I just met with the photographer and got high resolution images of over 50 of my artworks downloaded to an external drive. In looking at the digital captures, this one caught my eye. Made with oil crayons during the divorce—movement feeling constricted, stuck, caught up in something too complicated to escape—it matches today’s overall mood: resistance. Resistance to what is, starting with another hours-long building-wide water shut off. Add the foggy, windy, cold weather and wanting to be in warm sunshine out of the city, and I slid into reactivity.

These days it’s easy to react and glob onto the personal struggles along with the economic, political, social, ecological triggers. Yet, I know resistance doesn’t equal peace. I’ve learned it over and over. Once, on a run, I hit a really strong headwind that nearly stopped me. Struggling against it and feeling miserable, I told myself, “Remember this. Resistance always causes needless suffering.” I could have let go and turned back. I didn’t.

Today, it was the painting that showed me. Looking at Entangled Figure, I could see the figure in restraints. I recognized myself. That was enough to loosen the grip on the irritants, at least for now.

Releasing resistance is a daily practice. It means accepting what is, while still wanting to live in a more harmonious environment and working for that change.