I didn’t grow up in a family that “hugged.” Well, maybe Grandma and the Aunts hugged, but well, at best that felt weird.

Hugging was something I picked up when I went to college in the ‘70s — hugging was “big” then.

I moved about 150 miles away from home to go to the UW-Madison (Go Badgers!). I loved living in Madison. I lived there until I moved to Honolulu 20 years ago. By the time I moved to Hawaii, my family had gotten used to giving and receiving hugs.

SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) introduced me to Self-hugs when I studied with her in 2016.

For the most part, my moods during the pandemic have been pretty good — fluctuating between “pookie” and feeling really happy several times throughout each day.

This is what “Pookie” looks like.

One day, I felt so happy that I felt guilty. Fortunately, when a friend said my happiness was like a gift for her, my guilt vanished.

Sometimes, especially when feeling isolated, giving yourself a great big hug and pretending that you’re hugging someone too far away can be a substitute until the next time you meet.

What if it’s possible to send virtual hugs to those you love just by projecting love to them while hugging yourself — truly hugging yourself.

Who’s to say it’s not?

Are you ready for a hug?

Open your arms wide and wrap them around yourself. Stretch to put your hands all the way around your body, with one arm on top of the other. Try to touch your back, that’s how far you want to reach your arms.

Now squeeze — HUG! Kiss your shoulders for extra sweetness.

Then rewrap your hands around your body with the opposite arm on top of the other.

You’ve just given yourself a double hug and received the benefits of a hug.

Do hugs have benefits? You bet!

Hugs can soothe you if you’re feeling stressed. Your blood pressure can go down, and you can momentarily forget your woes.

Hugs allow your body to release oxytocin into your bloodstream. That’s the natural hormone also known as the “happy hormone.”

Hugs can help strengthen your immune system by creating white blood cells.

One day we might be able to freely hug again. Until then, Hug Yourself!

I hope you’ll let Hugging Yourself become a regular part of your self-love.

(To watch me draw these illustrations, go to https://www.facebook.com/PatriceArtOfAloha/ and scroll to the video. Then give yourself another HUG!)

Yes, of course, I get scared. How could I not have moments of fear? The Hilton Hawaiian Village, my marketplace, is a ghost town — which is as it should be. The islands are on Shelter-in-Home orders.

This is out of our hands, out of our control. We like to feel in control and these times are bigger than us.

It’s comforting to know that none of us are alone in this. We’re all experiencing this at the same time. We’re all human, feeling the panoply of emotions, going through quite the equalizing experience.

Introverts use alone time to recharge their energy before going out in public. Extroverts recharge while out in public.

My coach/friend Aletta de Wal calls herself an “extroverted-introvert.” I’ve adopted the moniker as well. We’ve learned to monitor our times in public and balance them with alone time.

I imagine the amount of alone time we’re experiencing now is more difficult for extroverts than for introverts.

From SARK, I learned the Inner Feelings Care System. It’s important to feel your emotions as they move through you. It’s important to let them move.

Emotions = Energy in Motion. If they get stuck or tamped down, they can wreak havoc on your body.

Feel your emotions and then send them thanks. Talk to them.

Your emotions are your personal
“emergency broadcasting station.”

They have messages for you, it’s okay to ask for clarification.

Often the message is to not take your thoughts too seriously, especially if you’re starting to freak out.

Freak-out moments can mean that you’ve moved off the truth of who you really are. You are love incarnate.

We don’t have to believe our panic or fear. Acknowledge it, yes; believe it, no.

Name your emotion. “Oh, this is fear” or “Oh, this is panic.” It is not YOU, it’s an emotion running through you. Rather than push it away, recognize it for what it is. Feel it and it will move on.

This is a Sacred Moment in Time.

Our fears are reminding us that we’re human. Our personal divinity is knocking at the door wanting to be let into our life, waiting to be acknowledged.

“Accidental Angels” and the three heart paintings I’ve painted the past three months came in preparation for this moment of time.

We’ve been preparing for this moment our entire lives. Live well and mind your heart.

