I have been racking my brain for a really detailed inspirational post,
but to be honest, I am just exhausted from life and worries and keeping
on. But I have been art journaling more. It seems I go through phases of
making larger art pieces and not doing any art journaling or doing a
lot of journaling but no big pieces.
Here are my most recent pages!
"It's getting hella weird."
"Still Fighting"
"Hotter Everyday"
"Integrity"
I think everyone should art journal! It's very therapeutic!
I am taking it easy today, I am very sore from camping this weekend.
I realized while I was camping that if I decided to live a camping life, the only thing I would really miss is music. I am soaking it all up now that I am back. Sick of Sarah's album 2205 and Lights' acoustic Siberia album are my two favorites right now.
I am missing my family back home an awful lot. Yesterday was my beautiful nephew's birthday! And everyone got together to celebrate and I was not there! :( Sad days! I love you all very much and can't wait to visit! (You can all come visit me too, you know! *wink*)
I hope you are all well and on paths that bring you joy!
"The creative process is the process of being connected."
When we create,
in any way, we are tapping into something deeper, a well of life energy
that we can all tap into. It does not matter what you are creating, be
it paintings, photos, sculptures, buildings, websites, books, families,
gardens, communities, laughter.
When you are creating something, you are
accessing something brilliant, something beyond ourselves. Some may
call it the source, or God, or Creator, or Mother Earth, or energy, or
the Universe.
Creating things is a positive act that connects us with
all beings and with the brilliance of being.
And it is something that we
all desire, that connection. We all yearn for that energy, to feel
whole and full and complete. To feel that we are a part of something,
that we are not separate, that we are living and that it matters.
We live
in a society that is crying out for completion, to be whole, to feel a
sincere wholeness of being. We are a society crying out for connection, for healing, for wholeness,
for warmth and love. And that is why people are compelled to create. I
don't believe it is inherently so that we can have art, or photos to
share with our friends, or buildings to put people in.
We want
connection, we want to feel this energy that is beyond us, that doesn't
come from us. We want to know that other people are surrounded by this
same energy, that we are all tapping into this space of creating, that our existence yields beautiful things, and that makes it
worth it.
This yearning is deep and ancient. It cries out from ancient
spirits, calling across galaxies and time and space and the walls we
build up in our lives.
So create. Connect. Let yourself slip into the
well that is all of us, humans and life and experience and wholeness and
wellness. Because when you create from this yearning, you create more
positive energy into the world. That's more positive energy for someone
to surround themselves in, for them to find the space to find healing
and completeness.
And on that note, here is some art as of late.
I am in love with my art process right now. I am in love with the yearning that creates.
This one is about skin, about how it's what we live in everyday.
And about our bodies in general and how they do so
much for us.
But so many of us hate them, not because they won't do what
we want or inhibit us in some way, but because of how they look!
And
can we please just realize how completely silly that is. It is completely backwards and unhealthy.
I hear so often phrases like "They shouldn't wear that", often in
reference to someone who is not model thin, especially when they are
wearing someone as simple as a bathing suit, or bikini, or tight shorts
or a small top. And when asked why, a typical response is "Because no
one wants to see that!"
Really? So this complete stranger should stop
wearing what they feel comfortable and confident in because YOU don't
want to see "that"?
And what are we really talking about when we say "We
don't want to see that!"?
Let's talk about what you are actually seeing. You are seeing someone's skin, for the most part.
Is skin gross to you? Really think about that. You have skin. You don't think that is gross, do
you? Everyone has skin. It is necessary to human existence. It is vital.
It is what the outside world sees of us.
How
on earth could you not want to see someone's skin?
Would you prefer to
see their insides? Their veins and bones and muscles? Is that more
appealing to you?
Another thing that could be referenced is their fat. And let's again
talk about what we are actually "grossed out" about. Everyone has fat,
or they should. Fat (in the right amounts) is healthy. I have to advise you to watch this
video by Laci Green about body policing others. It is brilliant and
honest.
And take a look at these paintings.
Do the people in this
paintings gross you out? My guess is probably not.
Then why would these?
(This last one is Pierce Brosnan's wife, by the way.)
It's bodies. Human
bodies. They are not "gross", they do not need to be hidden.
They
accomplish incredible things. They are all beautifully made and we
should praise them and respect them instead of judging them and hiding
them.
