Imperfection, flowers

and an imaginary tree

I began physical therapy this week for my hurt ankle. Early in the week I woke up aware of my imperfections, all of the things that haven't been done because I've been dealing with my ankle. So during breakfast I used my fountain pens to do this sketchbook page.

In doing that sketchbook page I was conversing with myself, coaching myself away from catastrophizing about not being perfect. For example, I thought of how absurd it would be to expect anyone else to perform perfectly all work related tasks and perfectly do household chores *and* perfectly do all of the leg care as per my doctor's and physical therapist's instructions - including elevate my leg 4 or more times a day for a minimum of 20 minutes each time! Expecting *all* of this from myself would be like expecting imaginary flowers to grow out of a brick wall and be flower-show perfectly ready by dinnertime. Absurd!

So I had a good laugh and lightened up about perfectionism. Good enough will be good enough - perhaps more efforts at leg care as a priority and let all else be good enough.

This self-conversation technique is what I learned when I illustrated a book called “Dr Bob's Emotional Repair Program First Aid Kit”. Dr. Bob Hoke was one of the early psychiatric practitioners of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the idea that there are therapeutic ways we can help talk our own selves down from any metaphorical ledges. My friend

Well Today

describes this technique very well in this link.

Another morning during breakfast I used my fountain pens again in my sketchbook to encourage myself to do the best I can to “just live” perhaps make small improvements if I can and… no matter what… good enough will be good enough.

Still another morning during breakfast I used my gouache paints and my fountain pens to remind myself that just being who I am is also good enough (no matter what mean bullies might say).

In my sketchbook page with the color I used a version of the color first - fountain pen ink later technique as described in this book “Color First Ink later” by Mike Yoshiaki Daikubarq.

I use a small “travel art kit" at the breakfast table: small 5.5 x 3.5 sketchbook, small paint set. waterbrushes and fountain pens.

The book by Daikubarq talks about painting on a real life location - I use many of those same art techniques only my travel “location” is my own mind and heart.

I hope your weekend is good enough.