THE 52 DAY PROJECT
OCTOBER REVEAL
I have had such a wonderful response to the first 52 DAY Project reveal last month! It has been amazing to hear people response to the paintings, and the meanings behind them. And I can’t wait to hear what you think of this months reveals!
This month I want to reveal the pages of FRAGILE, COURAGE and IMPOSTOR
FRAGILE
FRAGILE [frædʒ.əl] adjective 1. easily broken or damaged. 2. (of a person) not strong or sturdy; delicate and vulnerable
Sometimes I feel so very fragile. That the slightest bump will shatter me in a million pieces just like the very finest of crystal.
On days like that there is no way I can forge through the day. On days like that I need to remember to take care of me first. Whether it is through sleep, a meandering stroll, eating food that nourishes my soul (like mac and cheese!) or just spending time tending to my ever growing pot plant obsession.
Usually I am only fragile for a day or two, but this word reminds me to be kind to my fragility, to be open to my vulnerability and to take care of my self until I am feeling more solid.
COURAGE
COURAGE/ˈkʌrɪdʒ/ noun 1. To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart 2.the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery. 3.strength in the face of pain or grief.
Courage is often used when describing the most heroic of deeds, the courageous heroines and heroes that do tremendous amounts of good in our world. People we may look up to; people we may aspire to be like.
Courage to me isn’t just these tremendous deeds. Courage is leading a life of being open and vulnerable. Courage is doing that crazy insane thing that you think you can’t. Courage is being human accepting your blunders and apologising for them when it’s warranted. Courage is sometimes as simple (or as hard as) getting out of bed in the morning to face the day.
Being courageous is putting on my big girl pants and doing the things I don’t necessarily want.
One of my most favourtie quotes is from the movie We Bought a Zoo.
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.” ~ Benjamin Mee
How are we going to be insanely courageous today?
iMPOSTER
IMPOSTOR /ɪmˈpɒstə/ noun a person who pretends to be someone else. a person who assumes a false persona.
Masks can be important. They can offer protection, disguise or even entertainment. And my masks are often not meant to be disingenuous – for example my mask of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ has been of great comfort to me at times when I have felt insecure or unsure.
And Impostor, when you look up the traditional dictionary meaning of it, seems so sinister:
“a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.”
But my masks aren’t worn to deceive others in a fraudulent way. So to me the word impostor is meant to remind me that although my masks are sometimes necessary, and sometimes I do feel like an impostor, I have many spaces where it is safe for me to be simply me.
Did any of these words spark something in you today?
These paintings from the 52 DAYS project are now are available as print in my 52 days shop – pop over to see them in more detail here (or click on their images.) With each months reveal, new paintings will be added to the page so pop back often!
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