Five years ago I was driving around what felt like the entire state of Massachusetts on a weekly basis so I could balance teaching Astronomy and Astrophysics to the brilliant young women of Mount Holyoke College, a few gigs teaching yoga and dance in Central Mass, and commuting to Boston/Cambridge so I could “stay in shape” and dance myself. On top of that, I still wanted to spend time with my husband, my family and take care of things at home. Needless to say, maintaining this do-it-all lifestyle turned out to be an impossible task and I crumbled. At age 37 (almost 38), for the first time in my life, I found myself with an eating disorder.
The subject of recovery (in particular mine) is something I eventually hope to share more about, both in future posts and through art; it’s been a long road and I can tell you I’m not all of the way there yet — are we ever? :) That said, one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the most important things in life are the simplest ones. Giving ourselves a moment to slow down, taking a deep breath (or 5), smiling at a stranger for no reason, telling someone you love them—these things can make a big difference in our daily lives. When we get so busy that we lose sight of the little things, we lose some of the simple joys of being human.
Love in Color has emerged through my own desire to slow down and start paying more attention to the little things. My hope is that the art shared through Love in Color offers you a moment to pause, notice something small that brings you joy, and smile. I also hope that eventually this page will grow to support a community of people (that’s you!) who value kindness, connection, and the joy found in those random little moments of humanity that make life worth living.
With love,
Joanna