Finding my way home...
I love my early morning walks, before the world gets busy and I still feel partially in another realm... It’s almost as if I’m walking a bridge between two worlds. With so many thoughts swirling in my head, walking helps to sort them out, each step giving direction and focus... creating a path for my day.
I love my early morning walks, before the world gets busy and I still feel partially in another realm... It’s almost as if I’m walking a bridge between two worlds. With so many thoughts swirling in my head, walking helps to sort them out, each step giving direction and focus... creating a path for my day.
Today I'm going for a walk to the sea. It's a cool morning and the sky is just becoming light...
As I walk along the ocean an eagle flies overhead... and it feels magical. The sea is calm and the sky is overcast. Everything feels grey and enclosed. Life is still... Every sound amplified... my squeaky boots, the gulls, the gentle lapping of waves on the shore... The rain is lightly falling and feels like soft needles on my face.
I’m in the moment.
In the present moment all our senses are open. We are one with nature and the flow of life...
In an instant now I'm five years old and gathering shells on a beach... turning rocks over to discover pretty little yellow and rainbow coloured shells among the seaweed. I can hear the seagulls calling as they fly to their nesting island close by... and it’s windy.
I love the wind.
I put my favourite shells in my pocket. I’m not sure what I’ll do with them... but in that moment I feel as if I’ve captured the beauty of nature...
And in that moment I experience my soul. I am home.
I still have those shells. They’re sitting in a little dish on a shelf in my room... A reminder of home.
A reminder that... whichever path I take in life, I can always find my way home.
Inspirational Art Quotes
I love quotes, so I here are 52 of my favourite inspirational quotes to celebrate a New Year...
Enjoy!
I love quotes, so here are 52 of my favourite inspirational quotes to celebrate a New Year... Enjoy!
Have a Vision, a Dream. Believe in that Vision. Live that Vision with every fibre of your being. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage. ~ Georgia O'Keeffe
Everybody has a creative potential and from the moment you can express this creative potential, you can start changing the world. ~ Paulo Coelho
True art is characterised by an irresistible urge in the creative artist. ~ Albert Einstein
I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do. ~ Georgia O'Keeffe
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~ E.E. Cummings
Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing. ~ Georgia O'Keeffe
Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees. ~ Marcel Proust
Art is not a thing, it is a way. ~ Elbert Hubbard
Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul — and you answer. ~ Terri Guillemets
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. ~ Annie Dillard
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. ~ Henry Ward Beecher
To be an artist is to believe in life. ~ Henry Moore
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. ~ Anaïs Nin
You cannot find happiness by chasing after it. Happiness comes from doing what you love to do, and from being who you truly are. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. ~ Oscar Wilde
The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. ~ Leo Buscaglia
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Emerson
Do not compromise yourself. You are all you have got. ~ Janis Joplin
If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path. ~ Joseph Campbell
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. ~ Kurt Cobain
The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. ~ John Maynard Keynes
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ~ G.B. Shaw
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. ~ W. M. Lewis.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
No artist tolerates reality. ~ Nietzsche
There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth… not going all the way, and not starting. ~ Buddha
Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. ~ Alan Cohen
Patience is also a form of action. ~ Auguste Rodin
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~ Theodore Roosevelt
We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about. ~ Joseph Campbell
The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable. ~ Robert Henri
Be faithful to that which exists within yourself. ~ André Gide
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. ~ Steve Jobs
Success in any endeavour depends on the degree to which it is an expression of your true self. ~ Ralph Marston
Your best work is your expression of yourself. Now, you may not be the greatest at it, but when you do it, you're the only expert. ~ Frank Gehry
At the end of your brush is the tip of your soul. ~ Andrew Hamilton
The goal of art was the vital expression of self. ~ Alfred Stieglitz
We express our art in everything we say, everything we feel, and everything we do. The creation is ongoing, it is endless, it is happening in every moment. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz
The beginning is the most important part of the work. ~ Plato
The chief enemy of creativity is good sense. ~ Pablo Picasso
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~ Thornton Wilder
To have the sense of creative activity is the great happiness and the great proof of being alive. ~ Matthew Arnold
The things that make me different are the things that make me. ~ A. A. Milne
Creativity is intelligence having fun. ~ Albert Einstein
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
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. ~ Albert Einstein
Expression is the essence of thought. ~ Tony Caldero
Everything you can imagine is real. ~ Pablo Picasso
A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown. ~ Denis Waitley
Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder. ~ E.B. White
When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. ~ Patanjali
Water Lilies and Why I Paint
There are lots of reasons why I paint.
