Instagram Instant: Sugar & Spice Edition

I told you I would post about the art next! 

But first, here I am on the very windy ferry to Port Townsend:

Note to self: feather earrings not the best plan ;)

My first workshop day was with artist Juliette Crane. I loved Juliette's energy. She is so vibrant and full of joy! Juliette's work is extremely layered, and very loose and free and playful. It is something I have been wanting to try to incorporate in my work, and it really pushed me outside my comfort zone in a good way. At the end of the day, I had this crazy 3-earred bunny creature, with the quote "Trust in dreams, for in them lies the hidden gate to eternity."

Day 2 I had Danielle Daniel. Oh my goodness she is an amazing spirit. She has such a gift for healing through art. This day really broke me wide open in a not very comfortable, but liberating way.  Bat Girl came out on that day.

Day 3 I had Mindy Lacefield as my instructor. Mindy is just incredibly sweet, and so open. She had us do a journalling exercise at the beginning of the day that really helped me break out of my tightly controlled process and allowed me to break out into the freer style I want to express. Mindy taught me the beauty in embracing your own unique style and running with it.

What I got out of this art retreat was so much more than just learning a few new techniques. I really feel like I grew leaps and bounds in my confidence and in my approach to art in this short time. I also felt deeply healed by the experience of being surrounded by an amazing group of women, who were all so incredibly creative and heart-centered.

I wish I could capture in words what it meant to me to attend Sugar & Spice. All I know is that I will look back and see this as a turning point for me, and that more art retreats are definitely in my future!

Thankful Thursday: The Sugar & Spice Edition

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. 

It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. 

We should all be thankful for those people 

who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer 

Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks, life got hectic and blogging took a backseat. But I am back from the Sugar & Spice art retreat, and wow did I have an amazing experience. I have waaaay more than 5 things to be thankful for, but I will keep it brief for your sake.

My top 5 this week are:

Juliette Crane, one of our amazing instructors!

1. The people. The amazing women who held a space to open our hearts and truly be present together. I am so grateful for every one of you, and I know that this experience has formed lifetime friendships. It is incredible how a group of total strangers became a tribe in three short days.

This is where we ate lunch each day, on the deck of the cannery.

2. The food. Oh, the food! What an incredible gift to have 

such lovely food made from the heart. Thank you Aaron!

3. Port Townsend. Oh my gosh, from the minute I got off the ferry I was just vibrating with the amazing energy of this place! So much creativity! What an amazing community there.

4. The Cannery. The venue for the art retreat was absolutely stunning. 

I loved every little detail of this place.

5. The chance to remember my self. Hello, you. It's been a while. 

It was really nice to get to know you again.

If you would like to see more pictures from my trip, you can view my photo album here.
I'll blog more about the actual art part in my next post ;)

And if you would like to join in the Thankful Thursday fun,

please leave a comment or a link to your blog.

I always love to hear what you are thankful for!

Hope you are having a beautiful day:)

Thankful Thursday, the Beastie Boys edition

"What's gonna set you free

Look inside and you'll see

When you got so much to say

It's called gratitude."

-The Beastie Boys

Here are my Top 5 this week:

1. Bees. Seriously, what would we do without them?

2. Being warm and dry on a cold, rainy day.

3. Hugs.

4. Clean water.

5. Freedom of expression.

What's on your gratitude list today?

new work in progress

Hello friends,

Here's a peak at what I have been up to lately...

I'm not sure what I am going to call this piece yet,

so if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Have a beautiful day!

Thankful Thursday: the holiness in those things you take for granted

“Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted–

a paved road or a washing machine? 

If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, 

you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled 

with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” 

— Rabbi Harold Kushner

My baby boy!

5 things I am thankful for this week:

1. My amazing neighbour Samantha, 

who, after an 8 day adventure, returned my missing cat to me. 

I am so, so grateful for this miracle!

2. The Internet, for its awesome ability to connect 

like-minded souls around the world into a community.

3. All the lovely souls who hit a like button 

or leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. 

