Stop, Breathe and take a moment

2015 Earth Day Lake Allatoona, GA. 

A dear friend in Georgia, my soul buddy in life and art sent me this picture on Earth Day...it has  become my new computer screen...though I love my stacking rock (Carin's) this spoke to me louder. After going on the crane count last weekend and witnessing and walking though a morning mist I was taken by it all.

Be really whole and all things will come to you-Lao-Tzu

There is a divine plan of goodness for me.... and I am allow to nurture myself as an artist and human being.

I'm facilitating an Artist Way Course and we are on week 9 moving into week 10 and I'm looking at the task work of week 9.  Cracking open the Morning pages and reading them is one of them and using a highlighter...being rebellious I don't.  I don't reread them mainly because I can't read my morning handwriting. But I do know that any of my black and white thinking has to do with people and situation.

From Julia's words....The pages have allowed us to vent without self-destruction, to plan without interference, to complain without an audience, to dream without restriction, to know our own minds. Give them credit for the change and growth they have fostered.

I honestly wouldn't know how to handled my days if I didn't do morning pages, they have become such a part of my daily maintenance.

The reflective moment comes when I revisit my Artist Prayer this morning....I seek inspiration and guidance as I'm directed forward with a natural flow to find wisdom, truth and love. Grateful for all that I have and willing to share. knowing there is a plan, believing and trusting in it all.

Name the Goal: To continue to be an artist till the day I pass on to the Great White North.

Our old 51 Chevy Pick up truck, it's sold now but I have the dream/goal still growing strong.

You see when I see this old Chevy Pick up truck I quickly go into an imagery state and vision my self driving down a gravel road to my studio with a few four legged friends and the Husband trails off to his Pole Barn to work on his motorcycles, or what every creative endeavor he is into for the moment. It really doesn't matter if we get there and have this as a reality...what matters is that it's a really strong dream that seems never to be not impossible.

So to do the task- foot work towards a dream/goal what will it take...in a year? in a month and in a week? 

First off taking moments to revisit like this and reflect the important aspects personally in my life and family. And then look at what is already in motion for a year. I have many Collage Workshops lined up...not to many but enjoy and repeat place from years past. I'm tending to the needs of that as to correspond the information of contracts, flyers and supply list.  Setting up the dates and also looking at possible new ones for the next year and what I need to do for proposal info. Which is like applying for a new job.  Something that artists are always doing...submitting and applying for grants, teaching gigs and residences...etc. All the behind the scenes stuff that doesn't get seen. Yes for the next year this is what my forward thinking is set on for dreams and goals. Because if I keep that rolling then I have the means to continue the real work of my goals and that's to make art and be an artist. 

Moment's of Creative U-turns, I have to admit one of my workshops that will involve a flight on an airplane to Arizona was something I had thought about a few days ago of not doing it...I chatted with the Husband about it and was coming up with all these excuses...Then I thought I best see if  the information was on the website...when I went there to see..it was.  The next thought was...Well Scaredy Pants you're going now...and the fear left.  Though I'm going to be taking a "Big out of your Comfort Zone" jump...I will pull on my good guidance and continue forward. I sent out my supply list to them the next day and chatted to my one Daughter that will be going with me about checking into the flight we will need to think about setting. Though this many not be a big deal to some...we each have our own Creative U-turns...areas in our life that we may have planned and then let go of that plan out of fear...allowing just an hint of Good Orderly Directions amazing things can happen.  Mind you this won't be a cake walk it will have it's own set of challenge but all good stuff to grow with. Another goal of mine is never to go Stale...so as I continue to work on both. 

A goal and dream of the next month...to finish painting my mail box how every it turns out and to write up my lesson for the Workshop at Dillman's. I have some wonderful creative souls repeating this week long workshop and I would like to  have some new or challenging things for them/combo of both. And I would like to write up and shoot my third on line class.  I think it will trail from May into June though as to working on it with the workshops inbetween...and then I want to go visit the buffalo two hours West of here. Well I think that was two months worth. 

and so what can be a goal for this week.....to finish the mail box. One might ask how does that relate to being a artist till the day you die?   All part of living and being a full time person in my own life. Work at things that I wanted to get done in my personal life is a challenge that builds stamina for the art life...again... art belongs in my life and living life is an art to be part of.  

I guess I wanted to share this because we each have to find what works in our life for what our purpose and dreams and goals are.  And sometimes it just painting a mailbox, the feeling of knowing this soon..feeding my confidence to keep moving forward to the next right things to do. 

OK best stop...Off to The ArtAttack in Harbor County Michigan...my Oldest Daughter is going with me...I'll for sure be spending some time at Nido Bianco, new gallery my work is in and hopefully seeing a few more up there.  Another goal reached today is to attend two art receptions a month...there are so many that I want to go that don't always fit in my schedule and I feel badly for not attending...but one can do only what one can. So to set a goal that can be met with possibility is what I heading for. Maybe more as this becomes a new habit.