SPRING ~ Art Journal Pages Inspired by 21 Secrets classes

I had a funtabulous time creating these journal pages inspired by the 21 Secrets classes:

Natasha Reilly's "Improvisation Station"
Kelley Brown's "Adding Dimension"
(the butterfly is dimensional but I won't give away what I did!)
and
my own class "The Fragrant Art Journal"

Natasha can be found at the inspiring Creative Nachos
Kelley's fabulous blog is Art Journaling as a Creative Process

There is STILL time to join the fun of 21 Secrets! Register Here!
It says:

The wonder of spring
fresh beginnings
burst of color
from the chrysalis
ready to flutter
ready to fly

effloresce: to burst into bloom; blossom
(Thanks go to my friend Diane for this addition!)

You are missing out if you haven't joined 21 Secrets!
Sign up now! What'cha waitin' for? :o)

Freedom in Creating: Sometimes "small" - Sometimes "large"

Sometimes small feels like freedom...

like this small poem

shimmering
fairy wings
in the moonlight

and a small painting to go with it...

It is so freeing to allow myself to write something so short and have it be "enough".

Then I was inspired to create a small watercolor painting with a bit of acrylic to go with the poem.

As I drew it, she ‘told’ me that she wanted to be wading in water. The smallness kept it manageable for me, not too overwhelming, yet a sense of accomplishment. I enjoyed using my watercolors again, (it's been awhile!), and creating the sense of ‘shimmering’.”

This small freedom was instigated by Natasha at Creative Nachos. The creativity prompt was to celebrate Poetry Month. Be sure to check out the other incredible entries!

Sometimes large is freedom:

My two 5 feet x 3 feet canvases arrived yesterday! Hurray! I can't wait to get to them, but I need to find some space. Perhaps the canvases will tell me what they want on them like my last largish canvas. I hope so. I love when that happens.

Odds and Ends

Hello Wild Creative Heart!


Writing hasn't been my thing lately apparently so the blog posts have been sparse! I'm been spending much time with my business, wondering what steps to take to get it going full speed! Learning about marketing and daydreaming about what might be next. The Universe has been providing me with much marketing and business ownership information which could be a Wizard Wednesday entry! Love how it is flowing! And some of it has been great confirmation that I'm on the right track. Yay!

I have many online class ideas flowing through my mind.

We are already a few weeks into 21 Secrets! There is still time to sign up! I so want to take advantage of these amazing teachers and classes! From abstract, to happy drawing, to yoga + art... You don't have to be an art journaler to be in 21 Secrets... It's really an artist's playground, even though Connie calls it an Art Journal Playground! Register until May 31! Many Wild Creative Heart blog followers are already there! Would love to see more of you!



The spring weather and sunshine have been calling me outdoors to take some photos...


I also took a bit of time to play:
Have to announce that I'm Artist of the week at Natasha Reilly's Creative Nachos blog (Thanks, Natasha!) where she does "Thursday Sweet Treat", giving a creativity prompt each week... Here are the "PLAY" entries. You can join in the fun, too!


How are things going with you?!?!

In Joy,
Lisa
♥

Wizard Wednesday 4/20/11 Spring Flowers

If you'd like some more information about Wizard Wednesday, check out this post.

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Here's my photo list for Wizard Wednesday!

The magic of spring flowers!

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How to play Wizard Wednesday: Keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays. They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation, or a list of Happy Things! Many exclamation marks allowed! The important thing is that we are focusing on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them! What are you appreciating today? This week? (It can be just one thing!) Be brave and join in! Let's play!

Namaste,

Lisa ♥

Nature Noticing You

"Before the 'Age of Reason', a person walked into a forest filled with the awareness that the forest was as aware of him as he was of it.' ~ Caroline Myss

When you are in nature, rather than *you* noticing things, begin to sense what is noticing you.

