Celebrate!

The Declaration of You, published by North Light Craft Books and available now, gives readers all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique, and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You's BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 200 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here.

Several years ago, my girlfriend chose the word Celebration as her Word of the Year. It was very important for her to celebrate everything; so we did, no matter what. Major holidays, birthdays, full moons, new moons, pagan holidays, obscure secular holidays... it seemed every week held some little reason to decorate, dress up, and sit down to a fun family dinner of themed food.

It wasn't always easy. Sometimes we really struggled to find the celebratory spirit. Money was tight, there were reluctant participants, things would go wrong... but it didn't matter. We still found the time to come together as a family and celebrate whatever, and we've got a ton of wonderful memories and a handful of traditions that we created that year.

Lately though, it seems everything is changing. The kids are all teens or older now and starting to move out. Job situations have changed. Money is still tight, things still go wrong, and we can't find the time to celebrate as frequently as we once did, but even if weeks and even months go by without being able to gather, celebration is still important to us all.

This past Sunday was one of those blessed days of Celebration. We gathered at a nearby state park beach on Lake Ontario to celebrate all our summer birthdays -- and we have a BUNCH! There was no cake, no gifts exchanged, just a simple meal of grilled hot dogs & chicken, potato salad, and soda. We talked and ate and talked a swam and talked and talked some more. The ceaseless wind and bright sun didn't stop us from having fun frolicking in the waves and catching up on everything that everyone was doing.

It made me realize that Celebration is more important now than it ever was before. When we're being pulled in so many directions, and we struggle in our daily lives to find the joy, grasping at little things in which to find gratitude, feeling like things are moving too fast to ever catch up, it is a welcome relief to stop for a few hours, gather together from our far-flung environs (whether virtual or actual), and connect with each other. To just celebrate being a part of the family.


I'd love to know your thoughts on Celebration! Please feel free to leave them in a comment! You can also join The Declaration of You’s Facebook party today (Friday 7/26) at 9:30-10a PST/11:30a-12p CST/12:30-1p EST. They’ll be chatting in real time about celebration over at facebook.com/TheDeclarationOfYou. I'm sorry I won't be able to join in, but I'll be out of town celebrating (~_^) one of my daughters' birthdays!

A little sketch...

I popped in a movie to watch while I tied some knots in a DIY beach cover-up, and I got distracted by a drawing...


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365+ Rabbits

For the July 19th Illustration Friday topic: ROBOT.


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Thistle

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Weekly Update

• Daily DAREs:
  1. I will water my verbs on Memrise and practice my skills on Duolingo once a day.
     I have done great on this this past week and last night Jacqueline decided to join me doing French!  Yay!
  2. I will complete the creation of one rabbit per day in any form and work on creating anything else I want. :P
     Well, I've not been making a rabbit every day, but I have been creating everyday, and I did spend a few days on my little fashion model bunny.


• Weekly DAREs:
  1. I will try one thing from one of my 2 new books.
     Well, I waited again until late last night.  I think this week I'll try for something a little earlier...
  2. I will find one new way to improve my art sales and implement it!
     This week I put off doing so many of the things I wanted to because I spent much of my time fighting with an uncooperative computer.  The hard drive is slowly dying, and moving & deleting files, between crashes and rebooting, has been a priority.  I wanted to get some prints up on Etsy, but being unable to scan & upload easily has delayed the process.  Hopefully I can get those up this week.

This is pretty much how I've felt this week:
a melted exclamation point of color(ful language) on the hot sidewalk...

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• Month of July DAREs:
  1. I will determine where the local shows are (farmer's markets, art associations, craft fairs...) and how to join them (forms, fees, etc.).
     No progress made this week. :(
  2. I will submit substitute teaching applications to the local districts for which I am not yet working.
     No progress made this week.  :(


• Big 2013 DAREs:
  1. I will continue to work on my 12x12 Project, even if I feel I won't finished by the end of the year.
     No progress made this week.  :(
  2. I will continue to try to find ways to make $1000 a month.
     No progress made this week.  :(

Mandala

Andrea of the Creative Dream Incubator inspired me today to draw a little mandala.  In her blog post today she explains very simply why you might want to draw mandalas and takes you step by step through it.  She says to do it in pen so I did.  Just simple shapes, and after a few times around I realized I was drawing my summer wishes...


