The Joy Diet - Laughter

Well I flunked at laughter this week. Now that doesn't mean I did not have any laughter I meant I never read the entire chapter. I got half way through and just never finished. Too much going on that's for sure I am pretty sure I don't get thirty laughs a day but I would love too. I think some days I laugh more than others

Martha asks to pay attention to when we laugh. I go for the simple things not the real dark humor. I have been laughing at the jokes others tell on their posts this week. I think when its a joke about the pitfalls of another person I tend to laugh if I have seen myself in that position, if I can relate to it on some level. I have to admit that I spent hardly any time on this. This coming week we talk about connection and hopefully I will get the chapter read and have more to say.

Two Women

I haven't posted in a couple days now. I have been so busy and I am so tired. I have been keeping my Nano word count up to date but the writing has been so hard this time. I have been reading blogs and there is so much art I want to do its driving me nuts that I can't do it right now.

















This is the last art I have done and I think that was Sunday. Entitled Two women it was found art, I think there is something else there on the left and I may add more later if I feel so inclined. I never seem to know when a painting is finished. I did clean up the studio a little so I will be ready when I get some time. That is what is keeping me going.

I am finishing some things and starting new ones. The Artist Way is done and I was so happy doing that book. The Photo class I took was a disappointment so I am glad that its over with. I have one more class coming up this year and that is with Misty Mawn, Its starts Saturday and it is going to be really good. I had most of the supplies but had to get some new hot press watercolor paper. I have always worked with cold press paper so this will be interesting using a new surface. I have no idea how I am going to do this while doing Nanowrimo but I will manage somehow.

I made one of these journals and painted the pages with watered down fluid acrylic paints in all sorts of color. I painted it before it was sewn together. I didn't get the pages painted in the right order. You do need to remember how its being folded if you paint it ahead of time. On the other hand once these pages are worked on you won't know the difference anyways. This journal is made with a single sheet of paper which is quite inventive if you ask me. Teesha Moore is brilliant.











Here are some of the pages in my journal










Some of the pages fold out.










Here you can see the pink flap from the cover.










I love all the colors. This journal has 16 pages and will be lots of fun to fill up. This was a fun and easy journal to make.

The Joy Diet - Play

Well as usual I did not think that the Play chapter would be what it was really about. That Martha Beck is a little tricky writer.

One of the first things we are to figure out what our real career ia. After thinking about this for awhile I decided that I just went through this discovery when I did the coaching with Jamie. I had decided my real career is creativity. All my life I have explored it in many forms. I think I move from mouse vision to eagle vision all the time. I'd have to say its mostly mouse vision. I often forget to look at the big picture, the big dream. that sometimes all these little things do make the dream possible.

Then we are to go on and discover ways to add play in ever aspect of life. Seems simple enough. This morning I added play to cleaning my house by putting on wonderful upbeat music. It did make the time go by fast and it was fun.

Now I have to figure a way to add play to doing Nanowrimo. Some days its fun, I know I try to make the write ins I host fun by giving away little gifts and always having chocolate on hand. Other days I don't know what to write and I stress about the word count and all. So today I am going to look for ways to make it fun. Maybe using rewards will help make it fun, wearing a silly hat while I write or some other prop to let the silly in.

How will you invite play into your life today....

the Artist Way - Week 12

Its week 12 of my artist way journey. I made it through the whole process and thatr feels so great. I have done morning pages almost every day. I may have missed a day but I don't recall it. I'd have to go through my notebooks to see how many days i missed and they are in another room. Yes I am being a little lazy.

One of things that we do in this final week is to recommit to our creativity. She has us fill a creativity contract just like we did in the beginning of this journey. We we still do morning pages and artist dates and so on.

I plan to recommit and to continue to do morning pages and artists dates. They work so well that I can not see stopping them.

Its been quite a journey, I can't say I completed every task that Julia set out for us but I did what I needed to do and yes I have learned a lot along the way. The Artist Way is a continuing process and its a spiral path as Julia says. I'll be coming back to the beginning and starting again. This journey as an artist is always an interesting one.

I am so thankful for all the women in my artist way group, you've made the journey easier and more rewarding than if I had done it alone. Here's to us a fantastic group of artists.

Some more videos to share

I saw the fact that Teesha Moore has a whole series of videos on several blogs earlier this week. I am just getting around to watching them. They are pretty fun to see. Click on her name to go to her blog or you can go directly to YouTube and see them there. Her work is collage orientated but the videos are pretty informative of her style. I have seen those pan pastels being used before but I haven't tried them yet. They really look like fun. I always learn something from watching other artists work.

Nanowrimo is going fairly well I have over 8400 words and need to do today's allotment but I am not behind so that feels good.



Here is a video I did for a friend showing the crow book from several years ago.

Artists Painting

I love being able to see other artists paint even if its in fast forward. With so many doing videos now its fantastic to be able to see these from your home.

Kelli Rae posted this video a few days ago. I know you will want to see her fun painting style. Enjoy

The Artist Way - week 11 - A sense of Autonomy

Week 11 is all about discovering a sense of autonomy. Julia talks about how we insist on a straight and narrow path but the artist way is a spiral path. I really resonated with that. We seem to travel the path and then begin again over and over. If we lose that beginners mind we lose out on so many things.

Having just started doing Nanowrimo again I particularly found this quote to be helpful "You are lost the instant you know what the result will be" - Juan Gris. Such a hopeful thought when writing a novel when you haven't a clue whats going to happen next. I think that will be a quote for my writing desk. Of course the quote really applies to painting and journaling too. If you knew what the end result would always be, would you take the time to create. I think its that journey we take that is so important.


















I think a great example of taking that journey is this painting in my gut art journal. When I started out I knew there a face hidden in there but I had no clue on where it would take me. I had a journey of discovering how to do more ethnic faces and skin color. First she was in a blue dress but I initially wanted yellows and reds to dominate. This is done mostly in Golden fluid acrylics.

I had my blue dress which I didn't like so I put gesso over it and thought I'd paint the dress yellow. My first thought, was would the fluid yellow that I had cover it? Many fluid acrylics are transparent. Then I thought of using heavy bodies acrylics instead and it worked perfectly. In not knowing how this would end I really learned a lot of things that I wouldn't have otherwise. All art is a journey of some sorts. I am really glad I took this one. Now I will incorporate both kinds of acrylics in my paintings.

Nano nonsense has begun

Well the Nanowrimo nonsense has begun. Its only day 1 and I already think my story idea sucks. it doesn't take long for the inner critic to rear his ugly head. I just have to remind myself that I go through this every year and it always turns out so it will be fine. I have abour 500 more words to write today to make my quota and that should be easy.

I have already made the food run to town. What made me think I could do this without treats. Now that is insanity. So now I have a stash of chex mix, Cheetos, red licorice, milk duds. It covers the salty, chewy, crunchy and chocolate categories. My idea is little portions and more exercise. OOPS, i just realized I put some meat on to cook for tacos, I hope its not burned... Oh I caught it on time. That won't be the first time put something on the stove to cook and went to do something else....

Anyone out there who is doing Nano, what are your favorite snacks to get your through the month?










I got an award from Lisa She thought it approp for the Queen of Creativity to get the Kreativ blog award. I concur and thank you very much Lisa. You have to read Lisa's post she is a very fun lady from across the pond.