Hello and Welcome back to Going Gentle! Today I am excited to share some sketches I've done as I decided to take part in Inktober 2024, where you sketch (daily if possible) from a list of subject matter. 

I managed to get a day one sketch of my backpack which you can see below. I worked on this one last evening (10/2/24) after I did my usual journaling practice of narrative and illustration. 

Today I decided to run with the boots subject. I was closer to the boots so they are larger and didn't fit into the page fully. I also determined to record my session on video so you can watch my process. At first I come from the right side, and then I change to the left so you can see better my process as I'm sketching. 

I really enjoyed the process and my delight is for you to be inspired with your own creative projects whatever they may be. 

Enjoy the video and leave a comment about what you're working on right now, whether it's drawing or something else entirely! Let's support each other in community, shall we?

And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we talk about being in the moment, taking it slow and paying attention to detail, all with a gentle approach! 

I'm excited to share with you an In the Studio "moment" When Inspiration Struck Me and I ended up doing something fun and spontaneous just to see "what would happen." In other words, EXPERIMENT! 

I absolutely love it when inspiration strikes, especially when it's spontaneous, in the moment, not over thinking, but just PLAYING, really...do you ever have moments like that? When you least expect it? 

Well, I did have something that got the whole thing started. I was watching Day 1, Session 2 of Sketchbook Revival with Janine Vangool sharing an inventory of art supplies. After a watching for a bit, I decided to bring the recording in to my studio space and use that active inspiration to do something with my current art journal spread...

So I did! And I show you clearly in the video what I experimented with! 
I used several items: 
Packing paper with cutouts
Roller
Black Gouache paint
Scissors
Matte medium for gluing

I show you what I was attempting to do and when I ended up doing instead. And you know what? I took a very gentle approach with the whole process. No expectation, just experimentation and the joy that comes from trying things! Yes!
​
And then I decided to record it in the moment (with messy hair and all!) and share it with you! 

I trust you will be inspired to get going on something that has been waiting in the wings or starting something altogether knew that you've been thinking about...

What did I learn? When Inspiration Strikes, Seize the Moment! Yes! And enjoy the process to the full. 
You deserve to take the time to get creative. You just never know what you'll discover! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Describe in detail the last time you felt Inspiration in the moment and what you did about it. How did the process impact you? Were you encouraged? Happy? Energized? 

I have also included videos from previous segments of this art journal spread I've been working on in case you want to review up until this new one I'm sharing. 

I hope you get seriously inspired and seize the moment...today! 
Remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we focus on what really matters to our heart of hearts! In this post, I am sharing an unconventional sketchbook flip through starting back about 6 years ago (2018?) This sketchbook covers a LOT of ground and with changes in media over time. 

In the video, I share a non linear approach since it involved many projects, from pen and marker illustration to making colored pencil and pastel art for my Podcast, The Way I See It, to doing pen illustration combining cartooning and fashion. It's all in there and I share the visual and talk about each project in depth. 

Some are super special, like family member pencil or marker and pen sketches; others are more for visuals that I used on my website. 

Coming up with visual art for content I was creating was deeply satisfying and fun. 

Some use sketchbooks for urban sketching with buildings and people out in public spaces. Some use it for sketching wildlife and nature. 

In this sketchbook, it was more about illustrating (whether faces or fashion) and some cartooning since those subjects have always been of interest to me. 

I love being able to change up my media to keep things fresh so I don't fall into an artistic rut which can lead to boredom. I am blessed to have various tools of the trade in my studio practice, which, of course, has taken years to acquire and use with skill. 

I dove into drawing with pencil as a child and dabbled with pen and ink later in my youth, so there's that history I have experienced over time. 

I still love trying out new tools and learning how they work best for the effects I am looking to create, that are the most visually appealing and satisfying to my eye. To me, that's all that matters. If I'm happy, then I know I'm on the right track. 

Oh, and FUN. I say that word frequently as I share different projects from my sketchbook in the video. 
I'm always looking and enquiring about how I can inject fun in to my sketchbook, whether this one where I'm showing drawings and illustrations or the sketchbook I use for my daily journaling, where I use hand lettering to illustrate what I did in my day as well as my wardrobe pieces, which you can see on my fashion page here. 

If you desire to start a sketchbook, don't worry about what others are doing and compare what you're doing. Of course there is a place to be Inspired by other artists (I follow many!) but I always come back to what makes me happy. Faces, fashion, and hand lettering. Always go with subject matter that you are drawn to, no matter what it is. And look for inspiration in varying places. Not just online. But what's right in front of you. 

Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Follow your artistic heart! 
And let me know if you keep a sketchbook practice for any reason; I'd love to hear about it in the comments! 
​Do enjoy the video of my sketchbook flip through and remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we find ways to get more present and make life easier for ourselves! For this post, I am sharing with you a video I've titled A Scarf Extravaganza, where I share my in-real-time process of sorting and organizing my growing collection of scarves. 

If you know me, or if you have watched any of my fashion styling videos, you will see that I wear scarves pretty much every day. They have become an essential part of my wardrobe. I'm sorta, kinda obsessed with them. Ha! I always find myself scouting about looking for new colors, designs and fun fashionable looks with scarves whether from retails stores (often on clearance!) to estate sales and even antique shops! You just never know when I'll come up with one that simply suits my aesthetic and is a color I've been searching for for a while! Yes! 

In recent months, I've found myself struggling to keep it all organized. I came upon some great options for creating more ease with my colorful collection and decided it was time to sort and organize what I've got. 

So I decided to film the whole process (it took about 30 mins from start to finish) and share it with you; perhaps it will inspire you with getting your own collections of accessories in better shape if it's been a while since you've done so. 

At this writing, we are heading into autumn, but this can work any time of the year! So if you're interested in watching my behind-the-scenes scarf extravaganza, I'd love for you to join me. Even organizing can be FUN when it's all about FASHIION, Right?? 

My process was to start sorting by type, not necessarily by weight. And it seemed to move rather logically as I worked through the process, And then deciding where each scarf would go was the fun part too! 

Would you like to see where we started and where we ended up? Well, watch the video and see what it's all about! I'm having so much fun sharing my FASHION experiences with you! And if you're a scarf fan, leave a comment below! Let me know which scarf I show is your favorite or one from your own wardrobe. Yes, one of the perks of watching the video is you get to see most if not all of the scarves in my collection, from animal print to florals, to plaids and beyond! Yay! 

So without further ado, Enjoy watching A Scarf Extravaganza! See you on the other side (wearing a scarf, of course)! 

And Remember to have FUN WITH FASHION! 

Hello friends and welcome back to Going Gentle, a place where we celebrate the ways that we tune in to what helps us slow down, get in the moment and appreciate what brings great satisfaction. In this post, I am sharing with you some new MUSIC, which I am super excited about! Music is such an integral part of who I am as an artist, song writer and composer of melody given to me through my spiritual practice. 

Here’s a bit of context: when I have my spiritual practice, I mix prayer, meditation, study and song writing, and I record those melodies for future reference. So a few months ago, I went back to those recordings and found one I wrote in September of 2023 called The Magic. ​

I love the word Magic since it encompasses so many aspects of life, from creative expression to listening to your heart, hearing from your Higher Self, and seeing that Magic is the Divine Spark in each of us. 

Making this melody really opened my eyes to recognizing where the Magic resides, such as in the twinkle is someone’s eye as they look on you with love, or the creative hand that makes magic happen through many avenues that make a difference and bring satisfaction. 

The more I pay attention to where I see and experience Magic as the Divine Spark, the more I see and feel it rise up in my heart and flow out to others and it flows back to me. It’s a wonderful circle I want to live in all the time!  Don’t you? 

I have offered the lyrics to The Magic​ below so when you watch/listen to the music, you can follow/sing along if you like! 

The Magic
Written & Composed by Dawn Herring

The Magic in Your Eyes
Always takes me by surprise
It twinkles and it shows
the Love I’ve come to know

The Magic in Your Hands
That moves at your command
Bringing Goodness my way
I am grateful today

Chorus:
Magic in Your Eyes
Magic in Your Hands
I see your love arise
The sweetness is Alive
Magic in Your Heart
Magic You impart
Bringing Joy and Gladness to my heart

Vs 2
The Magic in Your Heart
Never Departs
Always Ready to Show
And My heart knows

The Magic You impart
Is a Gift from the start
Ready to Deliver 
​Right now

Bridge:
I feel it right now
It amazes me
Filling me up
Consistently
I love the magic in my way
That you gift to me
Thank you for the magic that you give

You’re the Joy and Gladness in my heart

I’ve included in the video some footage of some very important people who bring me JOY and Gladness…in my Grandma Heart! (Yes, that includes my new grandson born on the 4th of July…so I get to share my birthday with him!) Also included are clips of my sketching the eye of each of my grandsons using 6B pencil, which is like Magic for me as an artist! (The eyes are the window to the soul, as they say!) 

