justBeConnected

Catch the surfin' waves with Mother Henna

Come catch the surfin' waves with Mother Henna! I invite you to click through this week's finds and have your own surf experience on each of these sites.  We've got everything from art to artist, packaging materials to custom made decals, from festival to blessing.  Click section headers or images to get to each of the individual sites:

L.Drumm Discovered

For the last winter holidays, my hubby got me several metal art pieces from a local shop, and we couldn't find out anything about the artist except that she was from back East and signed the pieces "L.Drumm".  Her work was so exciting that I took photos of the pieces my hubby gifted me and posted on my blog and the peace blog asking if anyone knew anything else about L.Drumm.  Well it has been six months or so since those posts, but just yesterday someone left me a comment with a link to Don Drumm Studios website -- and low & behold, L.Drumm is discovered finally!!!  Click the image above and find out more about the entire Drumm family, but also see many other metal works from Leandra.  What beauty, what talent, what inspiration!!

ReFAB in Green Mags

My friend Nancy Grayson, the founding designer of ReFAB Designs, is featured in the new green issues of both Eagle and Meridian magazines.  These are great magazine, available in page turning format for free online.  And the current issues have an article sharing photos and follow-up to ReFAB's entirely recycled exhibit that showed at the Boise Idaho Green Conference recently.  Great ideas from ReFAB and the magazines as a whole!

Instant Library Borrowing

WOW!!  Talk about instant manifestation.  I logged in at my local library and discovered they offered a new button on their site called "eCollection" where you can browse the county collection of audio and eBooks to instantly check out online.  Not only that, but they hooked up with NetLibrary to broaden the collection, and I discovered another whole eCollection!  I have a hard time reading paper books.  Things interrupt me, I put the book down, and never get back to it.  I literally have to leave the house and run away to the Cafe to sneak time to read paper books.  BUT with audio books, I can instantly check them out no matter the hour, put on my headphones, and go about doing other things.  I don't hear the phone, no one talks to me because my ears are occupied, and I can do things like clean the kitchen, cook, fold laundry at the same time.  What a dream!

Put your own art on your iPod!

I haven't had a portable listening devices since my walkman back in highschool.  So the recent gift of an iPod has been like leaping into the quantum future!  It is a great help doing things like I mentioned above: listening to audio books while folding laundry :)  BUT also I discovered Unique Skins where  you can log on, upload your own art and have a skin decal printed for your iPod.  I looooooove finding new places to share the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna pieces!  So I'm having a couple skins made for me, but hmmmm?? I might make a few extras and offer them on my Etsy shop!  How cool that digital technology lets us manifest our art and offer it to the world in all these different ways!!? 

Rumor has it...

So the new issue of Art Doll Quarterly is out and featuring the Pink Artists Doll, and I hear rumor that yours truly was quoted in the article!  There is no shop on our little island carrying Stampington magazines, so I haven't seen it myself yet.  Have to hold my horses till the weekend when we get over to the mainland.  But for all of you who have quicker access to a full magazine rack, check out the new Art Doll Quarterly to learn about the Pink Artists Doll -- and if you want to enter a chance to win the doll, check out Monica's blog!!

Animal Spirit Stamps inspire and give me hope...

Was so thrilled to see the Animal Spirit pieces available as stamps!!  I snagged myself the Frog stamp and have to tell you it is so beautiful.  It is unmounted, acrylic stamp.  And it really picks up all the tiny details of her artworks.  Gives me hope that maybe my 1,000 Faces line drawings could actually, really translate into stamps!!

Artists often need packaging materials...

Just had another person send an email asking where they might find wrapper bags to cover a gift basket.  Last week someone else inquired about sleeves for their ATC cards.  So thought to share here that I've found Clearbags to be a great source for packaging.  Reasonably priced, and they even have "green" and recycled materials!  Lynndee was the first one to turn me onto Clearbags -- thank you, Sweets!!!  And so I'm happy to share that resource forward!

Got to meet Henna Rose person!

As Part 3 of my Blog Railing Tour, I had the great fortune to host Henna Rose here on our island for a whole day's visit!  If you have never visited her blog, check it out!  She does beautiful henna, wonderful cloth batik, and is doing awesome "artist in the school" work with her henna club!

Interesting discussion on manifestation and creativity

I'm always interested in the discussions and ideas flooding the world these days about Quantum science in terms of manifestation and creativity.  The Leap folks launched a YouTube subscription series of films sharing various speakers and interviews.  Like "What the Bleep" and Ho'oponopono and Abraham Hicks, this is another interesting resource for discovering tools that let you strip away the layers of stuff and start living your creativity.

Blessings and online meditation

Better To Bless is a very interesting experiment!  I love that she's sharing EFT now and other meditations.  Lots of tools and ideas for stretching your Blessing muscles and finding some peace of mind and heart in your present moment.  It is so free'ing to feel this.  My creativity flows so much more easily when I'm in the place of blessing and being blessed.  Very interesting experiment!

Body & Soul Festival

Sad to say I can't get there this year, but thought to share the site as the idea of this festival and the photos from last year's fest really inspired me.  The idea that you could create a sacred space within a larger setting and have people come round and step into the beauty of art!  That is such a different mind set than say a surfaces and textiles trade show, you know?  Anyway, if you can get there in person, have fun!  Let us know about your experience, too!

Miracles,
k-

This has been an entry of:
The Surfing Life of An Artist
Mother Henna seems to spend as much time surfing as she does making art.  Each Thursday she will plunge into the history of her browser and share what she's swum through during the past week.  Sometimes it's all a splash in the beauty of other artists' sites and blogs, sometimes it's a plunge into the submission guidelines of various publication, sometimes a kick board thru YouTube videos that show "how to" do this and that. You just never know what you'll find in Mother's history.  Get your fins and flippers and come swim with Mother!

About Mother Henna
Mother Henna (aka Kara L.C. Jones) wears many hats:  artist, writer, photo assistant, Reiki Master/Teacher, workshop facilitator, wife, bereaved mum, step mum, grandma, and more.  You'll find more detail about Mother Henna than you could ever really want by clicking here.  To follow the progression of the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna project, check out the blog at MotherHenna.blogspot.com.  Lots of items are out in the world with Mother's designs featured:
Handmade items at MotherHenna.etsy.com
Books & Ephemera at Mother's Lulu.com shop
Tshirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies and more at Mother's CafePress shop

Come catch the surfin' waves with Mother Henna! I invite you to click through this week's finds and have your own surf experience on each of these sites.  We've got everything from art to artist, packaging materials to custom made decals, from festival to blessing.  Click section headers or images to get to each of the individual sites:

L.Drumm Discovered

For the last winter holidays, my hubby got me several metal art pieces from a local shop, and we couldn't find out anything about the artist except that she was from back East and signed the pieces "L.Drumm".  Her work was so exciting that I took photos of the pieces my hubby gifted me and posted on my blog and the peace blog asking if anyone knew anything else about L.Drumm.  Well it has been six months or so since those posts, but just yesterday someone left me a comment with a link to Don Drumm Studios website -- and low & behold, L.Drumm is discovered finally!!!  Click the image above and find out more about the entire Drumm family, but also see many other metal works from Leandra.  What beauty, what talent, what inspiration!!

