I had the pure pleasure of reading Gretchen Rubin's latest book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. I found this book to be informative, thought provoking and humorous.
I love Gretchen's voice, her style and her sharing of her thoughts and examples from her own life as well as from other family members, friends and fans of her blog and other books. Her whole process of determining to write about habits and how they are connected to happiness as well as the questions she had and the conclusions she came to are simply fascinating. It showed her brilliance as a researcher, writer, and expert in the areas of happiness and how what we do daily affects our lives for the better--or for the worse. She gives a structured framework starting with our Tendencies, which include Upholders, Obligers, Questioners and Rebels and then proceeds to talk strategy and how each one would work for those tendencies, giving lots of informative and relevant examples, and many of them humorous, especially from her own life. I had so much FUN reading this book; you might expect a book about habits to be a bit dry or just full of boring statistics, but I already knew how much I loved Gretchen's previous books, Happier at Home and The Happiness Project, so I wasn't disappointed with this read at all. She takes the understanding of habits and how they are formed and how we can take better control of making or breaking habits based on our Tendencies and following the strategies that really work with our temperaments and preferences. This approach makes the whole process easier and even fun, which you wouldn't think possible, especially when it comes to those tougher habits we find hard to break or those Life Practices we really want to Instill but don't know how to. One of the many benefits of reading Better Than Before was not only for my own habit formations and recognizing the strategies I've used that she offers, but it also helped me recognize the habits and tendencies of others, especially in my own family, which actually helped me appreciate them more for Who They Are and understand what works and doesn't work for them. This prompted me to make some changes in my interactions with them, which promoted positive change on my end! I'm always looking for great reads that enhance my well being, that are meaningful to me on many levels, and that help me stay Aligned with Who I Am, and Gretchen's book, Better Than Before, does this in such a way that I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for some fresh strategies to get those bad habits undone and instill some new, enhancing life practices that can actually change your life for the better. Copyright 2015 by Dawn Herring Copyright 2015 Header by Dawn Herring
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I find art journaling to be a process..a good process, of course! I'm always interested in what I learn as I create and listen. This particular spread was one of those where I had something in mind; and you know what's funny? Every time I approach my art journal with something in mind, I often find that I struggle with it. I mean, art journals are a GREAT place to Experiment and I love experimenting! But experimenting always comes with challenges, since experiments often mean, you've never done this before, right? So for this experiment, I had Boxes in mind. Over the 4 1/2 years that I've kept an art journal, I have run across many examples of boxes in an art journal spread. Some of them have featured boxes across the entire page, each with something original to fill it. And this is sort of what I had in mind. But what came out is not quite what I envisioned, but isn't that typical, right? What we see in our mind's eye is not often what we actually get. And That's OKAY. But one thing I learned through this box making business is..you can work with what you've got. So I started out with 4 boxes on the left side of the spread and the other side I considered one big box with borders on the time and bottom. I used stencils to create the borders, in blue, green, orange and red. As soon as I put down the stencils and had the borders, I didn't like it. Oh, it's colorful, but it simply felt TOO Boxy for me, like I should've made the boxes around whatever I put on the page instead of creating boxes first. I think that's what threw me. I knew right away I'd have to go "outside the box" for me to feel satisfied with this spread, and that's exactly what I did! I decided to cut out circles of all kinds (using some magazine collage pieces) and added some textured circles made from home-made Modeling paste (baking soda mixed with gesso) which represented Moments of Time for me. What was really fun for me what cutting out Tall long letters from colored construction paper for spell out the words The, Time and Truth. I didn't use a stencil for these letters. I just cut them free hand from scraps I had stored. I also enjoyed embellishing the letters with white Uniball gel pen. I used alpha stamps for the other words using watercolor paint. I used a watch stamp several times and a eye exam letter stamp for visual interest, and I added a dotted line between all the circles to tie them together as one big time connection. I realized that as time passes, we often discover what the truth is about our life experience. Illusions fall away when you really look at what IS rather than what might have been or what we thought we would have. So the message for me with this was that the passage of time reveals truth, and what we DO with that truth can make all the difference in creating the most authentic path possible to Honor Who We Are and Our Purpose.
