trauma recovery
iLoVeU Month Days 12 and 13
Today I picked my mom at her memory care and took her out for a bit. It is never easy going there and I’m always praying she will be happy to see me. I was aware of feeling some grief right below the surface but it was stuck.
On the way home after taking my mom back I forced myself to feel those feelings. I suppose I pushed them to the surface so I could feel and release them. It was only for a couple of minutes yet I felt so much better. Writing, making art, exercising, resting and meditating all help in their own way. Continue reading
iLoVeU Month Day 11
A recent drawing
My iLoVeU design
With a new flair of detail.
I love using black marker
Because it’s final
And allows for transformation Of mistakes into new detail.
And shifts our perception
That perfection lives within
Constructs of imperfection.
What is perfect about you, your life and experiences that you previously thought to be imperfect?
iLoVeU
Wendy
iLoVeU Month Days 7 – 10
Day 7
This iLoVeU was painted in May 2016 right before I started liquidating my mother’s house. It was nice to have a small amount of creativity playtime…still a bit more work to complete..
Day 8 – Only LOVE 💖
This is a chalk drawing I created a while before moving out of my house. For some reason creating with chalk felt like cheating for me. I definitely did not feel like an artist and using chalk was giving the young, forgotten artist a playground. I suppose I did not see chalk as a medium that real artists would use. Anyway. I know I’m an artist and this is real art.
iLoVeU
Wendy
iLoVeU Month Day 6 – iLoVeU Tree
The iLoVeU Tree.
Stands so perfectly.
So well suited for today’s art share.
She represents the collective current need.
To be even more self aware.
Life happens for us especially.
When we let it.
Art lets us explore our roots.
Our truths.
There she stands.
Tall and strong and majestical.
Giving life to all around her.
So they may be as rooted
In Mama Earth as she.
We find meaning in art.
Art heals us through creation, evolution, discussion, imagination and meditation of it – the artwork.
iLoVeU
Wendy
iLoVeU Month Day 5 – Circling Back Around
It’s Sunday morning and kinda’ blah. Showers are expected and hopefully it turns into a beautiful day because Superbowl is here in Houston (as if you didn’t know). May everyone visiting our city have a safe and enjoyable time. Frankly I’ll hear the game in the background and will catch glimpses from time to time.
Today’s iLoVeU drawing is one of three I drew with pencil. The circles and curves are perfect because I used a tool. I played and as much as I love to draw freestyle it was fun.
It’s maybe five or six years since I drew this. I remember having to reach deep to give myself PERMISSION to create this. Like “who am I do draw inside of my own design?” I know this may seem like silly thinking but artists are always looking at how they can give themselves permission to do what they want.
So I used a tool to expand with myself while expanding within my design. It’s like a moving meditation in a way.
It’s so interesting to me that this is one of at least 100 drawings never shared in any way. I find myself wondering who I’ll be at the end of the month after sharing and telling stories about my art.
Perhaps this can be considered a metaphor for Circling Back Around and Expanding My Circle of Creativity and Awareness by sharing more of me.
Whatever you are doing keep being creative and keep reaching in for more of who you are so you may expand your expression in the world.
iLoVeU
Wendy
iLoVeU Month Day 4 – iLoVeU Growing
This was the first iLoVeU design of this style I drew in spring 2014 as I allowed my body and mind to process the grief I felt seeing my mother in a memory care home. I could barely speak about what was happening without tearing up. I couldn’t contain the grief and it bubbled up whenever it wanted.
I felt a massive amount of empathy for my mother seeing her own sadness from being ripped from her home, checked into a hospital and moved into a memory care.
I had no say in any of it. So this was my way to have my say with myself, to help myself get through this time so I could be present with my mom. The last thing I wanted her to see was my sadness about her situation. I had to be strong for her.
How interesting that earlier this week my mother could see my sadness and she is the one that soothed me. The tables turn and then they turn again. Souls are always connected.
iLoVeU
Wendy
Awaken The Artist Coloring Guide – Thoughts, Talking, Coloring, Videos, Creativity & Healing
I began a journey of adult coloring in 2005 when working through the emotional and financial challenges in my business. I purchased a few mandala coloring books and when they arrived I was excited to begin.
I then found it challenging to choose which symmetrical design to begin with and which colors to use and discovered this was a helpful exercise to practice mindfulness as I worked through my inner struggle with life situations.
As I colored my way through the intricate patterns I moved closer to the part of myself that had been calling for attention. Coloring was like massaging my soul. It softened my resistance and led me to my deeper calling of drawing and painting and to the creations of hundreds of designs, some of which you are about to color in this 2017 Inspirational Almanac.
Here is what I have learned from coloring over the years…
Coloring is a creative form of artful, self expression that heals us at a cellular level. It quiets and relaxes the mind and helps us develop and evolve our creativity. We begin with a structure (a drawing) to work from – choosing colors, blending, doodling – which enables us to connect to our courage and confidence.
Coloring is like food for the soul that enters our cells as positive frequencies clearing out creative blocks and reminding us of our truth. As we gain clarity and purpose we are able to hear our intuition and take inspired action.
Meditative coloring:
• Guides you into alignment with your truth, expanding your resourcefulness.
• Opens channels of creative solutions for life challenging situations.
• Connects you to deeper levels of your soul consciousness and callings.
I encourage the colorist to take time and connect to the details of the chosen drawing and choose colors that feel good. The depth of the engagement with our coloring corresponds to our deepening sense of who we are as infinite, creative beings.
As time went on I realized that coloring connected me to my creative self while dissolving fear and giving me something pleasureable to focus on. I was creating something colorful and beautiful that made me feel good and meditating on my finished piece helped me feel satisfied and complete.
So give it a try. Let your inner colorist out. And who knows. Coloring may lead you to Awaken The Artist in your heart like it did for me!
If you want to read more about coloring and watch my process pay attention to this blog for updates, videos and more about coloring!
Love
Wendy
Awaken The Artist Art & Coloring Challenge – Day 21/21
Today is the last OFFICIAL day of the art challenge. Yay!! Big accomplishment for me.
Plus a few people either attempted to join or did and one person said she is going to do her own 21 day challenge!
I will continue the challenge until the end of the month and the rest of the drawings will be posted in one blog.
OK. Here is the last official drawing of goddess #4 of 5.
Enjoy!
Love,
Wendy
Awaken The Artist Art & Coloring Challenge – Day 19and20/21
This blog post combines Day 19 and 20 since it encompasses the pencil sketch of Goddess #4 of 5 and of my friend Martha Giffen 🙂
Day 19 – Video 1
Day 19 – Video 2
Day 20 – Video 3
CLICK HERE to watch this video. (Facebook embed code is not working on this one!)
I’ll be back for Day 21 🙂
Enjoy!
Wendy
Awaken The Artist Art & Coloring Challenge – Day 18/21
Day 18 was created on Periscope instead of Facebook. There was a reason for this but I cannot remember what it was!
This is a quick pencil sketch of flowers and I will be painting it using watercolor pencils in the somewhat near future..
Art can be easy and quick as well as deep and contemplative and technical. There is a time and place for all of it.
The main point: Create Art!
Enjoy!
Love,
Wendy
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