ReFAB in Green Mags

My friend Nancy Grayson, the founding designer of ReFAB Designs, is featured in the new green issues of both Eagle and Meridian magazines.  These are great magazine, available in page turning format for free online.  And the current issues have an article sharing photos and follow-up to ReFAB's entirely recycled exhibit that showed at the Boise Idaho Green Conference recently.  Great ideas from ReFAB and the magazines as a whole!

Instant Library Borrowing

WOW!!  Talk about instant manifestation.  I logged in at my local library and discovered they offered a new button on their site called "eCollection" where you can browse the county collection of audio and eBooks to instantly check out online.  Not only that, but they hooked up with NetLibrary to broaden the collection, and I discovered another whole eCollection!  I have a hard time reading paper books.  Things interrupt me, I put the book down, and never get back to it.  I literally have to leave the house and run away to the Cafe to sneak time to read paper books.  BUT with audio books, I can instantly check them out no matter the hour, put on my headphones, and go about doing other things.  I don't hear the phone, no one talks to me because my ears are occupied, and I can do things like clean the kitchen, cook, fold laundry at the same time.  What a dream!

Put your own art on your iPod!

I haven't had a portable listening devices since my walkman back in highschool.  So the recent gift of an iPod has been like leaping into the quantum future!  It is a great help doing things like I mentioned above: listening to audio books while folding laundry :)  BUT also I discovered Unique Skins where  you can log on, upload your own art and have a skin decal printed for your iPod.  I looooooove finding new places to share the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna pieces!  So I'm having a couple skins made for me, but hmmmm?? I might make a few extras and offer them on my Etsy shop!  How cool that digital technology lets us manifest our art and offer it to the world in all these different ways!!? 

Rumor has it...

So the new issue of Art Doll Quarterly is out and featuring the Pink Artists Doll, and I hear rumor that yours truly was quoted in the article!  There is no shop on our little island carrying Stampington magazines, so I haven't seen it myself yet.  Have to hold my horses till the weekend when we get over to the mainland.  But for all of you who have quicker access to a full magazine rack, check out the new Art Doll Quarterly to learn about the Pink Artists Doll -- and if you want to enter a chance to win the doll, check out Monica's blog!!

Animal Spirit Stamps inspire and give me hope...

Was so thrilled to see the Animal Spirit pieces available as stamps!!  I snagged myself the Frog stamp and have to tell you it is so beautiful.  It is unmounted, acrylic stamp.  And it really picks up all the tiny details of her artworks.  Gives me hope that maybe my 1,000 Faces line drawings could actually, really translate into stamps!!

Artists often need packaging materials...

Just had another person send an email asking where they might find wrapper bags to cover a gift basket.  Last week someone else inquired about sleeves for their ATC cards.  So thought to share here that I've found Clearbags to be a great source for packaging.  Reasonably priced, and they even have "green" and recycled materials!  Lynndee was the first one to turn me onto Clearbags -- thank you, Sweets!!!  And so I'm happy to share that resource forward!

Got to meet Henna Rose person!

As Part 3 of my Blog Railing Tour, I had the great fortune to host Henna Rose here on our island for a whole day's visit!  If you have never visited her blog, check it out!  She does beautiful henna, wonderful cloth batik, and is doing awesome "artist in the school" work with her henna club!

Interesting discussion on manifestation and creativity

I'm always interested in the discussions and ideas flooding the world these days about Quantum science in terms of manifestation and creativity.  The Leap folks launched a YouTube subscription series of films sharing various speakers and interviews.  Like "What the Bleep" and Ho'oponopono and Abraham Hicks, this is another interesting resource for discovering tools that let you strip away the layers of stuff and start living your creativity.

Blessings and online meditation

Better To Bless is a very interesting experiment!  I love that she's sharing EFT now and other meditations.  Lots of tools and ideas for stretching your Blessing muscles and finding some peace of mind and heart in your present moment.  It is so free'ing to feel this.  My creativity flows so much more easily when I'm in the place of blessing and being blessed.  Very interesting experiment!

Body & Soul Festival

Sad to say I can't get there this year, but thought to share the site as the idea of this festival and the photos from last year's fest really inspired me.  The idea that you could create a sacred space within a larger setting and have people come round and step into the beauty of art!  That is such a different mind set than say a surfaces and textiles trade show, you know?  Anyway, if you can get there in person, have fun!  Let us know about your experience, too!

Miracles,
k-

This has been an entry of:
The Surfing Life of An Artist
Mother Henna seems to spend as much time surfing as she does making art.  Each Thursday she will plunge into the history of her browser and share what she's swum through during the past week.  Sometimes it's all a splash in the beauty of other artists' sites and blogs, sometimes it's a plunge into the submission guidelines of various publication, sometimes a kick board thru YouTube videos that show "how to" do this and that. You just never know what you'll find in Mother's history.  Get your fins and flippers and come swim with Mother!

About Mother Henna
Mother Henna (aka Kara L.C. Jones) wears many hats:  artist, writer, photo assistant, Reiki Master/Teacher, workshop facilitator, wife, bereaved mum, step mum, grandma, and more.  You'll find more detail about Mother Henna than you could ever really want by clicking here.  To follow the progression of the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna project, check out the blog at MotherHenna.blogspot.com.  Lots of items are out in the world with Mother's designs featured:
Handmade items at MotherHenna.etsy.com
Books & Ephemera at Mother's Lulu.com shop
Tshirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies and more at Mother's CafePress shop

Come catch the surfin' waves with Mother Henna! I invite you to click through this week's finds and have your own surf experience on each of these sites.  We've got everything from art to artist, packaging materials to custom made decals, from festival to blessing.  Click section headers or images to get to each of the individual sites:

L.Drumm Discovered

For the last winter holidays, my hubby got me several metal art pieces from a local shop, and we couldn't find out anything about the artist except that she was from back East and signed the pieces "L.Drumm".  Her work was so exciting that I took photos of the pieces my hubby gifted me and posted on my blog and the peace blog asking if anyone knew anything else about L.Drumm.  Well it has been six months or so since those posts, but just yesterday someone left me a comment with a link to Don Drumm Studios website -- and low & behold, L.Drumm is discovered finally!!!  Click the image above and find out more about the entire Drumm family, but also see many other metal works from Leandra.  What beauty, what talent, what inspiration!!

ReFAB in Green Mags

My friend Nancy Grayson, the founding designer of ReFAB Designs, is featured in the new green issues of both Eagle and Meridian magazines.  These are great magazine, available in page turning format for free online.  And the current issues have an article sharing photos and follow-up to ReFAB's entirely recycled exhibit that showed at the Boise Idaho Green Conference recently.  Great ideas from ReFAB and the magazines as a whole!