They house our spirits, they are temples, and they should be
treated as thus.
They should be given healthy nutrients and should be
active to keep their energy high and happy.
We can adorned them in ways
that outwardly express our inward selves.
We can dye our hair any number
of colors. We can wear wizard robes, skirts, blazers.
We can become
canvases and allow artist to paint all over us, we can put holes in our
bodies.
We can make the pigment of our skin darker. We can do so much to
adorn our bodies.
We must love them, despite the media that plagues
us from birth, that tells us we are not whole, that we have flaws, that
we are not complete, that we are unsightly and need to be fixed.
These
are LIES.
Lies constantly thrown at us in big and subtle ways by people
that want our money.
They do not truly care about how we feel about
ourselves. They do not actually want us to feel good and happy with our
bodies, because if we did, they could not make money.
They do not have
your best interest in mind.
And you should never listen to anyone that
does not have your best interest in mind.
So, wear what you want. Do not change what makes you comfortable just
because it makes someone else uncomfortable, because, really, their
discomfort is completely unwarranted and baseless and illogical.
Because
if you asked them what bothered them so much about what you are wearing
or not wearing, revealing or not revealing, and they really thought
about it, I imagine they couldn't really put their finger on it or
accurately and intelligently describe why it does bother them so much.
"It just does."
Like I said, their feelings are illogical. They just haven't
realized it.
They are carrying around messages from media and society
and jumping to these thoughts and judgements without examining them for
themselves, in depth, and seeing them for what they are, absolute
bullshit.
Love your skin, love your fat, love your body, love your temple, love
your spirit, love yourself, and love everyone else's too.
I think you are all beautiful. And I hope you think you are beautiful too. That is a sincere and deep hope. Please think you are beautiful.
Hey folks! I just wanted to write a little blog about harvesting joy.
There is a lot going on in life, things can be thrown at you pretty fast.
And I know for me, having an INFP personality, it can be easy to let things get me down, to feel overwhelmed.
That is why I have to actively do things that I know will bring me joy. I have to actively set out time to do things that replenish my well of joy and happiness and positive energy. And I thought I would share my method with all you lovely people and hopefully you all can harvest some joy for yourselves!
First, make a list of about five things that bring you joy. Don't think too hard about it, these things will probably come to mind petty fast! You can always have more or less things on your less than five, that's fine! Mine has six!
1) Nature
2) Music
3) Writing
4) Art
5) Connecting with people
6) Mindful breathing
Now, the thing is, all of these things bring me joy. But when I am not actively and mindfully participating in them, they can start to feel like chores that drain my energy! So, it is important to really be in the moment of these actions, not going through the motions or having your mind preoccupied with worries or negative thoughts!
Now you can take the list and elaborate on how activities based on your list can harvest joy for you!
1) Nature- Collect leaves, acorns, and flowers. Spend time with these objects; feel them, examine them, draw them, smell them. Really experience them; meditate with them. Use flowers to create inks to write with. Boil them all in water that you can carry in a vial to keep their energy with you, or create a refreshing and uplifting body mist spray.
2) Music- Create a playlist of songs that make you happy; positive energy songs, songs to dance to, or meditate to. Let it wash over you, feel it course through your veins. Focus on each part of the music; first the drums, then the guitar, then the voice, then the words. Draw or paint while you listen; don't think about what you are making, allow the music to come out through you onto the paper.
3) Writing: Make lists! Make lists of things you are grateful for, people who inspire you, and all the things you love about yourself. Do a flow of thought page and just write without planning, without inhibition. Write haikus about silly things, or simple things that you love.
4) Art: Finger paint! Finger paint with your eyes closed. Draw something that you are looking at without looking down at the paper. Draw something from memory, with your eyes closed. Feel the brush stroke, watch the lines appear on the canvas. Breathe deep and slowly. Do not rush.
5) Connecting with people: Write letters to friends that don't live nearby (or even if they do!). Make little gifts (bracelets, drawings, cookies, ect.) that you know will make someone's day, especially if they are going through a hard time. Get lunch or a drink with someone you haven't seen in awhile. If you are up to play host(ess), cook up something tasty, invite people over, and have a game night!
6) Mindful breathing: Meditate. Try mindful breathing while hanging upside down off your couch. Try mindful breathing while going for a walk. Try mindful breathing while cooking, or painting, or even in conversation with a friend.