I paint because I have an over-whelming desire to create; to have a sense of creative discovery is deeply satisfying. Every painting is a new adventure...
Water Lilies, 36" x 36", oil on canvas
There are lots of reasons why I paint.
I paint because I have an overwhelming desire to create; to have a sense of creative discovery is deeply satisfying. Every painting is a new adventure...
I paint because it's fun. Making art is sometimes just pure, playful fun! And that's healthy...
And therapeutic. When I'm painting, time disappears and I can let go of all the noise of the outside world. I'm in my world now... I never feel depleted after a full days work in the studio.
I paint because I'm very visual and constantly noticing the colours and shapes in the world around me... And I want to express what I see and experience.
I painted Water Lilies purely as an expression of the beauty and tranquility of one of my favourite places... a little pond in the woods in Norway where all you hear are the birds singing and the wind whistling through the trees...
Beauty makes my heart sing.
And sometimes, all I want to do is paint a pretty picture.
Painting Lilies and the Creative Process
When I create a painting it’s just like creating anything in life. It begins with a vision; an idea...
I imagine the details... The size of the canvas, the colours and feeling sense I want to create…
From Ethereal to Real; The Seven Steps of the Creative Process
Dream ~ Connect to your true heart's desire.
Imagine ~ Imagine the details.
Decide ~ Make a commitment.
Design ~ Make a plan.
Align ~ Align with your dream.
Receive ~ Receive insights.
Express ~ Live your dream.
When I create a painting it’s just like creating anything in life. It begins with a vision; an idea...
I imagine the details... The size of the canvas, the colours and feeling sense I want to create…
And then I decide.
I buy my materials and take action to begin...
I start with a drawing on canvas, mapping it out and creating a structure for the painting.
As I begin to draw and paint I get to know my painting… Aligning with my vision.
There comes a point when I no longer ‘think’ about what I am creating and it becomes an intuitive process. The painting paints itself.
It becomes its own unique expression.
“The goal of art was the vital expression of self.”
The final step in the creative process is the expression.
What was once a vision in your mind’s eye is now visible in your life. What was once a dream is now real.
You can download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here.
Letting Go
There’s a divine paradox in life; to receive what you want you must first let it go.
Once you have a dream or desire in mind, it is already there and ready to be received. But you cannot push or pull it to you… you allow it into your life.
There’s a divine paradox in life; to receive what you want you must first let it go.
Once you have a dream or desire in mind, it's already there and ready to be received. But you cannot push or pull it to you… you allow it into your life.
Receiving is allowing.
Imagine a stream of creative life energy that flows through life. If you focus too hard on any part of this stream, you stop the flow and life becomes a struggle.
Instead, match the energy of your desires and your whole Being becomes a part of the stream.
You ‘go with the flow’.
“The real skill is to raise the sails and to catch the power of the wind as it passes by.”
Become the essence of your dream and what you create will match this energy.
What you receive in life is a reflection of what you are Be-ing.
So it’s a delicate balance. You have the desire and intention for something, yet at the same time you are completely at ease whether you ‘have’ it or not.
When you open and allow, you receive sudden insights and synchronicities. You are in the creative flow...
Receive is the sixth step in the creative process.
You can download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here
Align With Your Dream
Dreams and goals all begin as an idea that, once planted and nurtured. begins to grow and blossom in its own unique way. From ethereal to real it becomes 'real' through a natural, creative process that I call a Dream Journey...
