It's nearing the end of March 2022 and we are still living through a global pandemic. To add another layer of uncertainty to our lives, there is a war that has been imposed on Ukraine by Russia. Such devastation and lives lost not only in this terrible humanitarian crisis of our age but in this unrelenting pandemic we have been living in since 2020.
These are the days and time in my life where I ask myself how I can help a war torn country and how do I deal or learn to live with the threat of a pandemic that is very much alive and mutating. I have the gift and the blessing of being able to turn to my art and reading. Somehow, these two activities are like a balm that helps soothe my soul and worried heart especially these days.
If you are looking to immerse yourself into a good book, then I have the one for you. I have just finished reading "Growing Pains". This is a great read. Growing Pains tells the story of Emily Carr's life, beginning with her girlhood in pioneer Victoria, BC and goes on to tell the story about her training as an artist in San Francisco, England and France. She writes about the frustration she felt at the rejection of her art by Canadians and of the years of despair when she stopped painting. The story tells of the unexpected vindication and triumph she felt when the Group of Seven accepted her as one of them. Carr was a creative and artistic storyteller whose writing is bold, filled with nostalgia and a sense of humour. She certainly has an artistic eye for describing and laying out the canvas for her storytelling. Growing Pains was completed in 1945 before Emily Carr died.
If you are looking for your next book to read or if you're starting to assemble a reading list for the summer, then Growing Pains is a one to add to that list. I am interested to hear what books you are reading that are bringing you some peace and distraction.