Journaling Prompt: When you look back in time, even if it's just a few months back, what truth comes to your understanding? Do you recognize any illusions that you realize are not true about what you have experienced? See this as a positive a-ha moment and determine any positive change that might result from this realization. *Remember to be gentle with yourself when dealing with truth vs. illusion. It does take courage to create positive change.* Art Journal Prompt: Whatever Moment of Truth you've experienced, use that truth to create the most honoring art journal post you can. Your process should include at least one of your favorite art journal techniques, if not more. Sometimes when we do what we love, it makes recognizing that truth a bit easier. And Empowering! Copyright 2015 By Dawn Herring Copyright 2015 Art Journal Images by Dawn Herring I love going for walks in my neighborhood. Although, right now, it is the middle of summer (in Texas), so I do try to get out earlier so I'm not dealing too much with the summer heat. BUT my walks are very important to me for several reasons. For one, it IS exercise! Yay! I enjoy being active, even if it's just a short time to get my legs moving. I also know it's important to get out into nature; it's a refreshment that I know I truly enjoy. But one of the most recent reasons I've wanted to go on my walk is to practice Staying Present. When I first started walking in this neighborhood (which was just last year after a major move), I was so taken with the tree-lined streets, that I was fully absorbed whenever I would go out. And any nature-based action was just icing on the cake. Such as listening to and recording my local mocking birds with their delightful song, sometimes several of them going at the same time! I would also be taken with the appearance of any mocking birds, whether directly on homes, on fences, on mailboxes or anywhere else they might be perched. Plus squirrels would often end up in the mix, especially when one would check me out and pose for pictures! Yes, all of these fun nature friends would keep me occupied while getting my footsteps in. But in the past couple of weeks, I have noticed myself getting lost in thought, staying in my head, instead of being fully present with what was going on around me. So I decided to really pay attention to why I might be getting distracted from my surroundings. I suppose I could just be getting used to where I go, so I'm not paying as much attention.
I often find myself thinking too hard about whatever project I might be working on, or maybe a conversation I had with someone, or what my next blog post would be about! Ha! (In other words, I'm sometimes thinking about YOU, Dear Reader!) What is one to do about Staying Present? I'm making it a point to notice when I drift off into my head and Get back to center after I've clarified whatever point I was trying to make or problem I was trying to solve and move on to my surroundings once more. I think it's all about awareness. Most of us don't even realize when we are lost in thought or when we're not really paying attention to what's going on around us. It's as if we're on auto-pilot. Not exactly fun and certainly not Present! It also helps to Look Up...into the trees, listening for bird song and being very deliberate about where I put my attention. I also sometimes think about my feet and the process of walking itself (something else we usually do on auto-pilot). Where we focus can make all the difference in helping us Stay Present. Journaling Prompt: Describe the last activity you did on auto-pilot. How did you feel about that task afterwards? Now describe the last activity you did when you were fully present? What do you remember about what you did and how you felt as you engaged in this activity? Would you do it again? Did you find it more enjoyable than the task you did on auto-pilot? Why do you think you focused more on the latter activity as opposed to the first activity? How best do you Stay Present? Art Journaling Prompt: What color is helping you stay present right now? Use it in an art journal spread and listen to what that color says to you. What image is helping you stay present right now? Use that image as a focal point in this art journal spread and determine what that image is saying to you right now. Use that