Forgotten Places
Credit goes to Deb Prewitt of Blue Twig Studio for this art method called “Forgotten Places”.
I took this art class and Deb was the teacher. I fell in love with this method of art because it is very intuitive and I was able to incorporate tangling within my pieces.
Once the water color has dried, then it is time to find those forgotten places within the colors. Maybe you see a fish, or a mountain, whatever you find is your place.
Since this is very intuitive and abstract, the places you may go are endless and a journey to be discovered. Aren’t we all on a journey? I think we are and where you go is your choice.
This shows a piece with just watercolor and a few drops of alcohol ink. It is masked off to create a border; however, this is not a requirement. It is a piece in progress.
In progress. Used watercolor, watercolor pencils, and micron pen to begin outlining those forgotten places.
This is very close to being complete. Used brusho, (which is an intense water color powder
Celebrate World Art Day with us! 🎨✨ It was yesterday, oops. We can still celebrate!
On this special day, explore the beauty and creativity that art brings into our lives. Whether you're an artist or an art lover, there's something for everyone.
Art found me back in 2016, when I was deep into the dark night of the soul! Art/creativity has saved me, every day. I create something every day. Maybe it's a scribble, a mark, or some watercolors pooling around on a piece of paper. Whatever it is, it gets me out of my head and I am free.
Being creative is essential for numerous reasons, both in personal and professional contexts. Here are a few key points:
1. **Problem-Solving**: Creativity allows you to look at problems from different angles and come up with innovative solutions that might not be immediately obvious. This skill is invaluable in business where unique challenges frequently arise.
2. **Differentiation**: In a competitive market, creativity helps distinguish your brand, product, or service. By offering something unique or presenting it in a novel way, you capture attention and stand out from the crowd.
3. **Adaptability**: Creative thinking encourages flexibility and the ability to adapt. In a rapidly changing world, being able to pivot and innovate is crucial for sustainability and growth.
4. **Engagement**: Creativity peaks interest and engagement. Whether it’s a captivating social media post or a compelling sales presentation, creative content can draw in your audience and hold their attention.
5. **Inspiration**: Creativity often inspires others. By showcasing creative approaches or ideas, you can motivate your team, your audience, or even create a ripple effect within your industry.
6. **Personal Fulfillment**: On a personal level, engaging in creative activities can boost your mood, reduce stress, and provide a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
Incorporating creativity into your life can lead to numerous benefits and, ultimately, contribute to success and innovation. Encourage yourself to think creatively, and you'll likely see positive outcomes.
Let your imagination soar! 🚀🖍️
I love this snippet about Pablo Picasso. I think we can go back and improve on whatever we want to improve on. I have a canvas waiting for me to improve just a tad and then finish it. I guess I'm resistant because I really enjoy looking at it as I enter my happy place. It's a larger piece and I want to revel in it for a while. Maybe, that's what Picasso was doing. He enjoyed visiting his masterpieces and so he touched up some of them a bit. Nothing wrong with that, or is there? Oh, and what is the criteria for a painting to be a masterpiece?
Perfectionism can get the best of us, and I know I can perseverate, thinking I could do better or add something here or there. At some point it needs to be done, finished, voila!
"In his later years Pablo Picasso wasn't allowed to roam an art gallery unattended, for he had previously been discovered in the act of trying to improve on one of his old masterpieces"
I love chocolate
it doesn’t matter what kind
as long as it’s chocolate
minus the nuts, and cherries
layers and layers of chocolate
just one chocolate cupcake
I don’t think so
I say let’s eat them all
and since it’s Easter season
let’s have a few CHOCOLATE eggs
Icing on the cake is so timely. It’s my dad’s heavenly birthday today. He’s been gone from this earthly plane for 19 years and I miss him so very much.
I will have to blame you, Dad, for my chocolate addiction. When I was growing up and when my dad was home, (his job required him to be gone during the week), we usually had dessert. Of course there was a stipulation to receiving dessert, we had to clean and I mean eat everything we had on our dinner plate. That was truly painful, at times. I’ll admit that sometimes I put the food I didn’t like , (beans), inside my napkin and crunch it up, when my mom wasn’t watching. I did this all for the sole purpose of enjoying dessert, the best part of any meal in my opinion. But not just any dessert – chocolate. Why do I blame my dad? He’s the one who would go get Oreo’s and milk, and put them on the table for the Thompson Tradition. With a glass of milk in hand and an Oreo cookie in the other, he would dunk that Oreo in the cold, luscious glass of milk, one after the other. On special occasions mom would make a chocolate cake. Once again, the tradition would begin with a slice of chocolate cake and an ice-cold glass of milk. Instead of dunking like was done with the cookies, he would put the whole slice of cake into the glass of milk, stir it just a tiny bit and voila, eat it with a spoon. The trick is to have more of the chocolate cake than milk. 69 years later and my addiction is just as strong as ever. I seriously, would eat a chocolate dessert over an entree, anytime. I have cut back some, I know it’s not healthy to eat that much sugar, consistently. But I gotta tell you, there’s still nothing better than CHOCOLATE!!
