Go buy yourself a little laughter today- you deserve it!

The earth laughs in flowers.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote always makes me smile, as do flowers. If you walk anywhere that there are plants you can see the physical form of chuckles all along your path.  Some are riotous, some are less audacious.  But each can bring you up, if you look.

Have you ever been to a dinner party and just sat back for a moment to listen to all the kinds of laughs everyone has?  Now I think I ought to label them by their flower counterpart...

I had fun with this painting, it is messy, bright, and in places, dark.  It uses colours I use less often, but I still like the effect here.  Once it started to come together, I realized this was the piece for these words, even though I had begun another more planned painting for this quote.  The layering, colours and organicness is just what I was looking for today.

I hope you find a moment to let the laughter of flowers add to your week!

Our inner moonlight

Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness. 

~Allen Ginsberg

This painting was almost finished when I found this quote, and then I realized they were meant for each other.  I began by spraying with fun inks, which is always a bit of uncertain madness.  Then I just felt like a rounded brush stroke and it felt like a moon, but I thought, why a green moon?  But often we don't need to think or ask why.  The rest just felt right as I created, which I suppose was me standing in the moonlight, letting free my own unpolished madness onto the paper.

I think it's apropos that this quote refers to moonlight, rather than sunlight, as sometimes it's less brilliant and you have to listen a little more closely to find your inner moonlight.  I am working on quieting myself and making the space so that my moonlit path is clear.

Here's wishing you a week basking in your own inner moonlight.

Pursue it...

If it's both terrifying and amazing then you should definitely pursue it.

~erada

This has been something I am familiar with lately.  But often a dream can be too terrifying, and then paralyzing and then you don't get to the amazing part...

This reminds me of another quote, by Rumi, "Leap and the net will appear".  My husband is always good for me- reminding me that you do need to root in the posts so that there is a foundation for the net to "appear" on.  Otherwise you can be so positive and excited, but broke and unable to move forward.  This year I am planting my posts, getting ready to leap.

And the terrifying and amazing dreams are growing.

What's your nature?

The sea, once it casts it's spell, holds one in it's net of wonder forever.

~Jacques Cousteau

I love this quote.  For me, there is something so reassuring about the ocean.  I imagine it is because I grew up within walking distance, and would ride my bike there almost every day, doing homework or just getting out.  Or, maybe it's because my Mum walked those same bluffs so much when she was pregnant with me...  Either way, I find as many ways to make sure that a stop at the ocean is a part of my day.

Everyone has their spot, an overlook in the foothills of a great mountain range, in a patch of cactus on a hill, a special meadow you continue to return to.  I feel like nature is so important, and which ever portion is your touchstone, we need to remember how much we can receive from those consistent connections.

Who will you share your favourite bit of nature with, this week?

Go Out and Find Ways To Express Yourself!

Talking about art is like dancing about architecture. 

 ~David Bowie

Of course I had to share a nod to such an interesting artist.  Some of my favourite songs are by David Bowie-for instance Under Pressure has a beautiful message.  When I saw this one, it made me think.  It's crazy, right?  What does it even mean?

Well, it reminds me of one of my favourite poems, by Loris Malaguzzi, which I feel represents how I feel about what children deserve and what teachers ought to be remembering.  The poem, No Way, The Hundred Is There, always reminds me to believe in the power of curiosity and wonder that children are born with.  And it reminds me to safeguard their right to have many forms of expression.

I feel like each of us is on a journey to find what is meaningful to us, and to try to share that, in our own way, with the world.  When we have many avenues for expression, it isn't as hard as when we have been told throughout life that we cannot draw, can't dance, can't write, can't do math, can't be...

I am almost 40 and still seeking new forms of expression.  This year I am drawing and painting up a storm and have so much to learn.  So, I'm out here, making mistakes, testing new possibilities and dancing with my paintbrush.  This piece is a testament of where I am now- acrylics, ink and still learning about it all.

So don't just talk about art, get out there and find yours.  

What do you have to say, and how will you express it daily?

What's the key?

The key to happiness is to look at what's right in your life.

~Author unknown

There are two ways to read this quote, as I realized after choosing it and thinking on it for a while.  Then I realized what it was probably meant to express, and I laughed.  I guess this reminds us that the lens through which you receive life is just your perspective at any given moment.

First, I was thinking that this quote's message is:  Look for what's right there in front of you in your life- at this moment- to find happiness.  I was on the bluff watching an overcast sunset when I was thinking about this quote and I noticed these lovely leaves.  I think if the sunset had been more spectacular, or I hadn't been so into drawing botanicals, I might have missed their beauty.

The second meaning I now can take from this quote reads...  Look for what's going right, instead of focusing on all that's wrong.  Another important message- one which keeps coming into my life!

I think it's beneficial to note that the wording here is active.  It could say "watch for" but when you are looking for something, you are seeking it.  This suggests vigilance.  I like the idea of being active in seeking out that which is positive in life, and staying present for the beauty right in front of you at any moment.

Stay vigilant!

Creating A Fulfilling Day

Begin at once to live and count each day as a separate life.

~ Lucius Annacus Seneca

I am working on my procrastination.  In my professional life, this is not a big issue- I have a schedule I keep, I get tons of things done.  I don't like to make things hard for others.  My procrastination is in my personal life- in my "free time", in my creative choices.

This week's quote goes along with a book I am reading, Show Your Work! 10 Ways To Share Your Creativity And Get Discovered, by Austin Kleon.  In it, Austin talks about how near death experiences remind people to use their time, since time is so precious.  This concept is helping me a lot.

This is not to say that I'm there yet, but I am trying to be more mindful of what I choose to use my time for.  So before I pick up the Ipad and surf the web without direction, I think, "If this was my last day, how would have wanted to spend it?"

Giving myself new routines, challenges and plans has been helping me to remember to use my extra time for the things that feel most fulfilling to me.  In The Life-Changing Magic Of Tiding Up, Marie Kindo asks you to keep only in your house those things that bring you joy.  I want to use this theme also with how I spend my time.  Does it bring me joy and or lead to my continued joy in life?

Here lies a work in progress.

This painting was made using handmade papers, acrylic paint, pens and ink.  I created an acrylic skin image transfer for the words-my first- and need to keep practicing with these!  I am learning a lot through each piece I create.