Peace in my soul today . . .

Earlier this week I had an opportunity to let the 9 year old in me come out and play with another 9 year old. Not being a mother/grandmother, and not having access to being around children very much in my more adult life, I wasn't quite sure how this get together was going to go, but let me tell you, I had a blast! One of the things we did was to create little books to paint in and here is one of the pages from my book. The quote is from one of my favorite books, Life 101 by Peter McWilliams. I hope I can remember this more often. Wishing you peace in your day.

Choices about the journey . . .

I am sitting here with my cup of green tea, my pumpkin spice candle glowing, and some random thoughts wafting around in my head. I am being mindful that we are on a journey here. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. We have choices to make along the way that will determine how that journey is going to unfold. Some things will be beyond our power, like the choices others make that impact us or the random acts of life that we need to participate in. I want to be more mindful about the decisions I make from here on out. It's not that I have been a bad person, or a mean person, or a rude person (well, maybe once or twice!), but I guess I am feeling the need to live my life more on purpose. I don't mean more structure and less spontaneity. I don't mean every minute planned, all the days of my calendar filled in with more tasks to be performed. I mean, when given the opportunity of looking at a full day in front of me when I wake up in the morning, I want to see the beauty in my morning routine, noticing the sun shining in the window, the cats purring their good morning, the smell of the coffee brewing, the peace that comes from reading my morning devotional. Acknowledging the gift of time I have been blessed with to create with that room full of art supplies, the baskets of yarn I get to knit and the journals that lay open waiting for more words to be spilled across them. Being present to the people who love me and let me know that I am loved, and actively returning love to them. These are the conscious choices I want to honor within the rest of my journey. These are the things I don't want to be unconscious of as I move through my days.

Today, life is good . . .

Today, life is good. Despite the fact that I only had about 10 trick or treaters last night (down from 100's we've had in the past). Despite the fact that my latest art project practically crumbled apart in my hands. Despite the fact that several of my friends are going through very trying times right now. So lots of Halloween candy for the hubby to finish off. I saved the art project and it will probably look cooler than it would have originally (it will definitely be stronger!) I am happy to say I am feeling strong, resilient and able to be there for my friends that need the support right now. They have stood beside me during my last few trying months and I am happy to able to be present for them. I am feeling more present in my own life right now, focused and more purposeful. I love the strength that can come out of adversity! The picture posted is one I did after my most recent hiatus from creating. I had the faces penciled in, but nothing done with them. Then one day not too long ago, I found the urge to add the color to the page and finish it. I realized my art muses had been waiting for me all along, and they are very patient ladies indeeed.

My molecules are buzzing . . .

Today is a very clear and windy day and I love the gusty, blustery wind! It makes me feel like all the cobwebs are getting swept out of my spirit, fresh air is blowing in, and if I listen well, I will hear something important being whispered to me on the wind. I love windy days, they make me feel very alive and energized! I respond to it like some people do to a full moon, I can't resist the pull to the energy swirling all around!

I am posting a picture today from my sketchbook that I made last night. I love using Pentel Energel 0.5mm pens in black to draw with. What I have discovered since taking Suzi Blu's on line class, is that I also love using my Prismacolor colored pencils with my drawings. My sketchbooks in the past have all been done in black and white, but I have come to love that splash of color in there now. I know it is autumn, and I love the fall, but somewhere in me these little spring flowers just wanted to bloom. Listen consciously today and see what is being whispered to you.

Loving the pumpkins of autumn . . .

I love this time of year, autumn being my favorite season. One thing I especially love about it, are the pumpkins. I love the look of stacked pumpkins in pumpkin patches, jack-o-lanterns carved for Halloween, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies with handmade whipped creme, and the lovely burnt orange color of all things pumpkin. I really love the exotic white pumpkins, and the fairyland pumpkins being sold at Trader Joes this year. If I were a wee Thumbalina type being, I would love to live in a hollowed out pumpkin house!
Just taking a minute to appreciate this lovely pumpkiny time of year!!!

Trying something new

I have been wanting to paint some new faces for awhile now and while I loved what I learned in Suzi Blu's class, I am really a lover of a more imperfect, edgier, more raw type of art. I recently discovered a blog written by a woman of color and I loved the idea of doing some paintings of women of color myself, so here's what I have played with the last two nights. I think I have a long way to go in the pursuit, but I love seeing these faces looking back at me when I wander into the room. As primitive as they look, they are not quite edgy enough for me, but I will continue to work on it. I am happy to have my hands back into my art supplies!

A turn in the path on the journey . . .

Wow, I don't even know if I have any readers left. I've been away a long time. I have been in many different places over the last few months, and I don't mean like to Paris or Rome. I have been in a crappy place with my health, both physical and mental. I'm sure they are connected. They have taken me away from the things that I had used to define myself with. My art has suffered, my friendships have suffered, my relationship with myself has been on a downhill slide. I truly did not know if I would want to write about it here, but I feel a need to share my journey honestly with you. The reason I can write about it now is, I have turned the corner into a better place. I am becoming a firm believer in the body/soul connection. Taking care of myself allows me to be better at being the kind of person I want to be. Truth be known, I have not been taking good care of myself for quite some time. I allowed myself to gain a lot of weight, I didn't eat to nourish my body or my spirit well, I put my head in the sand about health issues because I didn't want to deal with them. Well, that has had a way of catching up with me. Diagnosed with diabetes, fatty liver (sounds awful doesn't it?!), and still a few more things to check out, I have had to come to grips with my health and I am feeling better for it. I don't want this blog to be about my health issues, and I personally will find this very boring if I have to write about it much longer, but I feel I need to explain my absence from this place I have liked to come to and have been missing. My creative juices are starting to flow again. I am listening to an urge that is telling me to create with my own voice. I am glad to be back. In my isolation, I have missed being with you.