Get Your Paint On

I want to apologize for being away from my blog over the past few weeks.  I have been really busy putting my attention towards a new group of Inside Out explorers (which has been AMAZING) along with balancing mommyville (and playing in the snow)!

But there's TONS that I want to share with you.  I've been digging deeper and have had some new "aha" moments, along with lots of new inspiration, but I find that I'm swimming in the process of change right now.  I just don't have the words.

So until then, here's a little art journaling inspiration for you.

Like the music in the video?  Visit my brother's site HERE.

AND, go check out the sneak peak of Wish BIG E-camp!  I'll be teaching a course along with 9 other awesome teachers and registration opens February 14th.  It's time to "gather 'round the creative fire" and get your paint on!

Your Personal Reflection:  How is the New Year treating you?  Have you been sticking to your resolutions or intentions?  Any "aha" moments you'd like to share?

Mindless Creating Leads to Mindful Connections

I gifted myself the book Drawing Lab For Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim, and I'm so thrilled about it.  I love all kinds of art - felting, knitting, collage, art journaling, mosaicing, sewing, painting, photography...  And one medium that I am drawn to, yet scared to death of is...DRAWING!  In the past I've read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and I took a life-drawing class, but I just didn't feel inspired and my practice never really stuck.

This book is super exciting because the exercises are very simple and specifically for artists who love journaling and collage.  The first assignment is to draw 30 cats, quickly and from memory, while lying down.  I love this - using simple materials like a marker and paper, no pressure and no expectations, all while snuggled in a cozy bed!

This page is my first quick attempt...

Kestan saw me drawing and wanted to jump in the fun.  So we set up, side-by-side, in the art room and a special thing happened.

We talked.

Well, he talked mostly.

And I listened.

He opened up about things that have been on his mind.  I was amazed to hear his observations, his stories and his feelings about life.

He drew.

He made marks on the page without thinking twice, without editing, and without being critical or negative.

He simply let his intuition guide his way.  And this mindless activity, of making marks on paper, opened up a channel in him that allowed him to express his innermost feelings.

Together we doodled.  We explored.  We shared.  We made new discoveries.

And it reminded me just how important it is to incorporate more mindless creating and spontaneous play in my day.  It's usually in this space, between all the chaos and the busyness of life, where the true magic really happens.  Just as in meditation, where there is a space between each inhale breath and each exhale breath, and a space between our thoughts, art can provide that same experience.  It gives us the opportunity to enjoy the beauty that comes from s p a c e.  

Mindless creating and letting our intuition be the guide helps us connect to our heart centers.  And that's what this very simple exercise - drawing for fun - did for my son and me.  We let go of our vulnerabilities, embraced play and connected to ourselves and to each other on a deeper level.

And this is why I create...

Your Personal Reflection:  Give it a try!  Step away from the computer and turn off your cell phone.  Grab a marker and piece of white card stock paper.  Get cozy and lay on your bed or the couch and draw 30 cats from memory.  Have fun and let yourself to play like a child would - without thinking about it.  Just see what comes out.  And if you have children, let them join you!  Have fun in the space of the present moment and simply enjoy drawing for fun. 

Inspiration in Art Journaling

These are just a few of the hilarious things my son says throughout the day.  I've finally found a way to capture these memories through my love of art journaling!

Go visit Rhythm of the Home today and see a new piece I wrote called, Capturing Your Mothering Memories Through Art Journaling.  I give you some tips on how to get started.  Then stay a while and explore this beautiful, inspirational on-line magazine.  Psst...there's a giveaway, too!  

Happy, funny, creative day to each of you!

Your Personal Reflection:  How do you capture your memories? 

Let's Celebrate with a Give Away!

We agree to consciously set an intention to become bold explorers of our lives, to listen more intently to our inner voices, to honor our unique brilliance and to celebrate our authentic selves.  -Inside Out participants

Today marks the last day of the third session of my Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery e-course.  I continue to be blown away by the dedication and vibrant energy of these amazing explorers who choose to take this journey with me.  They are filled with hope, courage, inspiration, vulnerability, creativity, compassion, celebration and dreams ready to soar.

