I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking about physical fitness during this time of New Year resolutions. The trick, I’ve found, is to find a formula that’s a perfect fit for YOU in THIS chapter of your life – for your schedule, constraints, personality, fitness level, social needs, location, budget, etc. The rewards of moving that uniquely beautiful body of yours are multiple: exercise enhances not only your physical, but also your mental, emotional and spiritual health. In fact, it’s a great way to counter the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), common at this time of year. Not everyone, however, is into team sports, outdoor adventures, group classes, gyms, or running clubs. So what’s the right fit for you? Here’s what I do to get my groove on.
Knowing Myself:
I’ll start off by saying that I am in no way an athletic person. The only reason I passed high school gym was because of the theory and flexibility units, as well as a wicked volleyball serve. I spent the rest of the time humiliated, panting with burning lungs far behind the rest of the class.
I did, however, love being in nature and taking long leisurely walks to fill my eyes with the wonders of the world. So throughout my life, I arranged to live at least 30 minutes walk from where I worked, ensuring at least 1-3 hours of walking a day on workdays. I’ve also never owned a car – which helped. Indeed, I’m a destination walker – I’ll gladly walk to where I need to go no matter the weather. I’m discovering, however, that I’m not so motivated to simply “go for a walk”, especially on my own, unless special scenery is involved (like on all those hiking trails in Vienna or the East Coast Trail here in Newfoundland).
New Chapter, New Program:
When I moved back to Canada in July, I chose to live in a great environment far from university, which unfortunately meant taking the bus to campus when I was teaching. I’m facing an even greater need now to expand my physical fitness program since I’m working entirely from home for the winter, mostly hunched over my computer or my paintings.
Knowing that my current hermit mode, early-riser schedule, financial priorities, and location aren’t conducive to yoga or dance classes that I may have enjoyed in the past, I’ve designed an at-home program that I just love. It has made such a difference in my days and nights as I had been suffering from the ill-effects of sitting cross-legged on the floor painting for 12-16 hours on some days…
So here’s my program:
1. Morning Kriya Yoga Energization Exercises (20 minutes)
I learned this routine last May while at the Ananda Center in Italy, where I was artist-in-residence for 10 days. It’s a series of 39 simple muscle tensing and relaxing exercises that help to consciously direct the life force to certain parts of the body, awakening the body, mind and soul. I did them for a while afterwards and then stopped, despite keeping the poster my friend Regine gave me on the wall. I’ve added this back in this year, at the beginning of my morning routine, sometime between 5-6 am. It feels great! If you’re curious, here’s a longer instructional video, but I now use a shorter one to follow along.
Note: This series was designed by Paramahansa Yogananda (author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”). When I was in Ottawa over Christmas, I saw that there’s a feature movie about his life in theatres now – unfortunately, it’s not currently scheduled for St. John’s.
2. Morning Rebounding (15-40 minutes)
I love to dance! As soon as I was old enough to go to bars, my friends and I went to a punk club called The Zinc and danced until 3am every weekend. It was the only place we could dance without being bothered; it wasn’t the typical meat market. While my friends danced, socialized, drank, and kept an eye on me, I would close my eyes and enter a blissful state, translating the music with my body for hours on end. Then, I would drive everyone home. I’m rarely awake past 10pm nowadays though and never liked the club scene after The Zinc closed down. I did, however, find a various types of yoga-dance classes / spiritual movement events in the many cities I’ve lived in. Since I’m currently not into classes, though, incorporating dance into my daily routine has become a priority.
I found out about the health benefits of rebounders (mini-trampolines) when I lived in Saskatoon, so I bought one and placed it in front of the balcony doors of my 6th floor apartment overlooking the South Saskatchewan River, trees, and the city. I would dance to a set of 3 kirtan songs (devotional songs in Sanskrit) every morning. I just loved how I felt physically and mentally after my sessions.
