Category Archives: Joie de Vivre

January 26, 2014

Finding Self Through The Creative Muse

By JL

cre-ate ~ 1. To cause to come into being. 2. Pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity.

“As we were manifested at the will of the Creator, we too are innately driven to recreate in our own image, whether by bringing children into the world, creating visual, written or musical art, or simply infusing our life and work with personal energy.” ~ The Goddess Muse

It is said that true happiness if found within and to go looking for it outside of yourself is an exercise in futility. But what does that mean?  Some people seem to chase after things in their pursuit of happiness – experiences, possessions, relationships – yet never find that contentment they seek. Others who describe themselves as happy with their lives, may or may not have similar experiences and situations; they may even have quite a bit less, but still experience life as happy individuals. How can that be?

Our very essence is to create. It is our reason for being. All of the millions of thoughts we have in a lifetime are a creation of our brain, unique to each individual. Our brain’s very function is to produce thought; to cause thought to come into being. Everything we do throughout our entire lifetime is the result of first being a thought. Even if it is the most knee-jerk, spur of the moment, crisis situation reaction – it is still comes into being first as a thought, and then becomes an action. 

I believe that happiness, contentment, and fulfillment (call it what you like) comes from using your energy to create the life you truly desire – whatever that may be. Our ability to create holds the power to bring us that which me most desire.

I believe that harnessing intentional creativity is the key to happiness. Whether  you paint, sing, write build, garden, cook, teach, preach or listen . . . you are creating. The trick is to be aware that you create every moment of your life.

So while it may look like happiness manifests externally, by achieving the things we do or acquiring the things we have, happiness in fact only happens when that which me manifest externally resonates with our internal desires. We’re all creating our happiness externally – outside of ourselves. Those who don’t get it (literally) have either failed to discern what truly makes them happy, or they know and are denying innermost desires – mostly likely out of fear.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as night the day, thou canst not then be other than happy.”

To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.

William Shakespeare

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamsha106104.html#lsVY7M3yC4FkVZtG.99

Yesterday, with the cold and blowing winds rattling against my window panes and temperatures plummeting well below zero, I cocooned myself in my kitchen and cooked up an arsenal of goodness to ward off winter chills; chicken soup, elderberry syrup, cranberry and rowan tonic. It all left me feeling very warm, satisfied with a job well done, and quite happy, despite the weather. All in all, a good day.

What makes you happy?  Knowing the answer is the first step in manifesting your life, your way . . . with Purpose, Passion and Pizzazz!

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January 16, 2014

The Art of Self Expression

By JL
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Winter Dream

I have to admit, retiring from the 30 mile commute that used to begin my work day has gone a long way toward helping me appreciate the quiet beauty of winter in my northern realm. Listening to the wind roaring down the chimney, while sitting all cozy-comfy next to the fireplace working from my laptop is not so bad.

Watching dawn break on a light but steady snowfall I can’t help but feel at peace. It’s a perfect day for sipping jasmine tea (my favorite) and creating some art.

One of the best things about art journals is their flexibility and portability. I can create art with nothing more than my journal and a pencil or pen.

On days when I’m feeling the urge to create, but I’m not feeling ambitious enough for easels, brushes, water containers, paints and mess making – I can reach for my colored pencils, crayons and markers. When even those tools are not inspiring me, scissors, glue and some old magazines will do.

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Mixed Media Collage

All this is to say, your art is what you make it – you being the key ingredient. For those of you who have entered the Dark Moon Lodge to experience the  art of self expression, it doesn’t matter so much what you put on your pages, just that you create the pages. Scribble, finger paint, doodle or cut and paste – it’s all about you.

This page began with the photo of flowers cut from a magazine and glued to the page. I had a poem I’d torn from an old book (don’t panic, I purchase books in very poor condition for this purpose). Before gluing it down, I turned it over to see what was on the other side – low and behold, it was exactly what I wanted to express that day. This often happens and I’m never sure if it’s just coincidence or something more.

