Creativity: Week 17 2024 - Sharing My Artwork

Week 17: Creativity - I choose to follow my creative dreams. (SoulSistersToo - Creativity)

Intention Setting: Patiently take steps towards preparing for my up coming art exhibition - sharing my artwork with others.

Sharing my artwork...

In the past few years I have shared only a few artworks with the general public at group exhibitions. But now I getting closer and closer to sharing my artwork in a solo exhibition, Interweaving: Gerringong and Beyond. It will be the first time since February 2020 - my last market stall - that I have shown my artwork en masse.

This exhibition is part of am making my creative dreams come true. When I create art I express the natural beauty of the world around me and by exhibiting my work I hope that visitors to the exhibition will experience joy, connection and a curiosity for the natural world too.

Creativity: Week 15 2024 - Showing Up

Week 15: Journey - I am on my own journey. I don't need to compare myself to others. 

(SoulSistersToo - Living)
Intention Setting: When you go in a new direction your path is unknown, there will be new experiences and things to learn. Keep going on this journey, look forward and over come any new obstacles.

Showing Up...

I am on a journey of showing up. I have a bundle of artworks that have not been shared and so I am holding an exhibition 31 May - 6 June 2024.

While on this journey, I remind myself that my exhibition does not have to look like other people's exhibitions. I am curating it, organising every aspect of it and I will be hosting during the opening hours.

I can choose what I artwork I want to showcase.

I can choose my exhibition theme and name.

I can choose to follow the conventions of exhibitions or not. 

I can choose to do as little or as much as I want. 

I will choose to follow the rules laid out by the exhibition space  manager so I can exhibit with them again eg. using white tack to add labels to the walls.

In the process of organising my first solo exhibition I am on a new journey; learning lots and overcoming all kinds of obstacles. And I am showing up.

Creative Life: Week 14 2024 - Mindful Music Listening

Week 14: Listening - Listening to music gives me comfort and pleasure. (SoulSistersToo - Living) 

Intention Setting: Make time each day to listen to some music in a mindful way.

Mindful Music Listening...

I listen to music every day. 

I put music on for background noise while I work. 

I play music for creative inspiration.

I play music in the car.

Sometimes songs pop into my head as a response to the world around me. For instance when I watch the sunrise I think of the songs; Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles or The Morning Has Broken by Yusuf / Cat Stephens.

I pop on the radio when I have an afternoon rest or before I go to sleep.

My days are filled with music 

BUT

I do not tend to stop and listen to the music and the words 

SO 

This week I have set aside time to...

Listen to music in  in a purposeful and mindful way. 

To notice the bird songs I hear.

To be still and listen to music without doing other tasks.

To listen to a song's lyrics...and sing them too.

To feel the music's beat within my body.

To move my body with the music's rhythm.

To hear music consciously.

Affirmations for April 2024

Affirmations for April 2024

Monthly Affirmation: Patience - Be patient. Make small achievable changes (SoulSistersToo: Living)

Monthly Intention Setting: Continue to follow my small and achievable life style changes. Reflect on what is working and what is not working.

Watching the Sunrise

Creative Life: Week 13 2024 - Replenishing Energy

Week 13: Replenish - I give myself permission today to do nothing, so I can replenish my energy. (SoulSistersToo - Living)

Intention Setting: If I feel low energy I will replenish my energy rather than push through the feeling.

Replenishing Energy...

The wise woman within reminded me that I don't have to push on trying to do things when I have low energy. Instead I can take moments to nurture myself, recharge my batteries and then when I feel more energised I can continue with my to do list.

This week I have replenished my energy through;

• a home facial - replenishing my skin
• meditation - replenish my soul and rest my body
• painting - replenishing my creative spirit
• watching something funny, laughter - reducing stress
• reading and completing a word puzzle
• watching the sunrise and sunset
• listening to music and podcasts
• journaling

Creative Life: Week 12 2024 - I Choose Me this Week

Week 12: Authenticity - I choose an authentic life. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)
Intention Setting: Spirit, May I share my authentic self this week, where I do me, not what is expected of me. 

I Choose Me this Week...

This week I am choosing to listen to my authentic self. 

I choose to create or write right now, not in 30 seconds time because the bed "should be made". 

I choose to read rather than do the laundry chores.

I choose to replenish my energy with a nap or watching, The Real Housewives of Orange County, rather than doing items on my to do list.

I choose to have my main meal at lunch and not at dinner time because that's what we've always done.

I choose to spend extra time reflecting in my journal when I have an art exhibition to prepare for.

I choose to answer emails once in the am and pm, rather than answer emails as soon as they arrive in my inbox.

I choose to make connections with family and friends, and follow rabbit holes of my choosing, rather than following a social media thread selected by algorithms. 

I choose to create as my career.

I choose to work towards my first solo exhibition. 

I choose who I want to connect with.

I choose to listen to my inner child and follow the joy in life.

I choose a clam and slow path, rather than a busy lifestyle.