That rebounder stayed in Saskatoon, so I bought a new one a few months ago and use it daily in my studio, as part of my morning routine and anytime I need to step away from my art to contemplate its evolution. I bought a well-reviewed one – the Urban Rebounder. It has different settings and comes with DVD workouts, but I simply dance on it – nothing fancy, using the shuffle feature on my iPhone to select 3 kirtan songs that come up, fully trusting that this combination will uplift me (ha ha, get it?). Some of the songs in my collection are pretty long, so my rebounding sessions can last anywhere from 15 – 40 minutes. Once I get started, however, I lose track of time as I enter either a state of contemplation, devotion, joy, or creative flow (looking at my art or vision board, praying, singing, or thinking). I often get ideas or work out the details of projects during these sessions. It’s all good. Adding this video here is a bit of a stretch of my comfort zone, but just in case it inspires you – here it is (in a very authentic albeit a little self-concious, pre-shower, painting clothes state).
3 . Morning Restorative Yoga (36 minutes)
My back gets really tight as I don’t have a very good posture while painting or working on the computer (yes, I just straightened up and heard a bit of a crack). Although I’ve tried and enjoyed all sorts of yoga styles with the years, my favourite at-home routine is Jennifer Steed’s Hatha Yoga Class for Rejuvenation from her Dynamic Stillness CD, now on my iPhone (available through Jennifer) . I can do it almost anywhere and have been doing it almost daily since 2008. The first half is all done lying on my back with my legs up a wall or in various twists. It’s just the level of exertion I appreciate and the stretching feels soooo good – there truly are yoga types for all types of people. For folks in St. John’s, if you’d like to try it in a class, my favourite restorative yoga teacher is Cheryl Fenk, who also teaches a much-loved yin yoga style.
* Basically, I spend about 1.5 hours moving my body every morning before feeding the ducks, taking my shower, and eating breakfast. No matter what mood I wake up in, I feel great by the time my workday starts.
4. Evening Soma Yoga (1.5 hours)
I’ve just started this up again this week, using a CD that Meranda Squires from the Lotus Center gave me. Many teachers here in St. John’s teach this style of yoga thanks to her training. It’s another form of gentle yoga, mostly done lying down, using tennis balls and a tie. I find it very therapeutic for those ropes along the sides of my spine and other tightness – the side effects of my profession. My intention is to do this 1-3 times a week.
5. Occasional Walks
It may be winter, but I’ll keep walking to do as many of my errands as I can (although my housemate made me a key for her car recently and I’ll admit, I’ve made use of it a few times when walking would have been beneficial). This week, I walked to the library (1 hour each way – luckily with the wind at my back on my way home) and enjoyed a bit of a stroll by the ocean at Middle Cove Beach with my friend Leslie.
6. Skating
I sold many of my belongings in early 2013 as part of my fundraiser and preparation for my year overseas,. I held on to my skates, however, when I heard that they were building an ice loop in Bannerman Park. I haven’t been yet, but it’s on my list.
7. Misc.
Then there’s whatever comes up with opportunity or inspiration. For example, my most memorable sports socials during my year overseas were skiing in Austria and cycling in the Czech Republic with my beloved friends. It doesn’t have to be a huge production though – I experienced great joy yesterday making snow angels in the backyard after 2 hours on the phone with a computer help technician (without success). What a great stretch! My favourite moment was having a few ducks fly up to join me and just sit nearby – heaven! (of course they were hoping I’d feed them a second time that day …).
Listening:
The most important thing is to tune into your body to know what’s right for you on any particular day. I’ve had to remind myself to be flexible in mind as well as in body this week when I decided not to do yoga one night as planned. I can get pretty goal focused…
However and with whomever you choose move your body this year – enjoy! May you find a fitness routine that’s a perfect fit for you.
Studio Sneak Peek: The Couple
/in PaintingsAt the dawn of 2015, I sensed that it was time to expand on my painting repertoire of empowered, intuitive, peaceful, playful, blossoming, and spiritually connected women – a visual representation of what I have been manifesting and experiencing in my own life.
Now I’m being called to paint couples, and the visions are coming to me much faster than I can paint them.
In my current painting (see its beginnings in a previous post), I see the couple as being firmly rooted to the ground and reaching upwards in a joint commitment to growth. They stand strong, centered, present, and balanced on their own in this pose of dynamic stillness, yet they stand together in a spirit of awareness, support, respect, and unconditional love on a shared path.
