You are invited to join our September 30 day creative event! For those of you who have participated in Leslie Saeta’s 30-day challenges, the description is the same.
No rules. Just make something each day for a month. Paint, draw, sketch, shoot photos. Just do the thing you do, and share it in our Facebook group. This does not mean you have to complete a painting each day. You can share works in progress.
The main thing is to get busy doing, that which you love doing!
I am sending out invitations. Please visit the group to join if you are interested (in case I miss anyone). Share the link with friends and help us spread the word.
I raced to set up the page, so if I have done something wrong, feel free to let me know.
Five more days! I am excited. Thinking I might be nuts because I am still not in full food or energy mode. But I have been thinking of sitting down to paint, for at least a month. And still, have not managed to do it. Here is my kick in the butt.
The news is out. Leslie Saeta has officially decided to stop hosting the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Or perhaps It’s just September that is canceled. Christiane Drieling told me, and I do not want to misquote. Christiane has the awesome idea of hosting an informal challenge on Facebook. Yay!
Are you interested? Do you know artists who have participated before, and might like to again? Please help us spread the word. I will post the link as soon as Christiane creates the page. Ginny Butcher has decided to participate as well. Let’s’ keep the momentum going!
If 30 is too much, how about doing one a week? If you have never participated before, you can click on the link above to see the outline Leslie used. (Maybe I shouldn’t be posting that.) And maybe we will change it up a little. Stay tuned 😉
More good news. I am doing MUCH better! I haven’t had any problems since my last post. Eleven days. Woo-Whoo! Very relieved about that.
I am able to sip slightly larger sips. And take ever so slightly larger bites. Still doing the chew, chew, chew. Making sure my soft foods are completely broken up before I swallow. And it is such a relief to be able to take in more water. I am still not hitting the 64 oz. mark. Inching closer. But I do not feel water-deprived anymore. Ahh.
Not sure I have mentioned it before, but I drink water consistently throughout the day. I have a 32 oz. bottle, and prior to surgery, I think I drank 5 or six of those a day. Now I can barely do one and a half. And my skin is missing it! So dry!
So good news all around! Getting the vitamins down much more easily, water and food. Whew! I think it may have been your encouraging words! Thank you all so much! You had me in tears 🙂
There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. Linda Grayson
Couldn’t resist. Honestly, though, I am craving salad. Lettuce. A nice crunchy salad. Toast. Mmm, avocado toast with a poached egg. OK. I’m stopping.
Maybe I was hungry when I took the photo below, but I see a fish cloud. I messed up and cut off the tail. All the other photos I took came out blurry. (I was sitting at a red light.)
I will leave you with this little bird. I was standing at the window, checking out Mingus. And he flew up on the ledge and started checking things out too. The berries, and plants of course. I turned slowly and started taking pictures of him. For a long time, he did not notice. But then he saw me. And then he was gone.
Oh, one more thing. I have finally decided what to use for my annual postcard. I will get them ordered, and have them mailed out hopefully by the middle of next month. I have had the stamps since before the surgery! Ha-ha-ha. 🙂
The site switch over is complete! Thank you, Randy, for all your hard work, in spite of a broken wrist! But I can see things are missing here. Hate that. So now I have work to do. As expected. Notice the empty bottom of this post. All the like and share buttons are missing, and the links to similar posts. I know why that happens now. Thanks to a Youtube video. Still, it is aggravating. So off to work I go. And I also hope to prep some pieces before the first. Fingers crossed.
Soul Art Day ( June 5th) with Laura Hollick is a day of creativity and connection. The insights from taking part in the process usually last long after the art has been created. This is from Laura:
Soul Art is a unique creative practice that uses art and creative expression to commune with spirit to awaken deep healing, soul-empowered insights, transformations, and high-vibe visions for your life and career. This is our annual event where thousands of people gather online from around the world to create art together for the day. as you’re journeying through your Soul Art process, know that you are held in the collective vortex of our Global Creative Soul Art Family. There is something deeply profound that happens when we collectively connect in this way. Even though we are each on our own journeys, our collective intention to create art on this day amplifies everyone’s creative power.
Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body. – Thich Nhat Hanh
The day starts with a video from Laura. Guiding you through the Soul Art worksheets. This is your journey, where you find your intention and action. There are five steps in this process. Intention, Bodymapping, Creative Expression, Insight, and Spirit action.
To warm up, I made marks on a 4 x 6 piece of paper. I used new paint markers. I am not familiar with them, so it was one small step out of my comfort zone. I planned on doing more of these, but I quickly felt limited by the small size.
Warming up with paint markers.
I mindlessly filled the paper with marks. When there was no more white to fill, I rotated the paper several times. Is it just me, or does that look like a fish?
Making marks.
A fish can symbolize fertility, feelings, creativity, rebirth, good luck, transformation, health, abundance, serenity, intelligence, happiness, strength, and endurance. Connecting us with the water element, it represents the deeper awareness of the unconsciousness or higher self. How serendipitous.
Angels are all around us, all the time, in the very air we breathe. – Elias Freeman
I laid out my palette on a butcher tray. Along with what you see, I included white, two blues and green. But this turned into an analogous theme. For my first layer, I took a comb with paint and just made a mess on the clean white sheet. Gone with the “paper is precious”.
Body mapping is often done with the artist, laying down, and having a friend outline their body. For my map, I used a watercolor pencil. I drew my lungs, esophagus, and stomach. The parts that need healing. These layers are under what is seen.
Throughout the day, Laura and her guest artists broadcast their progress in the studio. Watching them work, and listening to the meditative music, lulled me into a relaxed state. Standing, I painted until the sheet was filled.
My only goal for the day was to participate. To put a brush in my hands. I didn’t really think about what I was going to paint. When we post our piece in the Soul Art Gallery, Laura asks us several questions. My reply regarding insight was this:
“It has happened before. I am not sure the insight has revealed itself to me just yet. I have the painting propped up in full view. I’ll see what it reveals. I feel more myself, more whole, having spent the day creating. This piece is about flow. Free flowing, exchange. Breath. Breathing. Taking nourishment in. Energetic movement (while painting). Release. Repair. Prayer. Connection. Healing. Freedom. Independence.”
Inhale the future, exhale the past. – Author Unknown
Here’s a look at previous Soul Art pieces.
Awesome News!
My surgery is set for July 11th. 8 am. I have one more appointment with the surgeon and a class before then. This first surgery is to repair my esophagus. The procedure is basically the surgery that people have to lose weight. Bariatric. The class is on what to eat and what not to eat prior to surgery. I will have a second class after surgery as well.
I really like the surgeon. She explained everything very well. The image below shows a dilated and narrowing esophagus. In addition to that, my stomach stays open. The little flap doesn’t close normally. Because of this, I have GERD. And that is what has damaged my lungs. My surgery is more about removing the damaged part of the esophagus. The stomach will be brought up and reattached to it.
Damaged Esophagus
Next month is going to be a very good month indeed!
