Be like the Tree—52 Cards Project #21

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Be like the Tree—52 Cards Project #21

Another week, another card for my 52 Cards Project. I seem to be coming out a creative tailspin—finally. I just started going in too many directions with all the kinds of art I thought I wanted to make and before I knew it I couldn’t tell you what I actually wanted to do—or even why. Anyway, I’ll talk more about that later, but this card is about me pausing to remember that I really don’t need to do anything.

Just Be.

Like a tree.

If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend

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Cliches are all you got? — 52 Cards Project #20

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Cliches are all you got? — 52 Cards Project #20

This week for my 52 Cards project, I had a bit of a problem…I thought I had one theme but it turns out that wasn’t right at all. The week has been one of trying to let go of my perfectionist tendencies, creatively, but also trying to let go of many attachments I’m holding on to in my life—the big one being that a good friend is moving away, and I really would rather she didn’t :-)

Change is hard.

In any event, ‘

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Just exploring

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Just exploring

In the last few weeks I’ve been in this weird exploration phase; trying out abstracts in watercolor, sketching randomly, trying out some zentangles. I haven’t shared what I’ve been making because honestly, everything feels a bit off and my enthusiasm is waning. But you know what? This is part of the creative process too. Getting lost. Losing your way for a while. Ebb and Flow. It’s natural.

So thought I’d share a tiny gallery of some of my latest experiments to remind myself—and maybe you need a reminder too: experiments—and failed experiments—are all part of the process.

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Did you read with me? Integrity by Martha Beck

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Did you read with me? Integrity by Martha Beck

his is my monthly Read With Me project and I hope you’ll join me! No commitment. No wine and cheese parties. If you want, simply read the book for the indicated month (see image to left) and then look for a post about the book here on the blog around the 15th of the following month.

I won’t write a formal review. I’ll just share what I found compelling (or not) and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments (but again, no commitment).

Ok, so here we go: The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to your True Self by Martha Beck.

This month for my Read with Me project, I made the mistake of

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Muse — 52 Cards Project #19

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Muse — 52 Cards Project #19

This week’s theme for my 52 Cards Project, seemed just right: a lot of musing (verb), languishing in a state of muse (the noun)…and yes, looking for inspiration. Maybe I was also hoping that a Muse straight from the Greek otherworld might come along too. Calliope, Erato, Melpomene…Polymnia, Terpsichord, Thalia, Urania—someone help me!!

Seriously, it’s been another week of searching. I continued on, exploring and experimenting with abstracts and collage and sketching—and musing about the kind of art I want to make…

And in the meantime, another week, another theme card. Hmmm. Art I want to make.

(I think I’m done musing for now.)

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Spelunking — 52 Cards Project #18

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Spelunking — 52 Cards Project #18

There’s a story behind this week’s theme for my 52 Cards Project, of course.

It began with a book landing on my front step. I had preordered it months ago to both support an author I’ve long admired, Teresa Reed, and because the idea of making tarot cards sounded kind of fun. And I don’t know, sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways, but I was feeling kind of lost creatively last week—maybe you could tell—and that day particularly, the day the book arrived, I felt especially uninspired.

So I began thumbing

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Collage sketching

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Collage sketching

Looking through my work lately, it seems my subject matter is all over the place—from landscapes to buildings to figures, from urban sketching to concept art to portraits and abstracts. A not so kind inner voice might go on about how I have no focus (and what the hell are you doing?) but the deeper, much kinder voice tells me to just keep going.

I really can’t claim to know which voice will win, but in the meantime I decided to take yet another turn and play with collage cut outs—if for no other reason

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