Finding Joy and Creativity in the Exercise of Writing

I have grown to love writing in the morning and am so glad that I began this exercise. I never dreamed how helpful it would be. 

It was an agonizing beginning. It felt as if I had to fumble around in my brain for something to say and then P-U-L-L out those resistive, reluctant words that grabbed on to the edges of my mind and refused to come out. 

I wrote anyway. 

Stupid, inane, vacuous words that seemed pointless. 

But once I chipped away at the barrier of the perceived barrenness, I found thoughts that had been slumbering under the everyday. As I wrote and peeled away the layers of the day to day routine, laying it down on paper and freeing it from the cycles of the thought processes, I found there was room for deeper, obscured thoughts to rise to the surface. Undiscovered treasures that I have been mining each morning. 

I've discovered that if I don't practice the discipline of slowing my thinking to the pace of writing, the fingers of my brain simply rifle through my thoughts, lightly touching the surface of them, flitting and flickering; dancing and darting, but not taking the time to probe to any depth. 

This longhand scribbling every morning demands my brain to slow it's pace reaching into depths I didn't acknowledge in my mad scramble to "fix" puzzling problems. I can obsess over the little snags and tangles that come from living life, leaving myself confused and frustrated. Setting down these things on paper helps me work out the snarls of thought and oftimes work out a solution. That had been waiting in the wings the while time. 

Much to my surprise, I've fallen in love with this process. I've had freedom to explore my musings, opinions, feelings, desires about myself-of who I am, and who I'd like to be. 

Creativity. Ideas. Personal expression. Expressing my individuality with playful abandon. 

And it has been there all the time. 

Hidden in the labyrinth of my thoughts. 

A Door Makeover

I don't make NewYear Resolutions. I just feel like it sets me up for failure.  But this year, I decided to release myself from the self-imposed creative boundaries I had set up. Boundaries that stifled my creativity in decorating my house because I'm worried about what people "MIGHT" be thinking about my choices--- to be fair, my choices are non-traditional. Colorful. Eye catching.

Eyesore may be the word that comes to mind for many.

I'm over it.

I have a yearning to make my home uniquely mine. I certainly don't want it to look like anyone else's. A challenge since I live in a 30ish year old ranch. A box of boxes. Oh, how I strongly dislike this house. 

So on Sunday, I looked at my bedroom door. 

(Yes, those are Christmas stockings on the wall. My husband has a very strong love for Christmas and would keep all the decorations up all year long. One day, he hopes to have a Christmas room so he can enjoy it all year long. Until then bits and pieces will hang in the hall.)

I saw a blank canvas.
I spent all afternoon on my creative endeavor. I felt much like a high school decorator again. I was so absorbed in my project, I remembered to eat lunch around 4 in the afternoon.



This was the result.

 This is my favorite section. I began with the large orange poppy flower and used other clippings that echoed the colors as a border around it.
I also snuck in some turquoise to round out my favorite color combo.

 I used the sticky putty that teachers use to adhere it to the door. I've seen projects where the whole project was decoupaged, but I wasn't sure I wanted it to be THAT permanent as I tend to be a creative meanderer.
Also, the panels in the door would have been and issue.

This is the first project, in a reeeeeaaallly long time, that I've really been excited about!

Exploring New Facets of Creativity

Sometimes, I wander through the internet looking for quotes. The ones that always catch my eye are graphics like this.

 

I've always wondered how people create these cool bits and pieces and thought I would ever in a million years be able to make something like that since I have absolutely no background or knowledge if graphic design. 

Enter my new favorite person in the while wide world: Rhonna

The story goes like this:

I was scrolling through Instagram one morning and came across a lovely graphic with the cutest font I have ever seen. I fell fast and hard and asked the person who posted it if she knew the name of the font. She didn't, but told me it was an app called "Rhonna". 

Well, I hustled on over to iTunes and found it! After installing the app, (first time I have EVER paid for an app!) and a little digging, I discover that my new favorite font was included and called "Clean and Clear". I immediately had to try my hand at creating something...

Isn't that font the best?!

I am in heaven. 

