My Creative Revolution: What I've learned and what's coming in 2018!!

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."

 - Joseph Chilton Pierce

If you haven't read parts 1 & 2 of my Creative Revolution you can do that here and here.

So here I was, creating my art, blogging, writing and sharing free on-line challenges and classes in my Facebook Group....Brave Heart Sisterhood Mixed-Media Art. 

I was loving it!

My first ever art journal I created for Soul Restoration...an on-line course by Melody Ross.

And yet, I felt like I wasn't enough.

I felt like my passion for creating and sharing and inspiring wasn't enough.

A page from journal I created several years ago.

I wasn't on one design team.

I had never been invited to 

participate in some big on-line class.

I wasn't getting "noticed".

All of those things crippled me creatively as well 

as emotionally. I took everything personally.

"They just don't like me. What's wrong with me?"

That's all I could think about. 

I was seeing everyone I know have success but me.

At least that's how I saw it.

A page from my art journal. I LOVE using images of myself in my journals. So powerful!

The Joy of creating and inspiring was being sucked right out of me. That coupled with some financial troubles we were experiencing I completely freaked out and, like I said in Part 1 of my story...I just quit.

A page from my art journal. Using vintage images is one of my favorites!

So last August I stopped visiting my Facebook group, cut out looking at FB almost altogether, really. All I was doing was comparing myself to fellow friends and artists...not a good thing! I also stopped creating. I wanted nothing to do with it!

 A page from my art journal. Using magazine images has become my new thing!! I am soooo inspired by this type of creating!!!!

It only took a few weeks for me to miss my studio time.

I decided to dig into a 

few classes I had purchased 

but never finished. 

During this time I also made room for more scripture study, prayer and bible journaling. 

What a difference this made in my attitude!

As the weeks turned into a months 

I began searching YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest for new to me art journalists. 

Soon I found Dianne Fago aka Packer Di

and began devouring her video's. 

This woman's style was something I was looking for!! 

I LOVED it!

 I also took a class by Kelly Kilmer and learned so much.

One of my latest art journal pages.

Before I knew it I was back in my studio CREATING!

I was scouring through old magazines for flowers,

girls, birds, butterflies...anything I could use creatively in my journals.

Combing my love of acrylic and ink and magazine images.

And I wasn't just creating a day or two here or there.

Nope!

I was creating DAILY.

I was looking forward to my studio again.

I was energized by this new way of playing in my art journals!

One of my favorites from a few weeks ago.

I also took three days and went through EVERYTHING little piece of paper, die-cut, sticker and image I had piled on tables, crammed in drawers 

and haphazardly laying around my studio.

 I divided them into 19 categories and put them  

nice and neatly in plastic drawers. This one simple act has changed how I create!! I plan on sharing with you all in a YouTube video very soon!!

Another recent page from my art journal.

As I would sit here and work in my journals I began thinking about Brave Heart Sisterhood on Facebook. 

I began thinking about my Journey and how much I LOVE inspiring and sharing with others. I missed it so much!

I also began thinking about my Creative Journey and realized that I had been going through another step in my creative evolution. I had become stagnant with my art and was feeling so uninspired MYSELF that there was just no way I could inspire others.

I also realized that comparison IS the thief of joy.

And just because I wasn't on a design team or being recognized for my work by people I thought should be noticing I was robbing myself of enjoying what I love the most....sitting in my studio, 70's and 80's on the radio, playing in my art journal. 

And THAT'S when I realized I was experiencing a 

Creative Revolution.

I finally had "gotten it". 

Creating is about ONE thing....

You create for YOU.

Not for design teams or your followers or YouTube videos.

YOU

CREATE

FOR 

YOU.

And then you share.

You share in your blog

or in a group

or on YouTube or Instagram.

YOU SHARE YOUR HEART.

STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE THINKS AND JUST BE YOU.

That is what I have learned in the last three months.

An older page from my art journal. I LOVE what it says..."Go Your Own Way". "It takes courage to surrender."

So I am back. Feeling like a new person.

Ready to create, inspire and write more than ever.

I am excited to bring you a fresh, new set of art and FREE

monthly challenges beginning in 2018!!

I hope you will join me as we set out for a year of 

Creative Revolutions!!!