Sol de Gratitud

Today I'm mixing gratitude with art, which fills me up with good energy. I'm thankful for happening to see a really neat idea on Pinterest and feeling inspired to create my own "mandala of gratitude" or as I like to call it: Sol de Gratitud. For I am grateful for the sun everyday, even when I can't see it. The sun is a lot like faith, isn't it? Especially when you live in the Seattle area, it's a lesson in faith when the clouds or fog come. I should add that to my sun. I'm grateful for the clouds for they teach me to trust in the ever-present sun. 

I think this is just my first gratitude sun too. Last year I wrote what I was grateful for almost everyday. This year I feel called to drawing and singing. So maybe I will draw and sing about what I'm grateful for. I like being able to write within my art though too. :)

What fills you with good energy?

Doodling to Destress

Today at lunch, even though I only had a little under a half an hour to eat, I sat in the rich sunshine and doodling this little tribute to the sun and moon with a highlighter I had with me. It's simple, but it made me feel more artsy and creative and more connected to my true self. I am artist. And even if I don't get paid to create art, I can still create it virtually whenever I feel like it, and from the Fun-A-Day challenge this month, I am learning to recognize the difference in how I feel on the days when I make time for my art and how much more relaxed I am. Doodling truly is a great destresser! I may need to get a little doodle book to have with me while on walks and out and about so my art can be accessible whenever inspiration hits. :)

Do you doodle? How does it make you feel?

Standing in My Strength

Wow! It's sometimes hard to believe this month is already coming to a close. I feel like it's sped by without a lot of time for reflection. But luckily that's where you come in. This blog has been such a wonderful source for reflecting and sharing this past year and a half. It helps keep me focused and also allows me space to stretch and explore and discover and grow.

Lately I have felt tested to stand up for what I believe is right and stay true to my heart. With this comes a reminder of my inner strengths and a look back at my journey to discovering, recognizing, and most importantly owning my most dependable strengths...my spiritual gifts. 

A quote from my favorite author, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, aka. SARK inspired me to see my strengths flowing as in a stream with me standing in the center. 

As SARK said, "I am practicing owning my strength, and standing in the center of it."

This is comforting when I'm feeling challenged to stand up for myself or when I feel uncertain or ungrounded. I can find strength in my center and I can feel centered when focused on my strengths. 

This is truly a gift.

Sunrise...Sunset...Zumba

For today's fun, the Seattle area experienced 60 degree spring like weather in January again! And I enjoyed the amazing sunrise and sunset. And the fact that the days are a little bit longer now. Afterwards, I went to zumba, like old times, and it's like riding a bike! I had really missed dancing in a big group to fun music!

So sunrise, sunset, painted skies and zumba class. It was a fun day all around. Enough said. :)

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."

~Martha Graham 

Coming Back to My Creative, Energetic Self

Again I've had the opportunity to practice a lot of self-compassion and self-care in the past few days. I have been craving more fun and making art everyday again, but my body had other plans. Home sick on Wednesday and Friday with an upset stomach and headaches left me with just enough energy to watch some home improvement shows and good movies. A tiny bit of fun but I would have preferred dancing or yoga or drawing or taking pictures or a nice nature walk or making a collage or a pair of earrings. :)

On Thursday, I had a break from feeling yucky and although it was an overcast day, I enjoyed the beauty of the trees in the fog and tried to draw what I saw.

I took a cute cat photo while stuck at home too. :)

Yesterday I had the pleasure to see one of our flower girls who is 9, and she brewed us up a special blend of tea which was very creative and fun. It made me think of a cool theme for a party! :)

Today in Seattle we were blessed with sunshine and warmth which made it feel like spring in the middle of January! The clouds were gorgeous as the sun set.

So slowly but surely I'm coming back to my creative, energetic self. I am thankful for the internal drive to return to my creativity always.

What drives you?

