I have pictures and videos of every nook and cranny of my childhood home. Now, I paint it all. At first, I was beside myself about this house becoming someone else’s. I felt like I was losing and old friend forever. Recently, I’ve thought, “I have a way to keep this old friend with me: through my paintings. My creative process eases the angst I would otherwise feel about this event that marks the passing of time. It is a true friend on my journey.

My dreams about what once was are on a canvas. When I think about Heaven now, I don’t just imagine seeing my loved ones lost. I imagine seeing them within the places we lived life together. Until the day comes when I go back to it all, I paint it.

How to you remember your life’s journey? Do you have a way to explore it and keep a hold on where that journey has taken you? It’s great to have a tangible way of remembering where you’ve been and marveling at where you are going. It helps us not forget what was, and this allow us to hold on to some pretty wonderful stuff. It can also help us move forward on our journey with hope.

Looking back on my paintings leaves me grounded in the truth that tomorrow will be even better than yesterday. I see how much I have grown and learned on my journey. This is how I move ahead with confidence. You can journey back and you can find new, creative ways to get there. I do it with a canvas and a paintbrush.

How can you take a journey back in your own unique way? How can creative process help you as you make sense of the past and move forward? Dive into trying something new or explore a present creative process more deeply. Share what you learn with others: here or elsewhere. Encourage others to join us on this exciting journey on our own personal canvas.