Instant Library Borrowing

WOW!!  Talk about instant manifestation.  I logged in at my local library and discovered they offered a new button on their site called "eCollection" where you can browse the county collection of audio and eBooks to instantly check out online.  Not only that, but they hooked up with NetLibrary to broaden the collection, and I discovered another whole eCollection!  I have a hard time reading paper books.  Things interrupt me, I put the book down, and never get back to it.  I literally have to leave the house and run away to the Cafe to sneak time to read paper books.  BUT with audio books, I can instantly check them out no matter the hour, put on my headphones, and go about doing other things.  I don't hear the phone, no one talks to me because my ears are occupied, and I can do things like clean the kitchen, cook, fold laundry at the same time.  What a dream!

Put your own art on your iPod!

I haven't had a portable listening devices since my walkman back in highschool.  So the recent gift of an iPod has been like leaping into the quantum future!  It is a great help doing things like I mentioned above: listening to audio books while folding laundry :)  BUT also I discovered Unique Skins where  you can log on, upload your own art and have a skin decal printed for your iPod.  I looooooove finding new places to share the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna pieces!  So I'm having a couple skins made for me, but hmmmm?? I might make a few extras and offer them on my Etsy shop!  How cool that digital technology lets us manifest our art and offer it to the world in all these different ways!!? 

Rumor has it...

So the new issue of Art Doll Quarterly is out and featuring the Pink Artists Doll, and I hear rumor that yours truly was quoted in the article!  There is no shop on our little island carrying Stampington magazines, so I haven't seen it myself yet.  Have to hold my horses till the weekend when we get over to the mainland.  But for all of you who have quicker access to a full magazine rack, check out the new Art Doll Quarterly to learn about the Pink Artists Doll -- and if you want to enter a chance to win the doll, check out Monica's blog!!

Animal Spirit Stamps inspire and give me hope...

Was so thrilled to see the Animal Spirit pieces available as stamps!!  I snagged myself the Frog stamp and have to tell you it is so beautiful.  It is unmounted, acrylic stamp.  And it really picks up all the tiny details of her artworks.  Gives me hope that maybe my 1,000 Faces line drawings could actually, really translate into stamps!!

Artists often need packaging materials...

Just had another person send an email asking where they might find wrapper bags to cover a gift basket.  Last week someone else inquired about sleeves for their ATC cards.  So thought to share here that I've found Clearbags to be a great source for packaging.  Reasonably priced, and they even have "green" and recycled materials!  Lynndee was the first one to turn me onto Clearbags -- thank you, Sweets!!!  And so I'm happy to share that resource forward!

Got to meet Henna Rose person!

As Part 3 of my Blog Railing Tour, I had the great fortune to host Henna Rose here on our island for a whole day's visit!  If you have never visited her blog, check it out!  She does beautiful henna, wonderful cloth batik, and is doing awesome "artist in the school" work with her henna club!

Interesting discussion on manifestation and creativity

I'm always interested in the discussions and ideas flooding the world these days about Quantum science in terms of manifestation and creativity.  The Leap folks launched a YouTube subscription series of films sharing various speakers and interviews.  Like "What the Bleep" and Ho'oponopono and Abraham Hicks, this is another interesting resource for discovering tools that let you strip away the layers of stuff and start living your creativity.

Blessings and online meditation

Better To Bless is a very interesting experiment!  I love that she's sharing EFT now and other meditations.  Lots of tools and ideas for stretching your Blessing muscles and finding some peace of mind and heart in your present moment.  It is so free'ing to feel this.  My creativity flows so much more easily when I'm in the place of blessing and being blessed.  Very interesting experiment!

Body & Soul Festival

Sad to say I can't get there this year, but thought to share the site as the idea of this festival and the photos from last year's fest really inspired me.  The idea that you could create a sacred space within a larger setting and have people come round and step into the beauty of art!  That is such a different mind set than say a surfaces and textiles trade show, you know?  Anyway, if you can get there in person, have fun!  Let us know about your experience, too!

Miracles,
k-

This has been an entry of:
The Surfing Life of An Artist
Mother Henna seems to spend as much time surfing as she does making art.  Each Thursday she will plunge into the history of her browser and share what she's swum through during the past week.  Sometimes it's all a splash in the beauty of other artists' sites and blogs, sometimes it's a plunge into the submission guidelines of various publication, sometimes a kick board thru YouTube videos that show "how to" do this and that. You just never know what you'll find in Mother's history.  Get your fins and flippers and come swim with Mother!

