My Illustration Pick of the WeekHello and Welcome back to Beginnings! For this post, I am sharing my Illustration Pick of the Week! This is a drawing I did in my personal journal, highlighting the office work I did for meeting a deadline! I used a fine pen for the notebooks and calculator as well as the figure. I used colored pencils and pastel for the wardrobe, hair and skin. I think it’s important to recognize a job well done instead of just rushing on to the next task. My illustration practice gives me space to do just that. Very validating! What have you recognized lately? Journaling prompt: How do you handle deadlines? Do you give yourself margin so you don’t feel rushed? Office tip: Breaking down the task into small steps can help with reducing overwhelm and getting the job done with satisfaction!
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Blooming in 2024: My First Art Journal Spread
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! Let's Celebrate 2023 Together!Welcome back to Beginnings, where we talk about fresh starts, new cycles, exploration, experimentation and creativity! And this, my friend, is my final post for 2023, which is a look back on the year with what I've accomplished and how my Beginnings highlighted my life's experiences. In the process of my sharing my story, my delight is for you to look back on yours as well, celebrating your wins, seeing what you've accomplished, and what you have learned in the process. I will be sharing from the categories I talk about here at Beginnings which include music, journaling, art, illustration, and anything else that has inspired! Do join me as I review 2023, since, without you, there would be no blog! Right? Your readership, support and interest are an inspiration to me, and for that, I am grateful. So let's do this, shall we? Get comfortable with a snack or beverage and read on... This year has been quite the journey for me...it started with the passing of my father, my DAD, Daniel Bel-Tempo. You can read about that experience here. Although it was expected, it still had a strong impact on my creativity and output. So I took some time off from content creation and returned in the spring. You can view my comeback story here. This year, my JOURNALING PRACTICE took center stage. Although I do journal daily in multiple journals for multiple purposes, I found some ways to stay connected to the inner parts of me, focusing on my Higher Self and my Inner Child, as I navigated Loss and understood myself on a whole new level. Dialoguing became a Power Tool essential to my wellness and resilience during this time. The wisdom and direction I received as a result really showed me ways to take care of myself, listening to the deepest of wisdom within. It continues to be a moment by moment process, breaking patterns that no longer serve me, and creating pathways that strengthen my faith and my determination to Keep Self Care at the top of my list, making it even more primary than ever. This can look like taking frequent breaks during the day due to fatigue, adding new foods to my diet that enhance my well being, and taking time to be quiet and induce more calm. I continued playing in my Art Journal, using mixed media such as inks, gouache, fabric, pastel and stamping. I have found myself spending more time on each spread, many months sometimes, taking my time and enjoying each layer of creativity it gives me. Even if it's just 5 minutes at a time. Those incremental steps build upon one another for the greater whole. Sometimes all you need is 5 minutes for yourself! I continue to keep a bullet journal with many trackers that are helpful for easy reference, whether dreams, food and sleep patterns, music, what I watch and read, along with family updates (so important!). I also use it for business for my office work. Speaking of journaling, This past year, I've recorded quite a few short videos for my YouTube Channel (which you can view here) for those of you who follow me for journaling purposes, (Think #JournalChat!). I've answered a lot of questions and given some fun and insightful tips you can use to get yourself going and stay journaling because it's fun and relevant for you. You're welcome to drop any questions you may have in the comments below! In addition to journaling tips, I've also released some new MUSIC which you can view here, which includes my spiritual songs, My Choice and I Believe, plus I re-recorded the Beginnings Theme song to celebrate One Year of Beginnings Blog (which you can view here; just scroll to the bottom.) and my newly launched website. I also went Live on Facebook and Played my Piano for the first time, sharing three songs, My first recording (with updated melody) titled, Because You, and an unreleased song, It's Possible and I Believe. I had so much fun playing for you all! If you haven't already watched it, click here for that post. I anticipate composing more music for my piano in 2024 (as I enter my 4th year of playing piano in March) with over 400 songs to choose from that I've written in 2023. As an artist, I continue to illustrate moments from my day in my sketchbook journal (you can view several here). I continue to enjoy colored pencil and pastel (some water soluable!). I've also enjoyed some pen and pencil sketching and plan to continue that experimentation in 2024. I've also enjoyed creating illustrations for our electrical safety blog at Bill's Quality Electric, LLC, which you can view here and read here. I also greatly enjoyed recording the creation of the new logo for Beginnings which I shared in Real Time, which you can view here. That was a fun experimentation. Leave a comment below if you'd like to see more In Real Time art demo videos. One of the pleasures I have had this year has been engaging with the Stray Cats in our neighborhood, and there have been many, some who have come and gone, and some who are regulars here at The Cat's Meow (we like to call it that here when we feed them!). You can read a detailed version of our Parade of Cats here. We simply love Despi and Shadow, (the Boys as we call them) plus the Mama cats who have shared their kittens with us! So absolutely adorable!
