Love, Love, Love

Happy Valentine's Day!  May you receive hugs, kisses and sweet moments with those you love.

Happy Valentine's Day

My husband I have been together since the end of our senior year of high school, so we have been through a lot--good, bad and many Valentine's Days.  Though we definitely have our fights, we also have a lot of fun together.  And...he has been wonderful through many tough physical/health times I've had and I really feel so grateful for that. 

Love is what you've been through with somebody. 

~James Thurber, quoted in Life magazine, 1960

Yes, I'd love it if everything was hugs, kisses and romance, but I've learned that's not life, sometimes unfortunately.  But I think those tough times has made us stronger and gives us a stronger history.  Having a daughter has also put a spin on the way we spend Valentine's Day now but I'm okay with that because she's our love too.  She's made our lives so much richer and full of LOVE. 

So, Happy Valentine's Day to you.  May you spend it with someone you love.

Creative Girl

I just received the book Creative Girl, The Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career by Katharine Sise.  It was recommended by Bonnie Rose from the blog A Life Unrehearsed and she seemed so excited so I thought I'd give it a shot since being creative is what makes me happy.  I do want to make a career out of it even though I haven't had much encouragement from those closest to me.

The author Sise says it is absolutely possible to make a living out of our creative pursuits.  I can't tell you how many times my mom has told me, "You'll never make a living off of your paintings."  Thanks so much for the words of wisdom, Mom.  People do make a living off of their creativity and I plan on being one of them.

Now I'm not creating just to make a living.  No.  I'm creating because it's what my heart and soul tell me to do.  I'm creating because it makes me feel alive and joyful.  But why not try to make a living off of doing what I love.  I know I have a long way to go, but I'm hoping that this book will give me some direction. 

(P.S.  Isn't the girl on the cover just adorable?)

Trying New Things

These past two years have been full, I mean full of changes for me.  I went through 18 months of chemotherapy for my lupus nephritis (kidneys), quit my full-time job as a teacher, started working only 20 hours a week, painting regularly, starting an etsy shop and doing occasional art shows on the weekends.

 So many of these decisions came from my heart speaking to me, but so many inspirational quotes have also pushed me as well, such as this one from Max Dupree. 

"We cannot become what we NEED to be, remaining what we are."

Part of my journey of change is reminding myself that if I want a certain life, I have to do different things.  I've been painting for a few years, but now I'm starting to draw as well which I'm finding so fun because I'm letting it flow out of me more easily than when I paint.  I drew (then painted) this girl today and I'm pleased with it.  Typically I shy away from drawing people at all--faces are hard for me, hair is hard for me and hands are almost impossible.  But today I felt looser and free as I drew her.  I actually love her face and her hair (hands are hiding behind the dress).  For me, she's great, compared to any other peope I've drawn.  It's actually giving me a boost of confidence to try even more people. 

Do What You Love

I love the follwing quote about your "higher self" telling you what you should do in your life.  Is it possible that we could all be more happy and grateful if we knew what we loved and were able to do it? 



"What you LOVE is a SIGN from your higher self of what you are to do."
 

~Sanaya Roman

 What do you find yourself drawn to?  What signs are being shown to you?  Are they screaming it or just whispering?  Are you pushing the signs and whispers away?  I'm constantly drawn to visual things, like photography or nature and babies and eye-stopping paintings with vivid colors.  I always felt like I wanted CREATE something, anything.  Now I'm working everyday more and more toward what my higher self is telling me in the form of painting and now I've started drawing too.  I'm not saying this decision has been easy.  A lot of life changes have been made, namely financial, but I know I'm healthier and happier for doing what I love, even if it's just a little painting each day.  Having some serious health problems has opened my eyes to the fact that life goes so quickly and I don't want to come to the end of it and have regrets.

Are you doing at least a little of something that you are drawn to.  If not, why not?



Finger Painting

We are having a great snow day in Wisconsin, even the government offices are closed.  My first prompt from the e-course I'm taking (COLOR YOUR WORLD) was to fingerpaint.  I haven't done that in sooooo long, don't even know when.  Isabella and I each did our own, then we had one canvas paper left, so we made a creation together with her old, goopy watercolors.

This is our final creation.  We each painted the other's hand with a few colors and then stamped them on the paper.  It was a ticklish feeliing having our hands painted with a soft paintbrush.  Then I suggested we just paint a few hearts around it and she dated and signed it for us.  I think I'm going to get a square frame and hang it up somewhere to remind us of our fun getting messy and creating and our togetherness.

How great to just get messy, colorful and not worry about what will turn out in the end!  We loved it!

I Won! I Won!

I'm so excited I won a spot on Bonnie Rose's (of a Life Unrehearsed) e-course called Color your World. 

This is exciting for a few reasons.  First of all, I've been reading a lot about putting intentions out to the universe and then not trying to force things.  Well after reading about all that, I've been trying to think about and visualize what I need in my life to help my creativity bloom.  Winning a spot on this course seems to be a great answer to some of my intentions, namely being amidst a group of other artists who I can form a connection with.  Second of all, Bonnie's paintings, etc. are so vibrant and uplifting that I'm excited to get to know her better and work with her creatively (as well as the others in the group).

My creations are colorful already, but this course and this group of other women is the icing on the cake to make my world EVEN MORE colorful in more ways than one.  Thanks so much for being such an inspiration, Bonnie Rose!  Everything on her blog is very inspirational!