About Mother Henna
Mother Henna (aka Kara L.C. Jones) wears many hats:  artist, writer, photo assistant, Reiki Master/Teacher, workshop facilitator, wife, bereaved mum, step mum, grandma, and more.  You'll find more detail about Mother Henna than you could ever really want by clicking here.  To follow the progression of the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna project, check out the blog at MotherHenna.blogspot.com.  Lots of items are out in the world with Mother's designs featured:
Handmade items at MotherHenna.etsy.com
Books & Ephemera at Mother's Lulu.com shop
Tshirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies and more at Mother's CafePress shop

~~~Giveaway~~~

We had so much fun last time that I decided to do it again...

I am giving away a free copy of

Creating in the Midst

a 12 week guided group for bloggers

{second edition}

<<<available for purchase at justBeAltered>>>

Share in the comments on

THIS POST

at

www.creatinginthemidst.com

(there is a new video posted too!)

XO, Melba

We had so much fun last time that I decided to do it again...

I am giving away a free copy of

Creating in the Midst

a 12 week guided group for bloggers

{second edition}

<<<available for purchase at justBeAltered>>>

Share in the comments on

THIS POST

at

www.creatinginthemidst.com

(there is a new video posted too!)

XO, Melba

The Shrine of Books

When I daydream about my perfect home I imagine a swimming pool, a walk in closet and a garden/forest the size of Hampton Court but no dream house of mine could possibly be complete without a library. A room filled floor to ceiling with books, and fifty or so perfect reading seats for the reader who likes to move around would be essential. That is the kind of room I could live happily in, my shrine made of books.

Books are amazing sources of inspiration, built from inspiration themselves. When you read stories by talented writers you are reading about someone else’s dream and their dream can inspire you by suggesting creative pathways you might like to explore. A quote, an image, a source or even just a word may spark an idea in your head and suddenly you are running to get your pen, paints, scissors, camera…well you get the idea. My main advice to anyone with a passion for creating would be that they read often, read well and read diversely. Books will expanded your knowledge by teaching you about a subject you had never approached before or by offering facts you have never heard about a familiar subject. They will also show you how various writers structure their work and allow you to explore different styles of artistry. Most importantly they will take you deep in to all sides of humanity through the characters they include, encouraging you to make your art about everything, turning it into a true reflection of your vision.

Each Sunday I will be introducing you to a book that I have loved. I will discuss the main themes and slot in quotes in the hope that these books will provide new starting points for your creative endeavours. Sometimes I will also suggest creative tasks that you might want to work on in relation to the book. I hope you find books that intrigue you and make you want to read, as well as stories that get your artistic heart drumming.

I’ll start with the book I finished most recently, 'Radiance' by Shaena Lambert. ‘Radiance’ is set after the atomic attack on Hiroshima. Keiko, a young girl whose face is scarred by the blast is selected by the Hiroshima Project to journey to America for plastic surgery in return for telling her story and speaking against continued atomic testing. She is placed with well meaning Daisy Lawrence in her typical, suburban neighbourhood Riverside Meadows. Daisy has recently miscarried for the second time but has kept her second miscarriage a secret and is in some ways looking for a daughter figure in Keiko.

I think this is such a good book for my first post here because it is full of ideas about the art of storytelling and the creative blocks that can occur when trying to write.

‘In college, and since living in Riverside Meadows, Daisy had harboured a secret wish to write. She wanted to write quite desperately at time, with lust and indignity and shame attached to the desire…Yet whenever Daisy tried-sneaking in to sit at Walter’s greasy old typewriter, typing out her story ideas-she felt humiliated by how tiny her observations turned out to be. By the time she had written and rewritten a single paragraph, it was terribly filigreed and dead, as though she had applied layers of Byzantine gilding to a corpse.’

Now that is visceral imagery and strong word choice. You can feel Walter’s ‘greasy’ typewriter and see Daisy’s excessive black words rearranged themselves into a ‘filigreed’ pattern, like an iron gate. The ‘Byzantine gilding’ brings up an aspect of a different culture it might be fun to investigate.

Who hasn’t felt these type of emotions when trying to write or create? Everything seems bad or inconsequential and these kind of blocks can stop you from trying for a long time. Daisy isn’t the only creative type with problems. Her husband Walter has been researching his novel for years but appears to have stopped writing. Keiko is unable to tell the true story of August 6^th, when Hiroshima was bombed and so instead talks about the Hiroshima she knew before the bomb, constantly leading up to the event but never describing it fully. Irene Day, Daisy’s friend is kept writing for the Women’s Circle and denied the chance to write the pure journalism she craves by:

‘This dreadful concept that women should be muses; that simply by standing still in a grove of trees they could be in touch with their deepest nature…’

Keiko’s grandfather, killed in the bomb blast was a collector of Japanese stories. She is especially influenced, after her trip to America, by stories he used to tell about foxes and fox women or bakemono, spirits who changed themselves into women but who appear without faces:

‘…foxes in graveyards, foxes that turned into women, foxes with liquorice lips, nothing faces. There were names for different colours of fox, different potencies. Kitsune-common fox; yako-field fox; genko-black fox; shakko-red fox; reiko-ghost fox.’

Keiko is a tricky character, relying on her ability to be whatever anyone believes she is to get her to her surgery in America. While disguising herself in this way she begins to loose a sense of her identity and the stories she remembers take a deep hold over her. She begins to think she is the bakemono, a deceiving, evil spirit or the lying fox-child her mother fondly described her as or the girl filled with bad seeds her aunt described. She begins to unravel and becomes more erratic and cruel as she feels trapped by the expectations of others. Stories and her misappropriation of them come close to destroying her.

It is different for other characters. Walter is finally able to tell someone the secret reason why his novel has stalled and this sets him free, showing that sometimes a creative project can become a trap an artists needs to be released from. Sometimes it’s just better to move on. Daisy begins to write once Keiko is gone and her writing is again a release:

‘Coming home from these long days she would get out her journal and write, amazed that out of those ordinary days there was so much to record, and so much to get down, too, of the old days. She was amazed at how, slowly and quietly and first, and then with increasing vigour and certainty, she could flip back over the pages, read what she had written and discover she liked it.’

At first Daisy writes from experience, a tip all new writers will have heard, but soon she writes past what she knows and imagines what might have happened to Keiko, as she has been forbidden from seeing her. This imaginative leap allows her some closure. She doesn’t write for anybody else, instead making up stories the way that she wants to hear them. This idea of using your artistic energies for yourself is also an old suggestion but a powerful way of removing any feeling of pressure that can slow the creative process down.

‘Radiance’ is a book with a strength that expresses the most complex ideas with a simple, dark stroke. It is also a book filled with ideas on the creative process and the nature of storytelling. If you like authors who can make you unsure about anyone’s character and intentions you’ll enjoy this novel.

Exercises

Read some of the traditional stories of your country. Create something based on one of them.

Write as much as you know about someone you don’t see any more, then write what you think has happened to them.

Create a piece based on the traditions of Japanese art or writing.

Now Reading

'The Book of Love'by Sarah Bower

Jodie loves books, drinking and crafting. She longs to hold a party based on those three things (think very posh cocktails and cider). She can be found discussing British literature every month at Estellas Revenge . She is the maker of Pretty Little Love Objects and loves to discuss the handmade revolution and how to make the world a lovely place on a weekly basis.

