This is a guest post by the artist, Alayna Rose.

When I was a kid there were times when this feeling would come over me, surround me. I didn’t realize what was happening. All I knew is that half an hour or forty-five minutes later I felt very refreshed, rested.

Two-bit Guru - Meditation and Painting - Guest post by artist Alayna Rose - Photo of Alayna with one of her recent paintings

Alayna with one of her recent paintings.

It was a feeling of calm, not thinking about anything in particular. A feeling of being far away, yet connected, like something I absolutely needed at that time. It still happens, as if it’s part of my nutrition.

It’s similar to what happens when I’m working on a painting, except when I paint I’m more physical. You can’t force creativity the same way you can’t force meditation. With paintings I can think about what I want to do but the paintings pretty much have to come to me, and they pretty much decide when to do that. Sometimes it comes sooner and for others it could be weeks or months. And when that happens it is absolutely magical.

You can see more of Alayna Rose’s paintings here.