Unintended Consequences

When I began my journey of creating 100 pieces centered on women, I chose the ambiguous word "making" to give myself the freedom to use any medium that seemed interesting. I've learned to draw a recognizable female face, both with realism and abstraction in pencil, pen, marker and various types of paint. I've begun to explore highlighting and shadowing to bring dimension. I've grown in confidence as well as skill.

These outcomes I expected.

What I didn't expect was how my day now feels incomplete without creating some kind of lady, how 100 days passes in a heartbeat, how quickly one can assemble a body of work, and how I could easily spend the next year exploring this theme.

But 10 days ago my paintbrush introduced me to my growing tribe of Gaudy Ladies. Who knew I had such joy and delight and color inside me? I can barely wait to get into the studio to see who my brush will create next. What an adventure!

Would I have found them without first doing the 80+ pieces that came before? Who knows. And that no longer matters to me. I'm having the time of my life with these colorful women!

I share all this with you, Precious One, because your own version of my Gaudy Ladies hides inside you wanting to be discovered. Your "ladies" might be songs or dance moves or photographs or poems or stories or flower beds or teachings or massive weights moved or clothes made or closets ordered or books read or any number of skills. You need only choose a task to practice regularly. Your heart is probably giving you hints where to start. Your Creator is faithfully giving you clues on your genre.

I think you may already know where to begin. And what begins as a chore might just develop into incredible joy. Really.

Don't be afraid; dare to follow your heart. Share your task with one other person daily.  Sometimes the accountability of texting an image daily was the only thing that kept me creating!

You truly do have it in you. I believe in the process and I believe in you.

Because I love you. Bunches.

The Still, Small Voice

I've often been accused of having a hummingbird mind.  While my husband ponders and weighs his thoughts during a conversation, I have often flown on to the next interesting topic. When he continues with his take on our current conversation, I am lost. Thankfully, he no longer takes it personally when I look at him blankly and say profoundly, "Huh?"

My mind is rarely silent. Meditation without a moving pencil or brush is challenging. And although I'd like to tell you my self-talk is always on par with what I believe, the negative, faithless and cruel can enter periodically. Perhaps you're familiar with some of these yourself? These dreadful comments on our looks, our abilities, our reputation, our futures... that we would never ever consider voicing about anyone else. Yet we allow this inside our most private world.

 I am working to be aware of when I let my mind entertain these harmful thoughts. Left alone, they can become what I believe to be true. And once that happens, can shape who I am and how my life goes. I am working hard to hear that still, small voice  that speaks truth to me. And then, no matter how silly that seems, concentrate on that.

So don't you let nasty thoughts build a comfortable place in your head. They will break your heart. They are not your friends. The truth is you are precious. You are valued and you are worth being loved. Yes, you are.

And I love you, too. Bunches.