Well that concludes my Year in Review. I trust you enjoyed this perusal down memory lane with me for 2023; I appreciate your being here and for being a part of my life journey as I share my Beginnings with you. Your comments are always welcome. I look forward to what 2024 will hold for me. And for you too! Remember that every day is a new Beginning and worth celebrating. And I will be here to cheer you on as always. Wishing you the Very BEST of Beginnings in the New Year! Live Music for the First Time!
Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings, where we talk about fresh starts, new cycles, experimentation, exploration and creativity! And I am excited to share with you a video that was originally recorded as a Facebook Live, where I shared all the new updates to my new website, plus new videos to celebrate the One Year Anniversary of Beginnings blog. And I played several songs on the piano which was a first for me, having never played LIVE before! So exciting! One of the songs I played has never been released before, titled It's Possible. I read the lyrics in the video. I also played the very first song I composed for the piano when I first got my piano keyboard almost 3 years ago. Of course, the melody has been upgraded so to speak, so I'm excited to share that with you today.
Videos mentioned are my new Welcome Message which you can view here on the home page, A Re-recording of the Beginnings theme song which is at the bottom of the home page. Plus a In Real Time video of creating the new logo for Beginnings blog which you can viewhere. You're welcome to check out this Live Video (which has been edited) in celebration with me! Thank you so much for your support and interest in my content here at Refresh with Dawn Herring. It means a lot to me. Thanks for giving my videos a thumbs up and for subscribing to my channel. My goal is always to be a source of inspiration and encouragement to your own creativity. I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! Let Me Show You How I Made Beginnings
Welcome back to Beginnings, the place where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. And in this special post, I am sharing a behind-the-scenes view of the Creation of my brand new Header Logo, Beginnings! I'm excited to chat with you about what Beginnings is all about and why it's important to Celebrate each beginning we encounter as well as how we can be Intentional about our Beginnings. In between chatting, I also share with you my art supplies, my color choices, and the reason for the steps I take to create this piece of art.
I recorded the above video in Real Time so you can see and hear me as we create this art together...bring some of your own art to work on if that inspires you! And I'd love to hear about what you're creating. This piece of art/logo is actually a special one because I am Celebrating One Year of Beginnings, and I'd love for you to join me. I did record the creation of Beginnings Logo in several sessions so it's a longer video of 35 minutes, which includes introduction of what we are making and the action behind-the-scenes. It is my delight to share this with you and I trust you will be inspired with your own creativity and maybe learn something along the way. You're welcome to drop a comment, either on YouTube (and subscribe!) or right here at Beginnings, to let me know what you think, what your greatest take away is and how you've been inspired. And of course, I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! New Art Studio Tour & Illustration Update
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings where we talk about new cycles, fresh starts, experimentation, exploration and creativity. For this post, I’m sharing an Art Studio tour (fresh start!) (still in the organization stage but progress is progress!) along with my busy illustration happenings (both commercially for blogging and personally in my journal). You’re welcome to come along with me as I show you behind the scenes including some antiques from childhood! Plus I chat about our friendly felines in the neighborhood. I hope to inspire you in your own creative pursuits!
