Creating Space to Just Be (And Also Paint a Cow)

 

I started teaching an art class at our local library—something I called Mindful Art—and to be honest, it’s become one of my favorite parts of the week. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d fall in love with teaching. Not in a “stand at the front of the class and instruct” way, but in the way that invites people to show up just as they are—tired, energetic, excited, messy, unsure—and know that’s enough.

What I’m realizing is that I’m actually really good at creating space for people to exist without needing to perform. To sit down and be human, no pressure. No right way to make art. No wrong way to feel. Just… space. And when we’re given that kind of space, something really beautiful happens: we start to reconnect with ourselves.

One of the ladies in my class said something that really stuck with me. She said she loved just being told what to do—given a prompt, no decision-making, no overthinking. “Just tell me what to paint.” And I felt that deep in my soul. Sometimes the freedom to not choose is its own kind of magic.

So when I stumbled across a paint-by-number kit at Michael’s for $5 (it’s a cow, and she’s glorious), I bought it on a whim. And it turns out… I’m obsessed. There’s something incredibly grounding about just putting the paint where the numbers say to put it, watching the image come alive little by little. No pressure to create something from scratch. No grand artistic vision. Just the simple act of doing the next little thing. One brushstroke at a time.

And while my hands are busy, my mind is free to wander—gently, without needing to be productive or efficient. In that space, I’ve found myself processing decisions, emotions, tangled thoughts I didn’t realize I needed to sit with. Turns out, paint-by-number is a pretty decent form of meditation.

Sometimes we don’t need more input. We don’t need more hustle. We just need to do something slow and quiet. Something that lets our minds stretch out on the couch and breathe for a while.

Whether it’s art or staring at the sky or sitting in your car doing absolutely nothing for five extra minutes, I hope you find space to exist without needing to perform. I hope you give yourself permission to not think sometimes, and to let your mind wander gently back to itself.

And if you want a cow to paint while you do that, this one’s pretty great.