Life is for Living
As the year 2021 comes to a close and we transition into another year full of life’s uncertainties, I find myself thinking about what matters most…
“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and with that one, is what we are doing. ”
As the year 2021 comes to a close and we transition into another year full of life’s uncertainties, I find myself thinking about what matters most…
One of the hardest things (for me) of these past two years, is being unable to carry on with my goals, my plans, and dreams. Life has become smaller. I feel as if I’m a growing plant that’s trapped inside a glass jar… And I’m beginning to curl up on myself.
“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings of freedom.”
It takes courage to go out into the world, to take risks, to fall down, to rise up again, to start over… to learn, to grow, to create… It’s what life is about.
Life is for living.
One needs to be free to create and to pursue one’s hopes and dreams, and a sense of purpose… To have fresh air, sunshine (and even a little rain!), to experience friendship, love, and connection with others…
Otherwise, our spirit cannot thrive. And just like plants and other animal beings, when we’re isolated from others and held back from truly living, we are not healthy and are unable to flourish.
This year my ‘Word for the Year’ was butterfly… My symbol for hope, strength, and endurance.
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all”
As I emerge from my 2021 cocoon… (a fragile time), it’s a new beginning, a time to awaken to a new day and to live with strength, courage, love, and freedom to be.
And that’s what matters most.
Harvesting Dreams
Autumn is about stepping out, creating, energy and action.
As you emerge with a new sense of self in the world, you are clear on who you are and what you want to create. It's time to reap what you have sown as you harvest your dreams and make them real.
After Summer’s inhale into Being, Autumn exhales into Doing. This is a time for…
Autumn ~ Emerging Red
Red is the dynamic energy that flows through all living things... and emerges as herSelf.
Red is smart and knows what she wants. She takes decisive action to bring her dreams to reality... Red is strong, courageous and ready to step forward into her dreams. Bold and dynamic, she walks her own path...
ESSENCE WORD: CREATE
COLOURS: VIBRANT RED, ELECTRIC BLUE, BRILLIANT GREEN
ELEMENT: FIRE
Autumn is about stepping out, creating, energy and action.
As you emerge with a new sense of self in the world, you are clear on who you are and what you want to create. It's time to reap what you have sown as you harvest your dreams and make them real.
After Summer’s inhale into Being, Autumn exhales into Doing. This is a time for action and creating your visions into physical form.
Opportunity ~ You are clear on your passions, purpose and desire. With clarity comes effortless creativity.
Challenge ~ When you move into action, you can be drawn away from your centre and original inspiration. Caught up in the Doing you forget to rest and breathe in, running out of fuel for your fire.
Action ~ To keep your energy and creativity flowing, create a daily practice to bring harmony and balance into your life. Follow every action step with a rest period, just as the inhale follows the exhale.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter ~ Which One Are You?
Just as in nature, we are continuously moving through these cycles. I made a little quiz that you can take to discover where you are in this Life Cycle of Creativity.
The heArt of the matter...
Today I am resting and I’m thinking about what matters most...
When the whirlwind of life threatens to take me away... my studio is my sanctuary.
I can gaze out the window and watch the busy world go by, but inside it's quiet and still.
To create you first must be inspired. But inspiration doesn’t come from busy-ness. It doesn’t come from pushing hard to reach goals or left-brain thinking, planning and analysing...
Today I'm resting and thinking about what matters most...
“You are never more essentially, more deeply, yourself than when you are still.”
When the whirlwind of life threatens to take me away... my studio is my sanctuary.
I can gaze out the window and watch the busy world go by, but inside it's quiet and still.
To create you first must be inspired. But inspiration doesn’t come from busy-ness. It doesn’t come from pushing hard to reach goals or left-brain thinking, planning and analysing... It cannot be forced.
Inspiration comes from the right-brain, feminine, intuitive way of being. When you are in this state, you're open and receptive to insights, new visions and ideas... Inspiration comes when you're relaxed.
What we create in this world comes from the non-physical realm of the imagination. To create requires the feminine energy of intuition and insight as well as the masculine energy of action to give it form.
It's a fine balance.
Too much action without rest and we can easily become depleted.
Too much day-dreaming without action and we'll never see the results of what's possible.
It takes inspired action to create.
So, after a flurry of activity, today I'm resting. No matter what happens out there in the world, I must always stay connected to my Self (my heArt).
It’s the heart that matters most.
The second step is to imagine...
Life isn’t always pretty.
It isn’t always fun, exciting or even comfortable...
So thank goodness for the imagination!
The second step in the creative process is to imagine the details...
Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. ~ John Lennon
Life isn’t always pretty.
It isn’t always fun, exciting or even comfortable...
So thank goodness for the imagination!
The second step in the creative process is to imagine the details...
“Imagination is the highest form of research.”
Using your imagination is like playing in a sandbox; you can make whatever you want…
Sand is malleable.
In your imagination you can be wherever you want to be and you can do whatever you want to do…
Your imagination is real. Whatever you imagine in your mind’s eye has the potential to become real in your life. Everything is imagined into existence.
