There’s a quiet beauty that comes with slowing down—and it’s changing the way I create.
I’ve always been someone who ran on instinct and momentum. There was always another canvas waiting, another show coming up, another idea bubbling just beneath the surface. I loved that pace—the energy of it, the adrenaline, the way it made me feel unstoppable. Painting has always felt like a full-body experience, and for years, I let that rhythm guide me.
But lately, life has been whispering something new. And then—louder. A soft but firm invitation to slow down. It wasn’t easy to accept at first. I resisted. I told myself I had deadlines to meet, collectors waiting, ideas I needed to capture before they faded.
But my body was telling a different story. A story that included rest. And reflection. And remembering that creativity doesn’t just live in speed—it also lives in stillness.
So I began to listen.
I started giving myself space to move slower in the studio. I allowed myself long pauses between brushstrokes. I took walks instead of forcing myself through fatigue. I let a painting breathe before rushing to finish it.
And do you know what I found?
The slower I moved, the more I saw. The golden tones of sunset I might have missed before. The shadows cast by palms on the sidewalk. The way the ocean has a different mood every morning.
This shift changed my art. It softened it. Deepened it. I started to paint from a place that wasn’t chasing, but receiving. Not proving, but expressing.
You might notice it too—in the newer pieces. A gentler palette. A sense of peace woven through each wave and frond. And more than anything, an invitation for you to pause with me. To bring that same calm into your space.
One of the ways I’ve been finding that stillness lately is through little weekend getaways to Hana. If you’ve ever been, you know—it’s a place that moves at its own rhythm. Slower. Softer. And somehow more vivid because of it. I used to push through, no matter how I felt. But living with Parkinson’s has been teaching me to listen—to truly hear what my body is asking for.
Sometimes, that means stepping away for a few days. Letting the quiet wrap around me. Letting the jungle and the waves and the rain do their healing work. And although it’s not always easy to slow down, I came back from one of those weekends recently feeling inspired in a way I hadn’t expected. There’s a new piece on the easel now, born from the rest I almost didn’t allow myself to take.
If you’re also in a season of slowing down—by choice or by circumstance—I want you to know you’re not alone. There’s beauty here, too. There’s richness. And yes, there’s still so much to create.
The gallery is open by appointment only,
so let’s plan your visit! Simply call me at 808-281-3108 to schedule your showing. Not on island? Shop my prints and originals online anytime.
With aloha,
Kim