Practicing Self-Compassion is Fun

I'm practicing self-compassion with my Fun-A-Day challenge, because I haven't posted in the last few days because I have been super busy learning and growing at my first life coaching training weekend at Seattle Life Coach Training. On Saturday, for fun and experience and growth, I got to phone coach for the first time using a wheel of balance exercise, which, I might add, involved coloring. :) 

Then on Sunday, I practiced creative visualization and right after saw a 2-second rainbow--like it was just for me. And then that afternoon I celebrated with my entire city/state /region when our beloved Seattle Seahawks won in overtime in a nearly impossible comeback to go to the Super Bowl again! I think the players also visualized their win and never ever gave up. So inspiring and the joyful energy was contagious!

Yesterday I had fun sleeping in, feeling moved by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes, and enjoying healing acupuncture. And today, although I didn't feel very good, fighting a persistent headache and then good ol' cramps, I would say that having self-compassion and self-love in going home early and eating healing pho and resting all afternoon and evening was the best gift I could give myself today. The gift of listening to my body and my intuition and taking care of myself. Not fun to have pain but essential to have self-compassion and a little fun to get to watch Rio 2 while resting. :) 

Artwork coming again soon. Here are some photos I've taken the past few days for now.

Thankful for Growth

For today, I'd like to share some photos I took having fun on my day off, preparing for the start of my life-changing class tonight. I feel grateful for the opportunity to grow and change and share similar experiences with a great group of people.

Embracing My Inner Amateur

Today after a long, dark, rainy drive, I met a kindred spirit friend for the Edmonds Art Walk and we had such a nice time. Art and bring with artistic people is a great cure of the grumpiness traffic can create. :) I felt inspired to try drawing again and even though I looked up pictures online for inspiration and guidance, the idea came to me as I hugged my friend good bye in the rain. I couldn't quite figure out how to draw a hug but I'm practicing self-compassion, vulnerability, courage, and no judgment of my art so I can work on that another day. 

"Every artist was first an amateur."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trying Uncomfortable Things

A funny thing happened yesterday. I decided to take out a drawing book and draw something for Fun-A-Day, but I met some resistance. Resistance I didn't even know existed. I identify myself as an artist and I pride myself on being open to all kinds of art and trying out all forms of art. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to draw anything. And then I realized I've been drawing the same four or five shapes or figures since I was a kid! I may have added a palm tree and swirly sunshine here and there in my late teens. But honestly since that time, I don't think I've tried to draw anything new. And even though I told myself, "Hey, come on, try something new," I felt that pit in my stomach, that pit called perfectionism. Roaring her big scared head. (I won't call her ugly. She wouldn't like that.) I didn't want to mess up. I didn't want to draw something not good or even ugly in pen in a pretty book. Permanent. 

I may have also been coming up against being tired and not having a lot of time to work through these issues last night, but it really made me realize that I need to work on this. Better put, I need to work through this. I want to work through this. It's important to me to stay open and try new things and express myself through different art forms.

One of my main primary intentions this year is to open up, keep my heart center open and remain open, especially when I feel stressed. And I've been brainstorming heart-opening activities to practice this. And lo and behold, I think drawing needs to be on that list!

It's time to do something a little uncomfortable and mark up the drawing book. Do what I normally wouldn't so I can keep growing. As an artist and a person.

So here goes! (Gotta remember not to hold my breath!) It's time to believe in myself!

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."

~Aristotle

Drawing Fun

For the 12th day of fun this month, I decided to try making a mandala. I have admired how beautiful they are for awhile now and read that drawing is good for relaxing, so I have it a try. Unfortunately I couldn't find a ruler so I ad-libbed. I'm still working on it but my back got tired and it's time to rest, so this is all for now. (I think I'll do better the next time but it's not a competition. It was fun to try and it's the process of creating something new that counts.)

Collaging For the New Year

Finally a collage for the new year! Actually 3 collages! I have been itching to create a collage for the new year and was lucky enough to make several today with a few good friends. Collaging flows so much better with friends. As do many things.