I'm excited about the new facet of creativity that I can explore through this app! 

What would you make with it?

Today is the Day...

...that I drag this blog up from the depths.

I may have unintentionally set the record for how long one goes without posting on a blog.

Over 2 years.

Anyone want to check the Guiness Book of World Records for me?

Ah, well. Water under the bridge.

As I've considered whether or not to begin blogging again, I've done a bit of introspection and found how much I've changed in the last 2 years. Or maybe not exactly changed, but refined. I think I still have the same interests, especially in the creative arts and natural health; but I feel my interests have/are becoming more specific.

For instance:
 I am passionate about herbal medicine. I seek out alternative methods for treating sickness for our family, choosing to try natural remedies.
I was introduce to Young Living essential oils in May of 2012 and began using them for our family in June of 2013. I love essential oils because they are the strongest concentration of the plant form and therefore, extremely effective and versatile in application.

Regarding the creative arts, I still have far more interests than I have time to engage; and as seems to be my way, I get super into something and can't get enough of it for a spell, then I move onto something else. Never dropping it completely, but my obsession waxes and wanes.

Currently I am trying my hand at refashioning/altering clothing.  Love, LOVE, LOVE doing this.

In other news, we've been trying to incorporate a cleaner eating lifestyle since August of 2013.

We've gone gluten free and have cut out processed foods and refined sugar. We've definitely had many health benefits as a result; the largest being, weight loss and reduction of inflammation in the body. Win. Win.

I decided to blog again, not because I want to be popular or even noticed particularly. This go 'round, I'm doing this for me. To chronicle my interests. To journal. To have a holding place for my projects and interests. 

This I do for me.

Come along, if you like.

When the Motivation and a Weekend Get Married

Spring seems to bring out my inner motivation.

Well, for a couple of days, at least.

And if I can line up my motivation with my weekend and a few spare minutes, sometimes a little creative magic happens.

I got stupid excited over this little ensemble. It's a clay pot that I set on top of a column of pots that are glued together. It was meant to be a birth bath that my father-in-law created, but the saucer that made the "bath" fell off, so I was left with the column. It is sitting on top of a concrete paver that has cut outs and wasn't too steady, so I scrounged up a random floor tile (being junky has *some* advantages, I guess!) and it fit perfectly to add stability. I had planted several perennials and this vertical placement added some interest. I just l-o-v-e it!

Here's a closer look at how they are glued together:
My husband did me a "favor" and planted some honeysuckle in the front yard....
I'm not complaining toooo much. It smells deeee-vine!!
My rose bush was my biggest surprise. (This is my favorite photo of my roses.)
I counted over a dozen blooms on one bush! (My husband's sure fire way to make sure I get a dozen roses every now and again, I guess!)
Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Can't you just smell it?

Proof that I Paint...at it.

Wow. You can tell school's out around here...I actually have time to do blog posts in the morning! Everyone is still in bed and I have some quiet time to myself.

I've been meaning to share this for awhile...well, you know how that goes...

This is a painting that I'm working on. Truthfully, I haven't worked on it in weeks. Haven't touched any paint in weeks. *sigh*

It's just some fun doodling. No real plan to get here or wherever else it's going.

Serendipity painting...

Rainbow Leaves

I'm sure I've posted this photo before, but it's one of my favorites and the advantage of this being my blog is that I can post whatever I want. Again.

*grins*

Gerbera Daisy

Started playing with editing this daisy and began to realize the possibilities are literally endless!

The Flower

{Click on the photo for a clearer view of the poem.}

Art Journaling

art journal page December 2009

Yep.

That pretty much sums it up.

If it's artistic

or

creative, I want a piece of it.

A little thing I like to call...

Creative Schizophrenia.

Heart Cry

This is representative of the times I feel my voice gets lost in the shuffle. Millions cry out to God every day and I sometimes feel like a tiny, insignificant dot in the midst of the vastness of humanity.

There are Bible verse references floating through the space which echo my cry.

Sanctuary

Christ Church

St. Simons Island ~2008

My Girl

I'm hurting for posts these days and my laptop is preoccupied with my hubby who has been working on a project. Said laptop is also getting on up there in age as evidenced in how slowly she's been moving of late. I feel fortunate that she found it in herself to give me this picture...

