💛 Pause & Reconnect 🌿*MH
- sarah816202
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
With the last bank holiday of summer approaching, it feels like a good time to pause, slow down and reconnect with ourselves and some of the things that matter to us.
Life has a habit of becoming busy without us really noticing. There are things to do, places to be and thoughts about what comes next. Before we know it, another day - or even another season - has passed.
Every now and then, it can be good to press pause.
Sometimes we choose to pause, but sometimes our bodies ask us to. We might feel tired, hungry or restless, find it difficult to concentrate, or simply realise we've been doing something for too long. Listening to those little signals gives us a chance to stop, rest, move, eat, drink or do whatever we need before carrying on.
Pausing isn't always about doing nothing. It can be a way of checking in with ourselves and reconnecting with what our bodies and minds are telling us.
Perhaps you look out of the window and notice something you usually pass by, hear a piece of music you haven't listened to for years, pick up a pencil or paintbrush again, or spend time with someone you haven't seen for a while.
As summer begins to slowly give way to a new season, little changes are appearing. Flowers leave behind their seed heads, berries begin to ripen, and leaves slowly start to change. There's a distinct chill creeping into the evening air, and you might even catch the faintest trail of your breath.
Sometimes reconnecting can take us somewhere unexpected.
Imagine ordering a food you haven't eaten since you were a child. You remember the smell and taste, and suddenly there it is in front of you again. That first mouthful might transport you straight back to another time — or leave you wondering why you ever liked it!
Maybe the recipe has changed. Perhaps a place you remember looks different now, or a song you once loved sounds different years later. Then again, perhaps nothing has really changed except you.
This week, Pause & Reconnect gives us a chance to explore some of these moments through art:
💛 Pause because you notice the world.
💛 Pause because your body asks you to.
🌿 Reconnect with yourself in the present.
🌿 Reconnect with people and things that matter.
🌿 Reconnect with something from your past and discover how it feels today.
What might you discover if you stop, look and notice?
💛 Ready to pause for a moment? 🌿 Here are a few ideas to help you reconnect and get creative...
🎨 Time to Pause - A cosy chair, blanket and mug.
Draw or paint what taking a break looks like to you.
🎨 Stop & Notice - A striking late-summer detail: berries beginning to appear, a seed head, a feather, a snail, a bee on a fading flower, or droplets caught on a spider's web.
What might you notice when you slow down?
🎨 Remember This? - A childhood food, toy, game or favourite treat.
Reconnect with something from your past.
🎨 Together - Two mugs, two people on a bench, or someone spending time with their pet.
Show someone or something you enjoy spending time with.
🎨 Freeze the Moment - Capture something that normally lasts only a second: a bird taking off, a single dandelion seed floating through the air, a drink being poured, a bubble just before it pops or a ball caught in mid-air.
If you could press pause for just one moment, what would you capture?
Artist Inspiration – Gro Thorsen
Artist Gro Thorsen captures people going about their everyday lives, freezing fleeting moments almost as if pressing a pause button. Her People I Saw paintings featured in her 2023 PAUSE exhibition at Willesden Library, London.
Her work invites us to stop and observe an ordinary moment that might otherwise pass us by.
It would be great if you could join us this Wednesday, 7:30–9:00 pm (UK time).Everyone is welcome. 💛🌿
The link is below — select All4Art:
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