Thank you, Spirit. Thank you, Inner Wise Self. Thank you, hands, paints, brushes, paper, & the past almost 20 years of painting!

The things that attract our attention have information for us that can help us make choices and decisions in our lives.

When we take the time to notice our surroundings or notice what captures our attention, we’re sure to learn something subtle about ourselves.

My latest palm frond painting (a work in progress) began when I noticed some dead palm fronds cut up and awaiting removal near my parked car. I took photos from different angles to capture their essence.

Later, while staffing the Hawaii Watercolor Society exhibit, I was drawn to two paintings showing a strong contrast of warm and cool colors. The colors, not the subject matter, captivated me.

When I began this palm frond painting, I did so in a rush. I was too impatient to sketch it all out before I starting to paint.

This painting wanted to be painted!

I didn’t know what the painting was about until I awoke around 3:30 AM with thoughts of being transported someplace that I really wanted to go. I wish I could remember where I went, alas, it’s vanished. Such is the nature of sleep and dreams.

That’s when I realized I’m painting the feeling of movement.

Palm fronds that fall to the Earth carry with them a remembrance of the wind in their tangled leaflets and the striations on their “hilt.” They wear their history in their beauty.

I'm facing a new move in my life, in a year already filled with inner and outer movement.

No wonder these fronds captured my attention. They’re reminding me that movement is essential to a healthy, vibrant, evolving life.

Almost, but not quite finished, this piece is titled, “Remembering the Wind”.

Move on!

We each have our own sources of inspiration — thank goodness! We don’t need to rely on any one person, place, or thing to be inspired.

Each of us is responsible for being aware of our “AHA” moments, and sometimes backtracking to discover their origins.

Sometimes the genesis is clear. We’ve seen an incredibly beautiful sunset or vista and want to capture the way it touched our heart.

Sometimes the source is obscure. Inspiration is a flash of insight, out of the blue.

We can stoke our inspiration by following our heartfelt curiosity.

Being curious is different from being “nosy” or “niele” (Hawaiian word for “nosy”). When curiosity tickles us, it sends us on a journey of discovery.

I’ve been on such a journey the past few months — one I wasn’t fully aware of until inspiration for my newest painting struck.

Finally! Yippee! It’s felt like F-O-R-E-V-E-R since I’ve felt this level of inspiration. I’ve missed the feeling of eager anticipation that sometimes precludes the start of a new painting.

Yes, every new painting starts with an idea or inspiration.

Sometimes my inspiration is a piece of coral, or a stone, or a flower — something that catches my eye. These can be great fun to sketch, draw, or paint.

The level of inspiration I received last week is connected to the books I’ve been reading and the questions I’ve been asking in my journal.

This kind of inspiration is a product of my heart working with my brain to give me a visual representation of what I’m learning.

This intensity of inspiration doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I’m hoping that now that I'm more aware of the process, I’ll be able to entice deep inspiration to happen more often.

STEPS TO ENCOURAGE A TRULY INSPIRED, CREATIVE LIFE

1. Make more drawings of the things catching your attention. This can mean making more starts and fewer finished pieces. It can mean making many smaller drawings or paintings.

2. Focus more on what is wanted rather than on the lack of what is wanted. Be more aware of the things that inspire us and nurture the pursuit of them — and be less aware of missing the inspired feeling. (We find what we seek!)

3. Continue to read books that inspire. Recent reads include a novel, “The Luster of Lost Things” by Sophie Chen Keller and “Into the Magic Shop” by James R. Doty, MD.

4. Listen to podcasts that inspire: “On Being”, “New Dimensions”, “Hidden Brain”, “Ted Talks”, “Abraham-Hicks”.

5. Pay attention to the questions we’re asking and look for the sparks that often launch inspirational “AHA Moments”.

6. Keep our hearts and minds open to the possibilities swirling around us —

Trust in Your Possibilities.

By taking inspired action, I began the creation of this painting — which is almost (but not quite) complete.

If this feels like a formula you’d like to follow, please do! I can’t promise it’ll work for you, but it might. I definitely feel more inspired when I remember to follow these steps!

If you have another way to encourage inspiration into you're your life, please share it with me.