Sometimes the Best Remedy Is a Pair of Dancing Boots

Let's Dance 

This past weekend in Okotoks, the Chinook Country Line Dancers took the stage at the Chilli Fest and reminded everyone how good it feels to move to a simple beat under an open sky.

No fancy choreography required—just a group of people stepping, turning, and smiling together while the rest of the festival carried on around them. Watching it is pure, uncomplicated joy.

In a world that constantly pulls us toward screens and endless scrolling, moments like this are a quiet invitation: step outside, find something lively, and let yourself enjoy it. Whether it’s line dancing, a local festival, a walk, or simply standing still long enough to notice the weather, getting out into the real world has a way of lifting the weight that online noise can pile on.

The short clip of the dancers is linked below. Watch it, smile a little, and then maybe go find your own small reason to step away from the screen today.

Do Art! (And Finish What’s on the Go)

 Hey All You Artsy People,

Welcome back to the website, how to do what? Who knows right, just how to breathe somedays! Today’s post is a little peek into my current art corner and a gentle reminder I needed to hear myself.

Here’s the workspace right now: brushes standing tall like a forest, bottles of Liquitex gloss varnish, DecoArt metallics, acrylics in every colour, and a few pieces I’ve been working on. Front and centre is the skull—nearly finished, with its soft pastel washes and that rosy jaw. Beside it sits a shiny coppery-pink owl, a little blue mushroom house, a clear resin sphere filled with dried flowers and citrus slices, and a couple of other experiments still finding their way.

I made all of these. The skull is so close I can almost call it done. The others? Honestly, I’m not sure what their final story will be yet. And that’s okay.

Somewhere along the way I saw a sign (wish I could remember the exact wording) that said something like: “I’m not a hoarder of art supplies… I’m a collector of what I may need in the future.” That hit home. The shelves are full, the brushes are waiting, and the paints are ready—but right now my focus is on finishing the projects already started. Once those are complete, the door opens for brand-new ideas.

Over the years I’ve learned so much through simply showing up and making. Some days it feels like you haven’t progressed at all… and then you look back and realize how far the quiet practice has carried you.

So if you’re doubting yourself, keep going. Find the peace you’re seeking and let it develop from there. The supplies will wait. The ideas will wait. Just do the art that’s in front of you today.

Moral of the story?
Do Art!

What are you working on right now? Any nearly-finished pieces sitting on your desk, or a favourite “collector, not hoarder” quote of your own? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Happy creating,
Helen of How To Just BE
#DoArt #ArtStudio #FinishWhatYouStart #HelenHowTo