The Art & Poetry of Mary Coleman

It’s been awhile since I updated this blog. A lot has happened. I had a health scare where my calf swelled up and they thought it was a blood clot and I was rushed in for an ultrasound which luckily ruled that out. However I do have a bakers cyst which means I have osteoarthritis, which means no more running. I have been getting some pain in my hip and knees for awhile, so I guess that diagnosis was coming. I’ve been trying to eat a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods to help with the inflammation from arthritis.

It sucks I can’t run, but I had a good time while I was able to do it. I ran 20 half marathons and 3 full marathons between the ages of 36 and 41. So that’s a significant achievement. I’ve switched to just doing walking for exercise. I’m not that sad, it’s still enjoyable to walk. I get to take the dog with me and enjoy the scenery more (I practice mindfulness while I walk).

I was published in the May issue of Stone Poetry Quarterly (digital) and I’ll also be in the summer issue of Shine Poetry Quarterly (print). The Shine one will be on amazon and I’ll link it when it’s available. There are some amazing poets in it and I’m honored to be a part of both quarterlies alongside people much more accomplished than I. Here is a link to the Stone Poetry Quarterly:

https://stonepoetryjournal.com/may-2025/

I have been writing and painting. There are more poems than this one since late April (last month’s ones are in my April poem post so check those out). The ones I wrote in May I’ll post at the end of the month. I’m trying to get 2 poems done a week.

I have actually felt like painting lately. The break I think was good for me. For now I’m doing abstract work using a crappy old paintbrush in my sketchbook to avoid it becoming precious (which using nice paper and supplies can sometimes inhibit creativity). My mediums I’m using are watercolor pencil (for the background and underlayer), pencil on top of the watercolor, and acrylic on top of that (very dry paint).

What is your career plan?

I don’t have a career plan besides trying to get a work from home job. Recently I have taken a break from job hunting to work on my anxiety and panic attacks which would be a problem if I was trying to hold down a job. I’ve been reading books on anxiety and panic attacks and filling out therapy workbooks. I’ve been trying to incorporate the coping strategies I’m reading about in my every day life. My psychologist is helping me each week for a check in on my progress.

Here are some pictures of spring flowers from my walk this morning. The air smells so fragrant and fresh right now. Spring is definitely my second favorite time of the year (fall is my favorite).