I had tears in my eyes when I was writing this post and truly didn’t know these words were coming onto the page or that this post was where I was going. I thought I was just writing about my passion for chocolate. I felt your presence Dad while I was writing, remembering, and crying. I miss you Dad and I think it's time to go have some CHOCOLATE.
Dad, you are “the icing on the cake with milk”. Happy Birthday Dad-e-o!
We all have archetypes and some you may identify with, such as the inner goddess, the wounded child, the wizard, the dreamer, to name just a few.
Archetypes have been around for centuries. You may be familiar with psychologist Carl Jung who brought archetypes out of the closet and into modern times. Jung believed that our “collective unconscious”, as he called it, is inherited rather than developed, and is a collection of archetypes and mythological figures.
As a Certified Creative Depth Coach, Soul Collage® Facilitator, JourneyCircles™ Facilitator I work with women and merge a unique blend psycho-spiritual awareness, various expressive arts as well as mindfulness, archetypal presence, experiential processes, and journey work. In our work together, I often help women with one of the archetypes that we all have, the inner critic.
Your inner critic is a universal archetype. Though it shows up differently for everyone, it is always there just waiting for you to wake it up. Viewing our inner critic from this point of view means we maintain some curiosity and understanding of our critic, but we don’t have to believe it. It is just along for the ride.
Sometimes your inner critic archetype is not very nice and can be downright nasty. Your inner critic is unconscious and is part of you. Your inner critic can be the gentle parts of yourself that want to feel safe and free from danger or vulnerability.
As Eric Morris explains, “The inner critic is there, because you have a mind that likes to problem-solve and judge everything. The trick is to consider this as just your mind doing its thing, and that you don’t have to follow it.”
Becoming aware of your inner critic is step one. Secondly, reach a place of being able to observe your critical thoughts. One you are aware of your inner critic you can then make a change.
Using your creativity, (yes, we are all creative) I invite you to name your inner critic, then I suggest you paint your inner critic and finally you will learn to love your inner critic.
Your inner critic won’t ever dissipate forever but saying I see you and I love you will make it, so your inner critic is a beautiful energy. A beautiful energy that can be right by your side instead of in hiding.
A Creative Depth Exercise for When the Inner Critic Shows Up:
- Give your inner critic a name. Any name that is feels right for you. For example, my inner critic’s name is, “hey girlie”. The more humor you use the better because it shifts the energy. Naming your inner critic archetype empowers you to identify it quickly when it shows up and using humor can help shift the shame.
- Using a piece of paper draw an image of your inner critic. You can use crayons, markers, colored pencils or whatever you have on hand. Have fun and trust that whatever lands on the paper is supposed to land on the paper.
- Paint the image of your inner critic. It’s best to use your fingers just like you did as a child. Painting with your fingers is a very sensory exercise that will lessen the power of your inner critic’s voice. If you can’t tolerate having paint on your fingers, use a paint brush. Whichever way you choose make it fun! You are literally painting the pain away!
- Whenever the energy of your inner critic archetype is super strong, create an image of your inner critic that is present at that time. The act of putting color on paper is a very freeing exercise that will immediately get you out of your head.
- Offer your inner critic a space of compassion yet let them know your soul calls the shots. Ask your inner critic what they need and to clearly explain their fears. Listen, then very gently speak to them from your soul. Assure them that they are protected. Inform them that your soul is wise, creative, and capable of handling anything.
- Honor your inner critic by placing the image you created in a predominant space.
Your inner critic wants you to reach it and it’s trying to reach you. By wrapping your inner critic in beauty, it will help you release your inner critic. Instead of pushing away your annoying inner critic, I invite you to address it as you would a close friend or neighbor.
When we ignore or push our inner critic away, it creates strain, and we tend to get into a place of scarcity instead of abundance. Instead let’s look at our inner critic and the energy and force it can provide us.
