May today bring a sacred awareness of the beauty and harmony we have with life and use our resources wisely to be good stewards of the land. What befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. This is on my easel today honoring the vast beauty of our Mother earth,
grateful to be a part of the interconnected web we share. May we nurture the seeds of compassion, kindness and generosity. Go art!

Creativity is access to the deepest part of ourselves.

"In the greatest confusion there is still an open
channel to the soul. It may be difficult to find
because by midlife it is overgrown, and some of
the wildest thickets that surround it grow out of
what we describe as our education. But the
channel is always there, and it is our business
to keep it open, to have access to the deepest
part of ourselves. " Saul Bellow

On my easel today

Being alert to the possibility of change opens our eyes and ears....it is a crossing of sorts.....from one side to another. Sometimes it means wading into the current and feeling its power. When destiny knocks it can be colorful and expansive and if we resist the crossing and play it safe, a certain restlessness will always be with us. For an artist, a bout of restlessness is best met with an inquisitive mind....it usually means the creative juices are about to begin flowing. Perhaps we become changeable and a little irritable until we find it unbearable and embrace our need to express ideas with paint, paper, song, camera, dance and words. I saw the movie True Grit twice and love the scene of the 14 year old girl determined not to be left behind and plunging her horse into the river. She embraced her passion and would not be discouraged.

"Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them." Ralph Waldo Emerson

In mid-winter the artist can go to summer thoughts.
It is a brain shift that we often make to get inspired.
Noticing the vivid colors in everyday is a practice
that does not depend on the seasons.
Creativity depends on walking through the day
noticing the colors, the noises, the smells,
textures, the feeling of thingss and
putting it down with our own expression.
Awareness!

The creative process is open to being teachable!

Growth in the creative process depends on being teachable......open to seeing and learning in a new way. There are many different kinds of teachers....and just as an excellent teacher can strengthen and clarify the creative process, a bad teacher can damage, and muddy an artists growth. Art is like any other skill....writing, learning a musical instrument or speaking well. We enjoy doing it and when we enjoy doing it well, it is even more enjoyable to get better. And so we grow and are open to learning new techniques from many sources. Defending our expertise, our style, our level of success because of pride or fear of our reputation gets in the way. The really great artists that I totally admire are always learning, choosing to improve with every opportunity. They do not get stagnant. When we ask we are led.....and the old axiom seems to be true, When the student is ready, the teacher appears."

Don't Fence Me In!

"The key to a successful creative life is the commitment to make things and in so doing make something better of ourselves and our world. Creativity is an act of faith. As artists, we are sourced in the Great Creator, meaning that our funding of strength and power are limitless."

Walking In This World...The practical art of creativity. by Julia Cameron

Use both your creative extaverted energy and your introverted quiet editor in the creative process!

I have learned that there are many facets to the creative life and personality. One of me is the right brained, enthusiastic, passionate artist that thinks through things out loud and expresses as I go without stopping the intuitive flow by editing too quickly. Forget about trying to put things in order or stand by with analytical tedious critical attention. No, this side of the creative personality needs to let things flow, words, emotions, feelings, thoughts and paint brush. The intuition and inner vision comes to life in this space.....it is inner wisdom unblocked by the editor or critic. It provides the raw material for the creative process. You cannot put this flow on a schedule or rush it with deadlines. The editor side of the creative process must stand still and quietly, patiently listen and watch. The generative flow does not need a critic until later in the creative process. There will be time to make that shift from the creative flow to conscious crafting and correction. I don't mean that editing and crafting isn't creative....it just comes from a different, more analytical side of the brain. I put space between the two phases of a painting.....putting the work away for awhile and when the passion dies down....make important decisions about making it a better piece. The pause that refreshes!