This week I sketched them on paper and traced them onto the canvas using white transfer paper. The marks wash off really easily. It’s great.
I then had fun looking through my new Tangle Pattern Guide – 2015 edition for various patterns to fill each bubble. I sometimes create my own, but imitation is a great way to expand and it is encouraged by the creators of Zentangle®. I used shades of greenish blues (turquoise, teal, etc.) for her – a 3-hour session – and darker blues for him – another 3-hour session. I also used rounder smoother patterns for her and more angular patterns for him. I not only want them to represent a couple, but also the masculine and feminine. I may still work on his head… somehow the whole square-head thing doesn’t sit well 🙂 . We’ll see…. Once I finished with all the blues, I decided to go in with some gold to unify them. Fun!
New Toys For the Studio!
I also got some of the tools I ordered to create my mandala series: a couple protractors and a giant compass that can make 24″ circles if I use the rod it came with, or circles up to 10 feet if I buy a longer 1/2″ dowel Fun!
I’m thinking ahead to the tree – I’m not sure where to go with it. I’ve got 2 tree shapes that I’m considering. Which one do you like the most? Left or right? Ignore the colours – I was just playing in Photoshop to consider the shapes and how they would overlap with the snowflakes. Also ignore the fact that the one on the left has leaves and the one on the right is so thick and ends abruptly. I’m thinking symbolism as much as shape – it’s a tough call… folks on Facebook this week have been voting for the one on the left. You?
This painting is far from finished. The intricacies of detail have made this a very meditative practice. Stay tuned for the next Studio Sneak Peek to see where it goes from here.
Life by Design: Creativity
/in Inspiration, Life By Design“Sun Flair” from my “Sacred Earth Journey” photo album
We are creators – many believe created in the Image of the Great Creator. Whether predominantly left-brained (analytical, logical, objective) or right-brained (intuitive, creative, subjective), human beings are creative by nature.
I believe that we are like drops of water which can become one with the ocean when in the creative flow. We tap into something greater than ourselves, becoming a channel for Life Force – connecting to the power of being truly in the moment, in the now.
I feel that when I get into a space of creativity, I open the gates to the flow of love and energy that expresses itself through me in a unique way. It’s like a refreshing stream that has me totally focused on the present. There’s no space for regret about the past or worry about the future when I’m in that flow. Instead, there’s a deep peace, a slowing down, a relaxation, a meditation… and lots of play!
I can reach that very fulfilling state of I AM when painting or photographing in nature, filling my eyes and heart with the wonders of the world. I can also reach that state, however, when I’m designing original lesson plans for ESL classes. I’ve discovered that calling myself a painter is much too limiting. I spent years without painting and was still creatively fulfilled when I was exploring photography or taught in programs where I was completely free to design my own curriculum.
What about you?
There are countless ways to tap into your creativity. You don’t have to be an artist to be creative! There can be as much creativity involved in getting dressed, cooking, software development, scrap-booking, inventing things, decorating your house, landscaping your yard, organizing an event, making love, blogging, knitting, building a shed, etc. You get the idea.
“Frosty Magic” from my “Frosty Morning Magic” photo album
The important thing is to play, experiment and find your creative outlet.
Even though the arts called to me strongly, I went through my entire high school program without finding a medium that really appealed to me. It wasn’t until later, when my uncle gave me Christmas money to spend in an art store that I discovered the world of acrylic inks and used them in ways the sales clerk didn’t think “was right”. Well, I’m still doing it and so are plenty of others now. I found a mode of expression that brought me great joy, and I’m so glad I kept seeking until I found it.
It’s Worth It!