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Do you see them?  Sun & flowers, blue skies & waves, ice cream of every flavor, lots of money & love, and happiness & excitement for all the people closest to me. ♥♥♥

365+ Rabbits

This sketchy little bunny - in pen! - is from way back on April 22nd... Just a doodle on my lesson plans from the day captured with the cell phone...


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365+ Rabbits

Accessory Spleen
For the fashionable bunny rabbit...

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I dedicate this madness to Joseph.  It's all his fault.

Tarot Sparks: #4

Spark #4: The Gardener (The Empress)

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Journaling Prompt: What am I gestating? What waits to be born? How do I celebrate my beauty and sensuality? How do I care for my garden (literally or metaphorically)?

This one really brought me up short.  I tried to answer it on the day it came, but I feel like I've hit a block.  I don't know what's gestating, waiting to be born, and I don't think I celebrate my beauty & sensuality.  I suppose my metaphorical garden is just as neglected as my literal one.

I think burbling in my subconscious, percolating, are ideas on moving into a place in my life where I am able to encourage people to find their inner artist, to rediscover the joy they had creating as a child or just seeing how easy & freeing it is to just put pencil or brush to paper and Create!

I shall need some work on the other parts of these questions; I have been neglecting those parts of myself for a long time...

Don't forget, you can sign up for Joanna Powell Colbert's 22 Days of Tarot Sparks for free just by following the link: http://www.gaiansoul.com/join-us/

Tarot Sparks: #3

Spark #3: The Priestess

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Journaling Prompt: What do I keep hidden, private or sacred? Do I trust my instincts and intuition? Why or why not? What tools can I use to explore my inner depths?

Well if I keep it hidden or private, I'm probably not going to share specifics here, but I can generalize.  I try not to show the negative things in my life.  No it's not perfect.  *I* am not perfect.  There is yelling sometimes, feelings get hurt, there are misunderstandings, mis-communications... Life gets messy and painful and yet we still muddle through, and love and accept each other as is.  We try not to let it happen but sometimes fuses grow short, or we have too much straw on our camel backs, or we rush and aren't careful with our words.  I don't like to share that, and I sometimes try to hide it from myself, but it happens and all we can do it try our best and understand that is all anyone is doing.

I don't often trust my instincts & intuition because like my art, when I talk about them with other people, they are dismissed as nonsense, but the truth of the matter is that they are often correct, and I shouldn't let myself be swayed from my beliefs by people who know nothing about it.

I have been dabbling with tarot cards for a while, but have never really memorized their meanings.  I think most of the messages I get from the Universe come to me via the animal kingdom, insects and birds mostly, with an occasional furry friend trying to get the message across.  I think *they* the tools I can use to explore my inner depths.  By taking more time to listen, deliberate walks in nature, paying more attention to the wildlife around me, I believe can lead to better insights.

Which is why I chose the dragonfly for image for this post.  They are abundant in our yard and I am used to seeing them buzzing by, but they have been making it impossible to ignore them: zooming in then out the front door (something they never seem to do), landing near or on the steps or planter when ever I step outside, sitting on the back deck every time I look out the window...  So I looked up their message.

Dragonflies carry "symbolism relative to the subconscious, or "dreaming" mind and thoughts. ...and they ask that we pay attention to our deeper thoughts and desires. ... The Dragonfly lives a short life, and it knows it must live to the fullest with what it has. This lesson is huge for each of us." ~ Animal Symbolism: Meaning of the Dragonfly

The dragonfly spirit means you must consciously make an effort to express your hopes, dreams, needs and wishes.  [It] is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightenment; and the communication from the elemental world. Its medicine beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits which need changing. You can turn to the dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation. ~ Dragonfly Tattoo Symbols & Meaning

This site also has a very good write-up on what the dragonfly symbolizes, and I just want to copy & paste it all, but I won't; I hope you'll be interested enough to click through, but if not, I'll summarize a bit. They stress the importance of the looking below the surface, discovering one's own purpose & identity, and changing your own self-perception.  And that is exactly where I am right now.

