Hello, friends. Have you ever journaled? I have, and really enjoy it. But lately, I've been busy art-making for my Red Bubble site ( https://www.redbubble.com/people/LauraCLeMaster/portfolio ) and have neglected my journals. Plus, I've been writing a book, which took much of my time.
But, as a creative, I get bored easily. I now find myself ready for a break from writing my book (good timing, as the manuscript is finished!). I hear my journal calling. I don't yet art journal, although that method of art making and creative expression is beckoning me, too. But I have a "regular journal" that says "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined" on the cover. Thoreau wrote that. It inspires me. It resonates with me. I calls me to do exactly that: believe in my dreams. Do whatever it takes to make them happen. And actually live the life I've imagined.
It's an exciting place to be. My empty pages await....
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Hello, creative minded friends!
It's a beautiful, bright morning in Idaho. Being from Southern California - North San Diego County, to be exact - I am used to palm trees, constant blue sky, and sea breezes - and a LOT of people! But oh, how I've come to love Idaho's cauliflower clouds that decorate the expansive sky. Because of the slower pace, job market, job opportunities, and more conservative outlook, my area is rapidly growing. I'm not too enthused about that, because the amount of traffic has increased quite a bit in the time I've been here, as has the amount of in-a-hurry drivers. (I figure they're all imports from big cities! LOL) Yet, if you happen to be needing to pull out into traffic from a side street or shopping area, for instance, drivers within the flow of traffic will ALWAYS let you in! What a delicious reality! You hardly ever hear someone honking at another driver, which was the norm in SoCal. But Californians, I noticed, were warm and friendly, just as are Idahoans. In many coastal cities, there was a delightfully slower pace, in spite of the amount of traffic and shortage of parking. The weather is almost always perfect.
So, fast pace, or slow pace...clouds or no clouds, traffic or not so much traffic, mild weather or snow storms...if we have an inner attitude of gratitude, if we set our own pace in spite of that around us, if we choose to see the good in where we live, if we choose to notice the warmth of strangers around us...we can find contentment. We can make a difference in our corner of the world. If someone honks at me, or hurries past me on the road, perhaps going over the speed limit, I have learned to think, "been there"..".maybe there's an emergency in their life". "Maybe they're just having a bad day, like I've certainly had on occasion." My challenge is to not react negatively, because if I do, someone else sees that and may react negatively, creating a chain reaction of not-so-good-ness. My actions and reactions can affect someone else's day and I want them to do that in a positive way, thus making a positive difference.
I also strive to make a difference with my artwork. I aim to put "good stuff", "happy stuff" out there in my world, to encourage you, inspire you, and enable you to, in turn, impact those with whom you rub elbows - in a positive way.
I hope this little bit of stuff has blessed you. You certainly do bless me by reading my ponderings. Have a beautiful day, won't you? Oh, and go out and look at the sky today....and give it a big smile!
It's a beautiful, bright morning in Idaho. Being from Southern California - North San Diego County, to be exact - I am used to palm trees, constant blue sky, and sea breezes - and a LOT of people! But oh, how I've come to love Idaho's cauliflower clouds that decorate the expansive sky. Because of the slower pace, job market, job opportunities, and more conservative outlook, my area is rapidly growing. I'm not too enthused about that, because the amount of traffic has increased quite a bit in the time I've been here, as has the amount of in-a-hurry drivers. (I figure they're all imports from big cities! LOL) Yet, if you happen to be needing to pull out into traffic from a side street or shopping area, for instance, drivers within the flow of traffic will ALWAYS let you in! What a delicious reality! You hardly ever hear someone honking at another driver, which was the norm in SoCal. But Californians, I noticed, were warm and friendly, just as are Idahoans. In many coastal cities, there was a delightfully slower pace, in spite of the amount of traffic and shortage of parking. The weather is almost always perfect.