Together, we are becoming active participants of our lives, excited to create the lives we love, one small step at a time.  Today, like every day, is a fresh clean slate - the beginning of new opportunities waiting to be explored.

Many of you know that my sweet second baby is due in early October, so I'll be taking time off to bond and enjoy this new little soul.  The next Inside Out e-course will be offered early 2011.  I know that's several months from now, but the class fills up quickly.  So if you think you might want to take the course for the first time (or the second, third or fourth!), then enter for your chance to win a spot in the winter session.

All you have to is this:  1)  Join Free Spirit Knits Facebook Fan Page  (If you don't participate in Facebook, then skip this step.) AND 2) leave a comment on this blog post by Wednesday, July 21st.  I'll announce the winner next week.  (Please make sure to leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you directly.

Enjoy some of the discoveries and new artwork shared by Inside Out explorers - summer session:

I've discovered that there IS enough time, if you make it a priority, to create.

I have learned that I need to continue to do inner work and stay aware of my life.  If I forget to do this my life seems to have less meaning and gets all out of balance.  I think I need to take a life long e-course to remind myself to be aware and follow my heart!

I have learned (at age 40!) that I already have everything I need to make my dreams come true!  It's only myself that is holding me back, nothing else.

When I started this course I truly thought it would be some nice, relaxing me-time to create and play.  And while it certainly has been that, it has also brought so many things to the surface that had been lying dormant.  I started to see where I want to go in life, with what I have already (my passion and talents for energy healing) and with what I want to create for myself (a loving family that's near my family).  And talk about a holy crap moment, but I realized that I need to move back east!  That revelation did not come easy, though.  But the journaling really helped me push through my ego, brain and fear!  Pretty darn cool.

I think the biggest discovery is that I have a big fear of being considered too bold, too loud, too anything except for too giving.  I'll definitely be exploring this as I'm working through the class...and beyond.

I've discovered that I spend far more time being on other people's schedules than I do my own, and I have a deep resentment of it.  I didn't really realize how much having my day "planned out" for me, based on what other people want to do, really bothers me.  I realize that we all have to do things we might not want to do, but I also realize that it's OK to say no to some activities and commitments if they don't align with what I want.

I also discovered that there is great joy in the process and that to be entirely focused on end product not only destroys some of that joy, it also makes a much less interesting end product.  Hmmm...

I've discovered that my inner artist was not dead.  She was just trapped under a large piece of furniture!

Your Personal Reflection:  Are you ready to CREATE the life you LOVE?

Want to know more?  Read testimonials from Inside Out e-course past participants and check out why I created the Inside Out e-course adventure.

It's Never Too Late

I am loving the way I feel now by taking your course.  It opened up a lot of feelings and is letting me enjoy myself and each day.  I so much enjoy expressing my feelings through doodling and writing, and I'm loving my own sacred place while being true to ME - instead of letting myself just drift along.  Thank you so much, Shannon, for giving me a wonderful place to learn, explore and express myself.  

I am finding immense joy in so many things.  -Iris

I received this lovely note over the weekend from an explorer who participated in my last e-course.  It's feedback like this that warms my heart.  Even though I know I'm on the right path, it's nice to hear that others are feeling such inspiration from the deep connections made through my Inside Out community. 

Whether you are in your 70's (like Iris), or still in your teens - your age, your personality, your past, your stage of life - none of that matters.  What matters most is that we keep an open heart and an open mind so that we can be ready for life's greatest possibilities.  We are all looking for the same things.  We are in search of meaning, connection, love, abundance, joy, celebration, purpose, creativity, growth, happiness...  I love that we can come together to share, to learn and to support each other along our life's path.  The opportunity to learn more about YOU and get completely inspired, while putting YOURSELF and what matters most to YOU first - starts today!

As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There is still time to enroll for Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery - so get on over there - make some BIG changes and join another amazing group of women who are eager to live more fully, boldly and freely.  (Registration closes at midnight, US Central time, tonight!)