Grounding Meditation

Hola gorgeous souls!

This week I wanted to share about the importance of grounding & centering in my spiritual practices.

I use grounding in my personal dairy practices, as well as leading grounding meditations in the womens circles and retreats I run.

A little explanation of grounding if you're not quite sure what it means.
So often we can get caught up in our heads with thoughts and our heart and belly regions with so many feelings and meditations. Without balance, we can feel swept away by our emotions and stuck in a whirlpool of thoughts. We feel headsy, flighty, head-achy, overwhelmed, breathless and uncentered.

Grounding brings our heads, hearts and bellies in alignment with our feet and our connection to the Earth. The Earth is where we come from, where we are born from, and it is what connects us with our home, each other and the natural healing energies of nature. In this meditation, we ground to balance ourselves, bring ourselves into the present and receive the healing energy of the Earth.

I can best explain grounding by telling my experience of grounding.
Before I ground myself, I can feel fidgety, distracted and disconnected. My head is aswim with thoughts and my body is filled with so many lost, unreleased emotions that I feel stale and stuck. I go outside, place my hands on Mother Earth, and I begin to breathe. I do my meditation, and there becomes a place of stillness. A whisp of wind brushes my cheeks, lifting the ends of my hair. A bird flies past, and I smile. Tenderly, I fall back in love with myself. Gently, I remember who I am: a beautiful being, as much a part of this earth as a waterfall, a forest song or a thin reed of grass. I become whole again, as I remember the Earth is my home. I become balanced, uniting thought and feeling with knowing.

This is the gift of grounding. I created the above poster as a mini retreat reminder. Bliss is only a breath away.

The Meditation for Grounding poster is available in my Etsy store if you wanted an extra daily retreat reminder.

With love, spirit and joy,
Leonie

Goddess Leonie is a 25 year old artist, writer, photographer and spiritual teacher. She runs womens circles & retreats, as well as creating artworks to celebrate the Goddess in each of us.

Visit her online dream palace at www.goddessleonie.com
& her Etsy Goddess art store at http://goddessofleonie.etsy.com

Inspriations from the surf...

Welcome back to surfin' inspirations with Mother Henna! This week's finds were driven entirely by travel.  My first train travel, first time in Wallowa, explorations of art and nature.  Hope you enjoy the virtual tour tracing my tracks :)

Who knew Amtrak was keeping/restoring the gems of train station architecture?

Seattle King Street Station

This is such an interesting station in process!  You can see in the photo here and by clicking thru on the link above, that the original station was/is beautiful.  The marble, inset glittering mosaics, the light fixtures.

At some point it was all covered over with hideous florescent lighting and dropped ceiling.  But slowly they are renovating.  You see here the entry way is entirely restored.  In the main waiting area, it is half way done.  There is this interesting veiw where you can see the horrid decor side by side with the original beauty peeking through in all its majesty. 

If you get a chance, I highly recommend a stop in the Seattle King Street Station.  If you can't see it in person, you can read and see photos at the link above!

Portland Union Train Station

Our next stop was the Portland Union Station which is fully restored and quite stunning.  We had upgrades, so we got to hang out in the Metro Lounge, too.  Really cool.  You'll find an interesting history and photo tour online by clicking here! 

Final destination...Wallowa

Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland

One of our motivations for this trip was to attend the Nez Perce Tamkaliks.  We got to see the dancing and witness the Veterans Honoring on Saturday.

The dancers were all stunningly adorned in traditional pieces, obviously every single one hand embellished to various degrees. I saw many moms and grandmothers helping the young kids with various piece of headwear or feathers or neck pieces.  Made me really look at how the pieces will be infused with meaning over a lifetime.  Where did the feather and stone in that young boy's head piece come from?  A grandfather maybe?  And how will that young boy grow into a man, taking that piece with him, dancing over the years, healing medicine experiences happening as the piece morphs and travels with him till he's a man and passes it to his son?

I also loved seeing both men and women, boys and girls all held in honor, dancing, drumming, singing.  All having an equal space within the sacred circle.  And I was encouraged to see all kinds of divides being crossed, participants being Native, white, black, inter-racial.  It was a very emotional experience -- I'm still processing!

Wallowa Lake

We also had the great fortune to spend some time up at Wallowa Lake which is just stunning!  If you are into nature study or landscape photography, this is a great place to land for a bit!  Or if you want to wind surf, swim, or hike, check out the lake.  There are wonderful little cabins and lodges to stay.  Built around the lake is a little community of eateries, miniature golf, bumper cars, a tram up the mountain.  I spent the week just staring at the sensory overload of nature!

Mad Mary & Company

And it isn't all just remote nature either!  There's a wonderful little stop in Joseph where you'll find a creatively little shop, some unbelievably yummy sweets, and the wifi hangout!  Mad Mary & Co. is right on the main drag in Joseph, playing rockin' oldies, comfie space inside or out front to chill over a latte and fresh baked cinnamon roll while you check your email!  Fun discovery!

And the most important:  artists!!!

Joseph Oregon Artisan Directory

Joseph is also a great hot spot for artists!  There's a wonderful artisans' directory online where you can catch a glimpse of the bronze artists, photographers, painters, clay artists, and more.  While we were prepared for the heights of nature's beauty, we didn't expect that we'd find so many art options!  If you are headed to Joseph, I highly recommend going thru the artisan directory prior to your visit so you don't miss anything while you are there!

Valley Bronze

We hardly had enough time to visit the galleries, but I'm so glad we stopped by Valley Bronze.  The gallery owner was very friendly and glad to answer all my questions about this and that.  They had beautiful pieces by Barbara Chen and many other wonderful bronze artists from the area.  Their website has galleries for each artist and lots of info about commissioning pieces.  And they had at least a dozen *stunning, stunning* pieces by Nano Lopez -- take a look:
Isn't this piece dreamy?  The Nanimals run in sizes from as big as a hand all the way up to lifesize.  They are detailed beyond anything you can imagine. 

This image here shows some great detail, but click through and see all the other photos.  If you get a chance to see a high resolution photo -- or better yet to see it in person -- I highly recommend you see the camel piece Nano did.  It is so complex, detailed, beautiful.  A mix of metal work, found pieces, impressions or molds of various ephemera, patina, paint, and more. 

Nano's work seems like magic to me.  I've tried to find a book or high resolution poster or something available that I might get my hands on -- really, really want to study the layers and patchwork beauty that maps each piece!  But so far no luck there.  At least do a Google image search for Nano Lopez and take a look at as many detail shots as you can.  They are amazing!

That's the surf for this week!  Thanks for traveling along...and see you next week!

Miracles,
k-

This has been an entry of:
The Surfing Life of An Artist
Mother Henna seems to spend as much time surfing as she does making art.  Each Thursday she will plunge into the history of her browser and share what she's swum through during the past week.  Sometimes it's all a splash in the beauty of other artists' sites and blogs, sometimes it's a plunge into the submission guidelines of various publication, sometimes a kick board thru YouTube videos that show "how to" do this and that. You just never know what you'll find in Mother's history.  Get your fins and flippers and come swim with Mother!

About Mother Henna
Mother Henna (aka Kara L.C. Jones) wears many hats:  artist, writer, photo assistant, Reiki Master/Teacher, workshop facilitator, wife, bereaved mum, step mum, grandma, and more.  You'll find more detail about Mother Henna than you could ever really want by clicking here.  To follow the progression of the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna project, check out the blog at MotherHenna.blogspot.com.  Lots of items are out in the world with Mother's designs featured:
