Happy New Year!

Hey all! Hope your holidays were all very merry and bright. I hope you were able to be with family, and eat, eat, eat. I hope you were able to be creative, however that looks for you.

We had a fabulous time on Sunday with my older sister, her husband, and son. Everyone seemed very relaxed, the food was simple yet elegant, and I didn't tear up at all! I hope this is the first of many family gatherings this year.

As for myself and the new year, I have decided to forgo resolutions, or even goals this year. Instead, I have picked one word to focus on, and to remind me of all I can be this year. My word is "intentionality". I don't care if it is a real word, or not, but it works for me. I want to be very intentional in everything that I do- whether it is exercise, teaching, art, or chores.

Another inspiration to motivate you: In the last two weeks, I have heard many people use a particular phrase to sum up their thoughts and plans for this new year: "Create in 2008". This is my new motto, folks!

My invisible friend Tami relayed this link to her blog buddies, and it really spoke to me. We all have things we want to do, but don't. So- habits from actions this year, not resolutions.

New habits:
Action: Walk 30 minutes outside three days a week in morning
Benefit: Fresh air, sunshine, energy, and free time for creative thoughts

Action: Be aware and intentional about food, exercise, and sleep.
Benefit: Becoming at ease with taking care of ME.

Action: Art journaling daily.
Benefit: Creating a log of this year, practicing new techniques in a small format, "brain drain"

Action: write all birthdays into my agenda-book. Check dates at beginning of each month. Use new techniques learned in journaling to make birthday cards for loved ones.
Benefit: Master new skills, acknowledge loved ones, show off a bit.

Action: Spend 1 hour a day on house chores.
Benefit: No guilt for being in studio if laundry is done and floors swept. Also creates a warm, welcoming home without having to devote an entire week to getting it (and nothing else) done.

Action: Acknowledge my kids and Man daily. If you don't know it already, acknowledgment is a very powerful tool for family communication, especially with teens.
Benefit: Works better than coersion or force, establishes trust, makes it easier to smile and mean it.
This is all I have so far, but I reserve the right to add a couple more this week.
LB

What goes up must come down, and then go back up.

I felt so on top of the world last night, things were going great, but then just at bedtime, I got into an argument with the Dude. Don't get me wrong, I love him to pieces, but I HATE fighting with him. It puts me in a foul humour, and I end up all puffy because I don't rest all night, and I am puffy enough as it is! Hate going to bed when someone is upset with me. Hate it. Hate the example it sets for the kids, too.

We've talked since this morning, and we're ok, it's all okay, but I was still very upset when I got up this morning- a dark, dark cloud over me. That is what inspired today's art journal. I was so upset, I forgot to even gesso my pages, just took black and red paintsticks to it, making a big jaggeddy broken heart on the paper. Then I gessoed over it, making sure to let some angry black and red peek out. I then used pink, bright red, and dark crimson to make a pink heart- very rosy and happy-looking, over the black broken heart. Drizzled and brushed Lumiere around the edges, one side silver and darker, the other gold, with pinks and blues. I used a match to scratch words into the heart- "How many times can a heart be broken and then mended?"on one side, and "Love, peace, grace" on the other. The black and red shows through the scratch marks. I like the contrast between the warm and fuzzy pinkness, and the angry black underneath.


I may add more to this, but not today. We are headed out for the afternoon/evening. Kids have youth group, and I get to go see my Mama. That will be all the salve I need.

How is that for opening oneself up on the internet. I am all for just keeping it real, ya' know? The breakdowns happen to us all, and without them, the breakthroughs would be fewer and farther between. Ya gotta have those downs to appreciate those ups. And I knew that people used art for therapy, but as I experience it for myself, I can see how powerful it can be!

Keeping it raw and real,
LB