Your Personal Reflection:  To see great change in your life, you have to be willing to take healthy risks and try new things.  What is one thing you can try, today, that you've never had the courage to do?  Take one small step towards something that matters to you - because YOU MATTER, and it's never too late to try.

Free Your Spirit Through Writing

On my recent vacation I set aside some time each day for something I love - writing in my journal. Although I still keep a journal, I've been spending a lot more time art journaling - playing with paint, cutting, pasting, and getting messy. So returning to the basics and staying simple with a black pen and white paper felt really good.

When I write in a journal, I do so without thinking. I place my pen to the blank page and just write. If I'm feeling stuck I'll write about the day. "Today I did this..." I may ramble on a bit, but I always feel lighter and freer by getting the words, the thoughts, the feelings - out of my head and onto the page.

After journaling regularly for over 15 years, I see the healing powers and benefits that come from a consistent free-spirit writing practice. And what I mean by free-spirit writing is simply writing and writing and writing - not from a thinking place, but more from a feeling place. When I write, I allow myself to clear up space in my mind. I allow myself the freedom to speak from my heart. The more I write, the more I can do so without thinking about it. The more I practice and stay with it, the more I connect to a place where my heart knows the answers.

And it's in this heart-centered writing place that I learn the most about myself. Going back through my writings, I've discovered the cycles I can't seem to brake. I am reminded of my dreams, my deep aspirations, and my secret wishes. By simply seeing my truth on the page, I awake to my personal strength, I gain more clarity, and I can walk forward from an authentic place, with a greater sense of confidence and wisdom. No matter what, I always feel better after writing.

If you are curious about journaling and would like to give it a try (or return to it), here are a few tips that have worked for me:

Free-Spirit Writing

1) Use a favorite pen and journal
I find that if I have a favorite pen (one that's fluid and allows me to write fast), and a journal that I love, I'm much more excited about writing in it. Take yourself to the office supply or art store and try out a variety of sample pens 'til you find the right one!

2) Set aside 5 minutes each day
You can find 5 minutes to wash your hair, brush your teeth, and eat a meal. (Most days, right?) So there has to be a way you can find 5 minutes to write in a journal, but you have to set aside that time for it. I find it really helpful to write at the same time each day (and of course I know that this may be impossible at times!) I try to make it a ritual to write with my morning coffee or tea. See what time works best for you.

3) Keep writing
No matter what - when you place that pen to the blank page - just write. Even if nothing comes out and your mind is telling you "I have nothing to say," keep your pen moving. You can draw shapes, lines, spirals...whatever...but keep that pen moving until something, anything comes out. If you stay with it, over time you will surprise yourself.

4) Be yourself
Your journal doesn't have to hold happy thoughts, sad thoughts or dark secrets. Your journal just IS. Let it be a place where you speak from your heart - speak your truth. Because for many of us, this is the only place where we can truly let go of our masks and be that brilliant, vibrant being that we really are. Doing this in a journal is a great first step towards living a more authentic life!

5) Protect it
Your authentic self will feel a lot safer knowing that your journal is a safe place to write. It's for you, and you alone. So keep it in a place where you know others won't read it.

6) Respect it
Show respect for your journal. Treat it like a good friend. Because that's exactly what it is...a friend that holds no judgements, one that simply loves you and wants you to live a vibrant, happy life.

7) Have fun
Writing shouldn't feel like a chore. Have fun with it! Write at your favorite coffee shop, write in the park, or write alongside your kids. When you feel ready to expand from the basic pen, check out the amazing art journaling magazines, books and websites out there to get inspired. (Including my creative adventure e-course!)

Your Personal Reflection: Do you ever feel like your mind is cluttered with thoughts, or your heart is cluttered with emotions? Give journaling a try and simply let yourself write, write, write.

Discovering & Restoring Through Creative Play

The second session of my e-course, Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery, is ending today.  It has been another magical, amazing, revealing, vulnerable, messy, exciting experience.  

