I Confess.

The truly artistic Wendy at A Girl And Her Brush asked last week for artists and artist mommy's to share a few confessions. 

You know me: I can't back down from a challenge!

Check out what exactly I confessed Here.

Learn more about Wendy and all she has to offer at her site, A Girl And Her Brush (love that title!!). 

A! B C reative.

Hah - had fun with the title for this one.

Thank you for the deep and thought out comments on the last post.  It's funny - most people here and on FB meant that thought I was going to take a break...when I was writing because I felt like I already took one!  Ah well...I'm going to let that organically develop, take the suggestions offered by you wonderful people, and move on.

The biggest thing going on in my life right now?  BIG.  Connie's class (Dirty Footprints Studio) centered around Fearless Painting.  I took the class because I adore Connie but am fascinated to find that this class is leading, pushing, nudging me to those places I've longed to find for so long.

BIG is helping me:

• Get back into running.  Yeah, I know.  Painting is helping me run.  That's just how this funky universe works! I will admit that for several weeks I have not been running...but I took those first few steps outside a couple of days ago and YUM!  (hot even at 7 a.m., but yum.)  The creative process helps me brush those procrastination-chips off of my shoulder and puts a li'l energy juice into my dreams...so I wake up ready to go.

• Create into my Self.  Fancy, but what does that mean?  I know I'm something special in there.  That isn't ego speaking, rather divinity (which is in all of us) acknowledging itself.  The process we are going through in BIG is helping me create my life - smoosh it, paint it, tear it, fold it, gently coax it - back into that unique, glittered, shiny form it was before I became afraid to be that person.

• Make some pretty cool stuff.  Ohhh, I so want to hit "backspace" and erase that.  But now that I've typed farther, it would take too long to do it. :)  The product may not be what this is all about, but it is a nice side result, eh?  Part of being BIG is admitting that YES, this stuff is cool.  I LIKE having it hanging on my wall.  No caveats, no "yeah, buts", nothing further.

Wanna see?

I adore this one because it has a hidden message!  Love that!!  It started out as just painted shapes.  From there, I wanted alphabet shapes....my Cricut machine was right there....and the rest was history.

The hidden message appears in the colored letters.

It's a bit trickier to see in a photo, but look at the red, yellow, and blue letters...read from top to bottom, left to right.  Seeing anything?

Want a bit more help?

It may take some time to understand, but once you see...you'll never be able to Not See again.

Oooh, so much within me and you!  We should celebrate....any suggestions?

Tweet - *THWUNK*. AKA: What Would YOU Do?

During a recent chat, it was mentioned that someone felt like a bird flying around in frantic circles who just ran into a wall.

What did I think?  "tweet, tweet, tweet....*thwunk*" ...and just started laughing out loud.  I'm odd like that.  But that fun little image has stuck with me and taken a different message.  (And it keeps me laughing.)  How so?

Important Note: Bird violence is not funny.  It is dangerous.  And scary.  Except in cartoons.  And in this image in my head.

I've read countless places that it is important to update Twitter, Facebook, and one's blog on a consistent basis. There are so many reasons for this ...too many to try to recount here.  Suffice to say: I GET IT.  I understand.  I know.

But I've also run across several blog posts, tweets, and Facebook posts that offer apologies for being away, for something happening offline (planned or not) that kept that person away from their typing.  Or people who have disappeared for several days (*gasp*!) only to reappear with no explanation but continued fun information to share.

So my question for each of you is: Do online "networkers" get a "weekend"?  How do we take breaks?  Should we notify one another of said breaks?  If so, what is the cutoff to notify you - if we'll be away for a day?  A few days?  A week?  Should we apologize if unexpectedly able to post for several days?  Offer explanations?  What happens to my online world if I turn off the "Power" button for more than a few hours??

Sometimes I feel like that bird....tweeting, tweeting, tweeting, and then THUNK.  Life happens.

I have intentionally been away from the computer for a couple of days, throwing in a few tweets here and there, but mostly focusing on life sans keyboard.  A lot of it has been art, which has led to reflection, which has led to journaling and long blank stares into space, which has led into feeling hungry, which has led to pizza....mmm, pizza....but I digress.

I know my online support group is still there.  All of you are still existing.  But my blog is falling way down on sidebar lists because I haven't updated since Wednesday.  Those checking out my profile on Twitter or my fan page on Facebook may just venture away because they figure I'm one of those "here today gone tomorrow" type posters.  (Did you notice the shameless plug there with a little link-age!)

I build my connections through online dedication yet to create that following I need something to share.  To have something to share I need to be doing my art and my living off of the computer.  T'is quite the conundrum.

I know none of us should feel guilty for living our lives off of the computer.  (Odd to even say that, eh?)  And yet, the online world charges on without us.  I don't feel guilt, per se, just concern at the length of time one can be gone - and how many times over the period of a year one can be gone that long - before followers or would-be followers start to question my dedication.

SO.  I am begging to know your thoughts.  If you are new to any of these social networking ventures, how often do you post/tweet?  Are you concerned about being away?

If you are a veteran - particularly those with business ventures (coaching, Etsy, etc.), how do you deal with planned or unplanned time away from the computer?  Do you apologize for absences?  Offer explanations?