Please enjoy the music from my heart to yours. 

May the Magic of the Divine Spark touch your heart today! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Where have you see/noticed the Magic of the Divine Spark in yourself? In someone else? What did it feel like? Look Like? Describe it in detail. What emotion did you feel as you experienced it? What activity that you enjoy most brings out that Gentle Divine Spark in you? 

Remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Welcome back to Going Gentle! In today's post, I'm sharing an In The Studio video where I feature the many tools of my art trade as I work through subsequent layers of the making of an art journal spread with collage, gesso, and mark making. 

I love the whole intuitive process of creating an art journal spread, and this particular spread has been many months in the making. With a combination of collage elements (paper and fabric), plus stamping, and mark making with various tools, it continues to give me a satisfying place to express my emotions and build a history of how I'm feeling each time I come to it. 

I'm never in a hurry or wonder why it's taking me so long to complete. It's not about the final "product", so to speak; it's all about listening. To my heart, to my soul, to those intuitive nudges, to the colors and textures I'm drawn to use and make. 

In the video, I share specific tools from my art studio stash that come in handy with the visual interest I am building with my current spread. As you watch, it is my delight for you to be inspired to follow your own heart with your creative expression no matter what media you choose! Enjoy and you're welcome to share below in the comments about what tool you liked the most and how I used it in my art journal spread. 

My goal and aim with art journaling is not to be rushed but to Go Gently and intuitively, honoring my heart's message and what it has to say. I want to be always listening. 

I wish you the same. 
​And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Welcome back to Going Gentle, where we talk about every day strategies to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the decision making process and you're just not sure which way to go with something? We've all been there, right? But how frequently does this happen? Every day? 

It can help to have reliable strategies to help ourselves get UNSTUCK while in the process of deciding what to do in any given situation. 

For more complex issues, it can help to compare the Pros with the Cons. Writing down the details of what you are deciding and making it visual can sometimes make all the difference. (I talk about this more in the video.)

One of the issues and keys to making an informed decision is to GET Clarity on the issue you're addressing. 
Sometimes writing down and/or keeping track of your decisions and why you made them and then looking back on how it turned out can turn out to be a learning process so you can get more strategic next time! 

I talk about other ways to make decision making easier in the video, so you're welcome to check it out! 

Nothing is more challenging than feeling STUCK, because we want to get UNstuck ASAP but we're often uncertain as to how. 
It can help to trust ourselves more by looking back on where we went right with decisions in the past; so take the time to reflect! It might just give you the clue you're looking for! 

Journaling Prompt: 
What was your most recent success with making a decision. Detail the ins and outs of the context, any relationship impacted, and why it went right. 

Now contrast that with a decision that went inevitably wrong and where you got derailed in the process of that decision. What didn't you see coming? What did you learn from that decision so you can avoid that same trajectory next time? 
Don't beat yourself up when your decision doesn't work out. Just Learn and Live! 
​And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Welcome back to Going Gentle and my new Surprise! Series, where I have fun sharing something that inspires, comforts or makes me laugh! I'm loving sharing memories associated with some of my Surprises and this surprise will be no different. This one is a fun Surprise that you could associate with friendliness. 

Allow me to introduce the Surprise for this week. Ready? 
OK, you know how they always say that a dog is man's best friend? Well, I don't know if I would say that I'm necessarily a "dog person," but I did grow up with a dog named Taffy who we had for many years, who was a cocker spaniel/poodle mix--a cocka-poo. Then there was the dog my husband Bill and I had; I named her Shannon and she was a pure bred Golden Retriever. Sweet and loving. 

BUT there was a type of dog that I absolutely ADORED starting in my childhood, and that was the Miniature Schnauzer. Every time I would encountered one of these adorable dogs in my path, I just wanted to scoop it up and take it home with me. SUPER FRIENDLY. ALWAYS EXCITED TO MEET ME. 

Well, since MOM knew how much I adored these dogs, she decided to make me one! As a Surprise of course! It was a Christmas gift when I was in my teen years (mid-1980's to date myself.) 

Mom used to go a ceramics class in someone's home basement and pick out different things to make for gifts. And this Schnauzer dog has stood the test of time! Decades of time! I call him my little mascot in my office. 

I keep my friendly ceramic pup in my office where I manage Bill's Quality Electric, LLC doings. He sits between my filing cabinet and my desk for safe keeping. I put him on my desk for the image on the right so you could have a good look from the other side. Yes, Mom put a actual dog collar on him, which just adds to the cuteness! 

