Gemotions

Esme carefully arranged the vibrant paint tubes on her easel, a palette of colors that seemed to shimmer in the afternoon light. The canvas, pristine white, waited patiently. She had her music playing softly, a favorite playlist of ambient sounds, adding to a general atmosphere of calm. She had no particular deadline, no pressure. Just the pure joy of creating.

She took a deep breath, dipping her brush into a pool of cerulean blue. She felt… present. The world outside seemed to fade away.

The next week, she was at a gallery opening, and there it was: a painting almost identical to hers, but signed by someone else. Her initial reaction was… numbness.