I choose to listen to my internal wise woman rather than external voices and seek external support when needed.

I choose the real me. 

I choose to make myself happy. 

Creativity: Week 11 2024 - Flower Drawings = Joy

Week 11: Delight - I choose to do things that make me feel happy. (SoulSistersToo - Creative)

Intention Setting: Spirit assist me in doing things that make me feel happy and to notice what things bring me joy. 

Flower Drawings = Joy

Every now and then I do some little stylised drawings of flowers, both real and imagined. Drawing simple flowers like these brings me so much joy, I begin to move into a feeling of creative flow.

I encourage you too to play with a pen or any mark making materials you have nearby and see how many different flower drawings you can create.  

Creativity: Week 10 2024 - Discovering Through Play

Week 10: Discovery - Today I will take the time to discover something new. (SoulSistersToo - Creative)

Intention Setting: Spirit please assist me to be open to discovering something new.

Discovering Through Play...

This week I've been discovering or rediscovering a range of different things; new music, re-tasting food and new creative explorations.

New Music: I listened to the Oscar nominated songs I have not heard before and I went down a rabbit hole listening to a music style called Bardcore. Bardcore is revamped popular songs using medieval style  music. I listened to quite a few songs by an artist known as the Canadian Hildegard von Blingin' eg. Jolene, Painted Black, Wicked Game, Holding out for a Hero and Bad Romance.

Re-tasting Food: I am in the process of feeding my gut biome a larger range of foods. This week I re-tasted sardines and artichoke hearts after years of not eating them.

Creative Explorations: I also took some time for intuitive creative play in my sketch book, while listening to bardcore music. Drawing lines and shapes with a gel pen*. Trying washes of light coloured acrylic paint. And playing with a red fineliner^ pen and unactivated Scribble Sticks*^, a water-soluble pigment, like a woodless pencil or crayon.

I hope that you too can discover something new this week or something you haven't done for a long time. 

* Uni-ball Signo Line Gel Pen 0.7 black

^ Staedtler triplus fineliner brilliant colours

*^ Dina Wakley Media Scribble Sticks, water-soluble pigments by rangerink 

Affirmations for March 2024

Affirmations for March 2024

Monthly Affirmation:  Growth - Start Small, Achieve Big. (SoulSistersToo - Creative)

Intention Setting: Spirit please guide me along my pathway of ease-filled stepping stones towards big achievements.

Creative Life: Week 9 2024 - Grounding

Week 9: Health - I choose to live a healthier life. (SoulSistersToo - Living)

Intention Setting: Spirit, May you continue to guide me in choosing healthy life choices for my body, mind and soul.

Grounding...

When hubby and I are at our coastal home we often spend some of the evening by the ocean, watching the waves. This week while sitting at the picnic table I took off my shoes to feel the grass between my toes. Grounding is something that I have to consciously make time to do because when you live in an apartment you are surrounded by humanmade surfaces, with little to no opportunity to feel the earth with your bare feet.

For me it is easier to live a creative life when my body, mind and soul feel balanced, heard and acknowledged.

Health - Being outside taking in the fresh ocean air. Breathing is Grounding. 

(There is the belief that being barefoot on earth - earthing - can have a wide range of health benefits.)

Mind - Watching waves with your feet on the natural ground is meditative and inspiring. Feeling Nature is Grounding.

Soul - A connection to mother earth, nature and energy. Spiritual Grounding.

I hope that you too can find time to feel grounded with your bare feet on the earth, balancing your body, mind and soul.

Creative Life: Week 8 2024 - A Turning Point

Week 8: Reverence - I choose self care. (SoulSistersToo - Living)
Intention Setting: Spirit, May I remember to take moments of self-care as I strive to achieve my stepping stones. 

A Turning Point...

What does this book have to do with living a creative life? Knowledge and the unleashing of creative energy.

Four years ago (actually its really 15+ years but that is a story for another day) I had a goal to live a healthier life because I wanted a body that could support me in achieving my creative dreams. This year when I brainstormed my Ease-filled Stepping Stones, one goal regarding my health was to learn more about food health and menopause. I wanted to move my creative life forward without my health being an obstacle. 

At the end of January I received a medical test result that was the jolt I needed to finally move the dial to full blast, choosing a louder healthier creative life rather than the quite life of an ill artist. 

Creative Life: Week 7 2024 - Feeding the Creative Soul

Week 7: Breathe - I will take a moment to center myself and breathe. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Each morning may I breathe and centre myself to listen to my body, mind and spirit about how I can live an ease-filled day achieving my stepping stones.

Feeding the Creative Soul....making a spiritual connection with a friend.

I work alone and at home so it is easy to become isolated - other than seeing the people you live with or a weekly phone call with your mother.

So when I wrote my ease-filled stepping stones I added one labeled, visit friends. This week I set aside time to see my bestie - we've been friends since we went to kindergarten together. We debriefed, shared, laughed and talked about art. 