Several times I've been in a forest and have suddenly become aware that all of the trees are acknowledging my presence, giving me a warm 'hello'. I honor and acknowledge them as well. I may bow and say "namaste": The light in me recognizes and honors the light in you. I may open my heart and share love with them. I may also ask them a question.

Sitting or standing near a tree I may sense the tree's energy envelop me. It feels like an embrace. Not only am I a "tree hugger" but the trees hug me back!

Listen too. There may be a message. It may come in words, images, a feeling.

It might be trees, plants, animals, stones, a stream or lake. It might be the clouds, a mountain, a meadow. What is noticing you?

Let me know what you experience. ♥

Lisa

♥

Wizard Wednesday 4/13/11 - A List of Happy Things

Welcome to Wizard Wednesday!

If you'd like some more information about Wizard Wednesday, check out this post.

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My Wizard Wednesday "list" for the week was inspired by Aimee Myers Dolich of Artsyville, one of the teachers in 21 Secrets (which by the way is open for registration until the end of May! Register here.) She posted a painting of a list of "Happy Things" on Facebook which I happened to see this morning.

Here's my "Happy Things" list for Wizard Wednesday!

1. Sunshine 2. Daffodils

3. Sleeping late 4. chocolate yogurt 5. honey

6. pink 7. texture

8. chickadee’s song 9. clarity 10. meadowlarks

11. good movies 12. grass turning green

13. trees getting their leaves. 14. SPRING!

15. smiles 16. hikes

17. the smell of pine trees 18. synchronicity

19. Housemate's dog

What's your list of Happy Things today?

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How to play Wizard Wednesday: Keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays. They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation, or a list of Happy Things! Many exclamation marks allowed! The important thing is that we are focusing on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them! What are you appreciating today? This week? (It can be just one thing!) Be brave and join in! Let's play!

Namaste,

Lisa ♥

Womb Vessel

Something a little bit different for you today...

Starting with a small cylindrical box, I followed my intuition and used red and orange paint on the outside along with a symbol from a magazine. (This was a creative project to represent my experience at Lisa Schrader's Awakening Shakti Spring Women's Retreat.)

After letting it sit for a few days, I began sensing womb energy.

Perhaps the red and orange are representing the first and second chakras.

Remembering a message that came to me over three years ago, I painted the inside to represent the Universe.

The experience over three years ago was this:

As I focused on my uterus one night in a meditative state, I felt an *immense* power rising up from within me. A power I had never felt before and I don't think I have felt since. I was nearly frightened the energy was so powerful. And along with the power, came a message:

The power of the feminine force... the power of creation is here within you. Strong within you. You merely have to listen. The driving force can move mountains. Create from your womb. Use the energy that is there for you - shifting things, moving things, changing things, destroying things.

It is a wise choice to use this power. Never take it lightly. Harness it, tap into it and create from it - All things flow from here.... Let it rise up from within you.

It (the uterus) is connected to the Universal forces, it is a portal, it (the feminine/universal force) flows (into the uterus and) out from your hands, heart, throat, mouth, eyes, third eye, solar plexus....

Wise woman Janice Mark told me about 18 months after I received the message, "Our womb is the portal and the vessel for the cosmic womb of the Great Mother. Let the dream be grand and magnificent, Lisa. Let that which is loving and honoring enter your womb space. "

And over 3 years after I received this message, it seems I have created a symbol of it without even realizing that is what I was doing when I started. I believe I have an understanding that the womb of the Cosmic Mother is the "place" where all things are conceived and born from. I'm unsure how to connect with this power on a consistent basis, or maybe I do and don't realize it. (If any readers have an understanding, please share! I would love a conversation about this.)

I plan to place the "seeds" of dreams, projects, and desires inside this womb vessel in order for them to gestate. One of the first things I'll add will be how to tap into this power. Perhaps the Universe is telling me it's time to learn.