I’m not sure if I was born predominantly left or right brained. I sure spent a lot of my time on my own in the imaginary and spirit world as a child. This makes me think that I may be predominantly right-brained. I’m grateful though, that society trained me very well in its western hemisphere ways, in which left-brained skills are highly valued. I was very successful at climbing the recreation career ladder in community, municipal, provincial, and then national job positions from the age of 15 until I reached my dream job right out of university. Those skills still serve me very well and will no doubt help me succeed as an artist. Having my left and right brain work together in harmony, however, was my challenge. They were at war for years – not very peaceful in there…
The cost of favouring my left-brain to the point of completely ignoring my right-brain were pretty high though. I wrote the article Creatively Becoming Whole for the magazine WhoLife in 2009, describing how I had put my creativity on hold because my left brain was working overtime working for an amazing spiritual photographer who needed a whole team of left-brained workers to keep up to his creative flow. I am grateful for that blessed opportunity – I have no regrets. But I have learned more about my needs. It was fun to reread the article this morning – and to see some of my older paintings. At the time, I wrote that creativity provided me with a medium for aesthetic exploration, an outlet for emotional catharsis, and a platform for personal and spiritual growth. That is still true today, and I pray that I’ll never choose to shut the door on it again.
Where to start?
If you’re not sure where to start, think back to the things that brought you pleasure as a child. Or walk around an arts & craft store until something strikes your fancy. You can also seek out programs that help you reconnect to your inborn creativity. I recommend Julia Cameron‘s work. I’ve used a couple of her books at various stages of my life to do just that. My favourite is “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”.
What appeals to you? How can you be more creative in your life – both at work and at play. Creating a Life by Design is one that involves creativity – in your own unique way, with your own unique voice, as you connect to something greater that is calling to your heart and soul. May you truly enjoy your creative Self!
“Mystic Vision” from my “Frosty Morning Magic” photo album.
Studio Sneak Peek: Snowflakes
/in PaintingsWhile staring at a blank 30″ x 40″ canvas during a pre-Christmas morning rebounding session, I received a vision for a painting of a couple standing together in tree pose. The background was to be filled with large snowflakes in the Zentangle® style. Saturday’s snowy photo shoot (see previous post) was perfect to get me in the mood. This is also true of the book “Zen Doodling Mandalas that I picked up in Ottawa over the holidays (a natural purchase since I had already decided to create a dozen 30″ x 30” mandalas in 2015). As I’m waiting for my $1000 order of canvas to launch that project, I decided to start on my painting of the couple, using the snowflake instructions from one of the chapters in my new book.
Background:
I started this painting process as I do most times – by using sacred palo santo smoke to smudge myself, my space and the canvas. I then added a drop of blessed water from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury to my spray bottle to wet the canvas (and a dash on myself). It feels great to open myself, the space and the canvas for a whole new creative process.
The background will eventually be quite dark and the figures lighter. At least that’s how I envision it, but I’m going half planned and half intuitively with this painting, so we’ll see what happens.
I started with a very watery mix of white, pearl, interference blue-green, and 4 shades of blue. Once that was dry, I added a glaze of pearl and 2 interference colours (they shine various colours at various angles).
Cutting Snowflakes:
Using my compass to make circles and a protractor that I printed from an online file to measure the 60 and 120 degree points on a folded circle, I then folded the left corner to the right mark and the right corner to the left mark. Then I folded it again in half. Then I drew designs and cut them. Unfolding them is so much fun as the results are always a surprise.
Stencils:
I then placed them on the canvas, measuring carefully, and used a sponge to gently tap one shade of blue around them. Voilà!
Tangle Patterns:
I then added darker circles (-ish… I wasn’t going for precision) to add contrast and spent the rest of the weekend listening to music and painting patterns in various shades of blue, pearl, silver, and interference blue. I have no idea how much of this will show in the final painting, but it was fun. Here are the final 5 smaller snowflakes. Click on any image to see it larger.
Snowy Photo Walk
/in Photography ProjectsThey’re not joking when they advertise that Newfoundland has crazy weather. I woke up with a fright at 3am on Saturday morning because of the 120km wind gusts we’d been warned might lift roof tiles. It sounded very dramatic out there. When I woke up again at 5am to the sound of rain hitting my window, I emailed my friend Leslie to cancel our walk and went back to sleep.
When I got up at 7am, the snow angels in the backyard were all but gone – instead, it was a very slushy and soggy jaunt down the lawn to feed the ducks before starting a new painting. After my first layer, however, I looked out the window to see a glimpse into the magical world of fluffy white snowflakes. They were coming straight down. The wind had completely stopped.
