Use the patterns and details in your life to create a simple doodle background. As you fill in the tedious repetition of the patterns let yourself appreciate the place and space where you are. This is a great exercise to do in your own backyard where it is easy NOT to notice details and NOT to pause to smell the proverbial flows. It also is a quiet way to spend an afternoon or morning while on R&R. Looking back on the patterns and details later is a reminder of the blessedness of the vacation/rest. In this sample, while I was enjoying sitting on the back patio of our hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico I noticed the patterns and detail in the stonework, shape, direction, pattern, and materials. I recreated the patterns in my art journal using white colored pencil on a prepared page of black gesso which has the exposed words "Celebrating Life as it Is" which seemed to capture the essence of this art activity: pause and appreciate what you see where you are.
