sleepy time tea and birdie sketches...
Under the weather,
under the covers,
under no circumstances will I end this day without doing something creative.
So here you go...
Thursday, February 7, 2013
238/365: Hello Love
Today I made:
sleepy time tea and birdie sketches...
Under the weather,
under the covers,
under no circumstances will I end this day without doing something creative.
So here you go...
sleepy time tea and birdie sketches...
Under the weather,
under the covers,
under no circumstances will I end this day without doing something creative.
So here you go...
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
236/365: Collecting Color
Today I made:
a color therapy regimen...
It's been a dreadfully dreary couple days. The thick morning fog off the water seems to stay in my brain well past noon. I am one big shiver and finding it very hard to be motivated outside of my work day. Too many gloomy days in a row and I go into hibernation mode all over again. I'd contemplated crawling under the covers early after a long day of teaching, and then I remembered the poppies!
I took these pictures on a walk through a poppy garden the other day, which is a testament to our typically mild winters here in San Diego, and proof that I'm a big whiny baby because it's truly not that cold here compared to many places. What can I say? I like sunshine, balmy weather and reasons to eat ice cream. I also love me some flowers! I found these while browsing through my camera roll and they made me smile. I figure it's kind of like light therapy for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I stared at these warm, happy flowers all through dinner and I'm feeling better. Maybe not energized enough to take on that painting project or to clean my house, but a book and a pup on my lap sounds nice. That's important too. I'm not ready to give up on this day just yet.
I think fighting the winter blues has a lot to do with being nice to ourselves and finding the little things that brighten dreary days. I'm going to keep this photo handy for a dose of color therapy whenever the sky is gray. In fact, I've started a new album in my camera roll specifically for cheerfully colored photos. Many artists collect color schemes to use in future projects, and now, so do I.
Sometimes inspiration comes unexpectedly. Thanks, Winter. I owe ya one.
a color therapy regimen...
It's been a dreadfully dreary couple days. The thick morning fog off the water seems to stay in my brain well past noon. I am one big shiver and finding it very hard to be motivated outside of my work day. Too many gloomy days in a row and I go into hibernation mode all over again. I'd contemplated crawling under the covers early after a long day of teaching, and then I remembered the poppies!
I took these pictures on a walk through a poppy garden the other day, which is a testament to our typically mild winters here in San Diego, and proof that I'm a big whiny baby because it's truly not that cold here compared to many places. What can I say? I like sunshine, balmy weather and reasons to eat ice cream. I also love me some flowers! I found these while browsing through my camera roll and they made me smile. I figure it's kind of like light therapy for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I stared at these warm, happy flowers all through dinner and I'm feeling better. Maybe not energized enough to take on that painting project or to clean my house, but a book and a pup on my lap sounds nice. That's important too. I'm not ready to give up on this day just yet.
I think fighting the winter blues has a lot to do with being nice to ourselves and finding the little things that brighten dreary days. I'm going to keep this photo handy for a dose of color therapy whenever the sky is gray. In fact, I've started a new album in my camera roll specifically for cheerfully colored photos. Many artists collect color schemes to use in future projects, and now, so do I.
Sometimes inspiration comes unexpectedly. Thanks, Winter. I owe ya one.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
233/365: Journaling for Joy and Gratitude
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| altered double-sided journal covers & mama being joyful |
a Valentine's Day gift for my mama...
It's time I make more effort to encourage someone very near and dear to me. My mama is needing an extra loving boost these days, so I thought I'd use my creativity to make her something she could use to empower herself. Living in different states makes it hard to cheer someone up when they're going through a rough patch. She's getting this care package by snail mail as an early Valentine's Day gift.
I've learned some important lessons about gratitude, self-care and choosing joy that I'd like to share with my mama. (It's my turn to teach her something!) I've been using my gratitude journal more lately as a way to manifest joy in my life. It serves as a reminder that I have much to be thankful for, even if it's just the everyday ordinary little blessings that make up my days. It forces me to slow down and reflect on what is working rather than allowing my inner critic to convince me that something is lacking. Gratitude journals are a wonderful way to recognize the good things in our lives and to acknowledge that we have the power to create our own joy. When we're stuck in a rut, when life feels dismal and lonely, or just when we want to honor the abundance in our lives, recording our gratitude can help us focus on the positive. My gratitude journal has become a sort of spiritual practice for me and I hope it does the same for Mama.
Knowing what brings me joy and setting aside time in my days to do those things (even in small doses) has been the greatest form of self-care. My mom is always doing for others and disregarding her own need for rest and playful rejuvenation. It has helped me immensely to have a list of self-care acts that I can dip into when I'm burned out and nothing joyous comes to mind. I think my mom could use her own bank of ideas.
I bought a blank journal that was perfect for Mama, an avid gardener and lover of roses. The quote, "Stop and smell the roses," will encourage her to slow down and find joy and gratitude in the little things. I altered the front and back cover slightly by adding title strips with my label maker. I made the journal double-sided, one side to be used as a gratitude journal, the other as a joy log where she can document her efforts at growing more happiness in her life. I created a little art journal spread on the center pages where her double-sided journaling will come together. I'm including some silly pictures of her that I know will make her smile. My mom has helped me find my courage so many times. It's time I help her do the same.
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| center pages of journal: mixed media acrylic & paper |
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| Mila & Mama, spring 2012 |
Friday, February 1, 2013
232/365: Summoning the Muse
Today I made:
a Muse Bell ornament...
Hoooooraaaaay! It's finally finished!
"Patience" the Elephant, a string of hearts, mini spools of thread, love and creative blessings sewn into every stitch...and the finishing touch, a muse bell.
My childhood friend and creative ally, Casey Duvall, has a new blog and a new creative space that I just have to share with you! Check out her one-of-a-kind creations at Quilted Elephant Clothing Designs. This string of inspiration will be traveling to her new sewing studio, where it will adorn her walls and serve as her very own muse bell. She can ring the bell to summon her muse whenever she's ready to get down to the work she does best.
As Picasso said, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." I agree, we must not sit around and wait for inspiration to find us. We must show up and begin our work. But it doesn't hurt to make a little noise to let our muse know we're ready for a visit. (In case she's napping.) Ringing my muse bell is becoming a special part of my ritual for preparing my creative space for play.
a Muse Bell ornament...
Hoooooraaaaay! It's finally finished!
"Patience" the Elephant, a string of hearts, mini spools of thread, love and creative blessings sewn into every stitch...and the finishing touch, a muse bell.
My childhood friend and creative ally, Casey Duvall, has a new blog and a new creative space that I just have to share with you! Check out her one-of-a-kind creations at Quilted Elephant Clothing Designs. This string of inspiration will be traveling to her new sewing studio, where it will adorn her walls and serve as her very own muse bell. She can ring the bell to summon her muse whenever she's ready to get down to the work she does best.
As Picasso said, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." I agree, we must not sit around and wait for inspiration to find us. We must show up and begin our work. But it doesn't hurt to make a little noise to let our muse know we're ready for a visit. (In case she's napping.) Ringing my muse bell is becoming a special part of my ritual for preparing my creative space for play.
Find a pattern for the cute elephant plush and notes on my creative process throughout this project here, here and here.
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