Embracing Life

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts.  ~Samuel Johnson

I have been doing a lot of cleaning around our home. And when I clean I think. 

Lately all I've been thinking about is where I am going in life.

Me, this morning.

It seems I'm not alone...which has made me feel like I'm not so weird after all.;)

My mentor Melody Ross {please click on her name and read her post. It is wonderful!}  and friend Leanne from "Chaos Comes Happiness" have been wondering the very same thing. 

In my last post I wrote...

"Trying to 

decide

what's best 

for me 

at this

very moment in myLife.

Where am I going?

What am I supposed to do?

What do I want to do?"

Cover of March/April Cloth.Paper.Scissors

I KNOW I want to be BOLD. I want to let loose and have some FUN!!!!

My doodle I created last night.

I want to stop worrying about what I'm gonna paint next or if it's good enough to sell. I want to stop over thinking every time I sit down to work on a piece in my studio.

My friend Megan left this comment the other day...

"those sure are the hard questions! hope you get it figured out! or not, is it really so bad to do what you want in the moment and not worry about what's going to happen in the future?"

Oh boy, Megan!! Your comment hit me hard!! It has had me thinking all week long.

Is it so bad to just BE?

Is it so bad to not know what the future brings?

I just want to enjoy the process. 

Be free. 

Be spontaneous!

From one of my favorite layouts.

This was me 2 years ago in May...

Mother's Day 2010

I LOVE this picture of me...why? Because I had worked really hard and was on my way to losing 15 pounds. I see this photo and want to be there again so badly.

I have gained nearly all of it back. 

I have been in a funk.

From shutting our business down in December to family issues and financial struggles now, I have eaten myself back up to a size 14.

NONE of my clothes fit. And right at this moment there is absolutely NO WAY I can buy any new ones...

I started the New Year promising myself that THIS would be MY year! 

 My Word is Story and each one of my goals revolves around the Story I want to share once I reach each goal.

I had been doing so well with my clean eating plan in January but saw very little results. By February I was like..."Who cares, it doesn't matter anyway" and began eating my way through my days. That along with a family issue my body went crazy and all my stress put me in severe pain daily.

I have been in depression but just didn't want to face it.

Until now.

I decided...

ENOUGH!

Mt Brave Art~2011

With God all things are possible. 

And I KNOW I have faith. 

And when we have faith and go to the Lord

 He will always help us....

always.

So that's what I did. I prayed and prayed and asked for His help.

I cast my burdens on Him. 

And you know what?

I got answers.

I did.

And I went to the Doctor and was put on migraine prevention medicine.

I went back to my old chiropractor.

I began walking outside for an hour in the afternoons.

I stopped watching TV all the time.

I stopped beating myself up so much.

I stopped my negative attitude.

This is the Personal Manifesto canvas I made for myself in December. It is filled with Words and Phrases I want more of in 2012.

My favorite image is on the left...the girl holding the snow heart. Isn't she sweet?

Girls, 

I am taking my days back.

I am taking my time 

and spending it better.

I may not know exactly where I am going...

but that's ok.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

To celebrate my new found energy to get my life back I am offering YOU a FREE 6 week challenge called...

6 Weeks: Mind.Body.Soul.

This challenge will be filled with ideas to help YOU be your BEST self this year! It's not too late!! We will combine the healing power of ART with life skills to help YOU be the YOU you were meant to be!!

More details to come soon!!:)

Starts Monday, March 12th.

Question: What is your Word 2012? Are you living it? Please share!

Doodle-le-do!

Do you remember these? Lettering and doodle books were all the rage 10 plus years ago. Lindsay Ostrom came out with most of these along with Zig...{the marker people}. I bought every single one. I was determined to re-create all those fancy letters on my scrapbook pages!

Little did I know that all these years later I'd be pulling them out again for use in my art journals and paintings. I am sooo happy I didn't give these away during one of my whirlwind make-overs:)

With all the STUFF going on in my life right now...time in the studio has been zero. My heart just hasn't been in it. However I longed to create something...

So last weekend I pulled out all these books, my bag of markers and a small journal.

 Here's the first page...kind of primitive I know, but it's been awhile!

My favorite part of these books are all the cute, little doodles!!

They show you how to create everything from flowers to hearts to what they call "swhoopies".

For two nights I sat on my couch, markers in hand and doodled.

Considering the stress I've been under this was the perfect medicine. I can't get over how relaxing it was. For a few hours I forgot about my troubles.

I copied some from the book and made up some of my own. As I doodled I thought of several ways to use them in my art and my Brave Girls.

I think doodling is my new thing. I LOVE it!!

I must tell you, girls...even though life has been almost too much to bear these past few weeks...good, good things are happening.

Sweet things.
Good business things.
Opportunities for my husband that he's only dreamed about.

We are learning from all this hurt and frustration and relying on our Savior Jesus Christ to help us through.

He is the answer.
He is always the answer.


"Fear knocked at the door.  Faith answered.  And lo, no one was there."  ~Author Unknown
 

Have you ever seen these books? Do you doodle? What are your favorite blogs/books on doodling? Please share!!