Hello, fellow Creatives!
! It's been a while since I've posted here. Health issues, the busyness of work, excuses, yada-yada. No real reasons, however. Just me letting life get in the way.
Some days I get home from work and tell myself I have nothing left to give my creative business. I
A natural "morning person", I truly do burn out by about 3:00pm, and find that my creativeness wanes by then. But something I've been trying lately, is getting up very early (not hard for me, as I have insomnia). I turn on all the lights to simulate daylight, which makes me smile, and I get busy.
I typically have my precious "quiet time", alone w/God. I read and pray and basically just get my head in the right place to begin my day. Then I work out, which wakes me up even more, and keeps me full of energy for most of my work day. Exercise also helps keep my mind alert, which I definitely need as a substitute teacher!
I find that I then still have plenty of time for my creative art biz. I might work up some new designs for my Red Bubble site, or prepare for the adult drawing class I teach, or my adult mixed media classes I teach. I might do some reading that inspires me. I may treat myself to my "FLYING LESSONS" ebook by Kelly Rae Roberts. (I highly recommend your getting this!) I may take some precious time and write my Morning Pages, something I learned to do from the wonderful book The Artist's Way.
If you've never had the opportunity to read this book, treat yourself to a copy. Your life will be changed by it; mine certainly was. It's all about getting in touch with the inner artist that lives within each of us, even if we don't consider ourselves creative. Barnes and Noble carries it, or I'm sure you could find it on Amazon. In it, author Julia Cameron encourages readers to do something she calls writing Morning Pages - three daily pages of whatever comes to your mind. Brain drain. Recording frustrations, inspirations, ideas, goals. Whatever, just get it on the page...three of them. Do this every morning. Every morning.
I have done this over the years, and have found great benefit. Somehow, I got out of the habit but am doing it again. I need to. I want to. I sooo benefit from the writing.
Try it yourself. It will change your life. As you write, new inspiration will seep up out of your inner being. You'll be amazed at the ideas that will pour forth....creative ideas. A new recipe to try, a new item of clothing to sew. A new color of paint to try. That class you've been afraid to take.
I have an idea: let's do it together! Wonderful, creativeness awaits! More on this next time! I'll share what's happened as a result of my own experience with my Morning Pages. Until then....
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Saturday, September 1, 2018
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....
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....
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."
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Today's "from me to thee" is: a lovely photographic stroll through my sister's website, Kathleen Bowman Photography. I just took this tour and had a colorful, wonderful time looking at her images of flowers (my faves), wildlife (her faves), and just downright gorgeous landscape shots! Go ahead and check these out. Treat yourself to some beauty today. "From me to thee".
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Those of you who know me and follow me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauratheArtiste/ know that I love artist Kelly Rae Roberts' view of the artistic journey. I was just looking through her book "Taking Flight...Inspiration & Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings" and her introduction spoke to me. Here's part of it & I hope it resonates with you as much as it did, me:
"I am just like you. A girl who is always learning. A woman whose soul is vibrant with inspiration. A creative spirit that is expressive and sensitive. We are all connected, intertwining in this creative life. It's because of this that I believe in the power of telling our stories - the stories of how we muster up our courage and leap and dance and breathe our way into our creative dreams. This is how we learn from one another. How we inspire one another. How we begin to finally see the potential and possibilities that live inside our hearts."
I love that, and it's so true. If this hit you in your own creative soul, I'd love to hear about it on my facebook page...would love to!
"I am just like you. A girl who is always learning. A woman whose soul is vibrant with inspiration. A creative spirit that is expressive and sensitive. We are all connected, intertwining in this creative life. It's because of this that I believe in the power of telling our stories - the stories of how we muster up our courage and leap and dance and breathe our way into our creative dreams. This is how we learn from one another. How we inspire one another. How we begin to finally see the potential and possibilities that live inside our hearts."
I love that, and it's so true. If this hit you in your own creative soul, I'd love to hear about it on my facebook page...would love to!
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