So I contacted my friend Leslie, who is also a photographer, and we headed out towards the ocean in her little Honda Fit, which was thankfully equipped with quality snow tires. The world was thick with snow again.
Here are a few of the shots I took in-camera, including a zoom shot at the end.
Of course I had to play a bit in Photoshop to duplicate and layer images.
My favourite is this one, using the wallpaper at the restaurant we ate at afterwards to blend into the scene. It reminds me of my current style of paintings.
I so enjoy spending time with my friend Leslie Bridger – she’s an inspiring woman who recovered from a near-fatal brain injury ” with vast knowledge…about life here on earth, about eternal life, about the changing role of humans, about our ability to heal ourselves and about the true Divinity and perfection of every living thing on this planet, amongst many other things.” She is offering great things to the St. John’s community, including weekly S.O.A.R. (Soul Optimal Awakening & Retrieval) meditations as part of the AWE project (awakening wellness everywhere), a more global project with Glen and Sandra Rose. Here’s one of their video offerings. Enjoy.
Life By Design: The Perfect Fitness Fit
/in Inspiration, Life By DesignI’ll start off by saying that I am in no way an athletic person. The only reason I passed high school gym was because of the theory and flexibility units, as well as a wicked volleyball serve. I spent the rest of the time humiliated, panting with burning lungs far behind the rest of the class.
I did, however, love being in nature and taking long leisurely walks to fill my eyes with the wonders of the world. So throughout my life, I arranged to live at least 30 minutes walk from where I worked, ensuring at least 1-3 hours of walking a day on workdays. I’ve also never owned a car – which helped. Indeed, I’m a destination walker – I’ll gladly walk to where I need to go no matter the weather. I’m discovering, however, that I’m not so motivated to simply “go for a walk”, especially on my own, unless special scenery is involved (like on all those hiking trails in Vienna or the East Coast Trail here in Newfoundland).
New Chapter, New Program:
When I moved back to Canada in July, I chose to live in a great environment far from university, which unfortunately meant taking the bus to campus when I was teaching. I’m facing an even greater need now to expand my physical fitness program since I’m working entirely from home for the winter, mostly hunched over my computer or my paintings.
Knowing that my current hermit mode, early-riser schedule, financial priorities, and location aren’t conducive to yoga or dance classes that I may have enjoyed in the past, I’ve designed an at-home program that I just love. It has made such a difference in my days and nights as I had been suffering from the ill-effects of sitting cross-legged on the floor painting for 12-16 hours on some days…
So here’s my program:
1. Morning Kriya Yoga Energization Exercises (20 minutes)
Note: This series was designed by Paramahansa Yogananda (author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”). When I was in Ottawa over Christmas, I saw that there’s a feature movie about his life in theatres now – unfortunately, it’s not currently scheduled for St. John’s.
2. Morning Rebounding (15-40 minutes)
I found out about the health benefits of rebounders (mini-trampolines) when I lived in Saskatoon, so I bought one and placed it in front of the balcony doors of my 6th floor apartment overlooking the South Saskatchewan River, trees, and the city. I would dance to a set of 3 kirtan songs (devotional songs in Sanskrit) every morning. I just loved how I felt physically and mentally after my sessions.
That rebounder stayed in Saskatoon, so I bought a new one a few months ago and use it daily in my studio, as part of my morning routine and anytime I need to step away from my art to contemplate its evolution. I bought a well-reviewed one – the Urban Rebounder. It has different settings and comes with DVD workouts, but I simply dance on it – nothing fancy, using the shuffle feature on my iPhone to select 3 kirtan songs that come up, fully trusting that this combination will uplift me (ha ha, get it?). Some of the songs in my collection are pretty long, so my rebounding sessions can last anywhere from 15 – 40 minutes. Once I get started, however, I lose track of time as I enter either a state of contemplation, devotion, joy, or creative flow (looking at my art or vision board, praying, singing, or thinking). I often get ideas or work out the details of projects during these sessions. It’s all good. Adding this video here is a bit of a stretch of my comfort zone, but just in case it inspires you – here it is (in a very authentic albeit a little self-concious, pre-shower, painting clothes state).