Journaling Prompt: What fresh start are you celebrating right now? Detail it in your journal. How do you feel about it? Are you excited, uncertain, disorganized or aligned? It’s ok to feel out of sorts with a fresh start; after all, you’ve entered some new territory. Try to take it slow and go gently. Don’t expect perfection from yourself. Where do you want to go with this fresh start? What would the ideal look like for you? Write the smallest step you can take in this new space to make it feel like Home. And then, do it! I wish you the Best of Beginnings! My Song: I Believe
Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings, where we talk about fresh starts, new cycles, exploration, experimentation and creativity.
In this post, I will be sharing with you some Music I’ve released, including lyrics and my reflections on what the song means to me, as well as some journaling prompts for further reflection. I always get excited when I’m ready to release new music so I can share my joy with you, with the intention and hope of your spirit being lifted in some meaningful way as we traverse this world at the same time in history. The new song I’ve recorded is titled, I Believe. I wrote this song several years ago (I’m not exactly certain when, but it was within the past 4 years since I’ve been writing music for about 5 years, just to give you an idea.) I’ve had this song in my piano book for a long time, but recently it has really been speaking to me, and I’ve been playing it with a new cadence that is deeply meditative, with a supplications vibe toward Spirit, and for me, it is a deeply empowering message. Here are the lyrics below: I Believe by Dawn Herring HIDE ME SHELTER ME KEEP ME SAFE I BELIEVE LOVE ME PROTECT ME I BELIEVE I AM SET FREE IT IS ALL DONE FOR ME I BELIEVE I CAN SEE WHEN YOU SEE THE TRUTH IN ME YOU WILL BE TRULY FREE (Words and music copyrighted to Dawn Herring 2023) When I wrote this song, it was in response to my scripture study and prayers in connection to my song writing, which is a natural outpouring of what Spirit speaks to me in the moment. In the process of writing the words, stanza by stanza, I sensed a supplicating essence that I could feel within myself. My desire to feel safe, secure, loved and heard was deeply resonant. And as I made my requests, I could feel my faith rising up, knowing I was heard and was not alone. Then a deep realization of what I actually truly have in Spirit came upon me, I felt more awake to what was alive inside. Then, in response to my faith and supplication, I sensed a reply and directive coming from a deeply loving essence of Spirit that shared the importance of vision, clarity and truth and how Waking UP to this reality brings Freedom. Yes! What a victorious response that lifts my spirit, bringing me hope that I AM FREE. In this world filled with so much uncertainty, we all feel the need to be protected and loved; we need that assurance that we will be ok. That we are not alone. That we can see. And with what we can see, we are Free. Free to be Who We Are. Not bound by societal standards but only the boundaries we set for ourselves, for protection and care. Spirit is there for us when we need Spirit most, during those moments of the deepest fears, doubts, insecurities, overwhelm, and uncertainty. As we reach out for what we need, as we seek, we will find. And when we seek together, we can support each other through the toughest of times. And experience freedom in community! Sounds like the Best of Beginnings to me! How about you? Below I provide some journaling prompts for further reflection. I trust they will help bring clarity, focus and freedom to your life in this moment. ❤️
JOURNALING PROMPT:
Make a list of the times when you have felt most free, whether in childhood or whatever time comes to mind naturally. What is the common thread that you can see on this list? People? Places? Activities? Pick one from the list and detail it as much as possible, reliving that sense of freedom you felt. Do you feel that way now? What has changed or what is different? When have you felt the most protected? Was there someone who came to your aid, such as a good friend or mentor or a family member who really gets you? List times when you felt the most heard. What was the conversation about? Who was listening? How did this impact and change you for the better? What is your truth right now? What can you come back to again and again that grounds and centers you no matter what you’re facing? Write this down on an index card and keep it in a place where you can be reminded of this central truth. ❤️?
Disclaimer: journaling prompts are to be used at your own risk. If you feel overwhelmed or emotionally distressed, please seek out a counselor or therapist or call 911.