Handmade items at MotherHenna.etsy.com
Books & Ephemera at Mother's Lulu.com shop
Tshirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies and more at Mother's CafePress shop

Welcome back to surfin' inspirations with Mother Henna! This week's finds were driven entirely by travel.  My first train travel, first time in Wallowa, explorations of art and nature.  Hope you enjoy the virtual tour tracing my tracks :)

Who knew Amtrak was keeping/restoring the gems of train station architecture?

Seattle King Street Station

This is such an interesting station in process!  You can see in the photo here and by clicking thru on the link above, that the original station was/is beautiful.  The marble, inset glittering mosaics, the light fixtures.

At some point it was all covered over with hideous florescent lighting and dropped ceiling.  But slowly they are renovating.  You see here the entry way is entirely restored.  In the main waiting area, it is half way done.  There is this interesting veiw where you can see the horrid decor side by side with the original beauty peeking through in all its majesty. 

If you get a chance, I highly recommend a stop in the Seattle King Street Station.  If you can't see it in person, you can read and see photos at the link above!

Portland Union Train Station

Our next stop was the Portland Union Station which is fully restored and quite stunning.  We had upgrades, so we got to hang out in the Metro Lounge, too.  Really cool.  You'll find an interesting history and photo tour online by clicking here! 

Final destination...Wallowa

Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland

One of our motivations for this trip was to attend the Nez Perce Tamkaliks.  We got to see the dancing and witness the Veterans Honoring on Saturday.

The dancers were all stunningly adorned in traditional pieces, obviously every single one hand embellished to various degrees. I saw many moms and grandmothers helping the young kids with various piece of headwear or feathers or neck pieces.  Made me really look at how the pieces will be infused with meaning over a lifetime.  Where did the feather and stone in that young boy's head piece come from?  A grandfather maybe?  And how will that young boy grow into a man, taking that piece with him, dancing over the years, healing medicine experiences happening as the piece morphs and travels with him till he's a man and passes it to his son?

I also loved seeing both men and women, boys and girls all held in honor, dancing, drumming, singing.  All having an equal space within the sacred circle.  And I was encouraged to see all kinds of divides being crossed, participants being Native, white, black, inter-racial.  It was a very emotional experience -- I'm still processing!

Wallowa Lake

We also had the great fortune to spend some time up at Wallowa Lake which is just stunning!  If you are into nature study or landscape photography, this is a great place to land for a bit!  Or if you want to wind surf, swim, or hike, check out the lake.  There are wonderful little cabins and lodges to stay.  Built around the lake is a little community of eateries, miniature golf, bumper cars, a tram up the mountain.  I spent the week just staring at the sensory overload of nature!

Mad Mary & Company

And it isn't all just remote nature either!  There's a wonderful little stop in Joseph where you'll find a creatively little shop, some unbelievably yummy sweets, and the wifi hangout!  Mad Mary & Co. is right on the main drag in Joseph, playing rockin' oldies, comfie space inside or out front to chill over a latte and fresh baked cinnamon roll while you check your email!  Fun discovery!

And the most important:  artists!!!

Joseph Oregon Artisan Directory

Joseph is also a great hot spot for artists!  There's a wonderful artisans' directory online where you can catch a glimpse of the bronze artists, photographers, painters, clay artists, and more.  While we were prepared for the heights of nature's beauty, we didn't expect that we'd find so many art options!  If you are headed to Joseph, I highly recommend going thru the artisan directory prior to your visit so you don't miss anything while you are there!

Valley Bronze

We hardly had enough time to visit the galleries, but I'm so glad we stopped by Valley Bronze.  The gallery owner was very friendly and glad to answer all my questions about this and that.  They had beautiful pieces by Barbara Chen and many other wonderful bronze artists from the area.  Their website has galleries for each artist and lots of info about commissioning pieces.  And they had at least a dozen *stunning, stunning* pieces by Nano Lopez -- take a look:
Isn't this piece dreamy?  The Nanimals run in sizes from as big as a hand all the way up to lifesize.  They are detailed beyond anything you can imagine. 

This image here shows some great detail, but click through and see all the other photos.  If you get a chance to see a high resolution photo -- or better yet to see it in person -- I highly recommend you see the camel piece Nano did.  It is so complex, detailed, beautiful.  A mix of metal work, found pieces, impressions or molds of various ephemera, patina, paint, and more. 

Nano's work seems like magic to me.  I've tried to find a book or high resolution poster or something available that I might get my hands on -- really, really want to study the layers and patchwork beauty that maps each piece!  But so far no luck there.  At least do a Google image search for Nano Lopez and take a look at as many detail shots as you can.  They are amazing!

That's the surf for this week!  Thanks for traveling along...and see you next week!

Hi everyone!

I was hoping to make a video today but alas I have laryngitis~ this has never happened to me before. Hopefully it will only last a few days. Next weekend I will post a giveaway for a free copy of Creating in the Midst which will include access to the private Creating in the Midst ii Blog.

Here is some more information about the guide and group~

The first edition of Creating in the Midst Guide and Group sold out!

Creating in the Midst

a 12 week guided group for bloggers

{second edition}

is now available here.

Creating in the Midst a 12 week guided group for bloggers second edition is an updated version of the guide that will include even more pages(50+), different art, and a pace dedicated to create strong bonds amongst your blogging group mates.

Creating in the Midst is a paperback guide organized into 12 weeks. Each week offers a focus, a list of practices, and sharing suggestions. There are colorful blank journal pages peppered through out the guide for you to expand on the practices as well as a place for you to document your journey.

The second 12 week Blogging Creating in the Midst Group will run from September 28th through December 13th, 2008. Once you purchase the guide you will receive a passcode to view and publish on the private Creating in the Midst Group ii blog.

Your guide will be signed, numbered and accompanied by a hand made flower silver wire bookmark.

This is a pre-order. You will receive your guide by the last week of August, but will have access to the blog shortly after you purchase the guide.

I look forward to connecting with you!

Shipping and Handling is Free!!!

Please email me if you have any questions about the guide or group.

Thank you,
Melba

Hi everyone!

I was hoping to make a video today but alas I have laryngitis~ this has never happened to me before. Hopefully it will only last a few days. Next weekend I will post a giveaway for a free copy of Creating in the Midst which will include access to the private Creating in the Midst ii Blog.

Here is some more information about the guide and group~

The first edition of Creating in the Midst Guide and Group sold out!

Creating in the Midst

a 12 week guided group for bloggers

{second edition}

is now available here.

Creating in the Midst a 12 week guided group for bloggers second edition is an updated version of the guide that will include even more pages(50+), different art, and a pace dedicated to create strong bonds amongst your blogging group mates.

Creating in the Midst is a paperback guide organized into 12 weeks. Each week offers a focus, a list of practices, and sharing suggestions. There are colorful blank journal pages peppered through out the guide for you to expand on the practices as well as a place for you to document your journey.

The second 12 week Blogging Creating in the Midst Group will run from September 28th through December 13th, 2008. Once you purchase the guide you will receive a passcode to view and publish on the private Creating in the Midst Group ii blog.

Your guide will be signed, numbered and accompanied by a hand made flower silver wire bookmark.

This is a pre-order. You will receive your guide by the last week of August, but will have access to the blog shortly after you purchase the guide.

