I Needed This...

This arrived in my inbox this morning and it was exactly what I needed. I thought it might be exactly what you need too...

Thank you Brave Girls Club.


(If you would like to receive "daily truths" directly to your inbox, you can sign up here.)


Update:  (2/1/2012)
In case you needed another reason to visit the Brave Girls Club...
Here is the amazing message from my inbox this morning:

All I can say is, "wow".

This really helps.

A Blissful Paint Party Friday

"follow your bliss."   6"x6"   acrylic on paper

(text added in picnik)

I'm going to be honest, this week has been a mixed bag of emotions for me... I am in the thick of an online course that is opening my eyes to a whole new, revolutionary way of thinking about business.  But, as exciting as that is, I also find myself spending many hours at Corky's bedside as she recovers from a stroke that waylaid the wonderful rehabilitation she had gone through previously.  (She was supposed to be going home this week.)

I normally consider myself an optimistic, happy-go-lucky person, but I have to admit this latest emergent event threw me for a loop.  What I have come to realize though, is that optimism is what has been getting me through this string of medical mishaps that started over the summer... It is a beacon of light as I cling to a raft of simple joys in a sea of troubled waters.  I think that is why Liv Lane's latest feature and blog hop, "The Little Bliss List", really resonates with me, and why I feel like it is the perfect way to round out my week of focusing on kindness.

So, here it is... Things that are making me happy... 

This week's "Little Bliss List":

1. The fantastic community over at Paint Party Friday... When EVA and I created it, we never dreamed that the response would be so great... Seeing the ever-increasing group of talented and diverse painters each week makes my heart sing!

2. Creating a "Take What You Need" pdf and sharing it in my last post... Thinking of all the kindness spreading far and wide makes me smile from ear-to-ear!  (If you would like to download the pdf, you can get it here.)

3. The sound of squealing laughter as Tyler, Bob, and I ran from room to room "Scooby-Doo style".

4. A spur of the moment dinner with my boys that tasted like summer.

5. Finding a sweet spot on the street near the hospital so that I didn't have to use the ramp for one day.  (This may seem kinda silly - but it made my day!)

More Kindness... Take What You Need

I have been seeing these fliers popping up all over the internet!  Since I love this idea so, so very much I decided to create one of my own...

I can't wait to print these out and post them all over town!

I have created a PDF file if you would like to download it and spread a little love too.  (You can get it here.)

(And one more, just because it made me laugh!)

I Believe...

(Sidewalk Love)

...In kindness.

Since my word of the year is "Believe", I thought it might be fun to create a new weekly series where I proclaim (in a post) something I believe in.  What better way to start than with kindness?

It really seems like an obviously simple thing... And it is!  Anyone can be kind - from easy acts like letting another driver merge or holding open a door, to a grand pre-meditated gesture - any kindness will do!  It feels good for the giver and the receiver, but the greatest thing about it?

Kindness is contagious!

Sending you a great big smile...

Pass it on!

p.s.  The very kind, and always inspirational Liv Lane, has started a new series (and future  blog hop) called "The Little Bliss List" based on her word of the year ("Bliss").  Please be sure to check it out - I think it is a fabulous idea!

p.p.s. I'm curious... If you have a word of the year, how are you putting it into action?

Staying True To My 10 Year Old Self

"Uh-Oh"   22"x28"   mixed media on poster board

(A Drawing/Painting Created by Me at Age 10 or 11)

It's funny how much you can learn about yourself by looking at old drawings and paintings...

I created this drawing/painting for an "insect project" when I was 10 or 11 years old.  I remember asking my art teacher, Mr. Voelpel, if it would be okay if I created my piece from the insect's perspective.  Thankfully, Mr. Voelpel was an art teacher who believed in allowing his students to explore their creativity and develop their own artistic voices, so he said yes.

Looking at this picture, I can see themes that have carried all the way through to my artwork today...

I create art that is: whimsical, colorful, playful, humorous, and sometimes downright silly.  Looking back, it seems to be hardwired into my DNA.  That isn't to say that I don't also make "serious" art (believe me, I made more than my fair share of serious art in college).  But, what I've come to realize, is that I am happiest and most fulfilled when I am creating from a place of joy.

I'm curious... What are you happiest creating?  Has it always been that way?

What Lies Ahead...

I started a new class today and I am bubbling over with 

excitement and anticipation of things to come...

Stay tuned!

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Paint Party Friday (The 13th!)

"Lucky"   15"x15"   mixed media on plywood

Just popping in with a super-quick post of a super-quick painting, in honor of Friday the 13th!  

(Not my usual style, I know... I just wanted to keep it fast and loose.)

I hope today brings you nothing but the best of luck...

Happy PPF!