Going Gentle: What Is Working for Me NowHello and Welcome back to Beginnings where we talk about fresh starts, new cycles, exploration, experimentation and creativity.
For this post, I will share with you, my dear reader, about Gentleness and why it is the Centerpiece for me in my life right now. But first, a bit of back story. About 10 years ago, I wrote a scripture down on an index card that contained the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. These are obviously character qualities we all desire to have and be in life. And when we emulate them, we are aligned with Spirit. When I first wrote them down, I decided that I would choose one that I was most drawn to and focus on that quality in my life, both in giving and receiving. My first choice was LOVE. I had remembered another scripture that says, Love your neighbor as yourself. Now the part of that I hadn’t really discovered was the Love Yourself part. I was never taught how to do that in my religious upbringing in school or church. (A life time of teaching, really). But through my own study and discovery, I came to understand what it really meant, looked and felt like to truly love myself. And it changed my life in many ways, and it was noticeable. The next fruit focus I chose was JOY. I took a deep dive into everything that brought me JOY. And I brought it and shared it with you, my dear reader, from newsletter to blog posts to videos. so much JOY! Life goes on and I dealt with lots of changes on the home-front, attempting to choose Peace from the fruit list awhile in the midst of dealing with losses and responsibilities and moves and business and so much going on. It was a step by step, moment by moment process. But in the past year or so, especially since the passing of my Dad in January, I realize now that I have HAD to choose GENTLENESS. I have always tried to be a gentle person and have even been told by some that I am gentle, which I always appreciate hearing. But being GENTLE with myself has become a key factor for me these past months. How have I chose to be Gentle with myself? Let me count the ways: Giving myself margin between tasks. Resting when I’m tired. (And that includes naps!) Realizing my limitations and not pushing myself too hard (still working on that one!) Taking one small step at a time. Not apologizing when I have to say no. And No is a complete sentence. Setting boundaries where necessary, especially when I feel disrespected. Doing more of what I love, like playing my piano and really enjoying the process. Being careful with what I eat and listening to what my body needs and wants. Seeing my need to cry when necessary as I continue to mourn my father’s passing (and it comes up when least expected.) Going Gentle is Key to my Well Being, my connection with Spirit (who is oh, so gentle), and with my mind set. Slowing down. Not rushing. Taking it easy. and not feeling guilty when I don’t get it all done or when I disappoint another’s expectations of me. Going Gentle means taking care of myself first. Because I know that everyone else has to take care of themselves first too. I know I am not responsible for anyone else’s happiness but my own. (This was a deep realization I’ve had in the midst of Going Gentle.) My prayer for all those who I love and care about is that they will have their own Gentleness Breakthrough that will change their life like it has done for mine. And I pray that prayer for you, my dear reader and friend. Remember to Go Gentle with yourself. We all need to learn to take care of ourselves in the best way possible. With no apology needed. And Gentleness is key. May it unlock all the JOY you can experience and LOVE for yourself. Every Day. Journaling Prompt: What does Gentle mean for you? Make a list of ways you can Go Gentle with yourself. Choose one from the list that you’re not already doing and do it today. Create a mind map with Gentle as the Centerpiece and see what associations come up for you. Don’t censor. Just associate. Have fun with it. Then Go Gentle! Copyright Image 2023 by Dawn Herring A Parade of Cats: Sharing Our Delight with You!
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Exploration, Experimentation and Creativity.
