Mar 9 • Tea & Pages Rituals
Something I Found for Us — A Reflection on Joan Snyder
Dear Tea House,
I've been quieter than usual lately. Life asked more of me.
I came across something I wanted to bring into the Tea House — an interview with the painter Joan Snyder on the Talk Art podcast. I’ll share the link below.
One story from the conversation stayed with me.
A curator once organized an exhibition called “Joan Snyder Collects Joan Snyder.” The exhibition was made up entirely of paintings she had refused to sell over the years — works she kept not for their market value, but because they belonged to her inner landscape. They were simply… hers.
I understood that immediately. Some paintings aren’t for selling. Some things you make are just yours.
She also spoke about the grids she draws on her canvases before painting. She never erases them. Sometimes they remain visible; sometimes they disappear under layers of paint.
For years she painted a series called Strokes within those grids. There was even a waiting list for them.
And then one day she stopped. The paintings had simply stopped feeling alive to her.
That stayed with me — the courage to walk away from something that was working, simply because you felt finished with it.
A Gentle Journaling Invitation
If you feel like opening your journal this week, you might sit with one or two of these questions — perhaps with a cup of tea nearby.
On keeping
What creative work have you made that felt too personal to share — something that was simply yours?
If you could gather the pieces that belong to your own inner landscape, what might they be?
On letting go
Have you ever followed a theme, technique, or idea for a while — and then one day it stopped feeling alive?
What did you do when that happened?
On what’s alive now
What in your creative life still hums with energy? What quietly calls you back, even when you’re not sure where it’s leading?
Take ten minutes with these, or longer if you like.
You might write, sketch, add a bit of colour — or simply sit with the questions and notice what arises.
Cheering on You,
Beáta
PS: She's so lovely, isn't she?
The podcast is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OduEZ84HqN32xWbxqDRGe
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Something I Found for Us — A Reflection on Joan Snyder
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