I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Paula Hogue’s visual art reflection.
Drawing and painting have always been an important part of my contemplative practice. When I go into my studio, my breath slows down, my shoulders release and my mind quiets. As I enter into the project I lose all sense of time and space and I feel that I go deep inside myself. My imagery often relates ideas and themes that I have been exploring and working to heal within myself. Art making is the closest connection that I come to God.
The Guest House
Pen and Ink
The Guest House is a pen and ink drawing inspired by a poem of the same name by the ancient Sufi poet Rumi.
This drawing is about the range of emotions that work their way into our bodies and become stuck when we choose to ignore or run from them. It represents how we must work to untangle and release to accept all aspects of the human condition.
The Subtle Body
Pen and Ink, Marker
The Subtle Body is a pen,ink and marker drawing.
This drawing represents the image I use to root and ground myself when I settle into my meditation practice.
Return to the Root of the Root of Your Soul
Pen and Ink
Return to the Root of the Root of Your Soul is a pen and ink drawing that is inspired by a poem of the same name by the ancient Sufi poet Rumi.
This drawing is about coming to terms and accepting all the fears and feelings that we push away or spend our lives running away from. True inner peace only comes when we step into the waters and befriend our fears and uncomfortable feelings. We go to the root of the root of our own soul and come to full acceptance of who we are. Or as Rumi discovers, that we are already that which we seek.
Paula Hogue is a visual artist from the USA. Her creative process is a blend of self discovery and spiritual practice. Art connects her with the Divine and allows her to go inward. Many of her pieces are a marriage of her yoga, meditation, and contemplative practices.