message and either cut out letters to spell it out or stamp with with alpha stamps. Or doodle it with markers and pens. You can also use the words, Stay Present or Staying Present, and use that as your focal point. Stay Focused and Pay Close Attention to what helps you Stay Present. And Honor it in your life in whatever way keeps you centered and aligned with Who You Are. @Copyright 2015 By Dawn Herring @Copyright 2015 Photo Images By Dawn Herring @Copyright 2015 Doodle Header Image by Dawn Herring I think Experiment is one of my favorite Art-Related words. Experimentation implies trying something new, or perhaps adding a fresh approach to something you've already done. My art lends to experimentation, whether I'm Playing in my Art Journal, starting a new watercolor painting or trying my hand at mixed media on canvas, all of which I am doing now! Yikes. You might wonder why I say Yikes in regards to my venues. Let me explain. Back in 2014, when I was in the midst of a residential move, I decided that once I settled into my new home, I was going to make space for another venue in addition to my art journal and my watercolor painting. I know. Like I'm not busy creating enough already, right? Well, I've kept an art journal for 4 1/2 years now, and am still loving it. Wouldn't change a thing on that end. But I was still intrigued with the idea of applying the same principles I've learned in my play time with my art journal to a canvas. I had already worked with canvas with watercolor, so I wanted to see what it would be like to add more than one medium to that substrate. And I had several ideas to work with already. (I always have more ideas than I know what to do with.) So I determined that I would make extra space in my new art studio space for mixed media work. I was going to have FUN with this! First I had to determine what kind of desk or table I would use and eventually settled on my previously used computer cart (which I was no longer using for my computer since I now had a separate desk for that), which has wheels on it, so I could move it if necessary...I like the idea of portability when you need it. So once I settled on that, I knew I would need to make the additional space for it. And there was another piece of furniture that needed to be moved. So for a while, once I put it in there, I felt very cramped. And cramped is not a good feeling. (Once that piece of furniture was removed, it felt better.) Then I decided to get myself an additional french easel for my studio space so I could paint either in the bedroom (where my other one resides) or I could paint in my larger studio. (Hubby actually suggested that!) So I got another one. Now I have three separate spaces in my studio to create with: one for my art journal, one for my mixed media work and one for fine art watercolor painting. So you'd think I would just jump right in with them all and get to playing, right? Um. Well, not right away. I was currently working on "Forge," which is now posted on my art gallery, I had an art journal spread started and waiting for my return. I started that mixed media canvas and kept running into blocks with it since I wanted to be sure to use only high quality products for my work and some stuff I wanted I had yet to acquire, yadda, yadda, yadda. With all that said, I let my art journal languish for about three weeks. Yes. Three Weeks. Oh, I would piddle with it once in a while but found I didn't have the energy to pursue it since I was so focused on "Forge." So here I was, I had met my goal of having all three projects going at once. You know, so I could work on whatever I felt like working on when I wanted to. But, honestly, I felt blocked. Even burdened. Burdened?? Yes. Like I was carrying too much. And I was losing the playful, intuitive energy that I so loved and wanted as a creative person. You see, I really wanted to know what it felt like to be so productive as an artist; not that I didn't really want to try all these things, because I did and still do. But I needed to pace myself more so than ever; there are only so many hours and minutes in my day. So I must learn to be more gentle with myself and truly only do as much as I want to and not try to set expectations for myself that aren't necessary. (And we all have that tendency at one point or another, don't we?)