Well, I have a treat for you today! Below I share a story of the furry variety and what we can learn even from the beloved animals among us. Since coming to a new neighborhood in recent months, we have had the pleasure of making acquaintance with the furry felines that stray about the ‘hood. And it didn’t take long for that to happen. No. As soon as we made our first appearance, so did they. It’s like they owned the place…and I suppose they really believe they do! Ha! Well, I decided that I just had to share this experience with you, my dear friend and reader! Why keep the delight to myself, right? Now, below I have shared a summary of sorts of each furry feline we have become acquainted with through conversation, observation and of course, tasty meals of the cat variety plus a bit of human delight as well. Let’s just say that when the communal bowls are filled, we like to refer to our place as The Cat’s Meow where we feature the tasty "fast food" of dry bits in the bowl (or two…), plus some gourmet options of the fish, chicken and beef variety that just hits the kitty spot! (It’s so much fun watching them devour the goodies!) Due to the nature of the feline stray, it has taken some time to build human-cat trust, so they can be very skittish and run off if we’re not careful. (But they always manage to make their way back…) I like to talk gently and ask if they’re hungry and looking for some nibble and assure them it’s alright. We’re just here to make sure they have full bellies! Since they do run off, it has been difficult to visually capture them on camera. We’ve managed to get some video here and there and some photos through the window blind, so if the images aren’t the clearest, you now know why! I will introduce you to each feline in the order we have come to their acquaintance: Desperado (Despi for short)
Ah, Desperado! He immediately appeared when we did. Medium black fur with a spot of white on his chest and with dark yellow eyes. Despi (the nickname I use for him that he answers to!), has the look of always being worse for wear. Why? Well, in a word, cat fights! Yes, he seems to draw them unfortunately. He often has wear spots in his fur from being attacked by other male felines, especially Big Tom who I will introduce below. Plus, Despi is a very assertive cat with his loud persistent meowing for attention, affection and food. (We think he might have once been an inside cat…) Now sometimes he can be a real trouble maker, especially with using the immediate lawn as a litter box instead of being more discreet (and more so than the other cats), and even when we scold him for being less than neat about it, he does it anyway. We think he’s marking his territory concerning the other male cats, but he still gets bullied anyway. He recently has been coming and going, rather than sticking around most of the time like he used to, since he’s trying to avoid more trouble. But he still comes for the nibbles! He was our first buddy. So we have a soft spot for him.
What we can learn from Despi: Stay in your own lane and don't try to usurp someone else's spot if you can help it! (and be more civil, especially towards those who help take care of you.) Mama Oreo with Dancer, Prancer and Vixen
When we first met Mama Oreo, she was a regular companion to Desperado. Black with white tuxedo and boots, I named her Oreo. She is quite the queenly cat in disposition and attitude. After having seen her and feeding her for several weeks, we were met with quite the surprise: three kittens! She brought them up onto the porch in pile and we were delighted to meet them and feed them as well. (You can see them feeding in the video.) Once we found out she was a female and a Mama, we were determined to give her lots of attention, especially when feeding her little ones. (No petting, just food and conversation in gentle tones.)
One day she brought up a small rat ? she killed and brought up to the porch to train her little ones. We got to see them pounce and learn how to handle their prey. She disposed of it later herself. Her three little ones: Prancer is a mini me, looking just like Mama Oreo, and the way she walked around, she looked like she was prancing! Vixen and Dancer were both grey and white, Vixen being much rounder in shape, and Dancer being the runt of the litter with a stub of a tail. Whenever Dancer would walk, he appeared to be dancing. Thus his name. The little ones are no longer in our vicinity. We hope they went to good homes. What we can learn from Mama Oreo: You can be Queen and stately in your approach to life, even if you meet with the unexpected. Shadow
Shadow appeared from no-where one day all by himself which was quite the surprise since he was just a kitten (still is!). But Mama Oreo soon adopted him so he was like part of her litter. She even let him feed on her. Shadow has made our outdoor patios his regular pad. And since Desperado has been getting into so many fight with Big Tom, he has made himself scarce except when he gets hungry. So Shadow has been making himself the dominant Male (or attempting to!) in our space. Of course, Despi won’t hear of it and puts him in his place with bites and even hissing, even though they’ve been buddies for a while. Shadow is a beautiful kitten, all black with pale green eyes. He is the most energetic of the lot, playing hide and seek and peek-a-boo with Precious (see below), and chasing his own tail. Absolutely adorable. Shadow is our buddy!
