Entries Tagged as: self-care
Soul Coaching Art
November 22nd, 2008, Comments (9)
Today's Soul Coaching exercises were so up my alley! I only had time to do the first level of exercises, which involved doing 3 drawings. For the first drawing, author, Denise Linn asks that you close your eyes, get a sense of the what you are feeling in that moment, reach for the color or colors that express that emotion, and then draw it out. I used caran d'ache, water soluble crayons to do these drawings. And the drawing above is what came out. I was feeling mainly soft blue mellowness with bits of a light green anxiety. The images developed as I drew. For the second drawing, we were asked to close our eyes, imagine the way we'd like to be feeling, and then draw that. What came from that is below. I was wishing for a bit more fire as perhaps you can gather. I'd like a bit more energy that's rooted in that blues I have much of already. But perhaps the it's like that expression, the grass is always greener. I just don't seem to be the high energy type and I am o.k. with that. I think I'm capable of more energy though and I'd like to work on that.
Then in the last drawing, we closed our eyes again, asked if our soul had a message for us, and then drew that. For this image, I saw in my mind a purple lotus flower and what I drew is below. I got the sense that my soul was saying, be still, be at peace. Everything is o.k. And it is! 
It was fun to do these drawings and just play intuitively. I think I'll do the other exercises another time. I've done something very similar to the other exercises Denise Linn shares, such as drawing with the non-dominant hand and drawing with both hands at once, last year during a class at Artfest. I loved the drawings that came from those experiences and highly recommend trying it out. You can read more about my experiences in that class and see what I drew here.
I went to a craft fair with my bff today and got totally wiped out. It was fun and inspirational (so much color! so many ideas!), but I tend to get overwhelmed in spaces like that and didn't buy anything. My bff bought the cutest hat for her lil girl and a couple other gifts.
I hope you're all enjoying the weekend and staying warm (it's freezing cold here in New England!)
Soul Coaching Day 3
November 4th, 2008, Comments (9)
Suddenly I'm a bundle of emotions. My neck hurts, my head hurts, and my eyes are teary. My day, up til this point was fabulous. I took a long walk to the polls, cast my vote, walked to the post office, and then ate my lunch outside. The weather was simply gorgeous. I picked up some leaves on my way home, I breathed in the air, and relished this lovely November day. I got home and did my homework for the Soul Coaching group which involved doing some de-cluttering. I de-cluttered the bathroom hung up a new shower curtain liner while I was at it. It felt good to this. It did seem to bring a certain clarity to both the physical and mental space I hold. I felt myself releasing some of that mental clutter into the trash as I carried my clutter out of my home. Sometimes sweeping away mental clutter also releases emotions that have been building too. And I made a big realization today, I said something out loud that surprised me a bit, but also felt absolutely true. I realized that I am letting go of the identity I've had of myself as being a "depressed person." I'm not saying that I haven't been depressed. I most certainly have. But someone said to me today that there's a difference between having the symptoms of depression and being a depressed person. Just like having a broken arm doesn't make you a broken arm. It's subtle (to me), but profound to grasp that difference. And I'm slowly getting that.
I'm also feeling quite emotional about the election. All this anticipation and building up. I read this post earlier and got all teary. I've held off from watching the news as it's too early to know anything, but I'll turn it on soon I'm sure. Got to remember to breathe. O.k. I'm off to rest for a bit before making some dinner. Art for the day will be posted later tonight. Toodaloo for now!
The Many Faces of Creativity
August 20th, 2008, Comments (22)
Yesterday, I listened to the Craftcast podcast featuring Kathleen Carr, a photographer, author, and teacher. At some point in the talk, Kathleen mentioned a book about the "seven stages of creativity." I made a note about it because I felt like it would speak directly to this post that I had in my head about the many ways in which we are creative. The book is called, The Widening Stream: the Seven Stages of Creativity by David Ulrich. The author has a website where you can find an overview of the book as well as an outline of the seven stages as he sees them.
