Verbena Bee

There’s so many more reasons now to hit the pause button and take a moment for a reboot. It’s easy to feel burned out in this ever increasingly hectic world. As the season’s change and demand a new surge of energy, it can feel counterintuitive to simply stop and take a moment to pause. It goes against our current culture’s expectations, which demand endless availability to respond to every ping of our phone.

I love the idea of a Spring Tonic for releasing old energy and making room for new. As I thought about my circle of friends feeling similarly drained, I got to thinking about a way to bring us together for an afternoon of well deserved whimsy and creative rejuvenation. I’d been long inspired to combine experiences that included plants and making art. When I discovered a delightful idea for communal painting happening in the United Kingdom, the merging of painting flowers while incorporating horticultural therapy experiences was a perfect match.

What transpired was more than I could have imagined. The ladies arrived laden with armloads of forsythia and spring tulips, daffodils, amaryllis, hellebores and more! Swiftly our blank table was covered with flowers to form a massive centerpiece that reached from end to end. To prepare for the painting, I guided a sensory exploration that awakened our awareness of the plant world. I could literally see faces softening, shoulders relaxing and nervous systems calm as they began the release.

As the energy shifted we returned to our flowers floating on a long table draped with white paper and art supplies. With the concentration of pollinators in a garden, we all moved around the table frequently so our composition was continually evolving as one person added lines, another some paint until the entire surface had become a glorious intricate series of flowers all connected with love and joy.

As the sun became low in the sky, our communal painting now dry became our tablecloth for sharing a meal. It was powerful to witness what we could accomplish together. We had taken time out to be present to ourselves and each other and been given fresh ideas, renewed energy and so much hope.