Hello friends, creatives, journal keepers, artists and small business owners! It's great to be back to share more of my life behind the scenes as Artist, Illustrator and avid Journal Keeper.

If you have read my previous posts, My Visual View and Going Back and Going Deeper, you will already know that I've been doing a series of dress illustrations, drawing and creating renderings of ones that inspire me, sharing on Instagram, and here on my blog.

After doing six illustrations in a row, including two that took 3 sessions to complete due to their complexity, I decided to Pause and take a rest for a time. Yes. Sometimes it's Perfectly Appropriate to Pause when you've put out and you need to replenish as a Creative and Artist. (You are the Artist of Your Life--just a JOY-filled reminder!) 

Of course, I also have another project I've been working on, the first of my Lyric Line Design Series, based on Lyrics I've written in Connection with Spirit, and creating Art to inspire. 
So, with both of those going at the same time, I really needed to take a breather. 
I get so inspired, that sometimes, it's hard to stop, especially once I get a rhythm and momentum going! 

But if we don't take a rest when we need it, if we're not mindful enough to know when we need a rest, we end up burning out. Of course, I wouldn't expect to burn out in less than 3 weeks time, but I must listen to my intuition, my body and my heart when it's time for a Pause. And not feel guilty that I'm not producing as much as I'd like. 

If we don't Pause when it's Perfectly Appropriate, we may also find our enthusiasm waning for those things we were once thoroughly enJOYing. 

It's time to Fill Up the Well! Pause and Make Space for inspiration and re-invigoration. Yes, that aligns perfectly with my Word for 2019, SPACE. It keeps coming back again and again, and I'm glad it does, since it resonates so deeply and is speaking to me in such a Relevant way. I know I picked the right word, that's for sure! 

Are you in need of a Rest from your Creative Output? Don't hesitate to Pause if that's what your body, mind, heart and intuition are telling you. You may find it's the perfect way to keep a balance, to keep the creative energy from being depleted so when you get back, you're ready to roll and experience the JOY of being the Artist of Your Life. (Of course, everything you do reflects your creativity in some way; don't discount or forget that! Count everything as a part of Who You Are.) 

Journaling Prompt:
What would a Pause look like to you? When you take one, detail how you feel about it, whether you feel relief or guilt. Reflect on why Pausing is essential to your creativity. 

Art Journaling Prompt:
Show visually what a Pause looks like, or simply create words that express how you feel about what you are creating and what it means to replenish when you feel depleted. Use colors that revive you. 

Doodle Prompt:
Either Draw the word Pause with separation between the letters or draw a button that means Pause. You may want to write associative words that reflect a Pause or what you need to pause in your life. 

Copyright 2019 Dawn Herring
​Copyright 2019 Images by Dawn Herring 

Hello folks! I was thinking about sharing some things that you, my dear readers, creatives, journal keepers and friends, may not already know about me that might surprise you. 

Are you ready? Okay, here goes. 

1. I was an early reader at the age of 4. Mom used to tell me that I was reading out of encyclopedias at that age even though I don't remember that part. I am an avid reader to this day. 

2. When they did a scoliosis screening at my school when I was 12, they discovered that I had "uneven" shoulders. Later, when I went to a chiropractor for an exam at 16, Dr. Cantor (now deceased, but so kind and generous when he was present in this world) determined I had double curved scoliosis with an upper curve between my shoulder blades and a curve in my lower back which causes my hips area to be uneven. I am highly functional but I'm not one to go hiking or for long walks. And, of course, it would go without saying that I'm not athletic either (my sister fills that role as previous cheerleader in high school) although I have enjoyed games of badminton, ping pong and miniature hockey in game rooms!

3. I had the dream from the time I was 12 years old to be a recording artist, song writer and guitar player. I wanted to be in a live band as lead singer. I did go on to sing in two different worship teams and even played tambourine in one of them. And I also wrote enough songs for an album. And now I'm back to my music roots once again, singing and enjoying myself. I don't think I have a big voice by any stretch, but it does bring me JOY. (And I'm still waiting for a guitar player to offer to play my songs for me since I never did master the guitar myself. *wink*) 

4. I used to copy my sister's homework when I was in elementary school and wanted "homework" like she had. I guess you could say I started "writing" at a young age. And of course, I still take notes on books I read and write reviews on ones that really hit the spot for me. And yes, I am one of those writers who has a novel written but not revised tucked away in a magazine box. 

5. When I was in high school and early twenties, I sang solos and duets with my sister and another friend in a church setting (before my worship team experience). Whenever I would finish my one song, I was always raring to go to do a full concert of all my favorite songs. 

6. My favorite color is orange red. I also love turquoise, lime green and mustard (or what I refer to as gold).  I think my first favorite color was purple, then on to gray, and then khaki green. Now I love vibrant colors (as you may notice in my wardrobe pieces on Instagram!)

7. I absolutely LOVE Miniature Schnauzer dogs. Every time I see one, I get animated and point it out if I'm with others. I think they are so adorable with their cute furry faces! No, I would never want one of my own. I just admire them from afar. 

8. I remember meeting an artist one day when I was a youth as I was taking a walk around the block where I grew up. She was drawing a female on sketch paper and the detail was intense and I loved it. I watched her draw a little bit of it as we both sat on a sidewalk bench. She saw how much I adored it and she gave it to me! I was so excited. I took it home and copied it as best as I could. I still have that treasure in my artist portfolio. 

9. I was a member at Terrace Lake, a place I grew up at during the summers. They had three different slides, one in the kiddie area, one in the deeper section and one next to the diving boards where it was very deep. The highest slide was 25 feet. After being too frightened to go down that slide at 15 and 16, with the help of two friends (who I still care about deeply), I went down that slide when I was 17! I was elated! (and I enjoyed it on repeat all that summer.) 

​10. I do NOT like roller coasters, haunted houses or horror movies. 

And here's an extra one that applies to my eating habits and my physical well being:
11. I went Gluten Free about 10 years ago due to an issue with iron absorption. I'm always pleased with new gluten free products when they become available for me to try, like mac and cheese, spaghetti, crackers, chips, and cereal. Most of them are either rice based or corn based with either flour or sprouted grain options. I have found the gluten free foods to be easier to digest and I love the taste of the corn and brown rice products. 

So, there you go! Now you know a bit more about me! You're welcome to leave a comment below about things I may not know about you! Have fun with it. 

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