3 . Morning Restorative Yoga (36 minutes)
* Basically, I spend about 1.5 hours moving my body every morning before feeding the ducks, taking my shower, and eating breakfast. No matter what mood I wake up in, I feel great by the time my workday starts.
4. Evening Soma Yoga (1.5 hours)
I’ve just started this up again this week, using a CD that Meranda Squires from the Lotus Center gave me. Many teachers here in St. John’s teach this style of yoga thanks to her training. It’s another form of gentle yoga, mostly done lying down, using tennis balls and a tie. I find it very therapeutic for those ropes along the sides of my spine and other tightness – the side effects of my profession. My intention is to do this 1-3 times a week.
5. Occasional Walks
It may be winter, but I’ll keep walking to do as many of my errands as I can (although my housemate made me a key for her car recently and I’ll admit, I’ve made use of it a few times when walking would have been beneficial). This week, I walked to the library (1 hour each way – luckily with the wind at my back on my way home) and enjoyed a bit of a stroll by the ocean at Middle Cove Beach with my friend Leslie.
6. Skating
I sold many of my belongings in early 2013 as part of my fundraiser and preparation for my year overseas,. I held on to my skates, however, when I heard that they were building an ice loop in Bannerman Park. I haven’t been yet, but it’s on my list.
7. Misc.
Listening:
The most important thing is to tune into your body to know what’s right for you on any particular day. I’ve had to remind myself to be flexible in mind as well as in body this week when I decided not to do yoga one night as planned. I can get pretty goal focused…
However and with whomever you choose move your body this year – enjoy! May you find a fitness routine that’s a perfect fit for you.
Another Transitional Painting: Life by Design
/in PaintingsIt’s called “Life by Design“, in honour of all I’m living as a full-time artist this year and all I’m writing about in my new series of articles by the same name.
The figure is one I quickly sketched in Vienna during a live model drawing session, soon after learning about the Zentangle® movement. When I saw her on my parents’ fridge at Christmas, I just had to make a copy to incorporate her on this work in progress (6-8 layers of paint waiting for an inspiration).
There’s just something about her that makes me smile – it’s that mix of playful, flirty, shy, excited, and brave stance as she looks into a future that’s totally hers to design. I can almost hear her say “Oh Goody! Now what?” It’s also her special blend of simplicity through fluid lines and complexity through the multitude of patterns and experiences that make her completely unique in this world.
I glazed over some of the tangle patterns using various transparent colours, including a special paint that can only be seen from certain angles or in certain lighting. This is a reminder that no matter our moods or environment, we can choose to let our colours shine.
It was after stepping back and contemplating her for a while that I saw her path shape before her – made of her own substance and colours with an added layer of gold-coloured mica flakes (love, compassion), energizing her life with passion and purpose.
Life by Design – 12″ x 24″ – acrylics & mica on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required). – SOLD. Click here for prints.
Go to my shop to see all available originals and reproductions.
By the way, I’ve decided to name my first crossover painting “This Little Light of Mine“, after the song that I often find my self singing and dancing to. It has been sold.
First Painting of 2015
/in Paintings“This Little Light of Mine” (9″ x 12″)
After weeks of not painting, it was great to get back in the studio yesterday. My friend Lori came over and we painted while catching up on life.
This is a crossover painting – one that I started in 2014 and finished in 2015. I always find those have special energy. After doing my best to love it through its awkward teenager phase yesterday (a good reminder about the many layers of the creative process), it eventually evolved into this creation that makes my heart sing. It encompasses the spirit of meditation, prayer, celebration, connection with Nature, gratitude, sacred fire, and so much more. In case you didn’t spot her, there’s a woman sitting cross legged with her back to us – with her arms up in the air and a bird in one hand. See her?
Introducing “This Little Light of Mine” (I’m gonna let it shine…). It’s 9″ x 12″, acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing necessary). I often sing that song and it captures the spirit of this painting well. NOTE: SOLD.
Life By Design: Time of Transition
/in Inspiration, Life By DesignI’m quite excited. I’ve been moved to create a new category of blog posts for 2015: Life by Design.
Embracing a life that is true to your heart and soul’s callings can be challenging in a world of expectations, labels, and ingrained social norms.
