It is truly fascinating and an incredible privilege to witness the creation of art, to see the work offer itself to the artist, to see how the artist gives the work to the world, and how the work shapes the artist.

Jessica Mallock has entrusted us to view this journey in the development of her ‘Outbreaths’ series.

Jessica spends much of her time making art, sitting in nature and teaching embodied and energy techniques, through art, shamanism and TRE (tension, stress and trauma release exercise). See the Authors page for more information about Jessica and other contributors.

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I set myself the challenge of only making a mark on the outbreath.

I also set the task of not thinking about what shapes and lines I would make.

I followed the movement of my body and let that be a guide for direction and the length of line and this allowed something unexpected to emerge.

What I really noticed is I slowed down.

I was able to watch my thoughts and gently say to them for now I am following my breath and which way my hand wants to move.

I heard how much my thoughts impact my gestures. It is quite revealing.

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Again, I only paint on the outbreath and follow my hand and body for direction and the length of the line.

This time I start to whistle on the outbreath, and I am feeling more confident that I can stayed focused and present to the actions.

I make a painting in fewer breaths, more slowly and longer breaths, maybe the same amount of time for now I am not recording time.

The lines become notations, a map maybe, a trail, a moment in time when I was completely present to the actions and task, a movement meditation.

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Painting on the outbreath and not thinking about form or composition.

There are fewer lines and I painted slower, the image is minimal, one colour, a simple line, and a change in direction.

If I let my mind in, I start to wonder, what is this creation, a being from another realm, a code like binary maybe, the notes of music, the shape of stillness.

As an artist I find myself trying to make interpretations and an understanding.

If I didn’t choose with my mind the shapes, where do they come from?

And then a thought comes in of dancing, making form out of sound, a flowing form.

For now, I am making slowness my focus in my art and then extending that out into my life, I know how to do it now and I will practice.

I wonder where life will go with slowness?