Nadine J Walters – My Life

My Question to myself today: What’s different about today compared to last week?

My answer: My attitude. My way of looking at the world. The way I feel inside it.

Not a massive shift, but over the past few days, my mood has lightened noticeably. There’s a subtle, growing brightness I hadn’t felt in a while.

Lately, I’ve been creating more—mostly painting and drawing, but also baking, organizing, and bringing little bits of order and beauty into my space. That act of making, of shaping something with my own hands, seems to change everything. It grounds me.

The day before yesterday, I came back to my old established “feel good” routine. Mornings begin with walking the dog, a sparkle-clean of the house, a healthy meal, and a quick workout. Simple habits—but they make a real difference. I feel good.

Even the world looks brighter—literally. That could be thanks to a combination of contact lens surgery and the return of sunshine. My eyes no longer ache, colors seem sharper, and my body feels more alive. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the relief of having completed my health checkups. Maybe it’s just spring whispering its way back into my life. Whatever the reason, I’ll take it.

This morning, I listened to a podcast on living a creative life. The speaker shared something her teacher once told her:

• I promise to be kind to myself.
• I promise not to compare my work.
• I promise to have fun.

So simple. So profound. Those words really stuck with me. I wondered—if I’d heard them two weeks ago, would they have resonated the same way? Will they still matter to me two months from now?

Life, I’ve noticed, offers little windows. Openings. Moments where something lands just right—when we’re ready to hear it. That’s how it felt today.

Balancing my life and making time for myself isn’t just a luxury—it’s what fills me up. It’s how I carry the weight of everything else. And truthfully, my life isn’t that heavy. I have support. I have family and friends. I live in a beautiful place, in a home that feels like it was meant for me.

Even my art is shifting—becoming lighter, brighter, more joyful. Lately, I’ve been inspired by children, flowers, and landscapes. I shared a recent series on my studio feed and was surprised by the warm response. The kind words and encouragement lifted my spirits and made me want to create even more.

These past few days have felt like a gift. Compared to the past few weeks, which were a little dull and flat, there’s a real contrast now. And maybe that’s the point: we need the gray days to appreciate the colorful ones. Without the dark, we can’t recognize the light.

Sometimes, what’s different about today isn’t the world at all—but the way I show up inside it.