So, fast pace, or slow pace...clouds or no clouds, traffic or not so much traffic, mild weather or snow storms...if we have an inner attitude of gratitude, if we set our own pace in spite of that around us, if we choose to see the good in where we live, if we choose to notice the warmth of strangers around us...we can find contentment. We can make a difference in our corner of the world. If someone honks at me, or hurries past me on the road, perhaps going over the speed limit, I have learned to think, "been there"..".maybe there's an emergency in their life". "Maybe they're just having a bad day, like I've certainly had on occasion." My challenge is to not react negatively, because if I do, someone else sees that and may react negatively, creating a chain reaction of not-so-good-ness. My actions and reactions can affect someone else's day and I want them to do that in a positive way, thus making a positive difference.
I also strive to make a difference with my artwork. I aim to put "good stuff", "happy stuff" out there in my world, to encourage you, inspire you, and enable you to, in turn, impact those with whom you rub elbows - in a positive way.
I hope this little bit of stuff has blessed you. You certainly do bless me by reading my ponderings. Have a beautiful day, won't you? Oh, and go out and look at the sky today....and give it a big smile!
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Oh my, it's been a while since my last blog post. I let the busy-ness of life overcome me: my new job as substitute teacher wore me out and I let the "I'm sooo tired" excuse keep me from posting. Then, I had knee replacement surgery, which took me out of commission for a while. Understandable reasons not to write, but no excuse to let my absence continue. So, hello! Here I am once again!
It's so good to be back so that I can share my life and creative journey with you. As you know, if you've read my other posts or have perused my creative art biz facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LauratheArtiste/ I read a lot and love quotes. And as you may know from this blog, I purchased Kelly Rae Roberts' ebook "Flying Lessons" last year. In reading from it the other day, I made note of a book she highly recommends: Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. I put it on hold at my local library and was so excited when I got the call that it was in! I picked it up yesterday and am already almost halfway through it. I'd like to share with you something from it.
Pressfield talks about Resistance being what keeps us from attaining our creative goals and dreams. That makes sense to me. I've experienced a LOT of resistance on my path to creativity. But he says that "The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it." That really resonated with me. If something doesn't really matter to us, why would Resistance need to bother us? Why would it need to try to thwart our efforts with the unimportant? It wouldn't.
So, I pondered this idea of his...and realized that my pursuit of having a successful creative art biz that makes a difference in people's lives in some way...is IMPORTANT! Why? Because Resistance has been raising it's extremely ugly head and has been pestering me like crazy!
That said, I also realize how exciting that fact is. If I weren't on the right track, I'd be smoothly sailing along with nothing holding me back. But because God has let me know that I have a voice and that I need to do what it takes creatively to make that voice heard, Resistance has been working overtime in an attempt to keep that voice from being heard.
The voice I wish to use is one of encouragement and inspiration. Life out there can be tough, as we all well know. I want to use humor, wisdom, and hope to encourage women to look for the positive and the good in life. As a Christian, I believe that that Good is God. Not all of my viewers are believers, however, but it's my hope and motivation that they may still be excited and uplifted by my artwork.
Nice chatting with you. Until next time....may creativity and hope abound in your life!
It's so good to be back so that I can share my life and creative journey with you. As you know, if you've read my other posts or have perused my creative art biz facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LauratheArtiste/ I read a lot and love quotes. And as you may know from this blog, I purchased Kelly Rae Roberts' ebook "Flying Lessons" last year. In reading from it the other day, I made note of a book she highly recommends: Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. I put it on hold at my local library and was so excited when I got the call that it was in! I picked it up yesterday and am already almost halfway through it. I'd like to share with you something from it.
Pressfield talks about Resistance being what keeps us from attaining our creative goals and dreams. That makes sense to me. I've experienced a LOT of resistance on my path to creativity. But he says that "The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it." That really resonated with me. If something doesn't really matter to us, why would Resistance need to bother us? Why would it need to try to thwart our efforts with the unimportant? It wouldn't.
So, I pondered this idea of his...and realized that my pursuit of having a successful creative art biz that makes a difference in people's lives in some way...is IMPORTANT! Why? Because Resistance has been raising it's extremely ugly head and has been pestering me like crazy!
