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just something for me to remember as i walk this path that has chosen me
G
it’s been while since I have actually made myself sit and write a post. all along I have been taking pics with the intention of blogging about it but somehow I never actually do it.
after i came back from the retreat in June (be present with liz lamoreux) i knew without a doubt that another side of me had opened up. liz, in her calm, soulful and giving way, did that for me.
i feel more open and more of who I was meant to be but, because I didn’t know how to put that out there, I stopped everything…calling, talking, posting.
what i have realized tho, is that all this time instead of being open and reveling it this new found discovery, i cowered. i’ve been trying to hide (especially this new creative me i’ve discovered) so no one will notice any change. and that way i won’t get rejected or be unable to fulfill expectations.
but since i can’t control others (and really care not to) i’m just gonna be me….warts —and bits of loveliness — and all.
love to all
G
i realized recently that these lazy days of summer are the last all of my kids and i will spend together living under the same roof
(barring any emergency “mummy help me puh-leeze” phone calls).
one of them, #1 child, will be off on his own life adventure (basic training) come september and it’ll be only a short while before #2 child heads back to college for her next phase in life. that leaves one more left to make the house feel lived in.
i’ve been looking through photographs old and new of late and reminiscing, not believing how much they have grown and changed, remembering each one’s entry into my life. what are journey! guess it’s time now to really test those wings and the pull of my heart.
here’s who makes me smile each day..
what makes you smile?
♥
who fills YOUR heartspace?
toodles,
resolutions, shmesolutions…who needs em.
instead i promise to live this year as it comes…with AUDACITY and authenticity, with the calm that comes with centered peace.
a few things i resolve to do this year….
* take lots more pics (and share them)
* spend more time with friends
* journal without editing (darn that delete button!)
* feel less guilt over the goodies i enjoy eating
* learn how to use PSE actions (finally)
* write more personally
* amp up the journal making (cause i love it when you get excited about receiving one of my journals)
* breathe more deeply
* indulge in just 1 chai tea latte a week (OMG did I just write that??)
* walk more often
* be present for my kids (I do that now but they are growing up so fast that i want to be sure i see & experience everything)
* fly high on a cloud (or let go a little more)
* allow ME to be stage front for a change
how are you planning to spend your year?
Strolling along the beach
memories collide
laughter tickling my ear
as kids frolic in the water
familiar sounds and smells
permeate through my consciousness.
Coming home
refreshes the soul.
in the last few months i’ve been reading more and more blogs about photography, digital scrapbooking (to print and use in my fiber artwork) and being zen.
this last one, being zen, is what has got me on a centering myself path. Here I read about making a comfort list.
there are many kinds of lists we can make about ourselves including the gratitude journal I started keeping years ago (and still do) and, most recently, my not yet completed “bucket list’ but what, you ask, is a comfort list?
in a nutshell, a comfort list is a very personal list of things that bring comfort, a sense of serenity, tranquility or contentment.
so yesterday in my daily meditative-like blog wanderings i came upon the comfort list. just the thought of writing a comfort list was comforting (how can that be?)
off the top of my head, here’s my list for today, right now at least:
i could write forever as more thoughts keeps tumbling through my head.
what’s on YOUR comfort list?
I know we live in a more technologically minded world and to try to keep up with all the new innovations and updates to the things we have already learned is, at times, mildly frustrating but interesting as well.
I recently watched a PBS Frontline video online about how we are all sooooo digitally connected that blew my mind really, especially as concerned our 21st century kids.
I have always monitored how much TV, computer and video games my kids are subjected to in any one day and have actually instituted a few times, a week free of electronics (boy did my kids not like me the first time I did that!). We read, played games and even talked more.
I have always encouraged independent play time…..I figure I didn’t give birth to be an entertainer and they had to learn to play and entertain themselves. This way, they got to be children WITH the ability to tap into their imaginations.
I can still find my 9 year old on his bedroom floor surrounded by his toys. Usually it’s a laser fight or some 21st century battle going on but HE gets to plan the play, not someone who came up with the video game for the DS or Wii.
I encourage you to watch the whole thing (it’s 86 minutes long- yikes!) and maybe even have your kids watch it. I did not have 1-1/2 hours to sit and watch it straight through so I broke it up into segments.
