Meraki (may-rah-kee)

Derived from the Turkish “Merak” (Labor of love, to do something with pleasure), came a Greek word Meraki which is when you leave a piece of yourself (your soul, creativity, or love) in your work. When you love doing something, so much that you put something of yourself into it. I love this definition. I think that this is inevitable for anyone who is any type of creator. How could you not? This is probably why I am really good at arguing for something I believe in and less so for something I don't. I'm ok with not being a good debater.

If you've known me for a while I would say that I'm not a "creative arts" person. If you asked me to draw a picture, I could draw a stereotypical apple tree, the kind you learned in elementary art class. And I can draw stick figures, although they're usually disproportionate so who knows really 😂. 

But in trying to find ways to fill up my cup, feed my soul, and distress, surprisingly I've found that I really like abstract painting. One of my favorite ways to do this is what's called impasto, it's where you use a palette knife to spread the paint. There's literally no way to mess it up. 

 
I have also rediscovered my love of photography. I usually don't do anything with the photos that I take, besides putting them on social media. But sometimes I'll pair one of my pictures with a quote or song, which I think amplifies the symbolism of the photo. 

What fills up your cup? Do you prioritize time to feed your soul? How do we create a space to distress without creating stress from not being "productive?"