I added a watercolor wash around the cutouts using water soluble crayons. I went over the flowers and leaves using colored pencils, then emphasized with black Pitt Pen marker, To give it some depth, I sponged on green & gold paint using a paper doily as a stencil.

On days when I do have my water containers, brushes and paints out, and I already have a big mess on my hands, I’ll often prep pages to use for art journaling. Any time I squeeze too much paint onto my pallet, rather than letting it dry up and go to waste, I use it to make backgrounds for future journal pages – even if all I do is scrub it onto the page with a brush or my fingers. I even clean excess paint out of my brushes this way. It doesn’t always have to be a background; I may cut or tear pieces of it for collage elements.

http://messagebydesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/image5.jpg

Finger Painting

This began as random, overlapping handprints (acrylic paint) on a wet surface that I’d previously painted with gesso and let dry. I used a bright pink Sharpie to make outlines of the patterns I saw. It looks very floral to me.

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Bubble Paint

This technique came from an activity with my grandchildren. I tinted bubble solution using food coloring, and we spent the afternoon blowing bubbles onto paper.

So,  what do you feel like expressing today?

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November 24, 2013

LIGHT IT UP!

By JL

“All of us come into this life with unique gifts. We are beings who are self expressing from the time we enter into the room,”

~ Shilo Sophia, Artist and Visionary

I found Shilo Sophia’s beautiful images of the divine feminine spirit earlier this year, or I should say, they found me. I truly believe that what we most desire finds its way to us. The question is, are we ready to greet it with open arms and a loving heart?

We are all born with the desire to self express through intentional creativity. In its purest form it manifests as the longing to recreate in our own image, to give birth to children who will perpetuate some part of us. It also drives artistic creation in the form of visual art, writing, music and design. But what about planting – gardening and farming? What about building – infrastructure, or widgets, or building the business that builds the widgets? What about less solid form visible activities? What about the energy that goes into the creation of ministering, healing, marketing and selling, teaching, or serving others?

I am here to tell you that everything we do, is a creation that begins first as a thought. If nurtured, that thought will grow with our personal energy and, if allowed, will manifest as our own creation. And we have the same power to create the life we desire.

I didn’t always get this. Before the MAD Goddess muse started whispering to me, I let others’ energy shape and define me. We all do – it’s the norm. We are taught to behave as civil human beings do. We are taught to fit into society. We are taught to conform.

Shilo’s wise words resurrected a poem I wrote many years ago. I had to search for it, though files of loose paper and scribbled words. I think it may well be the MAD Goddess’s first whisper to me.

my own small voice
daughter
sister
mother
wife
what if –
orphan
only child
childless Woman
widow
who am I then
lover
friend
just more names
fitting me to others’ frames
i have listened long to their words
fragmented by the messages heard
now one voice, though quiet and small
has the magic to silence them all

Copyright – All rights reserved.

Who are you?  Who do you want to be in your second half of life? What spark of creativity is hiding beneath layers of imposed fear, pain, anger or abuse? You might think there is no spark, that it smothered long ago.

Nothing is further from the truth. The spark lives; it lives now, inside of you. It lives outside of you in others of your tribe – women like yourself, women who have shared your experience even though you have never met them. I personally believe the spark lives on beyond this physical life in the form of spirit energy. I believe it survives in memory, living on in your children and grandchildren for generations.

The point is, no matter how far down into the shadows your spark has retreated, you can light it up again! Let it enflame and engulf your entire being – mind, body, soul and spirit! Let it rise up from the ashes like the phoenix. Let it consume you. Let it burn stronger, better, brighter than ever before. Let it consume your doubts and your fears, let it fuel your purpose and passion.

You know who you are, you know how beautiful and creative and loving and valuable you are. Stop listening to your limiting thoughts, they are merely echoes from the words of others who have no idea what you are capable of. Start listening to your truth. Start living the second half of your life according to you.

Leave a comment | posted in Beauty and Image, Joie de Vivre, RITUALS & PASSAGES