I look forward to connecting with you!

Shipping and Handling is Free!!!

Please email me if you have any questions about the guide or group.

Thank you,
Melba

Scattered Saturdays . . . wander through Tinker Art!!!

Good Afternoon!!  I am having a late start to life today -- the cable company and I had to have a l-o-n-g talk about internet connections about five this morning!!  They have finally fixed the problem (for now anyway!), and I can get back to work!!!  So off we go on this Saturday's wanderings . . .

I've wandered through several web sites that I've found an absolute blast -- and I've been back to visit them already!  I have one, belonging to an artist, writer -- and upcoming illustrator of her own books that I'd like to introduce you all to!!!!

Tinker-Art  will take you to the web site of Tinker!  And you will find yourself on the blog of a woman who uses her art to express herself quite uniquely!  She also has a unique take on blogs and what they are for -- so her altered art is something that takes you even deeper into her as you begin to know her!

                           

Here is the interview -- read for yourself -- and be sure and visit the web site -- and her Etsy site as well!!

1.Tell me about yourself  (just what you are comfortable with – and make it very general!!  Don’t reveal anything you don’t want to!)

I'm an artist and writer, who would like to illustrate her own books.  I live in small town suburbia, southern California, with my loving and supportive, slightly kooky (they have to be - they put up with me) family and an assortment of pets.

2. What is your most important accomplishment to date?

I know this might sound a bit hackneyed, but raising my two daughters. Raising someone up to be an ethical and caring adult, seems to me, too often under-rated - and really, it's no small feat. Despite the many mistakes I made along the way -and still do, to be honest - somehow we've made it through the sleepless nights, the terrible twos - all the way up through the tumultuous teen years - then on up, over and through - that 21st year to thriving adulthood - over 30 years, for my eldest. Whew! At least we've made it thus far - though life is a work in a progress, a journey that never really ends...

 

3. What motivates you?

In art and writing, it's the driving need to create, using images and words - looking for that "A-ha!" moment, where everything clicks together for me.

In terms of blogging, I think it's fulfilling a human need to be a part of a tribe - that desire to connect and share with others who understand the path you're treading on...

4.  Why Tinker Art?  Why that path – of altered art to go with your writing?

The 'Tinker' part came about originally as a nickname a former co-worker gave me many years ago, even before I found the blogworld - because I was always 'tinkering' with stuff -- either fiddling with things to get them to work again or rearranging things till they looked just right, to me. I do the same thing, with images and words...tinker  around with them, 'til it seems to work for me.

As for the art part - before I could even read and write, I would draw little illustrations on the end pages of books. Though I got in trouble for it, that didn't seem to deter me much! Putting art/images with words has always felt right and natural to me. I've been making altered art to go with writing all my life - in the early years, I just didn't know that's what it was called, lol.

5.   What sets Tinker Art apart from other sites?

I think most blogs are as unique, as one person is from another.  I like to think of everyone's blogs as sort of their on-line homes - the windows and doors into their world, through which we can catch glimpses of one another, and wave 'hi' as we go by... Like our homes in the real world, each person's place seems to have its own particular atmosphere, that reflects the person who lives there. Tinker Art is a little like me and my own home - sort of colorful, maybe a little funky and eclectic, I think...

An odd but interesting assortment of art and photos on the walls. The coffee table holds a strange collection of storybooks, novels and journals. Some baskets and jars filled with colored beads, stones, seashells, seedpods and acorns lined up on the mantle. A toybox in the corner, with wind-up toys, puppets and fairies poking their heads out. Notebooks and sheets of paper, a box of crayons and jars filled with colored pencils are scattered about on a drawing table. Occasionally, the grandgirls and a cat or two wander through. The chairs are over-stuffed but comfy, and there's usually a pot of tea brewing...

It's a room of my own, where I can write, even draw on the walls - or just pin up photos - I've been doing that a lot lately. It has a little bit of everything that makes me, me...Sometimes, it's sharing slices of my life - what I've seen or done that day, or hope to do. I like tinkering with words and images, as a way to share my art, stories and ideas - so sometimes it's playing make-believe, and inviting others to come in and hang out, play around with those ideas, too...

6.  When you set down to write, do you have the ideas for your art work first?  Ideas for your writing first?  Blank slate???

Sometimes the images come first, and then I try to find the words that go with it. Sometimes I create an image to go with the words that showed up in my head. About half the time it's one way, and half the time, the other. There are occasions when I couldn't tell you which came first - the two parts seemed to show up together, holding hands...

 

7.  Where would you like to see yourself in 2013? 

Five years from now, hmm...still on the page, I hope - with both art and writing... Also, I hope that some of those pages will be bound in books - in the real world, as well as the virtual one - for others to buy, hold in their hands, see and read, and - hopefully -- enjoy!

As long as I'm placing my order for the future here - I'd also like to see me sitting on a lovely beach, feeling healthy and happy...holding a tall, cold drink - accessorized with a little pink umbrella, of course -- to sip in between drawing and writing my next book.

love and laugh ~  Scarlett

_________________________________________________________________________

 This has been an entry of:

Scattered Discoveries of a Strega!

Every Saturday Scarlett will wander through several of the Creative Blogger sites – interviewing the owners, perhaps those who wander the sites frequently as well, and searching for the wonderful ideas that have remained hidden in the dark corners of the net!! She will pull out the hidden inspiration from the blogs she rambles through – sharing that with all of you! 

About Scarlett

Scarlett (aka Becca Robinson) is a wife, mother,psychologist, and strega. Her journaling and blogging are now focused on allowing the deep emotions of her inner self to flow out – and become a focal part of her newly discovered artistic self! Follow the chaos of life, the imaginative thoughts and – well, you never know what – on Scarlett’s blogs –

www.becca.disorderlywitches.net The home of Scarlett’s herbal work, her thoughts, feelings, ideas and her connection to life is all here!

www.scatteredreams.wordpress.com A new blog – for her artistic discovery – and the workshops she is taking this summer to develop those artistic finds!!!

Mama Goddess

For all the beautiful Mamas and Mama-to-be's out there...
so many bright blessings to you, you are on the most amazing soul journey of all.

"Inside you a miracle is blooming.
As your belly grows bigger,
so does your precious heart,
preparing for the most amazing journey of all:
Motherhood.
You will be an amazing mama,
sharing the gifts of your heart & soul
with this child who has chosen you.
You are so loved."

Wishing you a beautiful beautiful day,
Leonie

Goddess Leonie is an artist, writer, photographer & retreat creator.
Visit her website at www.goddessleonie.com, & see her collection of art prints celebrating the Goddess in every woman at the Goddess Leonie Etsy store.

Surf's up!

Welcome back to the surf with Mother Henna!  It has been the most art inspiring week here!  Can't wait to show you all the great finds, so let's jump in right quick:

We got to spend a day at the newly re-done Seattle Art Museum, and I discovered so many feasts for the dreamer.  One of the exhibits featured two films by Hirsch Perlman where he says he wanted to study the affect of music on the visual art.  They are really very silly pieces of visual.  One, a rubber band being flung against a wall, and the other, two cigarettes burning down to stubs in an ashtray.  But it is very interesting to watch these two with the music played over them.  There *is* an affect. 

And I have to wonder:  does music just do that?  Or are we so conditioned to the "sound track" telling us what to feel, that we are led by the nose through all films?  Delighted to discover he's got portions of these films online!!  See these and several other "studies of affect" at:

