So much of centering myself is related to how I view my world, divided into Home, Work, and Self.
For example:
Home: I need to call the plumber, buy presents for the kids, and start gathering ideas for dinner.
Work: I need wrapping paper, start promoting my new workshop, and buy some red supplies.
Self: Add castor oil, lavender oil, and argan oil to my rosemary oil hair spray.
Basically, it’s a way of getting things done while ensuring all fronts are covered.
These are the 3x3 categories I go through in my system:
Home: House, Kids, Partner
Work: Make, Show, Self
Self: Admin, Wellbeing, Social
Moving between these three fronts, while keeping myself at the center of it all, has helped me create a sense of balance. The more I visualize myself navigating this system—like moving through a Monopoly board—the more I realize I am none of these categories. I am simply the person making things happen (or not) in each area.
At the start of my career as a painter, every exhibition felt like a matter of life and death. Over time, I’ve come to understand that art, while essential to my identity, is not all that I am. This realization has given me a lot of freedom to explore other things, which, in the end, have enriched my work.