Art: A Divine Connection

Mixed Media Painting in Process

Early this morning, I found myself writing much of this as I worked on a small painting on paper. This was my experience…

Art is a form of prayer. It is a profound connection to a greater sense of love, Divine Love. Through art, we tap into an expansive love that transcends boundaries and connects us to our deepest spiritual essence. It is a dialogue between ourselves, the piece we are working on, and the Divine.

I am never alone in the creative process. There is an open communication with spirit guidance and a trust in the flow of inspiration that comes through. This connection feeds my soul and fills me with a remarkable energy that fills me up and permeates the space that surrounds me.

When I align myself with this understanding, barriers to communication dissolve, and guidance flows more effortlessly. I begin to vibrate with the energy that is filling me up, an energy of love and oneness. Tears of gratitude flow as I am carried on a wave of creative momentum.

Creating art is an opportunity to be fully present in the moment. It allows us to immerse ourselves in the work before us, leaving behind thoughts of the past or worries about the future. Each brushstroke or pen stroke becomes an act of mindfulness, grounding us in the here and now. In this moment, we become both the creator and the Created, experiencing the power of creation firsthand.

The opportunity to create and to connect with Divine Love through art, is something to cherish. May your creative endeavors be filled with gratitude and serve as a gateway to deeper self-expression and spiritual growth.

Why Do We Create?

Creating is an innate human desire. We yearn for the time and space to write, draw, paint, compose, and engage in various forms of artistic expression. But why? What drives us to create? What are we seeking through this act of creation?

Might we be seeking the feeling of accomplishment? When we create something out of nothing, it can provide us with an amazing sense of achievement. We get to witness our imagination coming to life. This sense of accomplishment can be incredibly fulfilling and empowering.

And… the act of creating provides us with a means of self-expression, allowing us to communicate our unique perspective in a very personal way.

In addition, the act of becoming immersed in the creative process can be uplifting and deeply satisfying. It allows us to tap into a child-like wonder, reminding us of the pure joy that comes from engaging our imagination.

Moreover, creativity provides an outlet for introspection and self-discovery. As we engage in artistic endeavors, we gain insights into ourselves, our desires, and our beliefs. It allows us to explore different aspects of our identity and encourages personal growth. Meanwhile a creative practice becomes a means for engaging our intuition and connecting with our inner wisdom.

Ultimately, the act of creation fulfills a natural need within us. It is an integral part of being human - to seek opportunities for self-expression, to feel a sense of accomplishment, to connect with something deep inside ourselves, and to experience the joy that comes from bringing something new into existence.

Why do you create?  I invite you to leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Freebie: Mini Creative Retreat Ideas

In as little as 5 to 20 minutes, you can infuse your day with creativity.
Get the 24 Mini Creative Retreat Ideas as a FREE downloadable PDF. 

Looking for ways to infuse your days with the energy of creativity? Trying to fit a little time for creative pursuits into your busy schedule? Don’t feel like you have the time and opportunity to fully immerse yourself in your artistic passion?

These mini creative retreats provide brief interludes for stepping away from your must’s and to-do’s. The act of stepping into a creative space, can have a powerful impact on your overall well-being and sense of fulfillment. Whether you have just five minutes to spare or can carve out a more substantial block of time, these mini retreats can be a valuable tool for fostering your creativity and nurturing your soul.

Click the button for the downloadable PDF.

Ten Ways to Re-Purpose Old Calendars

Re-Purposing Old Calendars…

What do you do with your old wall calendars when the new year begins? I have trouble parting with old wall calendars, especially the ones with images I have grown to love. Each calendar that hangs on the wall (or sits on a desk), was most likely chosen for it’s images. The calendar and it’s pages becomes part of everyday life, making it more likely to connect to the visuals. So, if like me, you have trouble discarding these visual gems, here are some ideas for reusing your favorite calendar pages in the new year.

• Use the images as colorful elements in personal collage creations. Or create a collage of the past year and incorporate the calendar pages into the design.

• Work them into creative journals or use them as backgrounds for scrapbook pages.

• Frame your favorite art or photos from last year's calendar or choose this year's calendar with the intention of framing them at the beginning of next year.

• Cut the pages into gift tags. Punch holes and add a strip of ribbon. Some of the calendars I have bought are produced on thick paper and lend themselves perfectly to a gift tag. For thinner calendar paper, glue the pages onto cut pieces of card stock or poster board in order to make a stronger gift tag. OR create a bookmark instead.

Binder with inserted image from calendar.

• Insert a calendar page, cut to size, into the clear front pocket of a 3-ring binder. This is a great way to reuse one of your favorite calendar images. (See image above.) Am I the only one who still uses binders?

• Cut calendar pages to create dividers for sections of a recipe file, folder, or binder.

• Use your calendar pages as wrapping paper.

• Turn calendar pages into decorative envelopes. Check out the instructions for making envelopes at Wiki How.

• With some scissors, a glue stick, and an old calendar page, you can turn any piece of folded card stock into a decorated note card. OR consider redesigning old note cards you have around the house. Just cut the calendar page to the size of the note card (to either cover the front of the card or for both the front and back) and glue it on.

• You can even make a gift bag from a page of a calendar! See how it's done on this video, found at:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSi25TNoqho (It's all visual with no verbal directions.)

This is a revised repost from a 2015 blog issue.

Pondering Change

If we are always changing, why do we hold onto the expectations we held in the past? 

As an artist, it’s quite common to get to a point in working on a piece of artwork where it feels like the process is no longer flowing. The creative flow has ceased and its time to step aside. There’s reason to feel confident that when returning to it the next day or at some point in the future, with “fresh eyes,” a new flow will be generated.

It is my premise that we can see our work from a new perspective not just because we have given the creative process some space to incubate, but because we have changed (even if only slightly). We are constantly changing and evolving all the time, with new input from the world around us, new experiences, new inspirations, and influences.

It becomes quite clear to me that this is true when I shelve a painting for a longer period of time, maybe a few weeks or a few months. It’s harder to merge who and where I am now with what I had in mind at that time. I have changed. My perspectives on my life and art have been altered through the many moments of my life since I began the painting. I have been shaped and reshaped through time. When I look at this, I wonder why do we hold onto what we believed and wanted yesterday?

How can we not update our goals and aspirations on a regular basis. When we hold onto the expectations of the past, what are we denying in the present? What possibilities are we missing out on? And what do we miss out on when we continually focus on and cling to the past?

Art Podcast Interviews

Recently, I was a guest on two different art podcasts. Here, you will find a bit of information on each, along with links to access the interviews.

PODCAST: BEHIND THE ART INSPIRATION PODCAST
EPISODE: MAY 4, 2023

I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience, connecting with Caroline Karp on the Behind the Art Inspiration Podcast. This 20 minute episode began with a focus on my chapter in the Amazon best seller, The Creative Lifebook. I shared some of the background behind the process I wrote about, “Charting a New Path,” in my section of the book.

You have a choice of listening to our conversation on Spotify or watching it on YouTube. I feel like we covered a lot of ground in these 20 minutes.

PODCAST: ART infused Life PODCAST
EPISODE: 14

It was a joy to chat with Dawn Bove and Lynn Mazzoleni for the Art Infused Life Podcast. During this hour long conversation, I shared many details about my painting process, what inspires me, and how I get the ideas and concepts that make their way onto the canvas.

You can listen to the full chat, (Episode 14) on Spotify and Apple podcasts. In case you need to know the date the episode became available, it was on April 20th.

Getting Started With Sketchbooks

Sketchbooks can become a safe haven for artists and creatives, a place to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings, and any wild ideas. They are a sanctuary of pure freedom where there are no rules to follow. A sketchbook provides a space for trying out new techniques, experimenting with different materials, and exploring any spark of creative inspiration.

In order to maintain a free flow of self expression, avoid any tendency to view the pages as precious. This means not putting pressure on yourself to create perfect, polished pieces of art. Instead, use your sketchbook as a place to play and experiment, releasing any internal judgments or criticism. Your sketchbook is your personal space. Make it your own. And nobody else ever has to see it if you don't want them to.

The development of a sketchbook is a process, YOUR process, which will evolve over time. So be present in the now and invite your inner kid to play with you. Scribble, draw, paint, collage, or do whatever makes your heart flutter.

To get started, ask yourself what materials you enjoy using or would like to try. Consider what types of marks make you feel good, and what colors make your soul sing. Also, think about what "crazy" ideas you could have for your sketchbook that would make you giggle within.

When it comes to choosing a sketchbook, there are many options available. Some people prefer spiral-bound sketchbooks with perforated pages, while others may opt for a bound sketchbook with thicker paper. Choose a sketchbook that feels comfortable for you and suits your creative needs. A local art supply store is a great place to explore the many sizes and options available.

Here are some of the sketchbooks that I have enjoyed using over the past few years:

Bee Paper Company Pads

Bee Paper Company Super Deluxe Mixed Media Pads: This handles any media I’ve used, including acrylic paints and I’ve even added stitching to many of the pages. It has acid-free paper and the cover is a heavy duty cardboard. I keep coming back for more.

The Bee Company makes a wide variety of pads, including: Bee Paper Co-Mo Heavyweight Sketch Paper Pad which you might prefer… acid-free and for use with pencil, pen and ink, crayon, chalk, charcoal, and light washes.

Canson Mixed Media Book XL

Canson Mixed Media Book XL: This is a hard covered, wire-bound sketchbook with heavyweight paper that can handle a variety of wet and dry media. I’m a real fan of these books. In fact I am planning to buy a new sketchbook for drawing and I want it to be a Canson.

Two concertina sketchbooks with a different number of pages

Hahnemuhle Zig Zag Sketch Book A5: This is an accordion style pad with 18 sheets of acid free, watercolor paper. I bought it by accident when I really needed a concertina book with many more pages. But I was so glad to have this sketchbook with much fewer pages later on to play with inks, collage, and acrylics.

What I was wanting at the time, was the Seawhite Concertina with 35 pages on each side which would give me a total of 70 pages. I did manage to find one on Ebay, in the size I was looking for (around 8” x 5-1/4”). Amazon has a larger sized book (8.3” x 11.7”) HERE.

Feel free to send me any questions you may have and enjoy your sketchbook explorations.

All About Books

I grew up loving books and loving to read. As a tiny tot, I thought the most amazing thing anyone could ever do was to be an author. Books were truly magical. And before I knew how many books there were in the world, my goal was to read them all. By the time I was 10, I wanted to write children’s books and even had an idea for my first book. Years later, I did finally write and illustrate a book for my niece when she was born.

So, books have been part of my DNA all my life and it’s no wonder that in 2016 I began creating paintings with books attached to the surface of the painted canvas.

Now, as I await the launch of the Creative LifeBook on Wednesday, I find myself reflecting on how I have somehow managed to experience the joy and delight of being involved in a handful of book projects through the years (even when my primary focus has been on painting). These have so satisfied my original and foundational desires. And as I reflect on all of this, I thought I would share my published book history:

Back in the 1990’s, I collaborated on the creation of the Lakota Sweat Lodge Card: Spiritual Teachings of the Sioux (card deck and book). This endeavor became a reality through the teachings of Archie Fire Lame Deer, the tenacity of Helene Sarkis, and the beautiful words of Ann Louise Goulene.

In 2012, I was inspired to produce and publish The Gratitude Habit: A 365 Day Journal and Workbook. For several years, The Gratitude Habit had lots of success on Amazon and it even spent some time on the top 100 list of books in Happiness.

So, in 2015, I followed that up by creating and publishing Parenting The Gratitude Habit: a journal and resource for fostering gratitude in your heart, home, and family. And recently, I found my notes for a third book in the series, which I was too busy painting to complete.

Now, it’s 2023, and I am so grateful to have stumbled into an amazing book project with an impressive and supportive community on the Creative LifeBook. I so appreciate Jessica Hughes vision for this book and her remarkable ability to make this collaborative effort a reality.

NOTE: The Creative Lifebook became an Amazon bestseller in 23 categories and in 5 countries shortly after it launched. It is now available in Kindle and in paperback editions. Soon to be out in hardcover as well.

Creativity Takes Time

Several years ago, I came across a wonderful video produced by Cafe Next, a Hungarian ad agency. Their short film showed how creativity cannot be rushed. It requires more time. Students were given a simple clock-like design and told to complete the image within 10 seconds. Every child drew a simple clock. But when given the same image with ten minutes to draw, they were much more creative. Each child created a unique and individualized drawing.

When I was in college, I had an art teacher who had us draw a grid of 10 thumbnails for each of our assignments. The idea was to keep us from choosing our first idea when completing the project. Instead, we would have 10 ideas to work with. From then on, in all of my art assignments, in all of my art classes, I would come up with a series of thumbnails before beginning my work. It was a great lesson to learn early on.

Creativity is a process of trial and error, exploring various ideas and methods, and staying open to a flow of new thoughts during the creative process. It's no surprise to find that when the process is rushed, creativity is limited, and as a result, both the flow and the outcome suffer.

You can find the video on YouTube at HERE.

Promoting Creative Thinking Through Curiosity

The Inquisitive Mind - An Exercise

How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb

In “How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci,” Michael Gelb suggests generating a list of 100 questions on anything that comes to mind.

Although it seemed like a tedious task, I got comfortable with my journal and pen and wrote and wrote and wrote. I found that the process provided some wonderful surprises. As I continued to write, I became more wowed by the wonders of our natural environment, the workings of the human body and the way we interact with one another. The miracles of everyday life became magnified and a sense of awe grew.

Questions came to mind that I have not pondered since childhood. (like…How does a bird have the ability to fly?) And after the first 75 or so, I found that the questions seemed to have more depth and meaning.

At the end of this exercise I was very thankful for all that I have, for what I see, for who I am, and to be experiencing life in a world with so many wonders.

(This post was originally published on August 2014 in the Shared Easel Blog .)

Inspiration: To Spark Creativity

We come into the world with the desire and ability to create. It’s apparent in our imaginations, daydreams, ability to problem solve, and in our sense of play. Creativity is an innate force. Just watch the way children become immersed in their personal fantasies, dragging every nearby friend and inanimate object into their story. The foundation for this has been set before we take shape in a body. It’s natural for us to crave a connection with our creative spirit.

Mixed media painting in process.

Creativity can be expressed in every aspect of our lives not just in an artistic endeavor. As individuals, we choose whether to cultivate that creativity and how we do so.

However you choose to exercise your creativity, you can use the list below to spark ideas for a personal creative adventure. Dance or move, paint, draw, or collage, vocalize or compose music, garden or landscape, cook or bake, sculpt or build, sew or embroider.

Inspiration can be found everywhere, at any time, and in any form. You don’t know when or where inspiration will present itself. All that’s needed is to be open to the gifts that present themselves...in any moment. Anything can spark a creative idea. Anything can inspire creative exploration… a word, a single leaf, the flight of a bird, the colors of the trees against a clear blue sky, the light of a full moon shining on the landscape.

I hope the list below will help generate ideas as prompts for your creativity:

1. I’ll start with the simplest of all… Day Dream. Let your imagination run wild. See where it leads you.

Shadows are a great source of creative inspiration.

2. Notice the shadows, lines, shapes and colors right outside your front door or wherever you look.

3. Patterns found in nature. If you can’t find this outside your home then search for images online.

4. As you walk down the street, notice the way the angles of the buildings show up against the sky, may trigger an idea.

5. An interesting sentence or phrase, in a song or conversation, could stand out and inspire an entire short story, novel, or painting.