Don't forget, you can sign up for Joanna Powell Colbert's 22 Days of Tarot Sparks for free just by following the link: http://www.gaiansoul.com/join-us/

Weekly Update

So it has been a week since I posted my re-evaluated goals, and I just wanted to check in, mostly for myself, to see how things are going...

These were the DAREs:

• Daily DAREs:
  1. I will water my verbs on Memrise and practice my skills on Duolingo once a day.
     This has been going quite well.  This past week has been busy, lots of errands, a funeral, a holiday, a class to prepare for and teach, but I was able to complete this DARE 4:7 days.
  2. I will complete the creation of one rabbit per day in any form and work on creating anything else I want. :P
     This one has been so-so.  I guess I am easing myself back into it.  Rabbits have not been created, but there has been some form of creation every day except the day I was at funeral.
• Weekly DAREs:
  1. I will try one thing from one of my 2 new (back in March!) books.
     This one has been put off a bit long IMHO, but I have until midnight to get to it...
  2. I will find one new way to improve my art sales and implement it!
     I have advertised a free gift with any purchase from the shop, this month only!
     
     
     Click to find the magic!
• Month of July DAREs:
  1. I will determine where the local shows are (farmer's markets, art associations, craft fairs...) and how to join them (forms, fees, etc.).
     I've been slowly finding info on upcoming shows, many require special certification and insurance which will mean I can't join them... yet.
  2. I will submit substitute teaching applications to the local districts for which I am not yet working.
     I have put in 2 applications on the few days I was home, one for a long term substitute position, the other for an office job, but even that would make me happy.  *fingers crossed*
• Big 2013 DAREs:
  1. I will continue to work on my 12x12 Project, even if I feel I won't finished by the end of the year.
     Eep!  I have lots of work to do!  I may not succeed but baby steps are better than no steps!
  2. I will continue to try to find ways to make $1000 a month.
     What we are doing right now is not sustainable.  It is heartbreaking to watch Jacqueline work so hard for so little.  We're working on getting Ant a job and myself of course, and pushing the art sales & teaching.  We are improving, but not fast enough it seems!

Tarot Sparks: #2 (+ a little more from #1)

A final question was asked that I had missed when answering before.  I chose to answer it with photos.  "Stop. Look around. What do you see that is unique to this day, a day unlike any other?"

The first things to greet me as I started my wandering...
Dragonfly & Horsenettle

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Wild fruit ripening: grapes, blackberries, staghorn sumac...
Not Ready Yet

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Spark #2: The Magician

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Journaling Prompt: How can I bring my dreams into manifestation? How do I experience my own sense of personal power?  What magic can my hands make?

My hands can create magic through my art.  Drawing, painting, sculpting, taking photos... These are the ways in which I experience my own sense of personal power.  I believe that by fully embracing this part of myself, by no longer giving in to the feelings of being inadequate, I can manifest my dreams.

Don't forget, you can sign up for Joanna Powell Colbert's 22 Days of Tarot Sparks for free just by following the link: http://www.gaiansoul.com/join-us/

No Reason

I saw this photo on tumblr with the quote from c4d3nz4, and tried to find the original poster, but her account has been deactivated.  I hope she knows how inspiring she - and her words - are.  ♥♥♥

There is no reason not to love every single part of your body.

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Tarot Sparks: #1

I recently signed up for Joanna Powell Colbert's 22 Days of Tarot Sparks and decided I shall share the daily journaling prompts here.  Feel free to click through and sign up for free if you're interested; there's more to it than just the journaling!

Spark #1: The Seeker (The Fool)

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Journaling Prompt: What am I most deeply seeking at this point in my life? How can I reconnect to a sense of wonder? Where in my life do I need to take a risk?