What we can learn from Shadow: Seek and you will find. And don't be afraid to assert yourself even if you meet with resistance. Enjoy life to the fullest and have fun! Princess (Mama) and Precious
The next family of cat includes the Mama Princess, who we had seen before a few times, along with her little one, Precious, who is play buddies with Shadow; they are now regulars at The Cat’s Meow! They look identical to each other, with white and gray coloring, which is so adorable. Sometimes they each come solo and sometimes together. Princess is rather skittish so we have to be very gentle with her and our approach when bringing food. Precious is also skittish but she has a more assertive way about her, less shy than her mom, especially when other cats are around.
It is so much fun watching Precious and Shadow play together. (You can see on the video!) Pouncing, Peek-a-boo, and chasing. Precious is always curious about what Shadow is up to and often follows him, if at a distance. What we can learn from Princess: Even if you're shy or insecure, you can still get what you need with courage. What we can learn from Precious: It's fun to make friends and see what they're up to! Seize the moment and don't be afraid to go after what you want. A Very Pregnant Snow White
Now, Snow White, all white as is obvious, comes from down the street in the other direction. We saw her sitting on the fence two houses down initially. She was not a regular. But in recent weeks (July 2023) she showed up regularly for food as she was VERY PREGNANT. She was so round in the middle, she swayed. So we put food out especially for her during that time. Then once she had her kitties (off site from our space), we continued to feed her until she didn’t come around. (We trust the other neighbor is feeding her). Don’t know if we’ll see her kitties in the neighborhood at some point.
What we can learn from Snow White: Don't have all your eggs in one basket. Sometimes you have to look for what you need. Big Tom
Ok, Now for BIG TOM. There is only one other cat we’ve seen in the neighborhood who is bigger than Big Tom. He has the widest face, the longest, thickest body, and he is tiger striped with a swirl on the side with white boots. Tom is a handsome cat and he has taken issue with Desperado, who attempts to be the King of the neighborhood and Tom just isn’t having it. So cat fights have ensued. But recently, Despi only comes around for food and then leaves. And whenever he sees Big Tom nearby, his body language goes into high caution, ready for takeoff if necessary!
Interestingly enough, Shadow has been in the process of taking Despi’s place, so he is attempting to assert himself with Big Tom, who actually puts up with a lot of pushing and shoving as Shadow tries to get him away from the feeding dish! (You can watch on the video!) We gotta give it to Shadow for trying to assert himself and only being a kitten! What we can learn from Big Tom: Sometimes you have to fight to keep your place and sometimes you give a little, especially with a new comer! Smokey & Midnight
The final two cats in our Parade are worth mentioning. They’ve been coming around more so of late and we think one might be pregnant and one might have just recently had kittens.
Smokey has been here before when she wasn’t pregnant; gorgeous shiny smoky grey fur with green eyes. Since she’s been back, we’ve noticed her looking heavier, thus suspicions she’ll be Mama Smokey with kitties soon! Midnight is a very recent arrival, with inky black fur and yellow eyes. We think she might be nursing kittens due to how dominant her feeding area is underneath. They are both cautious but not overtly skittish, probably because they need to eat for the little ones they carry or they are feeding as well. We always try to put out extra nibbles for the ones with littles! We have a soft spot for the Mama cats around here at The Cat’s Meow! What we can learn from Smokey: You gotta do what you gotta do! What we can learn from Midnight: You will always find what you're looking for.
We trust you enjoyed our Parade of Cats as we shared with you our experiences with The Cat's Meow and the furry, fun felines we have had the delight with which we aquaint ourselves! I'm not sure how each of our stray kitties would feel if they knew they were the star of the show...Despi would probably want all the attention. Mama Oreo would be attentive but not looking for glory. Shadow would show you how much fun he has! Princess would probably take a back seat but Precious would be too curious not to check it out alongside Shadow. Snow White wouldn't even know about it at all since she's too busy feeding her littles! Big Tom would be cool and busy eating all the food in the bowl and keeping Despi from taking over the show. As for Smokey and Midnight, they'd be too occupied getting what they need in the moment.