For the last 4-weeks, over 70 people from all over the world joined me to become bold explorers of their lives.  Here are just a few moments we shared together.

Doodling.

Making messes.

Celebrating authenticity.

Defining values.

Discovering new affirmations.

Experimenting.

Drawing.

Writing.

Painting.

And having SO much fun.

I continue to feel blessed that I get to connect, share, and grow with so many wonderful adventurers through this experience.  I am inspired to continue the Inside Out journey, and I'm still in the process of developing a new summer course that I'm really excited to share with you!

In the meantime, though, I'm taking the entire month of May off just to restore my own creativity!  I've signed up for Amelia's lovely and inspiring e-course, Experimental Art, and I'm treating myself to the Wish*Full virtual retreat this weekend!

So lots more doodling, staining, messing, painting, drawing, ripping, wondering, exploring, playing and just "being me" around here. 

Your Personal Reflection:  What creative messes are you getting into?

(*Several of the photos on this post were provided by class participants.)

Letting Go of Perfect

The past few weeks have flown by, with returning from a family vacation, to starting my spring session of Inside Out e-course, to reducing clutter in my home.

So I decided to take a much needed break and enjoy the sunshine with paints and my 2-year-old.  I have my paints ready and set out some for Kestan with his own book.  Ahh, great...everything is perfect.  The birds are singing, not a cloud in the sky, the flowers are in bloom and I'm enjoying a clean patio (that we worked all weekend on!)

But, Kestan had other ideas.  He wanted to paint on mommy's paper.  At first I could feel a sense of resistance creep up.  "But this is my journal," I thought.  I took a deep breath and let go of expectations that this was going to be the perfect moment for creating.

As we started painting together, this experience turned into a new assignment for my class participants, which included encouraging them to explore their unique brush strokes.

In fact, Kestan gave me a great idea on how to make cool strokes with an old toothbrush!

I could have easily given up, put all the paints away and gotten frustrated that my perfect moment was ruined.  But instead, letting go of the idea that I must find the perfect moment for creating, I ended up discovering new things about my little boy and myself.  I learned that I still have tendencies to be uptight, despite my practice in letting go and implementing more play into my life.  And I was reminded, once again, that Kestan is my true teacher.

We both got lost in the moment - together.  We played.  We used our imaginations.  We had fun!  And we created something that is imperfectly wonderful.  

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you wait for the perfect moment to create?  Does that moment ever come?  How can you practice creating more in the middle of things, while letting go of perfect?

Give Yourself a Gift

Do you want to dream big, face your fears and change your life?  

Do you want to nurture your creative being and let your artist within be fully expressed to the world? (Remember - we are ALL artists - even if you don't feel like one, yet!)

Do you want to learn how to use new art supplies and to play, play, play with paint?

Do you want to create without perfection, without a "right" way, and with lots of messes?

Do you want to expand the possibilities in your life and follow what lives inside your heart?

Do you want more balance, peace, serenity, relaxation and harmony every day?

Do you want to rid your life of physical, emotional and mental clutter, so that you can know the deeper part of you - the part that is present, connected and authentic?

Do you want to get to know yourself better and discover what brings you great meaning and joy?

Do you want to explore through writing and creative play, while connecting to a like-minded community of bold explorers - others who know exactly where you are coming from, (and have a chance to meet new life-long friends?)

Do you want to live freely - being the REAL you?

Sign-up for Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery and remember what it really means to create and fully live the life you love.  

Starts Monday!  (Enrollment is open until Sunday, April 4th, Midnight US Central Time.)

Your Personal Reflection:

What are you waiting for?  Feel like you have no time or money?  Email me about your concerns and let's have a chat.  livefreely@mac.com

On a side note:  I am taking a week off from blogging to spend quality time with my family on a vacation to the north woods.  I will return next week!  Please share the link to my e-course with anyone you think would benefit from this creative, mindful journey.


Those of you participating in Reduce Clutter; Create Space, 2010 Challenge:  We are wrapping up the March theme of conquering our clothes, and the loose theme for April is the kitchen.