I don't want my art to start to feel too much like WORK in all caps. Oh, I know creating takes energy and time and sometimes it is work, especially when you want it to look just right and you make a perceived error or something doesn't work out the way you want it to, etc. But I want my ART to always be a place where I can feel free to listen, to play, to intuit and to Honor Myself as artist as much as possible. And Not Allow Resistance to Have Sway over my Creative Life. And So It IS. And I AM Blessed. Art Journal/Journaling Prompt: Do you ever feel blocked as an artist once you have a met a goal you've kept for yourself in order to grow creatively? Detail this experience in your journal, describing where you were at the time you determined this goal and where you were when you met that goal. Did it meet your expectations? Were you surprised by how you felt? How did it affect your creative process? Did it stay the same, feel amazing or burdensome? If it felt heavy to you, what did you do to get yourself to a better place of balance? Affirm your place of creativity visually in your art journal. Draw a picture of your space or cut out pics that remind you of your place of creatvity. Write affirmations and use images to show what you love about your creative space and any goals you're met and are happy about. Also, dream about what your next step will be; detail in your written journal and create a visual to honor your goal. Remember to Honor Your Preferences, Your Personality and Purpose in your Creative Expression and give yourself breathing room when necessary. And also remember, it's all in the experiment! Copyright 2015 Dawn Herring Have I told you how much Fun art journaling is? But it's not just fun. It's insightful. It's a place to give full expression to your heart, your emotions and your thoughts about life. And you can get a specific and as general as you wish. I find art journaling to be a powerful subconscious tool since it can combine many elements together, such a color, texture, image, words, and layering of things that can be meaningful in ways that go deeper. I like it when I go deep. Although it can be a challenge to assimilate what I learn since the deeper you go, the more insightful it gets. When you receive insight about yourself, you may recognize areas you need to change, And we all know that change isn't easy. But it's necessary if we are to grow into Who We Are every day, right? So, art journaling is, for me, a great way to understand and know myself in such a way as to create authentic positive change. For this spread, I started with a stencil. I recently purchased alpha and numeric stencils to use in my art journaling, and lately I've been experimenting (love to experiment!) with sprays. I've been putting pigment in water in a little spray bottle to see how well it works and how dark a color I can get with it. That's still a work in progress. This time I used liquid ink in an red/orange color with water and sprayed it twice (drying in between) over a numeric stencil. It didn't come out as dark as I would have liked but it was visible even though washy. This was also a spread I made stencils for. (Making stencils was one of my goals this year as an art journal keeper and artist in general.) I made a leaf stencil and one with squares, both of which I used in this spread as you can see even more clearly in the images below. (I also added a yellow watercolor.) I like the way the leaf stencil came out. I used a cosmetic sponge to apply the watercolor paint. I just have to watch I don't use too much water otherwise it gets under the stencil. It really is all in the experimenting! I learn as a go, and I have fun at the same time. (That's my mantra in art journaling, isn't it? ;)) Once I had my stencils work in place, I noted that the squares reminded me of building blocks. So I decided to add the words, Building Blocks, using colored construction paper as background and I would stamp each one with a letter. I had to determine where the blocks would go. There are so many variables based on what's on the page already as well as what looks right. Once I settled on the 'where' of it, I adhered them with matte medium, and then stamped the letters. Once I had that completed, I felt like the yellow was a bit "loud," so I decided to tone it down a bit with red watercolor paint applied with a sponge and then later, outlined with a paintbrush. I also decided to add more building blocks to the page by cutting out squares of paper, laying them out in such a manner as to resemble bricks, which I later outlined in white and red on yellow. Once I had that completed, I begin to think more deeply about the Building Blocks of life. Not only do our homes get built with a strong foundation, but our inner lives have one as well. But what are those building blocks made of?
