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The Love of Travelling with Other Creative People

Fabulous group at Flores del Camino Sept 2018 We all know that there are many advantages to travelling, but there's an article in Forbes  describing some research done on the benefits. "Surveys from the  Global Coalition on Aging  show that even after vacationing only a day or two, 89 percent of people are able to relax and leave work stressors behind. Not surprisingly, the survey also shows that group travel builds social ties, which studies suggest help nurtures interest in life-long learning. And small groups are especially able to deliver personal interactions; whether enjoying a picnic lunch by a vista, or encounters with local families during home-hosted lunches and dinners. Active travel is proven to lower health risks such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, depression levels and more, according to the  Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. " But even more important than...

Mindfulness in Travel and in Painting

Iceworks 35   12x22"  Oil, cold wax on paper ©2017 Janice Mason Steeves John Kabat-Zinn, in his book, Mindfulness for Beginners describes mindfulness in this way: "Mindfulness is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." I don't pretend to be an expert in Mindfulness but I do find two occasions when I am naturally more mindful: when I travel and when I paint. When I travel, especially when I travel to artist residencies where I have an uninterrupted month of time to explore myself, my surroundings and play with ideas, I find I am very present. I photograph, I walk, I listen to the land. I make note of the way that the colours and the light change from moment to moment. I watch storms come and go.  "And that's why I have to go back to so many places in the future, there to find myself and constantly examine myself with no witness but the moon and then whistle with joy. ambling over rocks and cl...