I am so grateful to you all for making me feel like what I write 

and the art that I make have meaning beyond myself.

4. Today is my baby's first birthday! 

I am so thankful for his smiles, 

his adorable laugh, and his zerberts!

5. On the flip side, I am very grateful 

that the first year of new mommahood 2.0 is over.

 It's been an exhausting year, and I'm glad to be done with that part of the journey. 

 Toddler time, here we come...

If you would like to join Thankful Thursday, leave a link

or a comment in the comments section.

Thanks for sharing!

Who, Me?

It has been almost three years now that I have been writing this little blog. I have shared a lot of myself and my art on these pages, and it has become a way for me to connect with soul sisters around the globe, and to figure a few things out for myself. But a few days ago, I got the surprising news that this little blog has been nominated for the 2013 VancouverMom.ca Top Mom Blogs. And I was like, "Who, me?" And then I was like "Sweeeet!" So, what to do here, now that I am a big deal in the Vancouver Mom Blog scene? Hmmmm.... Well, I figure this is a good time to go back to the start. So, here is my very first blog post, along with a few images from my newly minted Etsy store. Enjoy!

One of the neighbourhood kids was over yesterday for a playdate with my son. She's 8 years old, and seemed quite fascinated with exploring our house. In particular, my microphone and recording gear were quite interesting to her. 

"What is this?" she asked.

"My recording equipment." I responded.

"Why do you have it? What's your job?"

"Well, mostly my job is being Gabe's Mom, but I am also recording a CD."

"So you're famous?"

This one caught me off-guard. Unsure how to respond I stammered... "Well no, but I'd like to be.. Um, I mean not really famous, like those people who are stalked by Papparazzi or anything, but..." How does one explain the concept of an independent musician who creates music for love, and has long since given up on the dreams of super-stardom that may have plagued her earlier days?

We moved upstairs, where she turned her attention to a multimedia art piece I am working on. It's a tree through the seasons, with painted canvas and punched accents of leaves, flowers, and snowflakes. Again, the questions: "Did you make this?"

"Yes."

"So you're a famous artist?"

Wow. The fame thing again. And I wondered, is this just a natural response for someone who has grown up in our fame-obsessed culture? Is it assumed by today's youth that to pursue an artistic calling is really a pursuit of fame? Because I'm pretty sure that the majority of creative people have absolutely no interest in fame whatsoever, and in fact many creative people are quite introverted. Finally I found a response: "No, I'm just someone who likes to make things, it makes me happy."

And that's really what it's all about for me. I still have dreams of achieving a level of success that would allow me to make a living through my creative pursuits, but when it comes down to it, I make things, whether they are recordings, art, or otherwise, because it is what I do, because it makes me happy. My goal is to live my life artfully. Charles De Lint summed it up best when he said "All endeavor is art when rendered with conviction."

I want to make art out of everything I do, from the way I parent my son, to how I decorate my house, to how I throw a party, to how I write a song. It's all the same thing. Because at the end of my life, it is not the level of fame or not-fame that will define my life. It's whether I lived true to myself, whether I made of my life a work of art. So here is to the artful endeavor, and to all the creative people out there. May you live your days beautifully, and find joy in every creation.

Thank you to Vancouver Mom for the nomination, I am so honoured! To check out more of the nominees, visit their site. I plan to visit all the Top 30 in the next few weeks.

Have a beautiful day!

Thankful Thursday: Rise up and be thankful!

“Let us rise up and be thankful, 

for if we didn't learn a lot today, 

at least we learned a little, 

and if we didn't learn a little, 

at least we didn't get sick, 

and if we got sick, 

at least we didn't die; 

so, let us all be thankful.” 

-Buddha 

5 things on my list today:

1. Antibiotics.

2. Fresh air.

3. The moms who volunteer at my son's school.

4. The kind waitress at Sushi to Go

who entertained my baby yesterday

so I could eat my lunch.

5. Smiles from passing strangers.

If you are feeling thankful for someone or something today,

please let them know.

Or let me know, by leaving a comment here!

Have a beautiful day,