I consider the various stages of my own creative cycle to include times when I'm searching and collecting, when I'm soaking up inspiration, when I'm empty, when I'm bursting with ideas, when I'm in the flow, when I'm stuck, etc... I don't think they fall in a particular order for me, it's more like the rolling waves of the ocean. The waves may vary, but generally they are up and down and up again.
(Some of) My modes of creativity:
Search and Gather: When I'm not creating, I'm often in search and gather mode. If I'm being self-critical, then I might see it as procrastinating, but it's all part of the process. Searching and gathering for me might be a walk with my camera, snapping pictures of what inspires me (like the river to the right), perusing blogs or online shops, reading a novel, organizing my art supplies, or wandering the aisles of the library and seeing what catches my interest. Letting your imagination roam can also be fabulously creative! Let yourself daydream from time to time. If I can let go and enjoy this stage, it's immensely fun for me. This is a great time for what Julia Cameron calls "artist dates" where you go out on your own to "fill the well" with inspiration. I enjoy going to greenhouses in the colder months.
Play: It is possible to get stuck in any stage and sometimes I need a push to the next. The super talented artist, Tammy Vitale, recently posted about how she uses playful art-making to get her going when she's struggling. For me it's the same way, play will always bring me back. Maybe not as quick as I'd like, but it always does the trick. I also liked that Tammy mentioned how these down periods don't bother her as much now because from past experience, she knows that they will pass. This is so important. The "dry spell" will pass. So why not enjoy it with some fun creating with no other purpose than to let loose? O.k., now that I think about it, I can see that I enjoy all the modes of creativity. Play, is by definition, a lot of fun. Drawing with crayons or markers like Tammy does is a great way to go. Sometimes, if I need help getting past my inner critic, I'll make art on the floor (see pic below.) This nifty little trick helps bring out my child-like adventurousness. Use whatever works for you, whether it be play-doh or coloring books. Inspiration often comes through play, no need to force it, just relax and enjoy.
Sketch/Write/Get it Out: When the inspiration does start to flow, it often comes in big bursts. If you have an incredible memory, then perhaps you'll be able to contain it all, but if you're like me, you may need to get these idea sparks down in some form. I keep multiple journals at the ready to capture ideas. I have a moleskine type notebook in my purse and various sketchbooks and journals (I've tried to consolidate in the past, but I'm o.k. with multiple journals now.) In these journals I capture dreams, quotes, lists, sketches, and free-form doodles (some sketches from a couple months ago are at the top of this post and below.) I also find myself doodling on junk mail, paper scraps, and receipts which can easily be taped into my journal later if necessary. Ideas often come to me in that lovely time between wakefulness and sleep, in the shower, while driving, on a walk, etc..., so it's good to have some paper and a writing utensil handy. It depends how you work, for you it maybe important to have a voice recorder handy or a portable camera (a camera phone can help capture inspirations when you're on the go!)
Just Do It: A lot of people think that the creating stage is the only part that's creative, but it's not true! All the things that led you to this point are essential and immensely creative! Even when I think I've just jumped into creating without the previous stages, it's often things floating around in my subconscious from my times of searching, gathering, playing, daydreaming, and doodling that have led me to create what it is I've started, seemingly out of nowhere.
It's true that many of us get stuck just before the manifesting stage, myself included. Oftentimes, the hardest part is beginning. When I'm feeling resistance, sometimes it helps to jump back into the playing stage until I'm feeling more confident and ready to tackle something. Or I may simply give myself permission to fail or make gloriously bad art.
Next time you're feeling like you haven't been creative lately, take a look and see if you've been doing any of these things and recognize the creative acts your doing every day!
Creativity, Sacredness, and Bravery
August 13th, 2008, Comments (7)
I love the project that Kelley of Dragonfly Reflections has created for herself. She decided to combine the essence of Creative Every Day 2008 and Sacred Life Sunday and do 100 days of sacred art. I mentioned to Kelley that the whole Creative Every Day project has made me much more aware of how the act of everyday creativity is a sacred act, as is art-making for me. It's all about slowing down, connecting with your still small voice, becoming aware of your surroundings, tuning into your life, and creating something from it. That something doesn't have to be grand. It might be farm fresh tomatoes that you sliced with care on a cutting board lined up with bits of goat cheese that you put together for a snack. When you can slow down enough to notice the blood red tomato, it's tight, but fragile skin, and pulpy interior, it connects you to life itself. You create an arrangement on the cutting board that is pleasing to the eye, you enjoy the taste and texture and feel grateful, you make some small impact on the day, which may be simply pleasing to you, but may ripple outwards in its effects in untold ways.