http://www.blumandpoe.com/hirschperlman/vids.htm

Essaydi's brilliant use of henna

The other feast for my heart was Lalla Essaydi's series "Converging Territories" where she photographed various scenes set with models and materials all covered in handpainted Islamic calligraphy -- and the paint she used???  HENNA!  Wow wow wow. 

This photo here is the one they now have the collection at SAM, so I got to see it live and in person.  But also, over on Artnet, Essaydi's series is featured and sold.  Check it out!

Do you know the history of where you live?

A friend wrote to me recently and asked the meaning of word Vashon, the name of the island on which we live.  So I did a quick look up to see if I could find the origin and history, and lookie lookie what I found!  A whole website about the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Museum!  Click through and see for yourself -- they have the most amazing collection of old photos to share there!

Speedy Delivery

There will always be a soft spot in my heart for Mister Rogers Neighborhood. 

Two things I took away from my experience working there are:

1) enduring friendships and

2) amazement at the dedication of the people behind the scenes at Family Communications (producers of the Neighborhood and other projects). 

Finally there is proper documentation of our good neighbor Mr. McFeely aka David Newell!  Check out the site and photos for "Speedy Delivery: The Movie" and snag a look into the life of this extraordinary neighbor.

Papayalicious is delicious

While I was zooming around the mainland last week, I stepped into a storefront and was overcome with the brilliant details of the cards, journals, papers, and more from the Papayalicious label!  What ingenious works. 

And what fun to surf through online.  I had no idea that Teesha Moore was a part of this group, too.  The works of Anahata are so full and balanced and I could stare at them all day long, seeing new things over and over again!  Their online shop has that 5 star Japanese pen that supposedly writes over anything and everything. 

And they have an amazing array of workshops and retreats -- including one in Bali!  What fun that would be -- ArtFest on Bali beaches?!   I cannot tell you how much I would love to honor my son's 10th angelversary by being at this retreat on his birth/death day next March.  Dreaming, dreaming.

One last find: 
language lessons with some spunk

Surfing around iTunes for audiobooks and podcasts, and I turned up this nifty little series of language lessons under the title, "NOT Lost In Translation".  And I was thrilled to see they had an English to Italian title, so I snagged it.  Now fair warning:  it includes tracks for all the normal things like greetings, dining out, finding the restroom, but it also includes hilarious tracks for learning pick up lines and curse words!  ha ha ha!  I love it.  And one day, you know, my Blog Railing Tour will take me training around Europe to meet blogging artists there, so I need to know Italian basics :)  I doubt I'll use the pick up lines though :)

Miracles,
k-

This has been an entry of:
The Surfing Life of An Artist
Mother Henna seems to spend as much time surfing as she does making art.  Each Thursday she will plunge into the history of her browser and share what she's swum through during the past week.  Sometimes it's all a splash in the beauty of other artists' sites and blogs, sometimes it's a plunge into the submission guidelines of various publication, sometimes a kick board thru YouTube videos that show "how to" do this and that. You just never know what you'll find in Mother's history.  Get your fins and flippers and come swim with Mother!

About Mother Henna
Mother Henna (aka Kara L.C. Jones) wears many hats:  artist, writer, photo assistant, Reiki Master/Teacher, workshop facilitator, wife, bereaved mum, step mum, grandma, and more.  You'll find more detail about Mother Henna than you could ever really want by clicking here.  To follow the progression of the 1,000 Faces of Mother Henna project, check out the blog at MotherHenna.blogspot.com.  Lots of items are out in the world with Mother's designs featured:
Handmade items at MotherHenna.etsy.com
Books & Ephemera at Mother's Lulu.com shop
Tshirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies and more at Mother's CafePress shop

When Monday Wasn't Monday

I can't believe that I missed Monday! I'm not sure what's happening to my days of the week, but they don't seem to be running in the normal order anymore. So, I've decided that until Monday becomes Monday again I'll just pretend that today is Monday (which really seems truly practical don't you think?).

So, how was your Artist Date last week? Did you go on one? What did you do to nurture your love and appreciation of yourself and your art?

Most importantly, did you find yourself inspired to make more art after you took the time to feed your original passion for what you do? Or did you still find yourself stuck and struggling to take a creative action?

Did you know that it's widely accepted that most people are operating with a sleep deficit? Our deficit is why when we finally get a day off we never get around to all our great intentions and are instead struggling to find the energy to get off the couch; or why we fall asleep when we set out to meditate, etc...

Everyone has a different sleep deficit. The deficits accumulate over various late nights, early mornings, and days where we just insist on pushing ourselves too far and too hard. Adrenaline carries us through, but we slowly accumulate an energy debt that our bodies are eventually going to call in.

I've come to the conclusion that we must also carry a similar deficit when it comes to our art. There are definitely times when I've needed a whole lot more than an afternoon in Starbucks with my sketch book or a wander through an art gallery to finally be able to sit down and put pen (or brush) to paper.

Sometimes our creative souls need a lot of gentle, loving care to prompt them to come back out and play with us. Some of you are like me and have been a little hard on our creative selves ("I'll never figure out how to do this", "This is terrible, what was I thinking thinking I could be a painter/writer/artist (fill in your blank)!"). And then our soft souled Creative sides need a little bit of extra love and acceptance to draw them back out.

The problem, I think, comes from expectations. To often I set out to make art with the intent that it should meet my expectations for it. This, of course, makes it very difficult for my creative spirit to work; it not only means I've left no room for learning or making mistakes, but it also means there's no room for accidental greatness (the kind of thing that's sure to happen when we give our creative selves full control) because I'm too busy trying to make the work meet my expectations.

This week I had two different experiences that helped me see how much of a negative influence my expectations have been having on my art.

I realized that it's no wonder that the creative me sometimes just curls up and refuses to do anything at all. My expectations have created a kind of Creativity Deficit that takes a little love and play to help me recoup the debt.

Play, I discovered, is immensely valuable. There are no expectations, so there are no judgments. If sleep is the answer to a Sleep Deficit than creating must be the answer to a Creative Deficit and playing is the way to convince your creative self that's it's ok to come out, even if just for a little bit.

So this week let's spend a little time playing. Grab some old fashioned children's materials (I have a lovely box of 64 Crayola crayons that I used) - something that will be ok to waste (sometimes the cost of my materials is a big barrier to letting myself experiment with my art) and sit yourself down to play. No expectations. No rules. The goal here is to waste as much time as possible coloring and sticking and gluing. Be sure to let me know how it goes for you.

This Week's Resource: Eat, Pray, Love By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Not specifically about creativity or creating it is definitely a book that looks at the need we all have to rediscover love and appreciation for ourselves and the value of a little play in our lives.

I loved this book; every woman I talk to who has read loves it. I think there's something about Elizabeth's journey to discover who she is and what she wants out of life that speaks to something in all of us. Plus, if I ever go to Italy I know exactly where I'm going for pizza.

Read the book. Then book your own time to offer your soul a little love and a little play too.

Megan Potter is an intuitive Well-Being Coach and creative blogger. She runs a coaching and public speaking business as well as an Eco-Boutique called Every Day Well-Being. You can find her on her blog, Flaming Renaissance. Got questions or comments? She'd love to hear from you!