Ever get a hankering to try something new but it feels a bit risky? I'm sharing a new Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I talk about just that subject! Just giving you a little bit of encouragement to take that first step! 
I'm always here to cheer you on when you want to step out of your comfort zone. It can be so worthwhile to do something your heart is bringing to your attention. Do it for yourself! And Enjoy!

Journaling Prompt: 
Reflect on the last time you tried to do something new. Did you feel intimidated? Excited? Anticipatory? How did it go? Did you do it more than once? Did it hit the sweet spot and end up something you do all the time now? Detail this in your journal and celebrate anew! 

Welcome back to Beginnings! Today I am sharing a new Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I share a word about External Voice and the impact they can have on your decision making. The question to ask is: what voice am I listening to and is it bringing clarity or confusion? 

The Higher Self is a reliable source of wisdom & direction. How do you know when the voice you're hearing is a Higher Self? You will know whether it brings clarity or confusion! 

So Listen carefully and Proceed with confidence! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Detail a recent time when you heard your Higher Self give you direction but you went with an external voice instead. What was the result of that decision? Were you satisfied? 
Now detail a recent time when you listened to your Higher Self rather than following an external voice. What was the result? Any different? Did you feel more confident as a result? 

Hello and Welcome back to Beginnings! I've got another Walk & Chat with Dawn video for you with a focus on Celebrating Your Successes. I share my POV on this subject and some suggestions on how to go about it, keeping self care in mind. 

You're welcome to comment on a recent success so I can Celebrate with you! 
Journaling Prompt: 
What was the last success you had, large or small, that you haven't celebrated? Detail it fully in your journal and share why it was important to you. Nothing is too small to record, if you feel it was a moment you want to remember. 

If you would like to watch more Walk & Chat with Dawn videos, click here. 

​Thank so much for watching and giving the video a thumbs up. I appreciate your interest and support. 
You're welcome to leave a comment on YouTube as well, as we Celebrate in community! 

Wishing you the Best of Beginnings. 

Welcome back to Beginnings! 
Today I'm sharing a Walk & Chat with Dawn where I share a word about Instincts and what you can do about them, especially when you notice a repeating patterns to nudges. We all experience those innate moments of direction and clarity, but we're not always so sure where our steps should lead. Watch the video for my take on it! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Pay attention to your instincts and record when they happen to you and what the context is that it brings to your attention. What is it telling you? Have you seen and felt this before? What step can you take to honor that instinct? 

Follow this link for more Walk and Chats with Dawn! 
I wish you the Best of Beginnings! 

Welcome back to Beginnings! We're back with a Walk & Chat with Dawn on the subject of Dreams...
Do you give yourself permission to dream? I give some suggestions on how to bring your dream to life. What kind of dream am I talking about? Watch the video to find out! 
Dream journaling is something I engage in regularly so I speak from experience as I share my Point of View on this subject. 

I trust you'll be inspired to pay closer attention to your "Sweet Dreams." 

Journaling Prompt: 
Detail your sweet dreams in your journal, giving yourself permission to picture what it might be like to fulfill a sweet dream of yours. 

​Wishing you Sweet Dreams, my friend! 

Hello and welcome back to Beginnings. Today I'm sharing another Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I share strategy for getting a creative breakthrough when brainstorming. I give an example of my own experience with struggle and frustration and but worked for me in the end. 

Journaling Prompt:
Is there a project or something new you're trying to figure out? Are you meeting with frustration? 
Have you given yourself space to let it flow? List off ways you can give yourself a break. And Trust the Process. 

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! 

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! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. And this is my first blog post for the New Year of 2024, and I'm excited to bring you my first completed art journal spread, which I have titled: Falling Apart in Order to Bloom. I did the majority of this spread in 2023, starting back in July, when I was in the throws of grieving my father's passing in January (1/8/23 will be a year). 

Now, what does that mean exactly? As of this writing, (1/5/24), I'm still contemplating. But in reflection, I think it speaks to the "falling apart," or breaking down phase when you are reckoning with a life changing event that correlates with some very deep rooted parts of your life experience that are foundational to who you are. And my father's passing certainly contributed to that experience. Somewhat of a metamorphosis, which entails a breaking in order to re-build and bloom. And this takes courage! And discernment of how to get from the beginning of this process to the beauty of transformation. 

So here is my art journal tool and supply list used in this spread: 
India ink
Gouache paint
oil pastel
water soluble pastel 
colored pencil, both water soluble and non water soluble
fabric in various prints
buttons
sequins
leaf stamps in various types and sizes
letter stamps
gel medium
matte medium 
magazine clippings 

Journaling Prompt:
Have you experienced a "falling apart" in order to bloom in a new place? What was that like for you? What did you learn from it? What new undrstanding do you have of yourself now that you didn't have before as a result? How did you take care of yourself in the process? 

Thank you so much for being a part of my journey as artist and creative. 
Your presence is greatly appreciated. <3 

​I wish you the Happiest of New Years in 2024 and the very Best of Beginnings!