This is my New Year's collage for 2015. 

And because it's hard to stop once I start collaging, two more pages for my collage notebook.

4+ hours dedicated to ripping and cutting and gluing and reflecting and sharing good, creative times with friends. What more can I ask for on a Sunday afternoon?

Football Fun

For Day 10, I was having so much fun that I didn't have a chance to post. But I baked pumpkin cupcakes, got to hang out with family and friends and rooted on our home team on their way to the Super Bowl.

I Love Sunsets

I love sunsets! I never tire of taking pictures of them either. It's like my way of paying respect to one of Mother Nature's wonderful creations. Lately though, my smart phone, which doubles as my camera when I'm on the go, hasn't had enough memory for many pictures, so when I'm unable to photograph the amazing colors and marvelous shapes of the clouds, I really try to stay present and savor the view I'm lucky enough to witness. I'm almost sad on the days when I miss the sunset or can't see it for some reason. I'm beginning to feel equally about sunrises but I most definitely regularly miss those on the weekends. It's such a treat though on the weekdays as I start my long drive to witness such extreme beauty. It's a gift from the earth. And I happily open this gift as often as I can, everyday if possible. Also one of the next best parts is sharing the beauty with friends and family, and Facebook makes it so easy to connect with loved ones from all eras in my life and unite to enjoy the simple beauty of nature together. I love that.

So here is my gift to you tonight, on the 9th day of fun. :-)

What do you love about nature? I know, it's hard to choose. Thankfully we don't have to. Nature is so abundant--we can pick something different everyday and never run out of beauty! 

Twinkly Lights and Fog

This is all I can show for my Fun-A-Day #8. Over all it was a good day but a long commute which pooped me out. But I saw this beautiful fog over my mom's lake after I dropped her off at home and loved the twinkly lights across the lake. Yes, it's a cell phone picture and a bit blurry but I think it almost looks like a painting that way. Add that to my creative to-do list: paint fog. This is in addition to painting clouds, drawing a mandala, art journaling more, and using more random (or not-so-random) print in my collages. I like keeping a creative to-do list. I keep it on my phone in a note and add to it when I think of another artform I'd like to try. That's the benefit of Fun-A-Day--it brings creativity to the forefront of my mind. Helps awaken the natural born habit within me to express myself creatively.

Do you have a creative to-do list?

Yoga for Fun

So for today, I mustered up my energy after a long drive and went to yoga. And the yoga instructor was luckily gentle with us and even passed out little twinkly lights. I love those! So for my Fun-A-Day today, I went to yoga. The end. :)

Here is a flashback from last January when I incorporated yoga into my Fun-A-Day as well.

Selfie Adventures

A year of adventures wouldn't feel as adventurous without some selfies and self portraits, right? I know it feels a bit narcissistic but I recently read about the power of the selfie and how it brings us greater self-empowerment. So for this sixth day of fun, here is another photo collage but this time of yours truly, la Ecua-Gringa. :)

Let Water Roll Off

Thanks to one of my favorite Facebook posters, Liz Gilbert, I decided on New Year's Day to notice what the first animal I saw was that day and that animal would be my totem animal for the year. Without really knowing what that meant, I saw ducks on my mom's lake that day and thought it was pretty fitting, because ducks let water roll off them, just as I would LOVE to let stress roll right off of me this year. 

And as I began to think about ducks more, I realized I'd been photographing them all last year. I also grew up feeding them by the lake near our house, and I think I remember that my babysitter from when I was little loved ducks too. :) 

I read a little about ducks as totem animals on a site appropriately named spirit-animals.com and I saw words like "grace" and "clear emotions" and "living in the moment" and "emotional strength" and "self expression" and "new opportunities." It sounds like a perfect theme for me! And I'll be reminded of my theme when I see my totem animal throughout the year. 

