But the beautiful truth is, I am not a machine. I am human, and we cannot be productive all of the time. For people, it is just as important to self-love and make time to reflect inwards, as it is to create things and push content out.

So here is a little nod to the days that don't kick off in the best way. Remember that you are entitled to take time, embrace your blues and make the decision to blaze a new path (one that you are more inclined to). Perhaps refocus your day towards self-love and well-being instead. For me, I started off by preparing a fancy lunch for myself. Let me just say, the lemon waffle with blueberry compote was a welcomed change to my usual jam on bread situation. I leafed through some of my favorite art books and went on a walk. And yah, I caught up on House of Cards. What had begun as a bad day had opened up into a refreshing one. It is something, in my heart, I think I really needed, and it is definitely something we all deserve.

x Kristine of RESPONSIVE TEXTILES