Be Vulnerable

What happens when people open their hearts?

They get better.

~Haruki Murakami

 

It isn't always easy to be vulnerable, to open your heart

I've done a lot of soul searching because circumstances changed.

and with those changes, I changed. 

I gave up parts of myself.

and allowed others to make choices for me.

But I choose to be me, to make my art,

and put it into the world.

And be vulnerable.

Make Art

When things get tough

this is what you should do:

Make good art.

~Neil Gaiman

Just when I thought things

would slow down

they're just as busy as ever.

I feel as if I'm striving to 

find some semblance of balance

and then .... THEN things will

slow down and be calm again.

In the mean time, 

good or not,

I'll keep posting my 'creations'.

Happy June, my friend!

Hot & Stressed

Here in the Valley of the Sun

the summer sun can be intense

brilliant in its brightness

seductive when it sets

casting its hues of

pinks, reds and yellows



So, a little bit of backyard

with a little bit of Gal!






For those of us

stuck indoors

it's kinda like

having cabin fever!

Today, a taste of our first

monsoon - at 117 degrees,

add in a very hot wind

and some clouds that

barely sprinkle.

Add in a very stressful

work week, and yep,

you got it....

a gal who doesn't know what

to do with herself!

Tulip

“A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone. It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose. 

It doesn’t have to. It is different. And there’s room in the garden for every flower. 

You didn’t have to struggle to make your face different than anyone else’s on earth. 

It just is. 

You are unique because you were created that way. Look at little children in kindergarten. 

They’re all different without trying to be. 

As long as they’re unselfconsciously being themselves, they can’t help but shine. 

It’s only later, when children are taught to compete, to strive to be better than others, 

that their natural light becomes distorted.”

― Marianne Williamson

Like a tulip, 

we're all unique. 

Different.

and worthy.

Art and Creativity

“Apply expectations appropriately. 

Do not assume [all] adults 

are as grown up and mature 

as they should be, 

or appear to be.” 

― T.F. Hodge

Expectations can get a person all

confuzzled if you're not careful!

When I started this blog, it was 

because I wanted to share my art

(and myself) with people who might

appreciate what I've tried to convey.

And maybe my own expectations have 

gotten in the way of the pleasure I find

in being a creative person. I'm sure most

of you are on some sort of social media,

and you all have 'those friends' who post

anything and everything -- and keep track

of their own self worth by the number of

"likes" each post gets.  Totally not me.

It took a good friend to remind me of where

I started with this, and what I set out to do:

Be creative, create some art, and toss in

a bit of self expression on the side. 

Thank you, my friend, for the reminder! 

*hugs*

Creative Art

“Art is the window to man's soul.

Without it, he would never be able to see 

beyond his immediate world; 

nor could the world see the man within.”

~Claudia Lady Bird Johnson quotes 

Saturday can be a lazy day for me.

I always feel like I need an extra day

of just doing nothing but whatever

the whim of the moment. 

No household chores

or running errands

if I can help it.

So I snapped a couple of pix

and then played with them 

in my photo editor.

Fun times!

From the Soul

“Art is what we call ... the thing an artist does.

It's not the medium or the oil or the price 

or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it.

What matters, what makes it art, 

is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, 

ignored the voice of doubt 

and made something worth making. 

Something risky.   Something human.

Art is not in the ... eye of the beholder. 

It's in the soul of the artist.” 

― Seth Godin

Creative Art

“Creativity takes courage. ” 

― Henri Matisse

“What one does in one's art, 

that is the breath of one's being.” 

― D.H. Lawrence

Every now and then I get to 

wondering about the why's 

of my blog --

and realized that I don't really

care about the why's 

or any other reason 

for doing what I do ..... 

except to please myself. 

I know that there are times

when it's hit and miss for 

postings - so thank you for

checking in on a regular basis.  

My sole reason for what I do 

has everything to do with my

being creative.  Of course, I 

also hope that seeing my images

makes you smile from time to time :)

This was an experiment using 

a doily in front of the lens .....

it's like you're peeking in on me!!!

Pause

When life gets busy, we all need to

take a pause.

The idea of meditating for 15-30 mins

means something else in our busy lives

has to give -- and some days we just

don't have the time for that.

But we all can pause for a minute or two

to take a few deep breaths,

to focus our attention on something else --

maybe something in nature that's around you.


When I got home from work today, got some chores done,
supper started, the sun was streaming at this window, and
I just had to slip into a picture or two.  I haven't been
purposefully neglecting this blog, but have had other things
I've been wanting to get done as well.  I'm trying my hand
at instagram, mostly pics of Sadie, my pug.  lol  That's been
fun!! And I still work on my daily posting challenge of a
topic for photos.  I try and use that for a little humor --
I stick all my photos into a slide show, burn it to a DVD
and send it to my parents, who are getting on in years.
They love it :)

Window

Sunshine  

is  

delicious...

i like how the glass door

distorts just a little

Sunshine

“Art is the window to man's soul. 

Without it, he would never be able 

to see beyond his immediate world; 

nor could the world see the man within.”

~Claudia Lady Bird Johnson



























When dawn

erupts with sunshine,

it fills our heart

with warmth,

hope,

and happiness.

Fingerpaint!

Some might consider me...

...a little crazy

Some might consider me...

...a little unique

That's neither here...

...nor there!

Sometimes I get 

crazy ideas

in my head 

and I think, Wow!  

I wonder how that would look?

The other day, I found

fingerpaints at the store, 

and remembered 

being young,

slathering all those colors 

on slick paper, 

fingers all wet 

and messy,

watching how 

the colors all 

blended together 

in unique ways. 

As with all ideas, 

some are good, 

some aren't so good, 

but you have to try!

Want to 

fingerpaint 

with me?

Everyone is the age of their heart.  ~Guatemalan Proverb