bliss-art days

 My house is silent, cozy, and peaceful. It's just me here… for the first time in so many weeks. I'm planning and plotting the near and distant future. 

Starting in January of 2012, I've made it a priority to take good care of myself with exercise, beautiful food- and regular yoga has been added in now too. When I got sick with the flu a couple of weeks ago, I gained a deeper appreciation for all of my hard work and wanted to shout out to the world… "Take care of yourself! Stay healthy!" But my head hurt too much, and I couldn't move off of the couch.  Now that I'm well, I'm more committed than ever to keeping my body strong. But I'm ready to add in another piece of self-care that has eluded me for the past few years.  I 'm sharing, because maybe you're aching for it too.

What happened to creating for the simple joy of it? You know- making for pure pleasure, as my daughter and her friends do- so freely. Of course, I've made things to sell, gifts for others, items for my kids, and plenty of soulful crafting for healing. It's all good- but I want to make (at least a little time) for creating art for nothing more than exploration.  I'm busy. Clearly. Once a month shouldn't be too much to ask for. I'll try a new medium, paint more, sew something frivolous, and maybe even pick up my knitting needles! If I don't make room for this- who will? I hereby declare them my monthly bliss-art days!  I deserve at least one a month! You do too, don't you think? Let's mark our calendars thoughtfully to ensure our success!

These paper animal spirits were created as a "bliss-art" warm-up right before I sat down to write to you.  I tried using this technique with my stamps. LOVE it, and so will you!  No hand carving necessary.

Happy 2015 my friends!