What about comments?  I have tried to keep up with replying to comments but find myself falling woefully behind...especially when there is no direct link to the commenter's email.  I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS and want to make sure YOU KNOW that I read and honor each one!

I mentioned a long time ago, somewhere in the virtual world, that it would be nice if we all could stop apologizing for being away.  For leading our lives.  And yet, this online world is part of our lives - a big part of my life.  I seriously respect, honor, and consider as friends those who I have come to know through blogging. And I still get giddy every time I get a new follower or an "@LifeUnity" on Twitter or Facebook.

Simultaneously, my art calls.  I need to keep painting, sketching, and reflecting so that my blog stays juicy and full of life.  My kids call.  My hubby calls.

Right now, the bed calls.

Thank you in advance for your comments.  (*hint, hint*!!)  I promise, I will read it and cherish it....even if I don't get back to you.
(Really.  Thank you.)

Oh, Art.....

I came across this while finally trying to catch up on some of blog reading.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do...WARNING: I cannot get neither the song nor the message out of my head.  And I'm quite happy about that.

Done And Just Beginning

**Note: For some reason, Blogger is messed up and some comments are not showing up.  I am receiving them via email though...so thank you!**

Where, oh where to begin?  When transformation happens this quickly, how do I keep up with words?

I once heard a quote, "People always change.  They just forget to tell one another."  Hah -- well, I'm trying not to forget all of you but GEEZ...where are the words?

BIG painting, courtesy of an amazing class offered by Connie at Dirty Footprints Studio, is shaking things up ...Big time.  How so?

(All of these are done on simple posterboard with either Liquitex Basics paints or Tempera paints.)

Painting.  Done without thinking.  Moving, my body and my soul.

Each reflects a mood, a way of being truly in the moment.

I am sensually engaged in these paintings.  Even now, I can't help but run my fingers over the dried, textural paints.

They spoke to me as I was creating them, and they speak to me now.

This one?  A fierce, fast, furious painting that was interrupted only by 5 minutes of strong Yoga as the black paint dried!  (I had Godsmack playing and my body wasn't about to stop moving while waiting for PAINT to dry!)

I had no idea what I was creating in the process, but after the black, red, and blue paints were applied, I was told to be DONE.

Done with the painting.  Don't add any more sad colors after working through the anger.  Don't try to make it pretty.  Done with what is no longer serving me, with people, places, thoughts, and things that don't affirm my true nature.  Done with what no longer acknowledges and accepts my humanity and done with what no longer recognizes and celebrates my divinity.

Just. Done.

From here, I've kept right on going.  Another painting that I plan to hang in our kiddo's room.  Art Journaling that is finally looking like something that I created...instead of something that is just a copy of someone else's technique.  Days that are finally turning into a life lived instead of one just intellectualized or studied or imagined or wished for....

This is my journey.

This is the beginning of something huge and the continuation of something even bigger.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for travelling with me.

Freedom - Through Art

This is a brief post.  Why?  Because I want to get back to working on my art off of the computer!!

There is SO much going on recently, lovelies, so so much.

I'm still loving Suzi Blu's class (http://suziblu.ning.com/) - I'm working through Goddess & Poet but will be signing up for others.  I have found a new confidence in drawing faces and finding my girly side.  Believe it or not, THAT is changing my perspective on life!  Whodda thunk?  (Seriously, if you have ANY inner voices calling out to try drawing faces - realistic or otherwise - check out Suzi's site!  Special offers going on now...)

Here's the one I did for 4th of July...celebrating freedom.

She isn't done yet, like me.  She looks a little "off", like me.  She is discovering herself, opening up.  There is a lot more glitter to come, a lot more depth, a lot more of her SELF. 

But I'm not going to rush the process...and want to keep you updated as the changes happen.

And I've mentioned it before, but I am going BIG.  Big, big, big.

And it is having big, big, BIG effects....already!

Here's my journey into BIG (posterboard size):

I'm still there.  I'm still swirling around, figuring out where this one is going to take me, trying to enjoy whirling around in this tornado and figuring out how to open my wings and fly instead of bouncing into the miscellaneous crap that has been brought up.

Anyone else feeling like this??

Freedom

Today, I celebrate Freedom.

I celebrate and honor those who came before me and those whose lives happen during my own - those who I will never know - who bravely and selflessly lived and died for my freedom.

I celebrate the fortune to have been born in a place where I can freely speak my mind and not be punished by the law for doing so.

I celebrate the freedoms I am discovering through art and releasing of shoulds.

Today so much is shifting.  I have yet more awareness.  An awareness of the interconnectedness of this all, of the importance of patriotism yet the neccessity of celebrating without borders, an awareness of true, honest freedom.

I am Free to Choose to be Me.

Every single day, every single moment of my life, I am free to choose how I live, what thoughts I think, how I let those choices influence the next moment.

I decided to remind myself today.  (See below)  When my mom saw me, she said, "Do you really need a reminder?".  I thought for a moment and said gently, honestly, and with assurance - YES.

Yes.  We all need to be reminded every single day that we are Free.

To my brothers and sisters in the United States, Happy 4th of July.

To my family throughout the world, Happy Freedom.