In one of my free writing “sessions” - outside at a cafe with wine - I wrote this little poem:

“Play me a tune…

string and strum,

sing and hum…

and let’s lay till noon”.

In these “sessions”, I generally write small poems, and go on to the next poem that comes to me.

When I wrote this, what I was feeling was the desire, the hope to experience this, and this image was in my head as I wrote it.

Not that she would have to know how to play the guitar or sing. It could be anything, like reading, meditating, doing her nails, etc. It’s the idea of laying in bed till noon, or later, and just being carefree, cozy, comfortable, and happy.

This feeling has a word that the Danish call “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-gah”).

Hygge doesn’t have an exact definition, but it’s generally about slowing down, being present, feeling cozy, happy with the simple things, tranquil with others or by yourself, and your well-being.

From this you can gather that hygge is a form of mindfulness and self-care, and just like self-care, hygge can be different for everyone.

For me, this poem and painting conveys self-care; it’s hyggelig (hygge-like) with the coziness of being in the covers, being present listening to the peaceful music, not rushing to chase the day, and being with a loved one…

What are 3 self-care things you can do for yourself?

How can you incorporate that each week or day?

Go to this blog post here, which speaks about self-care and hygge and share in the comments, or if you want to keep it private, just self-reflect on these questions and write down what comes to you.

• Acrylic paint, gesso, and pencil.

• 12 x 16 inch cotton canvas panel board made with 100% recycled materials

• Painting is in a 16 x 20 inch white frame

Also available as a fine art giclee canvas print in 4 sizes, with the option of having the poem on it or not, click below:

Canvas - Museum Quality Print