It’s important to remember, therefore, that you are the gift – there is no one else in this world like you and no other life like yours. Your life is yours to create in a way that is true to You with your own Sources of Guidance.
As my own life is the only one I am truly qualified to write about, I will use some of the steps on my journey as potential inspiration. As always, use what serves you and leave the rest.
Time of Transitions:
Christmas for me has traditionally been a time for family. I’ve just returned from 10 days in Ottawa with my parents, siblings, niece and nephew. New Year’s, however, has long been a time of reflection and ritual that has helped me mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. I personally find rituals a powerful way to connect to my soul and to my sources of Guidance. Some even help ground me in the here and now to get a more accurate picture of my current reality. Here’s what I did this year.
Having practiced certain feng shui principles in my physical space for years, I made sure I didn’t start a new year with dirty laundry or full garbage bins. That was more about symbolism. I also decluttered, organized and cleaned my closets, desk, and studio. It feels good to start a chapter with a fresh page. Then, last night, I walked through the entire house with my beeswax candle and burning sacred palo santo wood to cleanse the space from any stagnant energies. As I waved the smoke in every nook and cranny, I sang:”Love, peace, joy, health, wealth, and happiness – love, peace, joy, health, wealth and freedom. Freedom, oh freedom…” Are you inspired to perform any rituals in your home to mark the beginning of this new chapter?
*
I’ve described how to create intuitive vision boards in a previous post. On New Year’s Day, I went to a friend’s house to share this activity with two others. As always, it was a revealing and moving experience.
*
Although last August’s computer theft has made it more challenging for me to summarize all of my monthly financial reports (learned in “Your Money or Your Life”), I was able to look at exactly where I stand as I begin 2015 as compared to a year ago. It’s surprisingly encouraging – which is why I do it. I’m glad to report that I’m definitely not a “starving artist”! (As an aside, my housemate Orinda and I cooked ourselves a lovely feast for New Year’s Eve” – we definitely don’t starve in this house!) I now only have $2,493.92 less in the bank than I did last year at this time (including my year-end business hst I need to remit to the government). This is great considering I spent half of the year as a student and world traveler and the other half re-establishing my art practice. There’s something very empowering about knowing where my money is coming from and where it is going – and evaluating on a monthly and yearly basis whether that energy flow is in line with my values. I’m glad to report that I’m still very much on track – living a debt-free life aligned with my values and heart callings. Also, as for every January 1st, I was thrilled to add the maximum $5,500 into my tax-free savings account. This brought my every-day expenses account even more below my personal comfort zone, but I trust that’s temporary. It gives me a new goal to work towards. The bottom line is abundance in the true meaning of the word.
*
Soon after waking on January 1st, I asked my Spirit Calling Cards for a message for 2015 and this is what I got:
How are you feeling inspired to mark the beginning of your 2015 chapter? Feel free to comment below as you may inspire others.
May you have a year filled with Unconditional Love, Peace, Joy, Health, Wealth, Happiness, Freedom and the Inspiration to Live by Design – Your Own!
Your Guide to Intuitive Vision Boards – 7 Easy Steps
/in InspirationDo you want to connect to your Higher Self Guidance?
Are you looking for a way to include the sacred in your day?
Would you love a meaningful activity to do on your own or with friends?
You’ll love vision boards. They’re easy and fun and take little planning, especially if you choose my favourite kind: the intuitive vision board.
What Is It?
It’s a spontaneous tool to tap into your intuition for guidance, direction, manifestation, and fun!
It’s a way to actively engage with your Higher Self to find answers to a question that’s important in your life.
Materials Needed Per Participant
7 Easy Steps To Creating Your Intuitive Vision Board
Another great way to connect to your Inner Guidance is through one of my guided meditations. Sign-up for my bi-weekly art & inspiration to download yours free.
Examples
Intuitive Vision Boards are not only a visual representation of your inner guidance, but also a highly practical manifestation tool.
Here are a few examples:
– Years ago, my intuitive vision board helped me decide to invest in camera equipment and take a photography workshop in New Brunswick with masters I had long admired – an amazing summer fun experience that fully satisfied my creative and inner child needs! If I remember well, one of the leaders had actually written the article “Speaking to the Eyes of the Heart”, whose title I had used.
