My day of Pinterest-

 I've been in a crafty mood of late and Pinterest is always helpful for inspiration. Here are some of the projects I'm making today! (You can find where I repinned all of these and their links here.)

I'm adding pockets to everything!

Alabama has to have this- today!

This is almost the color I want my dreads to be this fall.

If I had this reading nook I'd never get anything done!

I'm making these for dinner!

This is my new e-course, coming in MAY!

31 Days of Giving

 I've been lax in my posts but I have been gathering bags and bags of clothing and toys to give to others and to donate to the Kidney Foundation. Every free day is spent gathering and giving. Getting the kids involved is a feat-but their toys are going to good homes!
  I'm also giving of my time on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the month of December. I'm offering free open studio time at my new art studio located at 825 Union Rd Gastonia, NC 28054-I'm in the Visual Arts building and offer classes from knitting to journaling to painting. I also have a monthly woman's circle starting back up in January. And yoga and meditation weekly. It's my favorite place ever right now!

I'm going to enjoy the giving of the season. This came to me last night after the 10th toy commercial in a row followed by a chorus of "That's what I want for Christmas!" I've failed my children in this area, they're so hungry for materialistic goods, and things being advertised to them and they've lost their sense of what it truly means. There is a beautiful JOY in the giving of an item to someone else. So in order to remind my family and myself  of the TRUE meaning of the season. I will give something away everyday. And I'll post about it here. It may be a tutorial, a recipe, a book to a child, something of mine that will bring JOY to someone else. And I'd like to invite you to do the same!I'd really like to make this a community event- so let me know if you want to join me in 31 Days of Giving and I'll create a blogroll that we can all visit and see how everyone else is giving!

Soul Talk

Please print this out and hang it up!

There are not enough people who are aware of what acceptance of a gift feels like.

Or hear the opening of a door. 

Or realize when their wishes and desires come to fruition.

You need to listen to your soul talk, hear the whispers, and know that they are true. 

Accept the offerings and open doors; before they are whisked away, or closed.

Never to return.

Trust what you feel,

and

Listen.

PS- You can never want or wish for too much- but it's up to you to be open to getting it.

She Runs Too-(WIP)

Intuitive Painting using Acrylic and ink- Still not finished!!

Goddessing

Spurred by centuries of male dominated organized religion (or a supreme deity referred to by masculine pronouns i.e. "he"), some women embraced the idea of a female deity that was more in keeping with feminist beliefs and the inherent value of women. A unifying theme of the movement was that the gender of deity characterizes the political gender-bias of the religion, so a Goddess Worshipping religion is held to be matriarchal and a "God" worshipping religion is held to be patriarchal.

Goddess beliefs can take many forms; some people in the Goddess movement recognize multiple goddesses. Some also include gods. While others honor what they refer to as "the Goddess", which is not necessarily seen as monotheistic, but is often understood to be an inclusive, encompassing term incorporating many goddesses in many different cultures. The term "the Goddess" may also be understood to include a multiplicity of ways to view deity personified as female, or as a metaphor, or as a process.

• Goddesses refers to a local or specific deities linked clearly to a particular culture and often to particular aspects, attributes and powers.

One can regard a goddess (in this sense) as an aspect of the Great Goddess as well as a specific goddess with a particular role within a pantheon.

• The Goddess or the Great Goddess is a female deity that is regarded as primary. When Goddess is spoken of as a personal guardian, as in 'my Goddess' it usually means 'my worldview in Goddess spirituality.'

• Goddess Spirituality is sometimes used as a synonym for Goddess Movement and sometimes as the spiritual practice that is part of the Goddess movement.

• Goddessing means Goddess culture, Goddess way of life, Goddess practice, or 'my goddessing' as in my individual interpretation and experience of Goddess.

(Found on Wikipedia)

My love of women has only within the past 10 years been renewed. I was always the girl with all the guy friends because other girls were too bitchy or high maintenance. I considered myself a feminist and wanted nothing to do with ladies in lipstick or fancies and frills. And then it hit me- Feminine is the Meaning of Feminism- you can't have one with out the other. It's not degrading in any way to love to cook, or knit, or breed, or mother, or be pretty. And why dislike other women? They are just as unsure or insecure as I am. I don't do anything in this life to please anyone else but myself. And the thing that pleases me most is to help others find the magic within themselves. And help them bring it out into the open. I want to be TRUE and I want others to find their truth too. 

I AM A GODDESS~ AND SO ARE YOU!

This does not mean that you are going against you're religion, or that you feel like you're better than others. Or even that you are more 'enlightened'. It just means that you can except the fact that you are a creative and unique woman with the power to do anything you set your mind to. And you are not afraid of you're own power. Let's believe in ourselves and share our power with our sisters. Give love!

Confidence from the Universe

It's not the steps that matter, anastasia, but the path.

All is well,
    The Universe

I receive these emails from the universe every couple of days , and let me tell you....they're almost always on time!I need these confidence boosters as much as I second guess myself sometimes, and they always make me smile! To start receiving some universal love into your inbox go to Mike Dooley's website at TUT and sign up, while your there peruse through everything and be amazed at the positivity that seeps through your computer!

Mad Hatter Paint Party

My dear friend and artistic partner Rachel and I have started a weekly adventure in painting. We get to drink wine and translate paintings for people of all backgrounds to understand. And everyone gets to go home with a masterpiece of their own! It's been a pretty amazing experience so far. If you're interested in taking one of our classes please check us out at Eventbrite or on Facebook. And don't forget- I have crazy awesome stuff planned for the near future!!!

