Isn’t she beautiful?  When I see this new painting, I want to meet my day and our world generously-- with more kindness, clearer intention, and trust.  I hope to find a fresh balance of humility and provision in the flow of my giving and receiving. 

Injustice and racism become more clear to me each day.  As a part of my response, I’m focusing my art-making on qualities of soul that might help me— and you— meet these challenges with resilience, courage, healing, and joy.  This new painting was a meditation on Generosity last month, thanks to support from the new Brave Joy Collective (see below).  Living with this image is softening me in some ways, and making me more fierce in others.

What do you notice if you spend a moment gazing with this image?  What do you see, feel, know, or wonder about?

I hope this image will encourage you to discover new ways to practice generosity.  In my experience, a generous spirit brings joy and change, especially in times like ours.  May it be so.

--Melanie

Thanks once more to the Brave Joy Collective who made this new art possible.  Would you like to join us?  The Collective is a monthly subscription where members receive a brand-new 5x7 art print and a set of spiritual practices, mailed with a real postage stamp.  It’s a meaningful, beautiful surprise each month, and quite powerful to know we’re all focusing on the same spiritual quality.

This support is helping me through the changes that COVID-19 made to my income.  More importantly, it connects me to a community of interested people for whom I commit to spiritually listen and create.  I get to make new images more regularly, hurrah!  And furthermore— it’s so much grown-up fun to mail these wonderful envelopes! 

The Brave Joy Collective helps me make nourishing art that invites our souls to show up fully for ourselves, our communities, our planet.  If you’d like to join in and subscribe, please visit:  Patreon.com/BraveJoy .

* Thanks to Hollin, Emily, and Kelsey for sharing video inspiration.