Every awareness and bit of creation seems to remind me of our impermanence. Is that the point? I certainly know that it is helpful for me to be reminded of my own and my loved ones mortality. Sometimes life can seem endlessly long. Life is full of mundane moments, each piled on the next and it's so incredibly easy to get caught up and lost in them. Another bowl of cereal for breakfast, the laundry needs to get put away, the litter needs cleaning, you have some family bbq to go to, you forgot to get stamps, you stub your toe, it's raining, you can't find your keys, someone is rude to you, life speeds by like this.
In the past, it's often things going wrong, some kind of crisis that wakes me up and reminds me how short and precious life is. It's a beautiful realization that can often lead to changes for the best, changes that were hard to make when stuck in the should's and have to's of a life that seems infinite and linear. The trick is to remember. It seems that once the crisis blows over, it's all too easy to fall back into old patterns and ruts. Perhaps life can't be lived full tilt, 24/7. I don't know. I've not managed it long term. But I wonder. Is it too much pressure to live each moment as if it were your one and only? It certainly takes a certain recklessness, abandon, and big time bravery. But the rewards are amazing.
One way I've used to wake myself up in the past is to imagine what I would do if I had a year left to live, and then do my best to do those things. It's a good exercise to think about and if done honestly can help direct you towards those things that make your heart sing. In my early twenties, my answers included that I would travel to the Caribbean and swim in crystal blue waters, spend more time with family, tell those I loved how much I loved them, and make lots of art. I did those things and I'm so glad I did. I've been considering doing this exercise again because of Patti Digh's challenge to think about what you'd do with 37 days left to live. This is the premise of her blog which led to the book, Life is a Verb, that has just been published. I think many of my answers would be the same now as they were in my twenties. I'd still want to spend lots of time with loved ones and express to them how much I love them, I'd still want to make lots of art (though I probably wouldn't be nearly as concerned about wasting materials or conserving paint or canvas. I might get a bit bigger and looser and more experimental with my brush strokes. I might paint with more abandon. I might paint with my whole body and soul and I'd certainly not give a crap about what any one else thought about it. Now, wouldn't that be liberating?), I'd also want to finish up, in some format, my book about living a creative life, which has been floundering a bit. I think I could pull out a handwritten version of the book in that month. Something collaged together to leave behind for others on the creative journey. 37 days wouldn't be enough time to have children. But that's something else I'd like for my life.
Wow, 37 days seems incredibly short. I know I'd be very sad. I'd want to sit by the ocean at night and look at the stars and write notes to my loved ones, give away my art to people I think would enjoy it. I'd cry and kiss the hubster and sleep in his arms with the kitties around us. But I'd also laugh and dance and sing and be silly. I wouldn't want to spend those 37 days depressed. I'd have an ice cream sundae for lunch and french toast for dinner. I'd draw on the walls. I'd take a long bath and walk around in my underwear or whatever was comfortable and freeing. I'd get my body painted and take cool pictures. I'd go on my favorite roller coasters and scream. I'd to on a whale watch. I'd visit the hollow tree near where I grew up and stand inside it, tuck a note into its branches. I'd cry some more and laugh some more and then leave this life in peace. What do you think you'd do with 37 days left to live? Is there anything unexpected that comes bubbling up when you think about it. Sometimes we don't know when our 37 days has started. Life is unexpected like that. What will you do with the knowledge of what having 37 days left means to you?
Well then, I wasn't expecting to go off on this when I started this post. I write posts like I make art, letting it flow. For more on this topic, I'd highly recommend Patti's book of course, and also Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening, which is excellent. It seems like all our challenges, being Creative Every Day, Sacred Life Sunday, Be Brave and many others are all about the same thing in a way. Living. Being. Creating. Outrageously, fully, with all our heart and soul, drinking it all in, and expressing all that is within us while we're here.