The saddest part for me in watching the video was the piece on the Korean kids who are so mesmerized with video games that they can sometimes play up to 16 hrs a day. What a sad waste of young brain power!
I gladly use technology to meet friends online (my blog), stay in contact with family, help me enhance and sometimes produce and sell my art, decompress by reading blogs or listen to music on my iPod, buy the latest whats-it (after most of the kinks have been worked out of course), etc. But I do tune out and not get caught up in the hype and craziness that surrounds all this digital technology we now live in.
We cannot escape technology, in fact we need to embrace it….it is here to stay and it is good, in parts. The thing to do is find out how to use it effectively for the things that we need but not to allow it to take over. Good luck!
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Yesterday, my son lamented the trials and tribulations of life as an 8 yr old. Someone was “being mean” and calling one of his friends yucky names.
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He came to his friend’s defense but then retreated when he realized the spotlight was now on him for rightly speaking up. I talked him thru that but the conversation tossed around in my head for a while about how we as adults deal with similar situations…till this morning.
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I don’t always get a chance to check out Christine Kane’s blog but it seems when I need clarification on random thoughts rolling round in my head, her post of the day puts things into perspective.
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In her latest post, “Standing Out and Standing In“, she talks about stepping into one’s own light and not letting the darkness of another encroach on one’s own ability to shine.
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Standing out……by standing IN!When we do good and someone’s compliment makes us feel uncomfortable or, even worse, someone making us feel bad because we did good, we tend to want to retreat, to step out of the spotlight and make excuses for our good behavior, like my son did.
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Instead what we need to do is to feel proud of our accomplishments, our good deeds. Here’s how Christine describes it…
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‘When we \’93Stand Out,\’94 or when we \’93step out\’94 into what we want (to be), what we\’92re actually doing is moving deeper inward. In fact, I\’92d wager to say that the inward movement is required in order to hold our center.
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So, it might look like Standing Out. In the spotlight, into clarity, in a bigger playing field.
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But what you\’92re really doing is Standing In. Deeper within yourself. Centering your intentions. Grounded in awareness.Few people understand this.\’a0 Few people ever discover that this is the ultimate reward of standing out.’
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So another lessson for me AND my son
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…to remember to stand out by standing in
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…to remain steadfast in what our hearts contain
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…to be true to ourselves thru all the madness and strife that others choose to bring to our doorstep and,
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….to know that all the good, positive things we do will always far outweigh the negativity that abounds.
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See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,
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POP Art 2008 (16 x 18)
Would love to post some pics of work but most of the stuff I am doing right now is computer work. Uggh!
I have though started new work on a couple of things but no pics to show just yet. First there’s the Orchid Project. I have 5 pieces to make for it and I’m trying to whittle down my selection.
I want to try some new techniques with them but it all depends on the time frame. The 2nd new work is a larger one of my off-the-cuff pieces.
I don’t know if any of you remember about 2 yrs ago I decided to work small. It gave me a chance to get work done without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure I felt to produce larger pieces (self-imposed of course). Well guess what?
“WHAT”, you say?
I now feel the need to work larger…the smaller pieces I now find are too confining…so I guess that means that my method of pushing myself worked.
I’m find that I’m now comfortable with 18 x 24 and even up to 24 x 30 format (no sizes are written in stone mind you). I’m still struggling to start but that starting time has gotten shorter.
Some of you had commented that you like the ‘word of the year” thingy (it is too a real word!) I spoke about in an earlier post and I hope some of you have found your own words to help you the rest of this year. My two words (intention and self dicipline, the harder of the two) have greatly helped me move forward.
According to Alyson Stanfield (her book above) we should redefine our goals especially if we haven’t done so in a while. So that’s my next step. Redefine my goals for the next year.
Have you redefined your goals lately?
Do you know where you are headed with your art?
Are you flying blind? or flying straight (a few loop-de-loos not withstanding)?
Talk to me people. Take and assessment and see just where you are headed. Hopefully it’s in the right direction for you.
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See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,
Just a quick post to officially usher in the new year.
I would also like to say a very special thank you to all of you who regularly read my blog. I love your comments, advice and good words about my work and invite you to stay on this journey with me.
I wish for all of us another year of wonderful experiences, continued growth, spiritual blessings and much success in our art journey.
See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,