Dreams and goals start as ideas that, once planted and nurtured, begin to grow and blossom in their own unique way. A dream becomes 'real' through a natural, creative process that I call a Dream Journey.
The Magic Pillow
There are seven steps on this journey... (Read step one here)
This week I'm writing about the fifth step in the creative process ~ Align with your dream.
When you wake in the morning from night-time dreams, you know and understand that the dream does not exist outside of yourself. Your dream comes from you.
Your dream is you…
All dreams exist as energy in the unseen world and you ‘see’ and experience them on another level of existance. To make your dreams ‘real’ requires aligning with this energy and acting as if what you imagine already exists.
What you dream and imagine comes from your essence. When you follow your dreams, you are saying “yes!” to your truth and who you really are. You trust that your dreams and desires are what your spirit wants to express in the world. As you align with your dreams you begin tapping into the creative flow of life.
“When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.”
When you are in alignment, you become ‘whole’ in all areas of your life. There is no more separation between the inside and the outside. Your life becomes a true expression of You.
When you align with your dream, you are in alignment with who you truly are.
You can download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here
Design A Life You Love
You have a dream.
You’ve imagined the details and are clear on your goals and desires.
You make a decision to follow your dreams… And so, you need a plan.
You have a dream.
You’ve imagined the details and are clear on your goals and desires.
You make a decision to follow your dreams… And so, you need a plan.
The fourth step in the creative process is to design.
Design a life you love and make a Dream Plan.
This is your dream and you can decide where you want to go, which path to take, how you want to travel and how long you want to take… You decide what you want for your life.
A plan takes all the ideas and possibilities in your mind and begins to organise them into concrete steps and goals. A plan provides structure for your dream to take shape.
As you make your plan you are beginning to take action on your dreams...
Download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”
Make a Decision
The decision is the point between intention and action. When you make a decision you move the flow of energy and possibility into focused direction.
Making a decision is the third step in the creative process...
The decision is the point between intention and action. When you make a decision you move the flow of energy and possibility into focused direction.
Making a decision is the third step in the creative process.
When you have a dream, vision or goal in mind, there comes a point when you must decide. You can let the idea roll on by, or you make a decision and act.
When you have an idea, it’s already real on one level of existence. The more you think about it, imagine it, and play with it in your mind… the more energy it gathers and begins to take form.
Once you take action, you’ve made a commitment and all the energy of possibility is summoned forth and given direction.
The decision is the turning point between idea and action.
Download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
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
The first step is to dream...
Every Autumn I find myself busily bringing the ideas and projects I've been working on all year to fruition. It's harvest time in the Land of Dreams...
Every autumn I find myself busily bringing the ideas and projects I've been working on all year to fruition. It's harvest time in the Land of Dreams...
Everything we create in life begins with an idea or vision in our mind's eye... From ethereal to physical form it becomes real through a creative process. Everything is imagined into existence...
A few years ago I wrote the Little Book of Big Dreams and in part one I described the seven steps in the creative process.
Dreaming is the first step in the creative process...
“ To make a great dream come true, you must first have a great dream.”
I've always been a dreamer. When I was little I could sit for hours daydreaming out my bedroom window, allowing my mind to wander and drift...
I created stories of pasts and futures... I dreamed of heroes and heroines, love, mystery, magic and adventure... Everything I wanted to be, do, experience...
Dreaming opens your mind to other worlds and possibilities.
What is a dream?
A dream is like a blueprint in your mind. It's a vision or feeling sense that can be experienced as if it is 'real'. It isn't yet tangible but it can be very powerful.
Dreams can spark your desires, motivate and inspire you...
Where do dreams come from?
Your dreams come from your inner truth; the essence of who you are.
When you live your dreams, you live an inspired life of deeper meaning, purpose and happiness.
So listen to your dreams...
You can download the 7 Steps from Ethereal to Real, part one from the Little Book of Big Dreams here