Imperfections

For a couple of weeks now, I've been struggling. Struggling with my art (my muse is playing hide and seek most days.) Struggling with my weight. Struggling with my thoughts and beliefs. Struggling with my choices.

Today, I give myself permission to accept that I am not perfect. And my imperfections make me who I am. I am imperfectly human.

I chose this photograph today because it is NOT perfect. My settings on my camera weren't right and I just couldn't work them out that day. But I love this photo anyway, for all its imperfections. Diesel looks like she is surrounded by light, by a presence bigger than us all. And, well, truthfully, it had been quite a while since I had posted a photo of my baby! (I just checked and the last photo of Diesel was in January!)

Work is starting next Monday. We have a meeting this Friday, in the morning, to get our group list and other important infos to start the school year. Even though I have done a lot of stuff this summer, I feel like I barely made a dent in my to-do list. But that's ok. Tomorrow is another day. ( I did do more sorting/cleaning than I thought I would though!)

Last thing: I'm planning a giveaway for Labour Day weekend which should be when I reach 200 posts.

Simplicity

Is it possible for an artist, a mixed media artist at that, to live a simple life? You know, less possessions, more space. Less clutter, more zen. I wonder...

Busy weekend ahead. My parents, my brother and I are going to see my grandparents on Sunday.

Today's image is one of my Daily Art Cards from this week. Oil pastels and 4B pencil on untextured cardstock.

PS Come back after the weekend for a giveaway. No specific reason why other than trying to get rid of clutter. (This giveaway will be art by me... )

Art soothes my soul

I. am. an. artist.

I make art. Art is me. No matter how big or small. I have to have art. I have to make art. It is a part of me. of my life. It _is_ my life. The rest is extra. Or is it?

I finished reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. And while reading it, I've realized how aware I really am of living NOW. Sure I get lost in my thoughts, in my dreams like most people. But I also often get these moments where my thoughts are completely still and I can just appreciate Being. Here. Now.

It's powerful stuff.

Artwork is a page from my journal for Emily Falconbridge's challenge.

Listening to the muse

I've been trying different things with my art. Playing differently with my supplies. Experimenting. And I'm not done yet. Not even close. But I'm enjoying it. Every second of it.

I had a craft play day with CeeCee and Mom last Friday. For once we were able to do it during the day instead of in the evening. I made some more paper spool collages. Most of the times, when we're all three together, that's all I seem to do.

It's odd. Sometimes, I seem to have no inspiration at all even though I'm creating every single day. I guess sometimes, I'm creating more out of habit than anything else. What does that mean? I wonder... Anyway, just wanted to show I'm still alive and kicking.

Synchronicity and Serendipity

I actually started typing Sunchronicity. I like that! I may start using that word now. You know, when the sun comes out exactly when you need a little encouragement or something similar. "I was feeling sad this morning when I woke up. And then I started thinking about you and the sun came out right at that moment. Man, that was some good Sunchronicity!" Yep, I like it!


Anyway, I wasn't going to post tonight because I just wasn't feeling it. But then I made my DAC (Daily Art Card), which is NOT the one posted above but similar to it. Inspired by Zentangles. I've read about them on many blogs and forums and finally caved in to see what the fuss was all about. Well, I have to say, it's nothing new to me. I've been doing these kinds of drawings since I was a kid but we just call them doodles or Dessin Sans Dessein which basically means a Drawing without Intention (or without Design.) A drawing that hasn't been thought out prior to being put on paper and which does not represent anything in particular. So anyway, like I said, I've been doing these since I was a kid but hadn't done any in a couple of years. So I decided to draw them again and to use them as a sort of meditation (speaking of which, I've given up meditating on a daily basis; I really don't enjoy it all that much... so I'm doing other things instead like Zentangles-type drawings and knitting.) So expect to see a few more of these drawings.

One of the reasons I wanted to write about synchronicity tonight is that for the past 2 weeks, I've been getting messages from here and there about a singer/songwriter I greatly admire: Leonard Cohen. He's a Montreal native and for as long as I can remember, I've loved his music. But I hadn't taken the time to listen to it for a while now. So a few days ago, I put on the only CD of his I own, Cohen Live, and rediscovered some of my all-time favourites. And I think it was the next day that I heard he was being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and that he will be in concert in Montreal for the Jazz Festival. I would so love to see him in concert but at the moment, I can't afford it. Maybe one day soon.

My thoughts are getting scattered again. I've had back pain for a couple of days now and the pills I took are not helping (nor did rubbing and putting heat and/or cold on it...) So I'm going to bed in hopes of waking up in better shape tomorrow. Goodnight.

Routines

It's amazing how much we take little things for granted. I was so thankful last night to be able to sleep in my own bed, to take up all the room I wanted in it and to have my darling Diesel purring away next to me.

I've gotten so used to doing my Daily Art Cards, my Morning Pages and writing in my "Every day brings something new" journal that when I went to bed at my parents' on Saturday, I felt like I was missing or forgetting something. And same thing when I woke up on Sunday morning. My routine was all out of whack!


I'm a routine person. There are certain things that I do at certain times and in certain ways. If I can't, for some reason, do one of my routine things, I feel almost incomplete, like something is missing. I shouldn't let those little things (or lack of things in this case) bother me, I know but I suppose it's part of who I am.

Okay. So I haven't been able to NOT buy stuff for the past two months. I'm thinking that maybe taking on a challenge to not buy anything new for a year was a bit much. So I need a different approach. I need to go about it on a smaller scale. Let's say one week at a time. If I don't buy anything (other than groceries of course) in the next 7 days, I'll be that much closer to my goal. I'm still planning on using up all that stuff I have for my art, scrapbooking and other creations... you know, all the little things we keep saving for that "special project" that actually never comes along...

Vacation is over now. Tomorrow is back to work. Which is a good thing for someone who needs her routines!