My youngest daughter, Hannah, recently had her 21st Birthday; so it gave me pause as to how I would celebrate with her creating a visual like I've done for the past 11 years. But I found that my circumstances had changed a bit since I did the last one (no color printer and not as much time to prepare). Over the years as I've created these birthday collages (you can read more about The Birthday Wall here) the approach has morphed and changed to reflect their age, their interests and my approach to my presentation. What started with a glorified birthday banner (which you can read about in my e-book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child), moved into a full 3 foot by 3 foot space on their bedroom wall to showcase their interests and their personality in full color; then I got a bit more creative. Last year I used a manila file folder, covered in gesso primer, and then created a layered collage that looked similar to my art journaling process for my eldest daughter, Sarah's 23rd birthday. Then I decided to use a binder notebook for Hannah's birthday last year when she turned 20, which I share about here. Many pages with layered colored construction paper and images later, she had her Birthday Binder. But this year, I decided I didn't want to use any past approaches, since I am also dabbling with some super FUN art forms, including doodling, which is essentially playing around with black pen, Winsor Newton Watercolor Markers and creating illustrated designs with words, phrases and objects. So after thinking on it a bit, I decided to create what I eventually called an Illustrated Birthday Doodle. I used one sheet of acid-free card stock paper in a neutral color and a waterproof black Uniball pen and Winsor Newton Watercolor Markers. I decided on a layout that would work with her name, Hannah Joy, her new age of 21, plus various favorites from song lyrics to foods to hobbies. I also included important memberships to organizations, her college related info and her website, byhannahjoy.com, which is The Stressed Out College Student's Destination. I must say that I had a lot of fun creating this gift for Hannah; I love drawing and creating illustrations without too much planning ahead of time; the entire process was intuitive and I just went with the flow. Hannah considers it a grown-up version of The Birthday Wall, so that's makes it the perfect gift for her right now.
And that leaves me content and satisfied as we celebrate Hannah's 21st birthday and her year ahead. Copyright 2015 by Dawn Herring Copyright 2015 Birthday Images by Dawn Herring
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Here is my next Refresh Daily Rewind installation with my new video series for Getting Back to the Basics of Activating Your Creative Center with the topic, Life Practices, where I talk about how they can make a difference in our daily lives.
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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This new video installment of Refresh Daily Rewind focuses on Small Steps and the benefits of using this strategy for creative expression.
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 Here is my newest installation of Refresh Daily Rewind, where we get back to the basics of activating our creative center. In this video, our topic turns to the Heart. From my sincerely refreshed heart to yours!
I also wanted to show how the main featured top has the cut outs by the collar, the red tank I layered with as well as the necklace I chose for the jewelry enhancement (an Avon selection gifted to me by my sister) of this particular outfit. I love red for its vibrancy so I wanted to accentuate the reds in the top with the tank and the necklace. I'm also wearing earrings that match the necklace not shown in the photo above.
Now it's YOUR TURN! Journaling Prompt: What kind of colors inspire you? Are they vibrant, bright and fun? Or are they more subdued, interesting and mysterious? Do you have these inspiring colors in YOUR wardrobe? What do these colors speak to you? What kind of action do they inspire in you? What Creative expression can you initiate with these colors? Art Journaling Prompt: Take the same colors that inspire you and feature them especially in your next art journal spread to honor your preferences and show what they speak to you, either in cut out letters, stamped quotes, or a doodle dedication to all colors that you love and why you love them. Remember to give yourself permission to try some new combinations in your wardrobe. You never know what will make you feel absolutely fabulous! @2015 by Dawn Herring @2015 Images by Dawn Herring @2015 Header 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 My Sketchbook. I've been using these types of sketchbooks for my personal journaling after many years of writing in smaller lined journals with ribbons for book marks. But a couple of years ago, they were starting to feel too small. So I decided to start writing in an unlined sketchbook which gives me a way to doodle, draw mind maps, write lists and all sorts of fun stuff like that, where lines would be prohibitive or hindering. But recently, I decided I needed to use a sketchbook for just my ART. This one you see on the left is for just that purpose. Sketching, which is basically rough drawing, has never been my forte; I love to draw fully detailed, no rough. Rough sketches don't feel natural to me. So I was reluctant to start a sketchbook for my art.
BUT I had an epiphany of sorts, after reading and watching other artists with their sketchbooks. I realized I don't have to necessarily Sketch in my Sketchbook if I don't want to. I can draw whatever I want. I can do more doodles in addition to my daily doodle that I do in my evening entry in my personal journal. I can practice my lettering skills to create more graphic headers for my blog posts, which I have SO MUCH FUN with! (The above graphic header was originally created in my new sketchbook. :) ) I also use this sketchbook to take notes on what I'm up to with my current watercolor-in-progress, with any plans for other projects, my artistic goals, dreams and lists. So, yes, I journal in my artist sketchbook! One of the issues I've come across since I started it is whether I should be separating my art from other life issues when in my art-focused sketchbook...since I'm already journaling otherwise. But it's really hard to keep it separate, because, in reality, my art influences and affects all other areas of my life. But HOW MUCH to include is the challenge. I suppose if I just determine that Anything Goes with it, I can just relax and not concern myself about doing it Wrong or wondering if having an art sketchbook is worth the bother. I do have many journals that I keep, but I have looked forward to writing and experimenting with this one. I will admit to repeating myself a lot between my art and my personal sketchbooks, But my art bears repeating! That's how important it is to me. And No one else is reading it so I don't have to concern myself about boring anyone or having someone say, you already wrote about this. I can repeat myself as many times as I'd like with no harm done. I think the fact that I HAVE an artist's sketch book to play in is a great cathartic catalyst for ideas, for messing around, for playing with my Winsor Newton Watercolor markers, and just having FUN. Who knows what may result from what comes up in my creativity and in my thoughts and intuition s a result of giving myself more artistic space? Journaling Prompt: Is there something that you have given to yourself recently that you may feel is a bit over the top or unnecessary but you really want to try this new thing and see what comes of it? Detail this in your journal and express how you feel about this new thing and if you feel indulgent and why. Give yourself space to validate your emotion and feelings about this new thing and be your own cheerleader! Art Journal prompt: Make a page or spread in your art journal to express how you feel about doing something for yourself that you may feel like you need permission to do. Use text, color and stamping/stenciling to create layers of meaning for that permission granted! Copyright 2015 by Dawn Herring Copyright 2015 Graphic Header by Dawn Herring Collection 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 |
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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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