Thanks for reading our fun feline story and have yourself a Furry Nice Day! Journaling Prompt: Of all the Cats featured here, which one do you identify the most with and why? Which lesson (what we can learn from) resonates most with you and why? If you were a cat, what would be your disposition and what would you look like? Describe this in detail in your journal. My Choice: It is, Isn’t It?
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings, a place where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. For this post, I am sharing some new music I’ve released, a song titled, My Choice, along with Lyrics and Reflections on what this song means to me. If you choose to watch the video on YouTube and enjoy, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel, if you haven’t already. And if you have, thank you!
Now on the the music.
First I’ll share the lyrics to the song, MY CHOICE, and then I will share my reflections on how I first perceived its message and how I see it now in my current life experience. MY CHOICE by Dawn Herring What looks good to me May not always be Deception often plays into my mind What I think I should do And where I should go May not always be from the Divine I must choose carefully Knowing it will always be My Choice It’s really up to me How I choose to go I realize I need your Grace To know the choice that reveals your face Help me choose to follow you No matter where I turn I must choose carefully Knowing it will always be My Choice It’s really up to me How I choose to go Repeat Upon the initial writing of this song, my first impression was the possibility of temptation to go down a road that might not be best for me or might not align with my values or might be a distraction from where I really need to put my energy for my greatest well being. It’s easy to get distracted by things that can steer you off course and waste your energy, even if it might look like a good idea at the time. I realize it’s always best to listen to your Higher Self and Spirit when it comes to making choices like these. In the past few months as I’ve played and sang this song to Spirit, it has taken on a more layered meaning for me. And when I discovered what that was, it really gave me food for thought. Sometimes, when we feel like we should do something, even if it feels heavy or off or misaligned, and even influenced by outside sources that are not aligned with our values, or if we feel obligation that is not the best for our well being, it can be easy to assume that we should or ought to do that something even if it upsets us or we feel disrespected by this action we are expected to take. When I came to realize this with some really important subject matter in my life, even coinciding with my father’s recent passing in January of this year, it really had me thinking about how important my life choices are for me, more than ever. I must take care of myself first; self care is essential, especially when I’m in the midst of mourning my father’s loss of form in this world. Gentleness, compassion, love, comfort and slowing down are leading sources of what is needed, and if the choice I make doesn’t give me that kind of energy, then it’s essential and necessary to say no. I must choose carefully knowing it will always be My Choice. And I don’t take that choice lightly. When I make the choices I do, I must come from a place of Love and personal power to move forward with my day full of confidence and assurance that I am taking care of myself as I need to. No questions asked. No second guessing. No matter how tempting it might be to do otherwise. We all have choices to make in life. And we should feel Good about those choices—always. Because it creates the right energy for the Best of Beginnings, which is what I wish for you! Journaling prompt: Are you faced with a difficult decision and you’re not quite sure what to do about it? Detail this decision laying out all the pros and cons for each side of the coin you’re dealing with. Once you have it visible to yourself, ask this question: Is doing this thing taking care of YOU? If so, how? Really choose honesty with your answer. Be careful not to allow outside influences to determine what is right for you as you answer these questions in your journal. Try dialogue with your Higher Self and ask the questions that have been eating at you concerning this decision. Let the dialogue flow and see what naturally comes to mind. Don’t censor or second guess. Feel gratitude for any clarity or insights you experience or recieve as a result. And when you make that decision based on taking care of you, move forward with confidence. Copyright 2023 Music and Illustration by Dawn Herring |
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AuthorDawn Herrings is an Artist, Illustrator, Aspiring Musician, and Avid Journal Keeper. She enjoys spending time writing songs, composing for the piano, playing with all kinds of art media, including colored pencils for illustrating, exploring design and textures, having fun creating spreads in her art journal and writing about her day, her dreams and her vision in her journals. Dawn is also Office Manager and partner in business with her husband, Bill, of 33 years. Archives
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