So this representation of a mini Schnauzer is actual size, at least that's what Mom told me when she gave it to me. I thought that was just delightful, to have my own ceramic pup in my space. He makes me smile. I love his stance with him looking off to the right as if something has his attention. Mom did such a great job with the painting of the details. 

I appreciated her creative bend and her desire to give me something that really meant a lot: honoring my love of mini Schnauzer dogs. I especially love their adorable faces, especially when they have a really nice hair cut! Isn't he cute? 

Do you have a ceramic based animal that you were given as a gift? Is it based on something you really love? You're welcome to share below! I'd love to hear about it! 

I do hope you enjoyed my Surprise this week and I wish you a delightful day full of fun surprises! 
Remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we share every day strategies to decrease our stress and increase our peace! And this week, we're talking about COMPARISON and how it can create unnecessary stress in your life and what you can do instead! 

In the video I share about how falling into comparison that undermine your confidence, leaving you feeling inadequate. That is not a fun place to be, is it? 

It is easy to look around at what others are doing, perceiving that they have it all together, while you feel like you're just not measuring up. 

Well, I propose a radical idea of Just Being Yourself, no holds bar! Unapologetic. Being YOU means all the parts of you, even your quirks! Or maybe especially your quirks? (I'm all for quirks; that is part of what makes us unique!) 

So, when was the last time you took a good look within at Who You Are, what your skill sets are, what your POV is? Your thoughts, ideas, strategies, problem solving skills, what you know that no one else knows? 

If it's been a while, perhaps it's time! Celebrate Yourself with no apology. 

Wear those crazy clothes if that makes you happy. Dance like no one is watching. Make that art you're been itching to make. Write that song and sing! Go for your dreams. 

But Do not fall for comparison. It will only steal your joy. So. Not. Worth. It. 
Just BE YOU. You're the only one who can be YOU. And if you don't, we'll be missing out! 
And we don't want that to happen, do we? 

Journaling Prompt: 
When was the last time you compared yourself to someone else? What was it about that person that got your attention? Detail that in your entry. 
Now look within at your skill set, what sets you apart. What are you naturally good at? Detail that in your entry. 

Is there any overlap? Is there something about your own POV that feels familiar to what you're seeing in that other person. What we see in others is often a reflection of our own hearts. Celebate who you are today! 
​And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle and my Surprise Series that I am having so much fun sharing with you! I feature something that either comforts, inspires or makes me laugh, bringing some lighthearted energy into our day! I just love that! You do too? Great! Let's get started on this week's Surprise! Ready? 

So, this week's surprise has a very JOYFUL and inspiring connotation for me and I'll explain why. 
First, it is a gift I received from my dearest friend, Carrie Aulenbacher. She SURPRISED me with it for Christmas this past year (2023)! I had No Idea it was coming. And when I saw it, I was Deeply Touched. It is a necklace that features two girls on a swing under a tree. Oh my goodness, I just LOVED it. For so many reasons. 

The second reason it is JOYFUL for me is it reminds me of my friendship with Carrie, who is kind and caring, insightful and humorous, and she supports me in all facets of my life! Thank you, Caring Carrie! 

The third reason it is JOYFUL for me is because it brings back delightful memories of my swinging on swings as a child, both in my own back yard and in one of my favorite places I enjoyed in the summer called Terrace Lake. The freedom and joy experienced on the swing as a child is so sweet and fun to recall, so this necklace inspires me to recollect those time with JOY. 

The fourth reason it is JOYFUL for me is because it reminds me of a local outdoor billboard that has an image of a little girl on a swing and it says, Live Life JOYfully! Every time I see the billboard, it reminds me of this necklace and dearest Carrie who gave it to me, and the joyful feeling of being on a swing. 

So, this beautiful necklace that brings me such joy has a very special place where I keep it, so it is visible every time I put on my jewelry. (of course I wear it as well!) It is on a mini dress form that I keep on my dresser, right next to my jewelry box where my some of my jewelry collection is located. I love the context of the collage style design on the dress form juxtaposed with the JOYful necklace that sits atop it. 

So that is my SURPRISE for you today! Do you happen to have a piece of jewelry that was gifted to you by a dear friend that brings you joy? You're welcome to share it below. I'd love to celebrate with you! 

I wish you a fun surprising day full of things that are meaningful to you. 
Remember that Gentle is Magic!