Namasté, Lisa ♥

(c) 2011 Lisa Dieken, All Rights Reserved

Wizard Wednesday 4/6/11 Finding the magical in every day life

Appreciating the Magic in the

Simple and the Extraordinary and sometimes those two distinctions

begin to blur and the simple IS the extraordinary.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. " ~Roald Dahl

Welcome to Wizard Wednesday! If you'd like some more information about Wizard Wednesday, check out this post.

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My Wizard Wednesday "list" for the week:

I'm just amazed sometimes how everyday the Universe is speaking to me so clearly and showing me signs, answering questions, providing me with information! And when nature is involved it is even more magical for me!

Last week I wrote about the salamanders. Sunday I wrote about the spider. And even if the animals aren't bringing me messages, they arrive in other ways. Things people post in Facebook, emails I receive. Things I overhear, things people say to me. Messages on trucks. Messages I intuitively hear from the ocean, a tree, plants, Mother Earth.

Magic is everywhere! Do you believe in it?

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How to play Wizard Wednesday: Keep track of magical, fun, synchronistic events and experiences and share them here on the Wizard Wednesday posts! Feel free to post comments anytime, not just on Wednesdays. They can be small, seemingly trivial things, or big exciting things. It can be similar to a gratitude list or a rampage of appreciation. Many exclamation marks allowed! The important thing is that we are focusing on magic, fun and things that make us feel good. When we focus on them, we begin to see and experience more and more of them! What are you appreciating today? This week? (It can be just one thing!) Be brave and join in!

Let's play!

Namaste,

Lisa ♥

Patterns, Purpose and Questions

Greetings Wild Creative Heart™!

Today I was listening to Jean Houston explain about the positive patterns that keep repeating in our lives which could possibly give us clues about our life purpose.

I had begun thinking about nature and spirit when a large spider descended from the ceiling on her thread and landed right in front of me!

To me, Spider holds the energy of creativity. I confess, learning about all the aspects of creativity has been a big interest of mine most of my adult life. When I was growing up, I was told several different times I was creative and/or artistic. But that is only a small piece of the idea of “creativity”.

My interest in creativity is in several different areas:

Creativity as in the arts, whether it’s drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, sewing... and all the rest!

Creativity as in projects, thinking outside the box and problem solving. Understanding the creative process and nurturing it.

Creativity as in creating our life – choosing our thoughts, setting intentions, deciding what brings us the most joy, following our hearts and our dreams, listening to the energy that wants to be expressed in our life.

Creativity as in spirituality - Becoming conscious and connecting to that larger part of ourselves who is infinite and infinitely creative. Living life from this place.

Creativity as in sexuality - Our sexual energy is our life force energy is our creative force. Our sexual energy creates babies. Our sexual/creative energy creates projects, businesses, community, and everything else we “create” in our lives.

Creativity as in the cycles of nature - from seed to plant, from embryo to baby, from life to death, the cycles of the seasons, (from idea to completed project).

So was Spider saving me much thought and contemplation by providing me the answer to Jean Houston’s suggestion? Is the pattern that moves through my life “creativity”?

This ‘pattern’ shows up in several ways that come to mind right now. It is what led me to become a creativity coach, focus on intuitive drawing and painting, and take numerous art classes. It led me to Osho and his suggestion that if we are living as our higher self, allowing spirit to express through us, we are being creative. It has led me to sacred sexuality and tantra.

Is this ‘pattern’ meant to be my life’s work? (a life purpose doesn’t necessarily translate into what we think of as “work”.) If it IS meant to be my life’s work, how can it best be expressed? How can what I’ve learned so far best be of service to others?

I’ll wonder about these questions and watch what unfolds.

Questions for you:

What does “creativity” mean to you? What does this post bring up for you?

Alternatively, or in addition: What is a positive pattern that keeps showing up in your life that may give you clues to your own life purpose?

I'm looking forward to your comments, thoughts, feelings and feedback!

Namasté,

Lisa

♥

(c)2011 Lisa Dieken, All Rights Reserved