Planning Ahead- New Journal

This pouring thoughts out on paper has relieved me. I feel better and full of confidence and resolution.”
― Diet Eman, Things We Couldn't Say


Thanks to everyone for their kind words about the passing of my cat E.G. I thought I was handling it well until a traffic jam at my grocery store had me making a quick detour. I suddenly realized I was in the pet isle and starting crying. Thankfully I had tissues with me. I felt a little silly, but I know grief is a process and stopped beating myself up. Progress!

Journal is 9.5" x 6.5" x 1".

I have not felt overly creative but I have been working on a new journal. My intention was to use it for next year but I wrote about E.G.'s death in it and a short note on Thanksgiving. It is a handmade book that I purchased years ago. As I have said in the past, I am going to start using things that I have "saved." This felt like a good start. The handmade paper is presently some challenges. It absorbed the watercolor paints so much that getting a watercolor look did not happen and it does not like fine point pens. A Sharpie seems to work best so I will need to go with the flow.

I decided to do things a little differently this time because I want to be able to list somethings and think about others.

Here is just one example-- "Things to Remember" has to do with having more gratitude. "Things to Let Go" has to
do with healing the past. I have a place to list all the books I read and things I want to learn. Some pages have photographs, found and created paper, envelopes to put things in, blank pages for sketching, etc. I am excited!


Do you journal? Have you created your own? What have your challenges been?

"You're Doing It All Wrong"

My husband has been worried because I am not getting out of the house so in an effort to make him happy, I took my black journal to Starbucks. I got my favorite coffee, nonfat vanilla latte, and settled into a corner to work. Before leaving home, I had randomly glued the eyes and dots. I was have a good time when the woman next to me said, "You know you're doing that all wrong." I did not know what to say which I guess looked like an opening to this woman. She had taken a class from a "big name art journaling teacher." When I tried to explain that I felt there was no right or wrong to keeping a journal, her voice got louder. I tried to explain that I am more of the philosophy of Eric Scott and David Modler of Journal Fodder 365. She informed me that she had no idea who these people were, I suggested that she check them out. Then I promptly excused myself and came home. I think the universe is telling me that it's okay to stay home.

I started making quilts in the mid1970s. My first quilt was a baby quilt. I did not have a clue as to what I was doing but that did not stop me. I created simple drawings with fabric crayons and alternated the blocks with solid yellow. My niece (she wasn't my niece when I made it) still sleeps with it (she hates that I share this). She has always called it  "my sunshine quilt" because of the sun in the center. Once I started being around other quiltmakers that the multitude of rules came out and a lot of the joy of creating quilts went away. When I finally decided that "rules" were meant to be broken, I became happier with quiltmaking. So I wonder what in the woman's life made it so important  for her to inject rules into my journaling, try to make me feel bad and not even attempt to listen to my point of view. I wish I could have figured out a way to ask.  How would you have handled this situation?

Prayers to the Moon: Living Fully with Intent

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you have to make choices, and hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are. -Fred Rogers

My mother-in-law's funeral keeps weighing on my mind. It bothered me that no one wanted to talk about her. The same occurred at my father-in-law's funeral. This cemented my belief that this family has an intense need to avoid death which probably does reflect our culture. I grew up with celebrating an entire person at their death--the good, the bad, the funny. Listening to the minister talk about my mother-in-law and in his defense he only knew her after Alzheimer's had taken her away, I wondered who he was speaking about. When he asked the family to give him words that described her, the list was not surprising to me (I think it might have for him)- "stubborn," (mine which was ignored), "talkative," and"intellectual." After the service, one of my brother-in-laws shared with me "opinionated" and I countered with "immovable." He agreed that once she had an opinion, it never changed. I certainly don't want to be remembered this way.

My mother-in-law also always saved things for later and unfortunately, later never happened. This struck me as I was continuing my spring cleaning efforts. I came across a 7" x 10" black paper journal that my friend Sharon gave me. I had put it aside nearly 10 years ago to use later and probably when I thought I could do something "special" with it. So last night I set myself a challenge to use the journal and limit it to black and white. I had been thinking about one of heARTist Trading Cards group's themes--Prayers to the Moon (one of my suggestions which always brings its own set of expectations- mine not the group's). I have been collecting moon facts for years but never have them all in one place so it became my first entry. It felt wonderful for so many reasons including getting rid of lots of little pieces of paper! And so I renew my vow to live with intent. What are you saving? And what are you saving it for?

Found Objects and Sharpie Pens

I've been pondering why I love found objects so much. I think it must be the thrill of the find. It is always an unexpected gift. One of my favorite finds is feathers.  The only time I am not happy about finding lots of feathers is when it is evidence of the Cooper hawk's dinner, then I am just sad even though I know this is how nature works.

My particular love of feathers has moved into my pottery work. I can't wait to share with you my crow mask. Be patient. The first one fell apart. It's a live and learn thing. I am still finding my way.

On Saturday, I bought a package of colored Sharpie pens (fine point). They were on sale at Staples and I couldn't resist. I'm a sucker for pens. The packing said that they would not run so I tested by using them on the last page of my journal.  I drew the feathers and of course, wrote with them then used water colored over it. Thrill of thrills, it worked! I am so excited. This opens up such wonderful possibilities. Am I the last one to know this?

Thanks to everyone who has become a new follower. I am overwhelmed with the response to my silk giveaway. I promise to do it again. Wish I had enough for everyone.  For me it has been a grey, rainy day which is making the snow disappear so it not all bad. Happy creating!