Creative Soul Juice

True change comes from a place of love - a love of self. The Secret to the Journey to Health is learning to love ourselves.  Having recently read the amazing book You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, I've found so many things that resonate on this Journey to Health and being a health coach. This latest art journal entry is an illustration about loving myself on this journey to health.  I have long known that the weight is not about the food and the exercise as much as it is about the mindset.  Our self loathing, lack of love for who we are, and our actions are what truly keep us on the continuing cycle to gaining and losing the pounds. We carry our extra weight as a shield of armor, protecting us from facing ourselves, dealing with our issues, and finding peace of mind versus looking at ourselves with lovingkindness and forgiveness.  The simple act of looking in the mirror and saying "I Love You" can be one of the most difficult tasks for someone w...

The river has always been a teacher. From the time I first dipped a paddle in the Rappahannock, to a recent paddle on the Shenandoah, the lessons continue. That old aluminum Grumman taught me a few things about rocks and hydraulics back in the day. When we threw a wee young boy in the boat and flipped it just before the first rapids in Fredericksburg, l learned about that survival instinct that kicks in for a mother protecting her young. I also learned how to use a paddle to avoid a spill. Many teachers, many lessons. I’ve heard some real whoppers from sitting around a campfire with old decrepit liars, cried a more than a few tears when a fellow paddler took his last breath on the James in the rapids at Hollywood. Gained a life long friend at the funeral. The river has its gifts and its payments. Among the best lessons have been scenes that no land lover observes from an overlook on a parkway. Gorges in the glacier fed rivers of Quebec, skinny dipping in nipple freezing wate...

Before I get too far in to the New Year, I make sure I take a look back at the past year and celebrate the accomplishments, the people and remember the events that shaped the past year.  This was an idea I learned from Coach Laura West and Center for Joyful Business. I took a stack of multi-colored sticky notes and cut them into petal shapes, writing an accomplishment, the name of someone who impacted my life, names of those for who I am grateful, and events that I experienced throughout 2014.  This past year was a year of letting go and receiving, dancing to great music, painting & collage, art journaling and travel. I wrote each one, remembering what transpired, how the time was spent, and the feelings and emotions each brought to my life. I also spent a moment in gratitude for each one.  This will become a page in my art journal and lead me into the new year with an appreciation for what has been.  I welcome you to take some time to write d...

Spending New Year's Day 2015 on making art and cooking was my objective this past week, and I wanted to do an art journal page on the word I've chosen to guide me through the next 12 months.  This year I've chosen Warrior . I created a self portrait of myself with these words as the cover of one of my 2015 art journals. My mantra is to be a warrior of my life. A fearless protector of my happiness, health, wealth, art and time.  This blog has inspired me:  Janette Gregson's amazing Warrior Women Art Journals I've learned to take daily actions in choosing happiness, health and wealth every day. Those actions each day bring me task by task to the place where I am now and want to be most. I want every day to be focused on choosing wisely how I spend my time, and with whom I spend it.  As Maya Angelou says, " When people show you who they are, believe them." As I intend to show the people I spend time with who I am, truly and deeply... A warr...

The lovely Effie Wild has generously offered a giveaway on her site that you should check out! A gift from an artist Effie, to another artist, Flora Bowley, who I also adore... Effie is giving away two seats in an e-course painting class called  Bloom True  taught by Flora beginning on January 26th. So get over there  before Jan 12th (do this now before you get all partied out) and let's make more art in 2015!

Today I am reposting a previous blog entry from a few years ago.  I continue wanting to step to the edge and fly with the winds of a changing season. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Something opens our wings. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness." ~Rumi What is arriving at the door of your imagination this fall? Does the change in season bring an emerging awareness of change in yourself? A deeper understanding of self? A new passion to explore? A new relationship or a change in one you already have? A new level of closeness? As we prepare for the cooler weather and feather our nests for the winter, we may bring a gathering of internal harvest. What has shown up in your life recently that you may have not fully embraced? Too busy, too much to do, ignoring an urge, avoiding intuition... have you been afraid to come to the edge? to truly soar? Read the words by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire...