I'm Having FUN creating my new video series, Walk & Chat with Dawn, where I share behind the scenes what I've been up to and share reflections on what I'm learning in the process of my creativity while walking outdoors enjoying the weather while you come along with me! 

Topics: Happy Easter, my bullet journal prep for April, our stray cat delight, watching an inspiring video, and I share a journaling prompt for your further reflection! 

Do join me and if you have as much fun as I do, please like the video and leave a comment! 
I appreciate your being part of my creative community here at Refresh with Dawn Herring. 

Have yourself a delightful day and the Very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello my friends and welcome back to Beginnings! I've been doing something that I haven't done in a long time. I'm going for walks and taking you with me! Yep! I've started a new series called Walk & Chat with Dawn, and I'm sharing one of these videos in this post in case you haven't seen this one already and/or if you aren't subsctibed to my YouTube Channel....

Today I start with a chat about the weather and then I share about how you, my viewers, are inspiring me and I share some video of my art journal spread progress plus more! So, do join me! 

And you're welcome to share either on YouTube or here in the comments what is inspiring you and what Small Step you're taking toward the things you want to be doing! I'd love to hear from you and Celebrate with You! 

Thanks for watching, subscribing and giving my video a thumbs up and leaving a comment if you're thus inclined! 

I appreciate your support and interest in what I have to share as an artist and creative; having you in community just makes it more fun, satisfying and meaningful to me. 

Journaling Prompt: 
Make a list of what is inspiring you right now. What small step can you take to make a move in the direction where your heart is calling you? How can you support yourself in that way? 

I wish you a delightful day and the very Best of Beginnings! 

My Dad, Danny Bel-Tempo, loved eagles. He loved how majestic they were and appreciated their beauty. So much so, that back in 1989, I did a pen and ink stippled rendering of one for him for a Christmas Gift. He was thrilled when he received it. His remark was "Excellent." I recently came upon this photo as I was going through some older snapshots I took in my early years. This one was the year I married. 

My father appreciated the effort I put in to creating such a piece of work that would touch his heart. I could feel how much it meant to him upon the receiving. He always told me how proud he was of me; it still rings true even with his passing over a year ago. I'm glad I have these images to remember such profound moments from our past together. 

Well, an Eagle's View comes in handy when we need it most. Sometimes life gets complicated, and an eagle's view can help us see the bigger picture; maybe that's why Dad loved eagles so much, so he wouldn't get mired in the details. 

Although he was very detail oriented, from the way he dressed to how his surroundings worked for him. He liked everything "just so." 

I feel that way about my art. I want what I create to be "just so." And sometimes it takes change to make that happen, especially when I've been doing something the same way for a long period of time.  And when I get that Eagle's View, I can see and feel where an internal shift is taking place. And I usually have an idea of where I want to go; most times, it involves a challenge of sorts, growing my skill set to get to this new place I see and desire to reach, so I can get that strong sense of satisfaction with what I create. 

I must remind myself to Go Gentle, and take it one step at a time. I'm not looking for perfection but an up-leveling of sorts. I'm always looking to improve my craft, knowing it's time for a change, when what I've been doing is no longer satisfying me. 

As an artist, I must trust my instincts, knowing that where I want to go will open up to me; it's just a matter of crossing the threshold with confidence, the same confidence my father instilled in me by being so supportive and affirming in my journey as a young artist, only now, with many more decades of experience to support my growth as a creative. 

So here I am ready to embrace change and see where it takes me and enjoy the eagle's view every step of the way. 

Journaling Prompt: 
When was the last time you needed to have a birds'e eye view of your current circumstances in order to solve a problem? How did it help you determine your next steps? Is there a situation where a higher perspective might help you see things more clearly so you know what to do going forward? Be patient and gentle with yourself as you go. 

Thank you for being on this journey with me; I appreciate your interest and your desire to know what I have to share. It makes a difference to have you on life's path as we journey together as the creative people we are in community! You're welcome to share below when an Eagle's View has helped you in your next steps! 

​I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and welcome back to Beginnings! This post makes me smile since I am featuring my Illustration Pic of the Week called Leap Day! Yay! I had so much fun with this one, showing me Leaping for JOY with the extra day we had this year on February 29th! I was wearing a crew neck sweater with a fun colorful scarf. I also enjoyed creating the polka dot pattern in the word DAY, bringing some whimsy and FUN to Leap Day! 

Did you celebrate Leap Day this year? I enjoyed creating this illustration as a way to honor an experience that only comes around every 4 years. Why not, right? This leads me to ask myself and you as well: What are we leaping into right now? What is exciting us about our days, our work, our self discovery? Or perhaps we can look at where we've lost our zest for something we've been doing and how we can get it back! Sometimes we end up creating boxes for ourselves which makes it very hard to LEAP into much of anything. So break open that box that may be holding you back and see what you decide to Leap into next! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Is there an area of your life where you feel "Boxed In?" What change do you think would make all the difference so you can feel excited about it again? 
What do you desire to Leap Into? Do you feel confident about it or a little reserved? Detail how you feel and why in your journal. Happy Leaping! 

Note: I only had 6 illustrations to choose from this week since, much to my surprise and amazement, I did not create a journal entry on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Did it feel odd? Sure. But I got right back to it the next morning! It's ok to take a break when you need it for whatever reason. 

Thank you for your interest in my illustrations and reflections; I trust the journaling prompt will give you interesting and insightful food for thought. 

You have yourself a delightful day and I wish you the Very Best of Beginnings!