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Write Around PAM: Brian Calvin

May 11, 2020
A horizontal, rectangular illustration of a white woman with long brown hair tucked behind her ears, positioned at the right. Viewed in profile, facing right, she leans her forehead against a bathroom mirror. Her eyes are closed. She wears a long-sleeve, light-blue top. She is reflected in the pink-framed mirror, seen with white, diagonal stripes representing the mirror’s glare. Behind her, in the center of the picture, is a window, also with glare streaks in the lower half, showing a tree with dark brown trunk and branches with foliage in various green tones. In the upper-left corner, leafy greens of a house plant are visible. The wall behind the figure is a yellow-green, the window is framed in a slightly darker yellow green. A dark blue horizontal stripe of tile runs along the back wall at chest level to the figure. A pink towel hangs on a bar at left.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the enormity of both our own and the world’s pain. It feels even more important now to take moments to pause. Writing is a great tool to reflect, de-stress, #breakforjoy, and heal.

Using this piece from Brian Calvin as inspiration, here are two prompts to help you get the pen going. You can choose one, both or follow your own adventure.

Set a timer for 7 minutes and just keep your pen moving.

In the mirror…/Everything seemed different after…

Writing in community is powerful. We are grateful to our longtime partner Write Around Portland for the writing prompts and inspiration. Look for a new post every Sunday in May and please share your work with us on Instagram! @writearoundpdx @portlandartmuseum #breakforjoy #WriteAroundPAM

View the work in our online collection

Brian Calvin (American, born 1969). Awake (for J.K.), 2004. Acrylic on canvas. Gift of David Hoberman, 2009.90 © unknown, research required

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