At this point in my life I am deeply seeking a way to live comfortably without sacrificing my soul - or anyone else's soul.  I need to put myself out there more; that's the risk I need to take.  Just like my Word of the Year: DARE, says; I need to Do it; Assert myself; Risk failure; and Experience success!  I think the worst anyone could say is no, and I think even that would be better than never knowing, no matter what I am asking!  (To sell my art, to take my class, to hire me...)

I think in order to reconnect more fully with a sense of wonder (I think I am pretty well connected, but not as much as I used to be, or as much as I want to be), I need to make more time for my spiritual practice.  Make it a priority.  Don't let it slip to the side when life gets too hectic or stressful.  I think I'll begin to wrote more about this over in my other blog, Temple of the Twelve: One Woman's Journey; feel free to join me over there too!

Don't forget, you can sign up for 22 Days of Tarot Sparks anytime, for free just by following this link: http://www.gaiansoul.com/join-us/

Halfway Point

Welcome to July 1st, the halfway point of 2013!  It's time to check back with plans & goals I made at the beginning of the year, and see how I'm doing!  (Uh-oh... I feel a strange sense of foreboding...)

SO, my word of the year is DARE:

Do it!
Assert yourself!
Risk failure!
Experience success!

And back in January, I DAREd myself "to do 3 big DAREs over the year, 3 DAREs each month, and 3 each day."  At that time, I had only come up with one Big Dare for the year (The 12x12 Picture Book Project), and the monthly ones would of course change every month. My Daily Dares were:

1. Call someone on the phone
2. Complete one French lesson on Duolingo
3. Create something

And I came out of the gate flying!  Phone calls were tough, but I was doing my French and 365+ Rabbits project daily. With. Out. Fail.  However, I did need to roll my Monthly Dares over into February, and only completed 2 of the 3.  So when I re-evaluated things at the end of February, I came up with my 2² plan:

• 2 DARES for the year:
  1. 12x12: Complete 12 pictures books in 12 months.
  2. Earn $1000/mo. by the end of the year.
• 2 DARES for the month:
  1. Try 4 things from my new books
  2. Determine 4 steps to improve art sales and take them
• 2 DARES to do each week:
  1. Make 4 phone calls per week
  2. Complete 4 employment applications per week
• And of course 2 daily DARES:
  1. Pass 2 French lesson each day, one on Duolingo, one on Memrise...
  2. Create each day

Now, I will be completely honest with you: despite re-evaluating to make things easier, about mid-March I got depressed and crawled back into my shell.  Everything kind of petered out.  It was just the other day that Chris Zydel posted her Field Guide Through The Transformation Blues, and boy oh boy, am I stuck in Stage Two.

She says, "it often feels like dying."  And that it "is so difficult and confusing it can lead to doubts about the original vision and revelation." ... "And is characterized by feelings of bewilderment and tremendous disorientation."  And it's a bitch.  Second guessing everything, crying for no reason, lashing out at the people who love you, spending days numbing yourself to the hurtful words that repeat in your head non-stop some days...

But I can't let it keep me down; I need to push through the confusion and depression and get moving on this!  So with renewed enthusiasm and intention, I shall reaffirm and resume my DAREs!

• Daily DAREs:
  1. I will water my verbs on Memrise and practice my skills on Duolingo once a day.
  2. I will complete the creation of one rabbit per day in any form and work on creating anything else I want. :P
• Weekly DAREs:
  1. I will try one thing from one of my 2 new (back in March!) books.
  2. I will find one new way to improve my art sales and implement it!
• Month of July DAREs:
  1. I will determine where the local shows are (farmer's markets, art associations, craft fairs...) and how to join them (forms, fees, etc.).
  2. I will submit substitute teaching applications to the local districts for which I am not yet working.
• Big 2013 DAREs:
  1. I will continue to work on my 12x12 Project, even if I feel I won't finished by the end of the year.
  2. I will continue to try to find ways to make $1000 a month.

So again, gold stars & cookies if you read this far! How about you? How are your goals & resolutions coming along this year?