Dreamy Artist Studio

Welcome to the artist's studio. A peaceful space for expression and creation. A large window at the far end of the room sits propped open, allowing the cool night air to waft in. Its sweet scent mixing with those of charcoal pens, oil pastels, and jars of turpentine. The tall ceilings offer plenty of wall space. Every inch of which is neatly covered by an original piece from the artist and residents. While the unkempt nature of the studio may seem chaotic to an outsider's eye it provides the artist a comforting sense of relief. This is a safe space to create, play and dream. At the center of the room sits a large canvas, mounted onto an even larger easel. Directly behind the artist's station on a paint splattered couch sits a large, sleepy, brown dog. The artist's muse and subject for tonight's masterpiece. Before we begin, let's start off with a little wind-down exercise. Tonight's wind-down is a visualization. So when you're ready, let's begin. Just take a moment to get comfortable, letting go of the day, enjoying that feeling of having stopped, of having nothing left to do. We're going to focus the attention of the mind on the different parts of the body. Watching as the muscles in the body switch off for the night, leaving the body feeling rested and leaving the mind more at ease. So, starting down at the toes and just the sense of the muscles switching off. The feet, the arches, all those muscles switching off. Same in the lower half of the legs. So any tension being let go of as the muscles switch off. Shut down. In the upper half of the legs any tension melting away, being let go of. In to the area of the hips, the pelvis, again, any muscles shutting down for the night, completely at rest. Everything from the waist downward is heavy, at ease. The muscles in the lower back and the stomach are now switching off. Middle of the back, around the diaphragm, the upper back and the chest. So, any muscles not needed shutting down, switching off for the night. The shoulders switching off. The upper half of the arms and the lower half of the arms switching off. The hands, fingers, just switching off. Any muscles around the throat and the neck switching off. The head, the face, the jaw, the eyes. Any last areas of tension, melting away as the muscles shut down. Switch off. At rest for the night. And allowing thoughts to come and go, allowing the mind and body the space they need to rest. While sleeping, the dog begins to dream. Making small noises of excitement, her leg and lower jaw trembling. When the dream is over, the painter walks over to the sofa and re-crosses the dog's forearms. Maneuvering her into the pose she was in before. Inside, it is peaceful and secluded. The muffled sounds of the city blending into the wear of...