The Red Box

Tanya Torres
18 minutes ago
2 min read

I needed more rest than usual this week, and the whole week passed before I was able to sit down to draw. Finally today I was free and was able to work on this drawing and some projects.

The new year approaches and my mind is looking toward the future. And also back to this year. Even though I’m exhausted, I did manage to have a good six months where I completed several projects and emerged out of the intertia I had been experiencing for such a long time. Writing, I think, was the most important activity, I filled several notebooks plus this blog. Even though I have not completed everything I wanted to do, I have to recognize that I set really high goals.

I have been writing the 10 things I an grateful for having accomplished this year as a way to clear space for new goals and projects. It’s good to remind ourselves of what we are capable of.

This exercise helped me get her my thoughts, understand that I had worked hard and achieved many goals, and that not everything needs to be complete because some things just take more time.

And because my mind became clear, I was able to work on one more little project. I have been putting together a gift box containing several of my Mary Magdalene creations and a couple of complimentary items that I like.

Many months ago, maybe last year, I had the idea to create a gift box called The Red Box. I wanted it to include all the senses, These are the Mary Magdalene items that go in the box: a book, a deck of cards, 3 stickers, 2 glossy mini prints, 1 patchouli handmade soap, 1 votive candle, one greeting card with an original drawing, one hand-painted medallion necklace, and one paper flower. The sense of hearing will come in a QR code leading to Raquel Z. Rivera’s songs to Mary Magdalene. Why was it so difficult to put this together? I needed a time when I felt well and energized, with sunlight, and some imagination a nd inspiration available to actually take a photo. I was able to finally think of all the elements I wanted inside the red box and put them on a shawl I found in my studio.

I’m still working on it, but I’m happy that at least I got to take a picture. Now I have one more item for my 2025 gratitude list: I finally put together The Red Box.