ZEN:
A state of relaxation without the stress and worries of the things you can not change!
I Found ZEN in an Unexpected Place!!!
I’m a creative type… I like to paint, draw, act, write, etc. So, if you were to tell me I found find ZEN in the arts, I would say HELL YEAH! Because, it has happened over and over again. I feel right at home in front of an easel, with charcoal and blank white paper, or my arms elbow deep in clay. I feel at peace when I’m standing on a stage in front of hundreds of people or quietly typing stories into my computer.
Those things make sense to me! Those activities bring me to a calm like nothing else can!
One place I have NEVER been able to find my ZEN… my place of relaxation… my calm… is outside doing yard work. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I love the outcome of mowing the yard, weeding the garden, planting flowers, even raking the leave. I just don’t like doing those things myself. I would rather pay someone to do the yard work!!! So, I was surprised, to say the least, to discover that there is one outdoor, yard work like… chore that I actually do enjoy!
I Found ZEN While
Using the POWER-WASHER!!!
Yup, you read that right! We bought a new gas engine power-washer this weekend and my husband cleaned the driveway, walkway, and sidewalk. By the time he let me have a turn I got to do the backyard patio… Oh my goodness… I LOVED IT!
By the time I was done, I was covered in more mud than skin, soaking wet from head to toe, and my muscles felt like I had done a thousand push ups!
But it was AWESOME!
You see… the power-washer is so loud that it drowns out all other noise. You are completely focused on what you’re doing and not on the screaming kids or the barking dog. I put my headset on and played the soundtrack to Pitch Perfect over and over and just washed clean all the dirt and grime from the back patio.
Like I said, I am a creative person… Yard work is not really my thing, but what I discovered about the power-washer is that it is like one of the best things in art… Wondering what that is? Okay, I will share.
In Art – be it painting, drawing, sculpting… it really doesn’t matter… when you make a mistake you just wipe it clean and start again. The power-washer is like using the eraser tool in Photoshop… You can literally watch as all the dirt, grime, and yucky stuff goes away. It creates a brand new clean canvas…
I love a clean white canvas… an untouched piece of paper… a chunk of un-molded clay… a fresh new script with the spin unbent… and a keyboard waiting to be played.
You see… now, my back patio is a clean canvas for me to reinvent my backyard!
Nina Soden 