Some of the pieces below encouraged me to sign-up for another life changing event in my life – Flora Bowley’s 5-week online intuitive painting course called Bloom True. I had no idea that I was going to study art again when I chose those images. I didn’t think I could manage it while teaching 2 ESL classes at university, but it reminded me to make time for myself as well.
The other pieces of my January 2013 board were instrumental in my going to study in Vienna for a year. The one with the pelicans taking flight with the words “Now I invent instead of predict; I am a visionary” held absolutely no meaning for me when I made the board. The expression “visionary art” wasn’t one I was very familiar with at the time. But when I later received intuitive guidance to go to the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art, I looked up and saw those words, which served as the first confirming sign to what became a blessed decision in my life. The fact that the school had a loving approach to art education certainly meshed with the second piece I’m showing here.
I have countless other examples, but you get the idea.
As for all intuitive tools, the images and words you choose have meaning for you, and perhaps only you.
Have confidence in your own interpretations and stay open to the mystery if they don’t speak to you past the moment when your heart exclaimed “tear this out of the magazine and add it to your vision board”.
Other Kinds of Vision Boards
There are lots of other kinds of vision board. Two others that I’ve done in the past are:
When To Do Them?
There’s no bad time for vision boards.
My preference is at at transition times such as Solstice, New Year’s Day, Summer Equinox, etc.
Some years, I’ve needed quite a few. Others, I’ve only made one.
When I’m on the road, I use my digital images and make one for my computer desktop so that I can see it whenever I boot it up. There are also online tools you can use such as Design Wizard with its own library of images for you to use.
There are all sorts of ways and times to do these. Have fun exploring and expressing!
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Looking Back at 2014
/in InspirationWhat an amazing year! Preparing this post for the last 8 hours has reminded me of all my blessings, which I’m glad to share with you here. It was a great exercise that also had me revisit all my 2014 photo albums. I feel I’ve not only done and seen a lot in the past year, but I’ve also grown a lot – as an artist and as a human being.
To start, I continued my studies at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art full time for 3 months (Jan-March) and part time for 2 (May-June). This also gave me the chance to travel a bit in Austria.
While there, I took several trips to see my long-time friends in the Czech Republic.
and a weekend to be with new friends in Germany.
I spent the whole of April in Bali, taking art workshops with Flora Bowley and Phil Rubinov, as well as exploring the island’s sacred sites and culture on my own or with a wonderful guide, Nicole Lawrence.
After that, in May, I spent 8 days as artist in residence at The Awakening Arts Center near Assisi, Italy.
If you haven’t been following this blog that long, there are lots of photo albums and blog posts to enjoy (you can use the search window top right in my blog)..
In July, I moved back to St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, where I was blessed with wonderful teaching opportunities – ESL at Memorial University of Newfoundland, intuitive painting in French across the province, and personal growth workshops at the Body, Mind and Spirit retreat.
I also got to spend several months integrating all I learned overseas into a growing collection of artwork, which I displayed in exhibitions at the MUN Botanical Garden, the Arts & Culture Centre (AANL), Soothe Spa, and Goodvibe Tattoo Company.
I’m glad to report that I still absolutely love where I’m living and feel so grateful that my friends helped me find Orinda, a like-minded landlady, housemate, and friend. Truth be told, my new home is a perfect environment to simply be as well as paint.
It hasn’t all been easy, of course. Despite all I’ve learned about following my heart and manifesting, I still have my moments of doubt, indecision, fear, and scarcity. Luckily, these are but clouds that pass through an otherwise clear sky where love and abundance always exist. It all depends on what I choose to focus on and what I let simmer in my mind. I’d say, however, that looking in the rear view mirror at 2014, I did pretty well and learned lots from the process.
I pray for guidance on developing a creative business model that is in line with my purpose of traveling through life exploring and expressing my love of beauty and the beauty of love. My fundraising efforts for my year overseas certainly taught me to think outside the box so that I could both serve myself and others. I’m open to more of that. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Thanks for having been a part of my journey in 2014.
May your holiday season be filled with love, joy, and gratitude. Peace!