Watercolor Notes: Finding Beauty in a Fractured World

A quick little watercolor bouquet in my art journal to soften the day

Lately, my art journal has bloomed.

Not in grand gestures or finished pieces for display—but in small, intimate sketches of flowers and bouquets. I’ve been letting watercolors spill softly onto the page, experimenting with shape and color, often following along with gentle-voiced YouTube tutorials. Sometimes the petals look a little wonky. Sometimes the colors blend in unexpected ways. But always, there is peace in the process.

These watercolor moments have become a quiet ritual—a way to pause, breathe, and remember the beauty still rooted in this world.

With so much uncertainty and heaviness in the air these days, especially as we witness troubling shifts in our country, it's easy to feel overwhelmed or helpless. But returning to the page, brush in hand, reminds me that tending to beauty—however imperfectly—is a radical, restorative act.

My art journal isn’t about perfection. It’s a space where I can experiment, mess up, start again. A space where soft colors speak louder than the news. A place where joy still shows up, stubborn and blooming.

If you're feeling the weight of things too, maybe give it a try. Grab a brush, pour some water, and see what flowers want to arrive. The world may feel like it's unraveling—but there are still bouquets to paint, still colors to discover, still tiny acts of hope to practice.