Sometimes Good Enough is the Best Way

Sometimes "good enough" is all I can do, and it's about time to stop beating myself up about not always having the time/energy/motivation to be original all the time. 

I say this because today is the 4th day of the new year and the 4th Fun-A-Day and I find myself making yet another photo collage of my favorite pictures from 2014, this time of our kitty cats. Being it's Sunday and we're supposed to have more time on the weekend, I guess I hoped I'd be more creative and do something different. 

But you know what? It's okay to do something simple and fun. Things don't always have to be extravagant or complicated to be worth it. And I have to remember that one of the points of Fun-A-Day is to have fun! And I like looking back at the past year's photos and I like photo collages, so this really is a great low-key, uncomplicated fun activity I can do entirely from my phone. 

In the process, I'm also writing more and creating a new blog post everyday, which helps me express my creativity in another way. And feeling creative and connecting with friends are some of the best ways and relatively simple ways to have fun and feel less stress. 

So meet Gus and Roo, our Siamese almost twins. :)

What is a low-key fun activity you enjoy?

Nature Lover

For my third day of fun this year, I've created another photo collage but this time of my favorite nature shots from 2014.

"The earth has music for those who listen."

~George Santayana

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."

~Anne Frank

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

~Lao Tzu

When You Look Up More Often, You'll See More Beauty

I love clouds and I might love photographing them even more. They bring me peace when I gaze up in the sky and it's so much fun to spot different shapes and animals up there. One of my ideas for reflecting on the past year and ushering in the new was to create some top 10 lists or in today's and yesterday's cases, top 12 lists. So today I looked back at all my cloud pictures and picked my favorites from 2014. And you know what? I used to think it would be rare to see a really cool shape in the sky. Now I know that if you look up more often, you'll see more beauty. One of my favorite take-aways from attending Oprah's big weekend event back in November was when Rob Bell talked about reverence for life. Being in nature and capturing it with my camera (or smart phone) to share with friends and family is so rewarding and breathing in the fresh air while reveling in the sheer beauty of this earth brings me great peace.

So on this second day of the new year and second day of the Fun-A-Day challenge, I created a collage of my top 12 clouds.

An opening, a feather, a streak, a blanket, a heart, a raccoon extending his paw, angel wings, Dumbo, a crane, a cross, an eye, and waves.

You may not see each of those shapes or animals, but isn't it fun to take another look at the sky we see everyday and imagine?

What do you see?

Fun Everyday

My life was truly shaped in such a positive way as I began last year with daily creativity projects through the Fun-A-Day challenge. So as the year came to a close, I knew I needed this challenge again to have a little (or a lot of) fun everyday. And starting the new year in this way is the best medicine! Creativity mixed with friends is also the best medicine for whatever ails you, especially in the winter months.

As I've been brainstorming ideas for themes and cool projects to do this month for my 2nd Fun-A-Day challenge, I noticed that I'm putting some pressure on myself to do something really original and unique. But then I remember that I set out to go easy on myself and show myself lots of love and compassion this year. I don't need to do something elaborate and detailed for it to be fun. And I have to remember that I'm doing this for ME. It's great if, in sharing what I do for fun this month, others feel inspired or happy when they see what I create, but the true benefit of daily creativity is the process of creating and the flow one feels when they're letting all their creativity hang out. 

So no matter what theme I might choose for the day or week or month, for my Fun-A-Day 2015, I'm going to blog about what I create. Everyday. And one of my intentions and possible themes is opening my heart through art--song, dance, words, photography, collage, painting.

For today, I wanted to create a top 12 sunset photos from 2014 collage. I feel great comfort and satisfaction in photographing nature's beauty and sharing my reverence for our amazing planet. 

This quote from Henri Matisse sums up why putting our creative projects out there in a public arena like the internet is an incredible practice in vulnerability: 

"Creativity takes courage." 

May we all have the courage to let our creative juices flow in this new and shiny year. And may we share what we create with our loved ones and make new friends in the process. :) 

Happy creating!