Centering the Artist Within: A Quiet Return to Self

Some mornings, before greeting the world, I just sit with my eyes closed and take a long, deep breath. A short meditation—just five minutes maybe. But those few minutes often shift the rhythm of my entire day. My mind doesn’t quiet easily; I tend to move fast and think faster. Still, something softens in that pause.

At first, staying still felt almost impossible. You know that feeling—your body is there, but your thoughts are scattered in a hundred directions. That was me. But I waited. I didn’t force anything. Over time, I learned to sit with the noise, and eventually, the noise began to settle. In that space, I found something new—calm, clarity, and a more honest connection to my creativity.

Now, this gentle practice has become my way of returning home to myself. Just a small offering to the day, a quiet hello. And when I begin my work from that place, everything flows more naturally—less performative, more true.

The other day, as I looked out the airplane window, the sky blanketed in soft clouds, I felt that same peace. Like my thoughts had transformed into cottony clouds, slowly drifting away. I didn’t feel the need to sketch it—I simply lived the moment. And that was enough.

Maybe today, you can offer yourself a moment of stillness too. Who knows what you might find there? Sometimes, the quietest spaces hold the loudest truths.

🌀
With love,
Ozlem