6. Idioms are wonderful creative triggers. Choose one that strikes your fancy and let it inspire you. Here are just a few to get you started: Water under the Bridge, The Ball is in Your Court, It’s a Small World, Keep an Eye on Him, Go Out on a Limb. The link above has a long list of idioms in alphabetical order.

7. Song titles can be very descriptive and offer a spark of inspiration. You could search for song lists on a specific subject, or top 100 songs in any given year. In writing this post I stumbled upon a list of songs with ridiculous titles. (They are actual songs!!)

8. Whenever you would like a creative boost, read a poem you resonate with… either from a book of poetry you have at home or from an online search. You might consider reading one poem each day for inspiration. With poetry, you enter the mind of the poet and see the world through their eyes.

9. Do people listen to radios anymore? This used to be one of my favorite ways to collect bits and pieces that might fit together in an interesting way. By turning the dial on your radio, you hear brief moments of broadcasting on each station. One or more of those snippets of music, lyrics, and conversation may become puzzle pieces to inspire a creative project. Now-a-days, it’s more likely that changing the TV channels would be more effective.

Creative inspiration can be found wherever you are. This was an exterior wall to an old weathered building. Looks like abstract art.

10. Search online for visual or written creative triggers by typing any word, phrase, or sentence into the search field. You never know what you might find. Don’t just rely on the first browser page that comes up. Check out what’s on the third page.

11. Visit a site like CreativityPortal.com which posts daily images with text, as prompts to inspire writing, art, and creative projects. You may choose to visit their site every day for a new prompt — 365 days a year. And they have an Imagination Prompt Generator with a line of text as a story starter or creative spark. Don’t like the prompt that shows up? Then refresh the page and a new one pops up.

12. Pinterest is a wealth of images on any subject. But be warned, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re exploring that site. And while you are there, check out my WendyArtsStudio at Pinterest account.

13. Children’s picture books can be a great way to spark your creative flow. Check out my blog post - Inspiration: Children’s Books.

14. And keep a notebook or journal to record the abundance of creative sparks you come across during the day. Record the words, thoughts, quotes, poems, phrases, images, and more that zing you and are likely to motivate you to create.

JUST Create!!! Keep tools and materials easily accessible so you can play and explore. No need to hold back. This experience is for you. Create anything at any time for the pure joy of creating. Have fun!!

Note: This list was written with the understanding that the majority of people are currently sheltered at home. So I have left out a number of creative resources like the library which is one of my favorite places for developing new ideas. Once we are out and about I will plan to add another post.

Inspiration: Children's Books

Children’s books are a great source of inspiration. They offer the beauty of ideas, a creative flow of words, and artwork that’s a feast of colors and imagery. As adults, our minds are so cluttered with grownup tasks, pressures, expectations and personal business. I highly recommend taking a short holiday and explore the wonderful world of picture books.

You might choose a beloved favorite that brings you back to your own childhood or a new delightful find that enables you to connect with your inner child. Reading children’s picture books can soften the heart, put a smile on your face, and allow you to slow down your breathing. This is the perfect inner space to begin your own creative explorations.

These precious packages have the ability to transport us to a belief in ourselves and in the thought that anything is possible.

Years ago, I lived about 3 minutes away from a huge, new, and absolutely fabulous Barnes & Noble store, which happened to be open til midnight. Although I am not a late night person, I loved knowing that I could stop in anytime. Often, and with much delight, I would wander in for a mini creative vacation and spend time in the children's book section. I felt like a sponge, absorbing the colors, lines, and illustrations in these captivating parcels. My eyes would dance from cover to cover taking in all the artwork and titles. And best of all, they had ample seating for me to comfortably spend time with the picks of the night.

So, consider spending some time in the world of children's books and see if they inspire you. And with libraries closed during these quarantine days, if you don’t have any picture books at home, you can become immersed in the pages of books found at online bookstores.

The books appearing in the above image:

• The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

• The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

• The Further Adventures of the Little Mouse Trapped in a Book by Monique Felix

• Where Once There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming

• Coyote and the Magic Words by Phyllis Root

• Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp

This is a revision of a post originally published in 2013.