Joy and Happiness are wonderful building blocks created from lovely life experiences we have. But what about those life challenges that throw us off our center or make us look more carefully at our choices? Ah yes, those! They have so much to teach us, don't they? What triggered that initial reaction or action on our parts? What can that tell us about ourselves? I'm always one to dig deeper in my journal when I ask myself such questions so I can learn what I can to make that all-essential positive change. Know what NOT to do next time and what TO DO for my health and well being. So as I asked this question, I decided to add 'Life Challenges" to my spread, using a stencil for the lettering, which I applied with watercolor and outlined with white gel pen. As I thought more deeply, I realized that Life Challenges are Building Blocks to....Alignment! (Which I added also with stencil.) Yes. When we recognize the positive change needed and take action to do what is necessary to implement that positive change, we get REALIGNED with Who We Are. (I was actually excited to share that with you since I know how powerful it was for me.) I am all for realigning with Who I Am, since I know when I am thrown out of alignment from life challenges, it doesn't feel very good. No. And who wants to stay there anyway? Not a very healthy place to be. My journal and art journal are both places that help me stay aligned and help me re-align when needed. Art Journal/Journal Prompt: Are you facing a life challenge that has thrown you off your center? Have you been blindsided by something unexpected and are smarting because of it? Explain in detail this challenge in your written journal, including what triggered the challenge, how you reacted to the challenge, and what made you realize it threw you off your center. What did you do or still need to do to get realigned? What positive change do you need to make as a result of this life challenge? In your art journal, use the color that most represents this challenge for you and apply in a way that Honors your emotion and your feelings right where you are. Pull text from magazines or simply write words that express those feelings best visually. You can also use an image that best represents what this challenge is telling you about yourself. You can also write a poem that Honors the Positive Change you are implementing as a result of this life challenge you have experienced. Validating and Honoring your emotions and Who You Are in a Life Challenge is essential to help you go deeper in understanding how your life works for you and what you can do to make it the best quality of life you can. Remember that those Life challenges can be the Building Blocks to the Life You really want. Don't be afraid to go for what Aligns you with Who You Are from the inside out. Copyright 2015 Dawn Herring Copyright 2015 Images by Dawn Herring Collection The Great Divide. I find it fascinating what comes to mind when I'm determining the Title of any art journal spread I create. I think titling a piece is a matter of resonation, association, or what something reminds you of. I often get titles as I'm working or even as I'm just starting, depending on what's on my mind. For this one, I titled it almost at the end. I started my process by priming the pages with gesso, then pulling collage fodder from my stash. I don't always use everything I pull out, but if it catches my eye, I put it aside just in case I want to use it. I might have had 6 or 7 different things and only use 3 or 4. The color, texture, or image will often have direct influence on whether I use it or not. Once I had all my elements laid out to my left, I started tearing what I liked the most and laying out different pieces in different spots. Sometimes I have to move stuff around or go vertical instead of horizontal. It really is about what suits my eye and what feels right to me. With this particular spread, I was working with an element of ocean and laying it next to what appeared to be a metal sheet with small holes in it, thus a rigid image. So water flowing versus a fixed metal sheet. As I tore these elements and lay them side by side, I was quite surprised by the visual and even visceral difference between the two. It was as if I was dealing with a visual dichotomy (as you can see in the second image on the right side as well as below.) That experience with the collage got me thinking about the difference between flow and resistance. We may notice life's natural ebb and flow. Where we experience things come together and then the resistance comes to meet us in our path. And we may feel stymied by that resistance. Thus creating a Great Divide between where we are and where we want to be.
We may feel a Great Chasm has been created by this resistance and feel frustrated as a result. But in reality, there is no chasm. Because everything is linked; there is no separation. Only oneness. Yes, we still feel the resistance and wonder where to go from here. But the best thing we can do is let go and have no expectation. It is often then that we can experience peace and then life begins to flow once again. I know when I want to resist something, it just becomes a greater challenge than it needs to be. It's all about being at peace with what is. I know, easier said than done, right? With this particular spread, I decided to try something NEW. Oh yes, experimentation! I recently purchased a small spray bottle while I was at Albertson's the other day. I wanted to use it with watercolor and see what effects I could create in my art journal. So I mixed some purple and blue from my Prang watercolor set and added some water. It took some doing to get it going but once it did, I managed to cover the whole spread with it. But then it stopped working. I was experiencing the very resistance I was debating about. I will, of course, try using it again, perhaps with more water and see if that helps it flow better. (I also recalled my liquid inks that I haven't used in a while since I originally purchased them to use with my pen (pen and ink) but they didn't flow well enough for my nib, thus they lay dormant; so I think I may try them with the spray bottle for my art journal.) As you can see in the images above, my watercolor spray did work! It created enough color, texture and visual interest to satisfy me. And even unify what can feel like miles apart when in fact they are closer than we realize. Art Journal/Journaling prompt: Are you experiencing a chasm or Great Divide in your life? Are you in a place that feels miles apart from where you want to be? Describe where you are and where you want to be in your journal. Then compare the two places and see what similarities there are between them. You may want to try doing a mind map with this one too and see if any similar words show up. For your art journal, honor where you are visually and where you want to be. Use color to express your heart. Then determine where things actually line up, both visually and in your life and see what next step you can take and also how you can feel at peace with what is. I also added some oil pastel around the collage elements, some bubble wrap texture and some watercolor square detail in various sizes using a new stencil I recently purchased at Michael's. The details also matter; in fact, sometimes the details make a situation, especially when we have grown discontent. I find myself loving detail more all the time as an artist. It just enhances the big picture, making life more beautiful overall. And then we feel the unity more than what feels like distance in our hearts. Copyright 2015 Dawn Herring I love finding sources of artistic inspiration wherever I happen to be. I can never know what will inspire me, whether it's a design on a pillow or texture in the woods... I recently went on an adventure in a local park with my hubby. It was spontaneous really, but I also felt it would be the perfect fulfillment of an adventure assignment I wanted to take on with Jani Franck's ecourse, Unearth Your Creative Nature, which was to go on an adventure and see how it changes you. So, my time in the woods with hubby became just that; I had a wonderful time, with camera in hand, ready to capture anything I was drawn to. One of the first things I noticed was the TEXTURES of the woods. I absolutely LOVE texture, whether I'm creating it on the page in my art journal, or creating textured detail with my paintbrush using my beloved watercolor. So when I saw all this delightful texture all around me, I was determined to capture it in image and hope to use it in my artwork, whether overtly or subtly. I love the spindly look of these first two images, with the thin, pointy type of foliage on the branches of trees and bushes. I love the contrast also of this with the mottled, shadowy background to the right. I also thought the spindly look of these branches created an interesting contrast against the green-leaved back drop as well as the shadows cast on the ground. The contrasts of textures and backdrops fascinated me; it showed me the diversity of nature, which makes for a very creative-inspired landscape. It taught me that it's how we stand out that makes us unique. The image below right I think is one of my favorites; what an interesting texture and color with was look like swirls of bark on this tree; it reminds me of the swirls on a layered blouse of sorts. It was even more inspiring in person! I think I especially appreciate the contrast of this bark against the browns and greens of the foliage and branches surrounding it that really caused this tree to stand out to me. The tree bark in the next photo below left is even a contrast to the one at right; it's a bit more typical of what I see on a tree trunk and yet I was still drawn to its textures and the green and gray sources growing on its surface. We can be happy with exactly how we look, even if it's not typical to others in our environment. After I took these photos of tree trunks in all their delightful textures, contrasts and contexts, I saw a left over stump from a tree close to my feet. I had to really squat down close up to get this shot. I liked the randomness of the twigs surrounding it and the naturalness of what was past versus what is present and potential for change. Even when we see a situation that looks like nothing good can come from it, just a stump of what's left over from a painful experience, if we're patient, honest with ourselves and stay aligned with Who We Are, we are bound to find truth and beauty in ways and places unexpected. We just have to be open to look for them. Then we'll see the sun, glorious upon our surroundings and in our hearts, bringing hope and healing to the broken places. Restoration to what was lost. Let your heart sing now and it will come to pass. Copyright 2014 by Dawn Herring When we pay close attention to our inner wisdom and intuition, especially during a time when we are making decisions in our lives, we will find provision in unexpected ways. You will gain and not lose. And what you let go of will be a release, not a struggle. When you go with the flow, you will see it in action and benefit more broadly and widely than you have before. Take action you know to take. Don't hesitate. Don't doubt. Follow that path and keep going, refreshing yourself always.
It can be that when we do what we know and are diligent to follow through on what inner wisdom and intuition has shown us, we will receive reassuring signs along the way-many that will surprise and encourage, and also be powerful food for thought and confirmation that we're headed in the right direction.
We are naturally faced with discouraging resistance when we move forward into our destiny. These changes are challenging but necessary. But we mustn't give up. Instead, set our face like a flint and be determined to stay the course-being present and empowered. The other day I was sitting in the front passenger seat of our car waiting to run some errands when an unassuming Texas-sized grasshopper landed on the front windshield all the way on the right side right in front of my view.
I was surprised by his appearance and said hello to him. I checked out his features, the stripes on his skinny, folded legs, his short green antennae, and the way his feet stuck solidly to the car's surface. This was not exactly a grass-oriented place to be for such a creature. Soon, we began to pull out of the driveway. I did wonder, even aloud, if he would promptly fall off and disappear from the car as we headed down the street. I kept watching him to see what he would do. Well, he hung on for dear life! With the wind blowing his short antennae (yes, I laughed at such a sight), his feet still pretty firmly planted on the car's windshield, he remained, slightly askew as we headed to a 50 mph street ahead. For sure, I thought, he'll be gone. He STILL HUNG ON even on that road for about a minute! I was really surprised he hung in there for so long. I was impressed with his tenacity and strength under such wind conditions. Then He Was Gone. Just like that. Then I missed him. I was thinking, what a fascinating creature to have run into on an ordinary weekend day. But he turned it extraordinary as I thought of his endurance while being out of his element. I did wonder, why did he hang on so long? Was he fascinated by his surroundings? Confused? Curious? I have no idea. But it got me to thinking (you know how that is, right?) what it might be like for us humans to be out of our element, out of our comfort zone. When we meet with the unexpected, how do we respond? In fear? Curiosity? With adventure? I'm all for spontaneity. Sometimes activities I do either by myself or with family that I've never done before or encountered recently can be fun and adventurous since I never know what great thing I'll run into. But what about something that may feel a little uncomfortable? Use your imagination with this one. Perhaps you're afraid of heights and you end up on an elevator with glass doors. (The grasshopper was way high up off of his grassy homeland.) Or you're feeling a bit shaky in your shoes as you head to the podium to give your first speech. (I think the grasshopper wasn't used to that slippery slick situation on the surface of a car's exterior, but he hung on anyway.) Or maybe you've decided to hold a workshop or share a long-held dream you think is crazy but super exciting with a close friend and you don't know quite what to expect. But you get a fabulous response from participants and your friend simply loves your idea and thinks it really suits you since they know you so well. We get opportunities to step out of our element by trying something new or by simply meeting up with something unexpected. When that happens to you, do you choose to hang on and see what great thing might happen, or do you want to simply slip away unnoticed? Being outside our element can present challenges, no doubt. And it's often disconcerting if we feel unprepared to meet with anything that is unfamiliar to us. But it can also be a way to stretch ourselves in ways we need in order to grow into all we are meant to be so we can make our effective and beneficial mark in the world. Our usual element is the starting place, the foundation, the home base where we spend most of our time which is really just preparation for those outside-our-element moments when we are needed or wanted in a new place and time to share what we are good at and thus fulfilling our purpose in the process. When was the last time you were out of your element? You can prepare yourself as you look outside of home base and make plans for your future. Then when you do take that initial step forward, outside your current life experience, you can move forward with confidence, a sense of adventure, and flexibility for making mistakes and loving the process anyway, despite them. Your life can be full of creative, spontaneous adventure when you make room for those possibilities in your day-to-day living. And take it from the grasshopper: You never know when you'll get the opportunity to fulfill that long held dream. (And feel the wind in your antennae.) © 2013 by Dawn Herring |
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Dawn HerringDawn engages in many roles: As Writer/Blogger and Artist/Creative and Founder of Refresh with Dawn Herring: Where Art and JOY Align, She enjoys sharing from her vast experience as award-winning, life-long artist and leader in the field of written journaling, offering encouragement and proven tips to other journal keepers. Dawn's focus is on written journal keeping, artistic expression and finding your Creative Voice, and positive change that leads personal empowerment, encouraging you to leave your authentic and positive mark in the world. Dawn is a Commercial artist, hand letterer/illustrator and writer/blogger and enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences as a woman, wife, mother of two grown daughters and as a Grandparent to a special needs grandson. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. May JOY Align with Your Creative Heart. Archives
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