It's like a feeding of my creative soul, a spiritual refresh when living a creative life. And after she left I had energy to play with some materials I rarely use.

Creativity: Week 6 2024 - Wardrobe Dilemma

Week 6: Caring - I choose to care for myself. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)
Intention Setting: Spirit please assist  me to say yes to stepping stones of health, creativity and spiritual connection so I can care for myself in a ease-filled way.

Wardrobe Dilemma...how to turn self care into a joy filled creative moment.

Creativity: Week 5 2024 - Mini Paintings = Joy

Week 5: Forgiveness - I choose not to punish myself for my failures, instead learn how to do things differently. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Spirit please assist me in finding peace and acceptance as I learn how to do things differently. 

I am yet to begin physically creating my next artwork series. Previously I would have pushed myself to start, even knowing I was not ready to begin. In the past this has led to many hours of frustration and feelings that my work is not good enough. Joyless creating. 

In choosing to do things differently this month I chose to revisit creating Teacup Flower paintings. Mini little watercolour and ink illustrations that fill me with joy. 

Affirmations for February 2024

Affirmations for February 2024.

Monthly Affirmation: Achieve - be proud to achieve even the tiniest goal. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled) 

Intention Setting: Spirit please assist me in moving forward towards my goals by moving through the small steps.

Creative Life: Week 4 2024 - Activating My Senses

Week 4: Guidance - I will ask for professional help early. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Be open to help that you need. 

Living a creative life for me is also about activating all of my senses. This reminds me to stop and be fully present in each moment. 

This week being present was about acknowledging feelings when they surfaced and then reconnecting to what ever was happening around me. Like taking time to stop to smell, taste and look at my bergamot tea that the doctor recommend me to drink.

Creativity: Week 3 2024 - Re-energising My Creative Flow

Week 3: Rejoice - I will celebrate the small things I achieve. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: I will take moments to pause and celebrate before I move onto my next project or task.

Some weeks are in between weeks, where my creative energy needs a replenish. This mostly happens upon our arriving at our Canberra home*. This week has been a week of catching up on all of the admin stuff and appointments I don't do while in Gerringong.  

To re-energise my creative flow I;

• listen to podcasts
• journal
• see friends and family
• plus doing some creative play

On this trip to Canberra I found a bundle of recipes from magazines on my art table. So I decided to create a folder that could travel with me between homes. 

I created the folder using a large piece of thick paper, copy paper, washi tape and tombow brush pen. Now I have a Cooking Joy folder - a collection of recipes to inspire creativity in the kitchen - that can be popped into my work travel box that I take back and forth between homes.

*I am fortunate to have the opportunity to live part of each month in our two homes, one in the NSW coastal town of Gerringong and the other in Canberra.

Creativity: Week 2 2024 - Yummy New Cotton Threads

Week 2: Self-Assuredness - I believe in my abilities. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Spirit guide me in knowing that I have what it takes to make my dreams come true. 

Yummy new cotton thread ready to be added to my painting that wanted to be more. 

Some of the DMC stranded cotton colours I selected are;

• light cornflower blue
• bright turquoise
• pale lilac
• light violet
• very light tan
• light pistachio green
• very light pistachio green
• light khaki green
• mahogany - ultra very light

Creativity: Week 1 2024 - Play...play...play

Week 1: Self Control - Stop! Be calm and relax. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Enjoy each moment of the day. Let go of what you cannot control.

I have an inkling that my recent patchwork paintings and using thread in my artwork is not yet done. Seeds of ideas are forming but not yet concrete for my next series. What I do know is that I would like to;

• combine paint and textiles
• explore blue, white and grey
• explore clouds and pattern and movement 
• but also explore shapes and irregular patterns. 

And while reflecting upon this in my journal I spied out of the corner of my eye two unfinished acrylic painted canvases. For two years I've been asking them questions:

• Are you finished yet?
• Am I truly happy with you?

Then a new question formed. With cotton thread could I add texture, line, something that will make them more? Play...play...play.

Affirmations for January 2024

Affirmations for January 2024

This year I will be sharing a whole month's worth of affirmations at the beginning of each month. This will be followed up with weekly sharing my creative life, instead of monthly and weekly collages. 

Monthly Affirmation: Assistance - When I feel overwhelm accept help. (SoulSistersToo - Soulfilled)

Intention Setting: Spirit assist me in seeking assistance before I feel overwhelm.

Affirmations: Year 2024 - Uplift

Affirmation for the Year 2024: Uplift - I choose relationships that build me up. (SoulSistersToo - Living)

Intention Setting: Spirit assist me in seeking out healthy relationships that support me in achieving my Ease-Filled Stepping Stones.

Phrase of the Year 2024: Ease-filled Stepping Stones

Phrase of the Year: Ease-filled Stepping Stones - Health, Creativity and Spiritual Connection.

Intention Setting: May spirit guide me over ease-filled stepping stones that will evoke health, creativity and spiritual connection.