That said, I also realize how exciting that fact is. If I weren't on the right track, I'd be smoothly sailing along with nothing holding me back. But because God has let me know that I have a voice and that I need to do what it takes creatively to make that voice heard, Resistance has been working overtime in an attempt to keep that voice from being heard.
The voice I wish to use is one of encouragement and inspiration. Life out there can be tough, as we all well know. I want to use humor, wisdom, and hope to encourage women to look for the positive and the good in life. As a Christian, I believe that that Good is God. Not all of my viewers are believers, however, but it's my hope and motivation that they may still be excited and uplifted by my artwork.
Nice chatting with you. Until next time....may creativity and hope abound in your life!
Monday, February 19, 2018
I make it a point to check in with myself regularly and ask "am I going where I want to be going?" It's easy to get sidetracked, distracted, pulled off-course. But on the road to success (where we want to go), there ARE often distractions. That's just life. I remind myself that I need to continually refocus and bring myself back on course.
But God sometimes reminds me that there's often a lesson to be learned in these distractions and detours. Sometimes they're an important part of the journey, and are there for a valuable purpose. I, however, often fail to see the purpose until I've gone through the detour. I get frustrated and even angry that I'm not heading in the direction I think I need to be going. Are you ever like that? I forget that the last distraction, bump in the road, detour, actually taught me something that was of benefit to me or others.
God often works that way. He gives me an idea of where I should go, leads me in what directions I should take, and lets me travel along for a while before bringing me to a sign that reads "This Way Next" I turn onto that path, then get my panties in a twist when I determine that the road isn't taking me where I want to go....or IS taking me where I want to go, but is taking longer than I think it should take!
Detours I take are, thankfully, never out of God's control. But sometimes they're the result of my being bull-headed. I often get something into my head and blast on ahead, asking God to bless my idea and come along for the ride. it must be God's will if I prayed for direction, right? Ha! Never mind that I didn't WAIT for direction, but plowed ahead with my own idea before consulting Him or waiting for His answer or input!
A number of things can take me off course. but having a clear goal (where I need to be/go/do) helps me get started. I want God to be the One Who gives me my goals. And I need to continually check in with Him for guidance and direction. I need to remember that HE is in control of my journey. Any bumps along the way can be lessons learned...even if they're of my own feeble doing.
"In (her) heart a (wo)man plans (her) course, but the Lord determines (her) steps." Proverbs 16:9
My prayer: "Lord, help me stay in step with You."
But God sometimes reminds me that there's often a lesson to be learned in these distractions and detours. Sometimes they're an important part of the journey, and are there for a valuable purpose. I, however, often fail to see the purpose until I've gone through the detour. I get frustrated and even angry that I'm not heading in the direction I think I need to be going. Are you ever like that? I forget that the last distraction, bump in the road, detour, actually taught me something that was of benefit to me or others.
God often works that way. He gives me an idea of where I should go, leads me in what directions I should take, and lets me travel along for a while before bringing me to a sign that reads "This Way Next" I turn onto that path, then get my panties in a twist when I determine that the road isn't taking me where I want to go....or IS taking me where I want to go, but is taking longer than I think it should take!
Detours I take are, thankfully, never out of God's control. But sometimes they're the result of my being bull-headed. I often get something into my head and blast on ahead, asking God to bless my idea and come along for the ride. it must be God's will if I prayed for direction, right? Ha! Never mind that I didn't WAIT for direction, but plowed ahead with my own idea before consulting Him or waiting for His answer or input!
A number of things can take me off course. but having a clear goal (where I need to be/go/do) helps me get started. I want God to be the One Who gives me my goals. And I need to continually check in with Him for guidance and direction. I need to remember that HE is in control of my journey. Any bumps along the way can be lessons learned...even if they're of my own feeble doing.
"In (her) heart a (wo)man plans (her) course, but the Lord determines (her) steps." Proverbs 16:9
My prayer: "Lord, help me stay in step with You."
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