Thank God for dirty brushes - living out of gratitude

Cleaning brushes used to be one of the "not so fun" chores of being an artist. I have been learning that your thoughts come out of one of two places: fear or gratitude. I have made it a point to choose gratitude. We all have heard about the countless studies on gratitude; how it is healthy, clinically proven to make you live longer, improves cognitive function, and creates an overall sense of well being. If you haven't, let me know, my husband Jeff is a brain health coach, he can give you great info about it!

Today, when cleaning my brushes, I thought about these tools in my hands that I often take for granted. I could not do some of the techniques I love and am known for, without them. As I washed the paint from them, conditioning them with a special soap, I thought of the many paintings we have created together. I thought of the joy I have had using them and the joy of my clients who received the art piece. I thought about how fortunate I am to have the ability to buy professional products. I had a new sense of gratitude for the tools I use and feel better about the time it takes to care for them. By the time I got done washing them, I felt so much lighter mentally, even physically, that instead of setting them aside to dry, I said, "Let's get dirty!" and started painting again. Lol!!!

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts on gratitude!