New Workshop!

My friend Rachel and I are going to have a Gastonia Paint Party Studio! It's going to be wonderful!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

A fun activity for date night, girls night out, work parties or just for pure fun!
Adults are invited to attend this 2.5 hour evening class where each person will create a version of the “Painting of the Day.”
Students can be beginners to advanced painters. The goal is fun through creativity. Canvases, paint, and brushes will be supplied.
Attendees may bring a beverage to sip and/or food to munch during the event, if they so desire.

If you're within driving distance, we'd love to have you!

WishBIG Instructor- Miranda Hersey

Miranda Hersey

 Today's instructor in the Wish BIG E-camp is Miranda Hersey. A writer, artist, mother of five, coach, and teacher. Miranda is living the creative dream life. In her class she's going to be teaching us how to create a life map for the next 12 months. And how to use that map to help keep us on track in our creative/living endeavors. Something I need... discipline and structure in my creative life. I can't wait for her course! Miranda also has an amazing Blog- Studio Mothers. She's spoken with and interviewed some really talented creative mama's to find out how they make it all work together. Go check her out!

Wild Women

Become Your Own Muse

Are you ready?
It's a new day. Let's get started!

Who do you want to be?
Become your own muse.
What did you decide?
 What can you do to make it happen?
 (You know, you get to the same destination, with ten tiny steps or two big steps...)

  I want to create an e-course, so I could jump feet first and do it all this weekend(which would overwhelm the heck outta me) or I could make a baby step. I choose a baby step. So today, I'm going to start on my brainstorming, by putting all of the ideas on paper that have been rollin around in my skull for weeks. Inactive and unused, I think I thought if I wrote it down, it'd be real, and then I'd have to follow through with it. Ha! I was right. The time for self-sabotage is OVER! By just making that first step, I'm telling myself "get off yer booty and make it happen!" That first step is the proof my insecure me needs to realize I'm serious about my life.

What baby step can you take today? What effort can you put into your life to get started?

This is the scariest part. That first move, after you take it, the rest is a breeze! And if you get stuck? ASK FOR HELP! 

Yep, it's that easy.

I've been slowly gathering beautifully creative souls around me so when the time came I could use them as a sort of padding, a buffer, from my fears of failing and my insecurities.( I'm a part of the Goddess Circle, and I feel like they would help me in any instance.) Start thinking of who you could surround yourself with. What sort of person do you want near you to make you feel secure enough to make that leap?  If you think you don't have anyone, ask me! I'll be there for you, I LOVE to help and if I don't have a solution, I'll find someone that does!

So today, make a move. Get started...draw a picture, collage a chair, put color on a canvas, ANYTHING...but do something. Start today on your new beginning. We'll do it today, together!

Nature is...

So inspiring! The intricacy of the mushroom, all of the gorgeous details...amazing. From printmaking to painting, these are super inspiring to me!

Preparing for Words

The first of many pre-painted journal pages...for a long time I was trying to do everything all at the same time. I felt like I needed to sketch, draw, paint and write in order to finish a page. Silly! I don't have to follow any rules....there are no rules. Only wants...what do I want to do??? Who cares how others do it? It's so easy for me to forget that the coolest part of being an artist, and a self taught one at that, is that I never have to follow any rules. I never have to go into a box, never have to be structured...

 So the next open path in my journey, is helping others figure out the same thing. There are no wrongs, screw ups, mistakes...it's all meant to be for a reason. You intuitively know what needs to be where, even if your mind and eyes are telling you different. The more we listen to our heARTs and souls, the more in tune we are with everything, and art just flows naturally. Will everyone agree? NO. And not everyone will like it, but you can't second guess yourself based on what you think others will like about you. I officially no longer give a hoot about what anyone thinks of my self expression and creativity. It's MINE! My art(and yours too) will speak to some, and some will dislike it...but you have to love it. Once you love it, the rest shouldn't matter, doesn't matter...Make ART!

Shakti

acrylic, prismacolor pencil, micron, gouache, and watercolor on coldpress 140lb watercolor paper  22"X30"

Recent conversation on Facebook with a found again friend

Hey you! Thanks!You have always been braver than me expressionistically (word?). My hands have been buggin' me lately to MAKE, something I'm not too familiar with, I'm mostly cerebral.


But reading and seeing your stuff lately... Pretty Momma, YOU are an inspiration. I am questioning my pre-established personal limitations (I'm not good at this, stick to what I know, that sort of thing).

Keep preachin sister,

Love.
 
Dood- I just got to the point where i wanted to make myself happy and it started with these crazy hallucinations that my new meds were giving me- i had to get them out of my head. Then i started surfing the net and saw all of these people living the life i feel i deserve and i knew i wanted. So I decided instead of waiting on the lottery i was gonna make my own good fortune. And I AM. I don't care who hates me or my stuff, i paint intuitively, for me not even for the end result, but for the process. And for all those folks out there who don't like me or my stuff, there is someone else who does, and who gets me, and who applauds my trials and triumphs. So I say if your having that feeling and you want to make, don't ignore your intuition, start TODAY! It's cliche but, tomorrow may not come! And what have you got to lose? You'll gain a better feeling about yourself and you'll understand you better!