Once you have a dream or vision of what you want to create, begin imagining the details…
You don’t have to figure it all out. You need only play with it in your imagination…
Just imagine...
“Visualise this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin.”
Download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here
What is most important to an artist?
Recently I was asked ~ What is most important to you as an artist?
And so I’ve been doing some musing about that…
Recently I was asked ~ What is most important to you as an artist?
And so I’ve been doing some musing about that…
The most important thing for an artist is to create.
My creativity is my essence expressed. So to be creative I need to connect with my essence everyday; to nourish my creative soul.
I do something that I love, everyday.
I feed and inspire my soul with beauty, walks in nature, time alone, reading, writing, contemplation… Yoga, healthy food, sleep… Friends, laughter and creative play… I listen. I have fun. I take risks… I daydream and imagine…
And then I create. I do the work.
Whether it’s painting, writing, or taking action on my latest idea, project or goal, creating is what makes me come alive.
What makes you come alive?
How do you nurture your creative spirit?
Autumn Feature ~ Emerging Red
Red is the dynamic energy that flows through all living things... and emerges as herSelf.
Red is smart and knows what she wants. She takes decisive action to bring her dreams to reality... Red is strong, courageous and ready to step forward into her dreams. Bold and dynamic, she walks her own path...
Red is the dynamic energy that flows through all living things... and emerges as herSelf.
Emerging Red 30" x 36" oil on canvas
Red is smart and knows what she wants. She takes decisive action to bring her dreams to reality... Red is strong, courageous and ready to step forward into her dreams. Bold and dynamic, she walks her own path...
Essence Word: Create
Colours: Vibrant Red, Electric Blue, Brilliant Green
Element: Fire
Autumn is about stepping out, creating, energy and action.
As you emerge with a new sense of self in the world, you are clear on who you are and what you want to create. It's time to reap what you have sown as you harvest your dreams and make them real.
After Summer’s inhale into Being, Autumn exhales into Doing. This is a time for action and creating your visions into physical form.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... Which one are you? Take the quiz!
Purchase a Fine Art Print here.
Begin with the end.
Life is a series of beginnings and endings.
(And I do so love new beginnings!)
To have a beginning, I first must have an ending...
I need to finish one chapter before I start the next.
As I add the final touches to my trees, I’m already thinking about my next painting.
I have the idea, the vision... the canvas...
But...
‘The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.’ ~ Robert Henri
And so, I remind myself...
It’s all in the being.
Be where I am. En-Joy where I am.
And it will be done...
Meeting inspiration.
The only way to be creative is to create.
Being creative requires inspiration, but you can’t always wait to be inspired. It doesn’t always come to you... Sometimes you have to go to it. You just have to put pen to paper or paint brush to canvas and create.
'When inspiration doesn't come, I go halfway to meet it.’ ~ Sigmund Freud
When I’m too much in my head I need to move my body, so I go for a walk. Walking clears my mind.
I let go of the puzzle I’m trying too hard to solve... I just walk it out.
I like to wander as I wonder... And somehow just by walking, the pieces all come together.
‘My work is inspired by two things: the external world and the internal world. A good day is when they meet on canvas.’ ~ Bonnie Mandoe
Sometimes I am inspired to paint, and other times I paint to be inspired. I let my desire to create lead the way, and then I meet inspiration around every corner...
What do you do to meet inspiration?
How to Un-Create
When we create something, we have a vision in our minds and an intention to create it. We dream and imagine it coming to be... we keep our attention on it. We think about it all the time... And then we take action.
So how do we un-create?
If I have something that I really don’t like (lets say a painting) and it’s on my wall and everytime I look at it I say, “Oh, I hate this painting. It’s got to go!” If I truly want it gone, then what do I do?
Do I keep looking at it saying, “I really hate this, I wish it would go!!”
I could look at it forever... just wishing it would go away... but the truth is, the more attention I give it, the more emotion I give it... the more it will remain as an ugly painting on my wall.
Here are six steps to un-create:
- Be clear that you want this thing (person, experience) out of your life.
- Make peace with it. (Thank it for being a part of your life and whatever it has given you).
- Imagine your life without it. (Imagine it floating away... or disappearing and getting smaller and smaller.) How do you feel?
- KNOW that it is on it’s way out.
- Take whatever action is indicated to you.
- Now give your attention to what you Do want.
That’s it!
Un-creating can be almost as much fun as creating... and opens the door for something new.
What do you need to let go of?...
What will you un-create today?
What is Art?
Art is beauty, inspiration and magic...
I love creating... transforming the visions in my mind to form on canvas. When I write I transform the words and ideas swirling in my mind and bring them together as an expression on paper. When I dance I express through movement...
Through art I express and create mySelf. I define who I am through what I do and how I express.
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. ~ Henry Ward Beecher
How we live is an expression of who we are. Everything we do, say, wear, eat, think about... is our art.
Everything in creation has its appointed painter or poet and remains in bondage like the princess in the fairy tale 'til its appropriate liberator comes to set it free. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Art is the expression of our inherent beauty and way of Being in the world.