This painting was inspired by an episode of SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) I experienced back in June 2021. My heart raced at 189 bpm for 9 hours. After trying beta blockers and discussing options with all my medical providers I eventually decided to get surgery which basically cauterized the errant heart cells.
During my recovery I was surprised at how emotional and vulnerable I felt. Some of that was due to being in a weekend state and needing help from others to do daily tasks. But a friend pointed out that some of it was also due to the connection between our hearts and our emotions. It's not just in poetry, there are physiological connections too.
At Christmas a different friend gifted me this heart vase. It made me laugh! But it also made me think about my heart and I decided to do a "love letter" painting to my heart. The composition came together quickly and I even found a great quote to sum up how I was feeling:
The heart is forever making the head its fool.
--1600's French writer Francois de La Rochefoucauld
I tend to live in my head but this experience has led to me be more aware of my heart and get out of my head and into my body. Now more than ever I'm aware of my 5 senses and I celebrate having them by checking in on a daily basis to acknowledge what each of my senses has enjoyed:
Eyes: the rapidly changing colors of a sunset
Ears: music that makes me want to move and dance
Nose: the smell of bacon for breakfast
Skin: the feeling of clean sheets on the bed
Tongue: the tartness of a grapefruit
Every day is a different sensory adventure when you pay attention. What have your senses enjoyed today?
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