On a bad day, I can’t help but judge how my art and my writing are so juvenile in experience, how I am a jack-of-all and master-of-none, how I don’t manage to read, discuss, or think deeply about any subject matter.
Oh! My mind goes deep, feeding its own darkness. And then to get out of it, if I am not being compassionate with myself, I find situations to blame such as my lack of belonging anywhere.
On a better, more compassionate day, I think about my cross-training attitude as a way to approach life with a beginner’s mind. Well aware that I am not excellent at anything, I can approach many things with a young and fresh attitude. I think of my art, writing, and dance like I would a yoga practice.
I’ve been a yoga practitioner for 25 years now. For half of that time I was immersed deeply. I practiced and taught pranayama and asana everyday in Lebanon, Chengdu and then in Koh Samui. I took advanced trainings at Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui two to three times a year. I was part of the team teaching the full range, from beginners to teachers. I worked with people my own age but mostly older people, people my age now and older. With humility, I realise how little I understood then, about teaching people with aging bodies!
So back to my good day. Today I know my art and writing is not exceptional, but I try my best to approach it like a practice. Keep showing up day by day. And if I slip away from it, when I realise that I have, to come back to the mat, or studio or iPad. Hopefully without being judgmental. Once in a while there might be an Aha! moment. Most of the time there is nothing of the sort.
But I always feel peace of mind during and after a session at my art studio, or at my iPad writing.
Celebrating the wins:
Here’s a link to 3 of my poems that were just published by Ubwali Literary Magazine, in their 2nd masterclass issue. I was lucky enough to participate in the 2025 masterclass run by Ubwali who hosted incredible African writers to teach the group, and from those classes I’ve had some of my work published.
@ubwaliliterarymagazine
I’ll be participating in the Mango Art Festival in Bangkok from March 4th to 8th at River City Bangkok. This is my third time, once as a performer and twice as an exhibitor. My booth is upstairs in the Independent Artists zone. ID47. Come find me if you are in Bangkok! I’ve taken the risk to show my latest non-representational abstract works, a direction I’m hoping to move towards more and more.
@mangoartfestival
Natasha Devalia 
Natasha,
I’m so grateful for the compassion that runs through this piece. The way you describe returning to art the way one returns to the mat — without judgment, without needing brilliance, simply with presence — resonates deeply with me. Your honesty about the dark spirals, the beginner’s mind, and the quiet peace that comes from showing up feels like a reminder of what creative practice really is: a relationship, not a performance.
This approach influences my own work on Wave Daze, where I’m exploring emotional currents and the ways we move through them. Your framing of art as a practice — something we return to, drift from, and return to again — mirrors the ebb and flow I’m trying to honor in my writing. Thank you for articulating this so beautifully. It helps me soften, breathe, and keep showing up.
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How lovely to hear from Lisa. I’m so sorry about the late response, I hadn’t seen the message earlier. I don’t often open my blog at this section.
Hope your work on Wave Daze is continuing on, and moving along bit by bit. My memoir is in the third draft phase now – I’ll be in touch by email.
Best wishes,
Natasha
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Great news! I would love to know more about how your memoir progresses. It looks like you have good practices for your creative outlets.Wave Daze has taken on a new dimension as I have gotten feedback from publicist and publishers. The jist of it is that as the author I am adding observations about Mark and the Wave experience.
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