Gone but Not Forgotten

Wow, what a busy year this has been already! I will be posting again real soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a safe, warm and love filled holiday!

Be Gentle to Your Creative Soul

As an artist our souls are restless because what stirs within is a constant desire to create. Images and ideas are in motion 95% of the time. Translation from soul to paper however, can sometimes be a challenge. Our souls envision such beautiful things, filled with our imagination and flooded by our heart. Then the brain steps in and tries to control the process.

It starts with negative feedback, criticizing the process from start to finish. Then it urges us to seek approval outside ourselves. Educationally and logically this makes sense. We live in a world of needed approval and constant guidance and rules governing the every day processes. This is not good for the artful soul. Critiques, negative comments, even loving guidance mucks up the free flow of spirit. It only involves more of the brain, shutting down the heart and belittling your soul the next time you go to create.

Art is just between you, your soul and the piece you are creating. Be loving, gentle and encouraging to your creative self. What you put on paper, canvas etc...is your soul telling your story. It's the essence of self speaking out loud. Don't allow your brain take over the process and others opinions defeat your creative flow. I mean this with all my heart. Even if all you can draw is a stick figure. If you poured your soul into it, allow yourself to love it. Someone else liking it is the ego seeking approval. Tell ego to "shut up". Free yourself and be gentle to your creative soul. It is a God given gift, treasure it and not the opinion of others.

Have a beautifully creative day!!!

God's Perfect Blessings

Prayerful thought of the day:

Lately I have been trying to focus on gratitude versus my physical pain. It is by no means easy because pain demands to be recognized. But blessings, they don't. They are silent beautiful gifts of grace from God. Never demanding to be noticed. Just faithfully present. It requires stillness to notice and appreciate them. I have found when I focus on these beautiful things God gives me....my pain gets quieter (does not go away...but I cope better). Allow for some quiet time to reflect on Gods perfect grace. If your heart is so heavy that it is hard to see them...go for a walk and intentionally look at nature, listen to the birds, look to the sky and allow that child like wonderment to enter your heart.

I pray today that you find some personal time to notice and give thanks for the beautiful things God gives to us. Today make your prayer about thanks and leave it at that. Set your hardship, pain, sadness, worries, financial burdens etc at his feet unspoken...He knows the burden on your heart, surrender it gladly unto him and let His perfect love fill your heart and give you strength <3  -AMEN

Why Be an Artist?

Being an artist is not an easy thing. It kind of makes you different when you are really committed to it. It can be under appreciated, misunderstood and mistaken as a misguided childhood dream. So knowing all that why would I still want to be an artist?

For me it has saved my soul. I suffer from depression and anxiety. Art has become an outlet and an escape from consuming thoughts. It has allowed me to function and be apart of something again. The past few years my family has walked through some very difficult times, experiencing loss and grief more times than is normal in a given year. My heart was consumed with grief. Art allowed me to safely explore my emotions. It kept me from getting lost in those deep dark feelings. It stopped my anxious constant pacing and allowed me to still my brain and my heart. It did not judge me and created real pictures of the hurt and pain I had inside. It released me from it. But what was even more amazing was when my pictures began to be positive and filled with light. When they changed from depicting me as an injured soul to a free spirit. It is amazing to see my art change as it changed me.

So why be an artist, well because it is just in me to do so. I can't change that nor would I want to. Now I have begun to encourage others in their walk. I love seeing their art display real human emotion that starts out showing the hurt and pain in their life...and seeing the change to real artistic expression of their spirit. I also love seeing them go from not sharing their pieces to showing them with pride. Going from 'I need your acceptance of my work' to 'here is my art, love it or leave it...cause I love it!' It is a huge moment when you no longer need approval of others!

 Art is who I am, and not for all the money in the world would I be willing to change that. I believe in my heart that God brought art into my life to heal the hurts, and set me on the path of helping others explore art in their life. It's an amazing gift, and I honor and treasure it.

So why did you become an artist? I would love to hear your story too!

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Coloring Outside the Lines

Please Note: Before I move forward, I feel the need to express that I am no expert in the field of child psychology or child development. However I am a mother and an artist, and what I say here is my opinion based on my experience. 

Microsoft Word Stock Clip Art

One of the milestones a child reaches is learning how to color, inside the lines. We are taught that coloring inside those lines makes the page beautiful and correct. That our personal creative time is structured and has rules. That in order to gain praise in that moment, we must stay within those solid line boundaries. What we don't realize is that this teaches a child that they must think within the boundaries. That outside, creative thinking has a time and place...and this is not that moment, and yes this is true. When instruction is being given, there are rules and it is best to follow those rules. However I think we need to add to this lesson. Teach that it is OK to "think" outside the lines and create something new.

Creative thinking and exploring leads to new ideas, that lead to new techniques, new technology, new solutions. Allowing the mind to express itself in new ways expands a persons horizons. It breaks those bonds of being like everyone else. It grows the mind and sets a person free.

It is absolutely OK to teach a child to color in the lines....but after they have done that lesson with you...turn that page over and then say..."good job, learning how to follow directions is important. Your reward now is to create whatever you want...no rules...feel free to color outside the lines" Not only have you taught the important lesson of following rules, but you also taught the importance of self expression and acceptance of their need to be an individual. Self expression is the mother of all inventions. It really is. Thinking inside the box (coloring inside the lines) does not lead to new inventions or solutions. Creative thinking does. This is an important life skill.