08/04/2026
Gathered in Gratitude,oil on canvas by April J Ryan
I began this day feeling depressed and sad, carrying thoughts that were making it difficult to see the beauty around me. But somewhere along the way, something shifted.
I slowed down and became present. Instead of dwelling on what was missing or difficult, I began to notice what I still had. I wandered through a flower farm, cutting and gathering these beautiful blooms with my own hands. For that moment, I wasn’t living in yesterday or worrying about tomorrow. I was simply there—surrounded by color, sunlight, growing things, and the quiet generosity of the earth.
Gratitude began to replace sadness, and joy found me again.
Later, I brought the flowers into my studio, arranged them in this vase, added the little bowl of freshly gathered blackberries, and began to paint. What a gift it was—not only to gather such beauty, but also to have the opportunity to preserve the memory in paint.
This painting reminds me that joy does not always arrive as something grand. Sometimes it begins when we become still enough to notice one beautiful thing in front of us. Gratitude may not erase every sorrow, but it can gently open a window and let the light back in.
I’m sharing the finished painting along with a photograph from its beginning stages. It reminds me that paintings, people, and even difficult days can be transformed one small stroke at a time.This reflection will be included in my upcoming art-journal book, created to help people move through difficult seasons by slowing down, creating, and learning to see life through an artist’s eyes. My hope is that it will help others notice the beauty that is still present, appreciate the life they have been given, and rediscover moments of gratitude, peace, and joy—even during hard times.
