Weekly Art Journal - May 18 - 24

This week was all about SHINING! I have great opportunities to shine at work and with my art and I need to take advantage of those opportunities as they come. I have so many passions that I am inspired to express and I'm so grateful that I have lots of ways to express them.  

I've been waking up early each morning to create in my journal. 

For the past few weeks I've been waking up early in the morning to sit in my studio and journal until the sun comes up. 

It's my Sadhana

It's is making all the difference in the world as to how my day unfolds. 

Each week is an amazing adventure. 

This week I had a few medical appointments that went really well because I made some conscious decisions earlier in the year.  I didn't like going to my old dentist so I took steps to find a new one this year, it was the best decision ever!  

When things don't work for me I usually try to work it out through communication...asking for what I want, negotiate something new, bringing awareness to something to bring about change. 

But sometimes even with all that, things don't change 

and it's time to move on.

But to tell you the truth...

I don't like to move on 

I like to keep at something until it changes 

but that leaves me soooo frustrated. 

and frustration dulls my SHINE.

So this week I look on doing things that make me SHINE 

and letting go of things I've been trying to fix or change...

and move on.

 

 

Weekly Art Journal - May 11 - 17

This week we spent the week prepping for the Juicy Soul Retreat. I had a lot of fun playing with all my art supplies. I pulled out things I don't usually use. It's really good to use all the supplies in my studio and stop "saving" them.  I pulled out my number stamps and a date stamper. I added phrases and words using my new Dina Wakely stamps from A Work of Heart and magazine cut outs and clear stickers. I even busted out my Gelli Plate to do some mono printing of the background. I sometimes forget how much fun playing with a variety of supplies can be in the creative process. New tools give a new perspective and spark new ideas.

I challenge you to try some new supplies...you already have in your stash. Try to put them to good use in your journal this week. If you have any favorite tools, please share. I'd love to know.

Weekly Art Journal : April 27 - May 3

 

Living in my journal kept me completely centered during the week. 

Lots of family interactions and emotions happening.

It was a joy to return every evening to my journal.

Sometimes I just added color and other times words. 

I made shapes and followed with color.

When I look at this page I think of how much I LOVE my brothers. 

They are geniuses and they are my inspiration. 

In some ways I always see my brothers as the little boys 

that ran around wrestling in the living room and riding BMX bikes

down the sidewalk. 

They are men now ...with rich lives and families.

It's a joy to experience the men they are and 

to know that no matter where I go in life

there are always two guys

that know me better than anyone

on the planet! 

Weekly Art Journal - March 22 - 28

My weekly journal page spread landed on an old page 

where I was testing a Christmas stamp in December. 

So this week will be about covering and working around the stamp 

and adding relevant images for the week.

Weekly Art Journal - March 15 -21

I returned to something I love...creating mini stories from old book pages. It's fun to pull a random page from an old book and piece together words to create a new story. I find that the story may not make sense at the time but as the week unfolds I discover their meaning.

My brother is doing such a great job of looking after my parents. This mini story reminded me of how much I appreciate what he's doing for our parents and the family. He is such a loving and generous spirit. Words can not express how much I truly love and appreciate him.

This week one of my dearest friends and her family will be moving to Southern California. Our friendship has grown over the years and I've made even more friends through her network of friends. We have grown from friends to a group of friends to family in only a few short years. 

I met with a group from a seminar I took this year. The seminar is over but we had so much fun together we committed to meeting each month for dinner to catch up, show up, tell the truth and inspire each other. This month we met for Chinese food at a local restaurant.

"Self Expression is that thing that let's you know
that people have experienced you.
It's not so much that "I did it my way". 

It's that you've been experienced by other people. 

You've touched them and they have touched you. "

~ Warner Erhard

 

Here is the starting point for my weekly journal this week. 

I start with an existing page then add just enough color and texture to inspire me. 

The butterfly wing was there already from an image transfer demonstration 

at the Juicy Soul Retreat. 

Next I add the Month, Date and Days of the week.

I found "March" in W magazine table of contents.

(Magazines and old calendars are great places to find month and days)

I also add the dates and 

let the inspiration, color and creativity flow

during the week.

Happy Journaling!

Weekly Art Journal - March 8 -14

Beginning of the week

End of the week

I want to share something with you ... 

I don't art journal all the time.

I teach classes in journaling 

I collect tons of art supplies

I have journals with blank pages

and sometimes I don't journal. 

...at least not all the time.

I share that because some of you love journaling
but don't journal as much as you like

and you might feel like something is wrong with that.

I recently noticed that my weekly art journal had 

 fallen off my priority list. 

Big time! 

I couldn't even remember where I placed my journal!

I felt guilty and I tried to make up for lost time
 by journaling all the weeks I missed

It was too much!

I was stressing myself out for no reason.

So I took a breath

Talked it over with my art sista Andrea.

and found a new way to begin again.

So today is the beginning of my weekly journaling practice.

It's simple. 

I'll created my journal layout for the week 

and I posted a photo of the same page 

at the end of the week to show the progress.

This week was amazingly inspiring. I had some amazing conversations
with people in my life. I got to support family and share my wisdom. 

I took time in my journal in little bits of time to return to 

my practice.

my meditation.

my Journal!