Catching up with Shaylen Broughton.

Roots, Blooms and Grounding to Earth are the themes of Shaylen Broughton’s artistic and personal trajectory over the last year which is manifesting itself in what we are calling her “green period.” The metamorphosis started in 2019 when Broughton was forcing her art. “I was pushing myself really hard and putting a lot of expectation into my work which made it harder to be creative,” says the artist. “I took a step back and realized I wasn’t taking enough time to take care of myself.” That lack of self-care was taking its toll on her ability to create and she hit a place of burn out. Broughton explains, “A lot of my work is about being in the zone- in a good place.”

When the quarantine started, Broughton began focusing on her health; practicing yoga, cooking and working in her garden. She felt as if she were rooting into her home, centering, and grounding; a feeling which blossomed into possibility. “I realized that self-care is as important as anything else I do,” she says.  “This year has been about finding my ground and balance between physical and metaphysical boundaries. I have been focusing on nourishing myself so I can really dig into this growth and transformation and bloom.”

Interestingly, she began to be attracted to the color green, the color of the heart chakra. She says, “I am drawn to specific colors based on the energy they have. I have been moving through the colors of the chakra going from the blues of the upper chakras downwards.” In response to her new roots Broughton, who mixes water from meaningful sources into her pieces, is now adding drops taken from the James River. “It’s another symbol of my newfound grounding,” she says. 

It will be fun to see where this path leads her next.