So, those are my ideas of way to harvest joy for myself! When you intentionally do actions mindfully that bring you joy, you can store it up for when everyday life sneaks in, when hardships and stress and negative thinking want to take over. You will have a store of joy and peace waiting for you. Just don't get complacent! Don't go through the motions! Focus on the things you are passionate about and allow them to wash over you, allow them to sink into you. Focus on the experience, on the moment, on the harvesting of joy.
What things bring you the most joy and what do you do to harvest that joy in your life?! Please share in the comments!
So, a while back, I wrote on my 750 words account about the pain I still felt at the lose of many old friends, due in part mostly to their indifference to whether we interacted or not. I reread what I had written and made a vast realization of what I had stuck my own self in.
I realized that I was indeed stuck in the mire
and simply wallowing in it. Funny how we do that, eh?
I needed to take true affirmative action. I needed to lift myself out.
I realized that this was serious business, I really
could not keep going on like this. I was making myself sick.There was
no way I was going to grow and heal going on like this.
People have really hurt me. And I was holding on so tightly to that hurt. I
wanted them to feel it, to feel the burning I felt inside, but
they were indifferent.
They were not
going to change. They were not going to apologize.
And so I
had to step up and do the forgiving myself. I had to heal myself. I had
to really forgive them. I had to really let them go. I had to abandon
any thoughts or hopes of changing them, of making them care.
True friends act like friends, they support you,
they seek out your company. If someone really loves you, they act like
it. You do not have to chase after them, begging them to acknowledge
you. And that is a very important, almost essential thing to realize,
and realize it early. Because you can spend years or even an entire
lifetime trying so hard to be around people that do not care, that do
not support you, that do not think about you when you are not around.
And they do not deserve your time and energy and emotions. I am not
saying they are terrible people, they are just not the people that you
need in your life. They are not the people that are going to help you
grow and heal and build yourself up.
So let them go, truly and fully.
Write them letters, real and raw, deep and dirty, but also full of
forgiveness. Really write out how they have hurt you and really write
out why you are forgiving them and letting them go. And then burn those
letters, and really watch these chains you've created burning, turning
to ash, and dissolving into the wind.
And feel the freedom that brings.
Breathe the air through lungs unburdened with the weight of sorrow. Take
those very strong feelings of being unwanted, of being invisible, of
being abandoned, of being unworthy, of being insignificant, and burn
them.
Meditate on friendship, on what it looks like to you, on how it
manifests in your life, and focus on creating that energy in your life,
and true friendship will find it's way into your life. It may take time. It can take plenty of sifting through not so true friends, but the real ones will find you.
You will slowly create your life tribe. The people that you can call
family, the people that will help you create the best you, but also love
you through the times when you are the worst you. They exist, and
believe me, they want you just as much as you want them.
Delete those
old numbers that never respond, delete "friends" from Facebook that
have no desire to interact or connect with you. Let them go. The
negative energy of holding on to those that have hurt you, it does not
affect them, no matter how much you want them to notice. But it
affects you, severely, in a very damaging way. And you need to let it go
for the sake of your safety, your health, your well-being, and your
self-healing. Let go of the mire, of the feelings that are influenced by
the actions of others. And pick up the mantras of self-love, of worth,
of being loved, of acceptance, of meaning. Because you are the embodiment of all these things. You know you are.
And by focusing on these energies, you will attract those that know you
are as well. And you deserve them. Never doubt that.
The above advice has helped me significantly, in ways beyond words. They have allowed substantial healing to occur in my life and I am so thankful for that. It helped me and I am only sharing with the hope that if any of you every find yourself in a similar situation, that you may find peace and healing as well.
I love you all and am very thankful for your friendship, your positive energy, and your supportive words.
I thank you dearly for that.
Just a quick post showing some of my art journal pages. I have been doing more art journaling lately, taking a break from bigger art pieces. Also there's some pictures of a walk in the park the other day!
Looking at those pages, it's a little hard to believe that I made them.
I feel like I have grown so much in my art.
I can tell my art journaling is becoming more natural and intuitive. I used to plan the pages out and think too much about it. And now they are beginning to flow from me more naturally.
I am working on some in-depth blog posts, one of which will be up next week!
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