Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
He who looks outside, dreams. He who looks inside, awakens. Carl Jung

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Eliminate Mental Clutter

Whenever I’m dealing with too much swirling inside my head, I have to write.  I don’t care if it’s coherent, I just have to get it on paper.  Recently, after several pages of dribble, I asked myself some pointed questions and ended up with the following process:

ontop

(The very first one, ready to feel on top of the my world again ~ control issue popping back up but in a healthier way, literally as I went back to the gym this past week…of course, I was just easing myself back into it & didn’t make it past the hot tub!)

Then I reminded myself, again, of my word of the year…it really shouldn’t be so hard, it is just one word!  Those are balloons at the top with what I want to “release” written on them.  I found an old book on organizing your household and loved the phrase I found in it ~ Eliminate Mental Clutter

release1

You can’t see the words in the petals and stems but this was an entry (basically all covered in paint now) about manifesting abundance by recognizing that I have all that I need already.

abundance

The following did not start with the writing first, which is what I usually do (probably backwards from “real” art journals) but instead it was the picture that called to me.  The peacock feathers look like mini artist trading cards.  My caption Strut Even When You Don’t Feel It… or as my mom always said fake it until you make it

peacock

And finally, When All Else Fails, Eat Cupcakes…so much for my healthier outlook:)

cupcakes

I used the following writing prompts…give them a try & see where they take you:

~ What do you need right now?

~ What’s in the way?

~ How will you get there?

For the record, in case you are new here…I am all about the process, not the product.  No judging allowed:)

Oh, I almost forgot…I have two upcoming workshops.  One through Story Circle Network, Life Books, beginning the first of April and Mom’s Treasure: A Storybook Workshop beginning in May (see tab at the top of the page).  Hope you can join me!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

In Between

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It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear…It’s like being between trapezes.  It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer.  There’s nothing to hold onto to.  Marilyn Ferguson

I am feeling like Linus with his blanket in the dryer.  I am restless and exhausted at the same time.  I’ve not been motivated to visit the blogging world, I’ve written very little and art journaled less.  There are too many changes going on in life right now beyond the normal and even the weather is mirroring the uncertainty.  I have exciting things coming up ~ I’m teaching Life Books through Story Circle Network, offering Mom’s Treasure: A Storybook Workshop late spring I hope, Re-Voice! in the fall and plan to launch a sister website/blog for pre-teen girls, Girls Express.  But I’m not capturing the excitement of it all right now.  I think it’s time to work through my own writing prompts from Treasure Chest again (see sidebar “Journey Now” for your own copy).  Explore in your journal how you take care of yourself for those times “in between”…
In the meantime, a couple of places for inspiration in the art journaling world:
Balzer Designs
Art Journaling Blogspot
Some more how to's

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Blogiversary

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An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow.  ~Author Unknown

Such a fitting quote for a blog dedicated to celebrating the journey.  It is so hard to believe that a year ago I hit “publish” on my first blog post ever, feeling silly as I was convinced there was no one to hear me in this virtual world.  12 months later and I’ve met kindred spirits, people that I’ve never met in person but care about as I look forward to reading about their children, their creations, their good days and bad.  I have wrestled with the idea lately of moving my blog to wordpress so that it would be streamlined into my re-modeled website.  I’ve decided I love my little space here and so I’ve given my blog a facelift instead.  In honor of this blogiversary & makeover, I’ve also reduced the price of May Queen Musings Guidebooklet to $2.99 (see side bar).  Looking forward to another year of celebration and discovery!

What are you celebrating today?

Friday, February 4, 2011

Re-Voice!

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Click on the image to visit my “re-modeled” website.  I am so excited to finally have an enhanced, authentic vision ~ even the picture is taken from one of my art journal pages.  This website allows me to integrate a WordPress blog, but not blogger.  I’m considering exporting blogger into WordPress (which would then be on my website) but am on the fence.  I don’t want to lose any of my blog friends and I’ve become attached to this space I’ve created here.  Would love some feedback, whether you’ve moved your blog or encountered others who did.

Speaking of WordPress, take a look at my first article, found @ the Truth Chronicles tab on my website or the post in its entirety, Living Your Truth.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  I miss visiting you and, although I’ve learned a great deal, will be glad to have grad school behind me!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Release

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You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought “I release the need for this in my life.”  Wayne Dyer

My word of the year “Release” truly captures the essence of all that I want to experience this year.  Every intention that I set involved some form of letting go ~ useless guilt, the act of do-ing instead of be-ing, organization of record-keeping and the list goes on…all the things that clutter the house, mind and spirit.

One of the realizations that I came to, not a rocket science moment I admit but still a bit of a revelation to me, revolves around the idea that this simple word “release” requires that I pay attention daily.  Letting (whatever ~ fill in the blank) go into the universe is a soothing exercise but it is not enough.  So each day I have journaled around the concept from different perspectives ~ focusing on the mind shift instead of adding yet another to-do list to my world (especially since busyness is one of my “releases”).  I find it welcoming that the above art journal page is much cleaner (less of everything) than usual, a clear example of the simple lines I am craving right now. 

What have you released lately?

Monday, January 17, 2011

Shine

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When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied: Only stand out of my light. 

Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity.  Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light.  John Gardner

I would say instead find your own light.  Explore in your journal what prevents you from shining and write about those moments when you do.

 

 

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Art Journaling & Prompts

 As I’ve played more with art journaling this week, I thought I’d share the prompts that I used.  For this first picture, I asked ~ What does the New Year represent?

In the middle, I carved a “secret” door, a visual representation of the time I need to carve for self:

pageone

Inside the door, I wrote those spirit words that I hope to manifest in greater abundance this year:

pageonepocket

I’m embracing the word “Release” this year and wanted a flavor of what that feels like.  You can see that I didn’t sacrifice my journal writing for the mixed media as my entries are written here:

release

The prompt for the next picture is actually a cluster writing ~ center circle with a word in the middle & then span out with quick word associations (usually a spider web effect but this one turned into a flower in which the stem… aka my need to control…wasn’t grounding me but holding me down).  Use any word that calls to you, or any idea that’s tickling your brain.  (I also use this exercise for writing projects and planning workshops.)

I chose the center word “overwhelm” in an effort to find my balance.  I only used oil pastels and a paint pen on this one:

overwhelm

In this next example, the left hand page was a response to my questioning an out of control feeling & I ended up with a puppet on stage.  The right hand side was a release of the need for control through “blowing bubbles”:

bubbles

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Here are the writing prompts for your own journaling whether through writing, mixed media or a combination ~ express yourself your way:)

What does the New Year represent to you?

What do you want to manifest this year?

What can you release this year?  What would that look like?

Try a cluster writing…pick a word that calls to you, center it on the page and spider-web quickly all the other thoughts that flow from your center.

Enjoy the journey:)