Avenue of Oaks

St. Simon's Island, Georgia

Early Morning Picnik

"Somebody" woke up earlier than they wanted to this morning. "Somebody's" bladder decided that for them.

Ah, the joys of aging.

But I'm making wine out of my sour grapes.

Remember this photo?

I did some basic (read: very basic) editing with Photo Shop. Yeah. I have LOTS to learn about Photo Shop.

But then...

I (re)discovered picnik.

I did lots of cool things with the basic, online tools they have available.

Just think what I could do with the premium package!

BWWAHHAAHAHA!!!! *Rubbing hands with glee*

P.S. They did not pay me for this free solicitation. BUT THEY SHOULD!!! :)

A Little Bit of Art. Emphasis on the Little.

I excitedly signed up for Tracy's artful class.



Then life sorta took over.



I've been a pitiful student.



But I did do this:

Maybe I can work on "arting" this weekend.

My First Attempt...

My first crude attempt at making a "hip purse".

Because I'm impatient, I did this very quickly. I grabbed a ball point pen and drew directly on my fabric thinking it would come out in the wash...maybe. Here is my cut pattern. I ended up cutting off the short "tabs". (At the top and bottom of the pic.) I sewed them on separately.

I had some help removing pins before they were fed through the sewing machine.

The light fabric is canvas, the inner fabric lining is polyester (perhaps?), slightly stretchy but of good weight.

Wrong side out. I was so happy that it turned out as well as it did. Considering that I just cut things out and sewed them together!

I envision that flap folding over the length of the front of the purse. It's far too short, but adequate. I haven't decided what to use for a strap yet. And of course there's the whole embellishing aspect left, but...not bad for a rough draft,eh?

A Weekend Full of...

Usually I'm full of hopes and aspirations of how to spend a long weekend. This time, I haven't even thought about it...until now. As I'm skimming through the blogs I never seem to have time to visit anymore. Observing other people's creative offerings, I realize:


I want to paint.


I want to play.


I want to sew.


I want to contemplate.


I want to knit.


I want to read.


I want to be.





A weekend full of creative thoughts and activities.

La-Te-Da-Te-Blah

Sometimes I wonder why I blog.

Like today, when I feel there is nothing of any interest whatsoever to write. I guess life isn't always interesting.

Sometimes I feel caught in the web of life. Held captive by time and obligations.

There are so many things I would love to do. Interests that I have but can't pursue because of other obligations. Life.

Why is it, when I go to bed at night, I see artistic visions but later, when I go to the studio to work, those visions have evaporated into thin air?

I think I want to take some art classes. Those art classes I didn't get to take in high school, but wanted to.

I'm scared to death.

When would I do it?

What if I don't have enough ability? What if I'm just a wannabe artist?

Who the hell cares? My art is my art and not held to any standard. I do it for me.

Yeah. Right.

I care too much what other people think. I want approval. I really try to cultivate the "I don't care what you think" attitude, but when it comes down to it... I care. A lot.

Art is so personal. That's a part of me that people are looking at. A display of my heart in tangible form.

Why do we seek approval? Why do we feel we need that validation?

It's at our very core. The need to be valued.

I think there is another need at our core...the need to create. Maybe it's stronger in some than others. I hear people tell me all the time: "I'm not creative." Hogwash. I think everyone is creative in some way. People think creativity is only displayed in artistic forms like art. I say look at accountants. They can do things with numbers that I never could! That's creative!

I've always wondered where I got my artistic bent. There's an another artist in the aunts, I think. I think my dad is artistic. He has always tinkered with something as long as I can remember. He takes things apart to see how they work. Or if they don't work, he takes it apart to see if he can figure out how to make it work. He has such ingenuity. He's the champion of thinking outside the box.

Well, I guess this blog is another form of my art...

because it's a piece of my heart,

out here on display for the world to see.

(Please forgive how this is all wadded up at the end. Blogger won't let me space it the way I want to. I'm at the mercy of my instruments.)