Above is something I was working on last night that ended up far away from what I originally imagined. I had started with the idea of sea creatures within an oval, but once I did the pattern in the background it was clear it was a face! I think I'll cut the face out and use it in a future collage, maybe the face of a mermaid.
Signs
August 6th, 2008, Comments (9)
I've been experiencing so much synchronicity in the past few days, it's wild! One that made me laugh out loud and gave me goosebumps was when I saw the same image twice in a matter of hours. First, in the copies of the Calyx journal I received in the mail. I opened the journal to check out my art and the other art featured inside. One of the artist's I noticed was Fran Forman, whose name stood out partly because I read that she is a fellow Massachusetts artist. Fran does beautiful digital collages using images she finds at flea markets.
Just a couple hours later, I was at my old job where I'm spending the evenings this week and I picked up the Globe. I wouldn't have seen this if I hadn't been at work this week because I don't get the paper delivered at home. And even if I had gone to the paper's website, I probably wouldn't have seen the bit from the daily insert, called "Sidekick." There on the front page of "Sidekick" was a large image called "Letting Go," the same one I saw in Calyx, from Fran Forman. I snapped a quick pic of the paper for you.
In some synchronicity squared, I received a comment today from Patty of Magpie's Nest on my recent post about, synchronicity of course, which reminded me about an article I read in the Globe over two years ago. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find it, but I did a quick search with what I remembered and it was the very first thing that came up on google. The article is all about seeing signs in numbers, in this case it involves a message from someone who has passed on. The story clearly made an impression on me since I remembered it so clearly. Looking back at it now, I laughed because of the date it was published includes my favorite number for synchronicity: 17.
Gah, it's seems impossible for me to explain these things properly. Today there were so many little instances of seeing the same things show up in different books and websites and the oddest places. After a full day of feeling bombarded, it's almost silly. When I read SARK's newsletter this evening with her own story of crazy synchronicity (which she told ever so eloquently), I laughed when she shared the Anne Lamott quote, "That's God showing off." That's a good way to put it. In an email, I told Patty that I think of them as winks from the Universe. Winky, winky, wink-wink.
My internet has been on the blink which has been frustrating and I feel terribly behind in catching up with emails and blogs. But I'm trying to let it roll off my back. Speaking of letting things roll off my back, I've been continuing to enjoy yoga. I tried out a new yoga dvd today: LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues
Shake it like a polaroid picture and all that. As I type this, in the background someone on t.v. says, "Shake it. Shake it." Hehe
All the yoga and reading I've been doing has been very helpful in my journey as I taper off anti-depressants. I'm grateful for that. It's so important for me to keep up with self-care here, especially as the days begin to get shorter, and yoga helps me remember to breathe and connect with my body. Finding creative ways to face my tendency towards a depressive state has been kind of fun. I enjoy reading what has helped others and trying natural ways to keep my spirits up through inspirational books, movement, supplements, art-making, etc...Every person is unique, so I think I need to discover my own personal prescription. But I always feel like I'm on the right path when I start seeing synchronicities every where!
Being Brave with Depression
July 15th, 2008, Comments (32)
Floating Over the Circus marker and ink on watercolor paper, 9"x12"
I've been feeling a bit quiet and tender around the edges this week so far. One thing that really helped brighten my mood was getting out the door and taking a long walk. I brought some things I needed to mail and a bag to get some groceries in and walked a couple miles into town. All the beautiful flowers along the way filled me up. And I need to be especially true to self-care right now as I'm on a journey that fits right in with my Be Brave theme of the month.
I wondered about whether or not to write about this here. It's a personal subject and can be a touchy one. I've talked about my experiences with depression here before. I think a lot of creative folks struggle with it, perhaps we're more sensitive and therefore more vulnerable to dark moods. 1 in 5 women in the U.S. is on anti-depressants, so I know I'm hardly alone. And while I'm not feeling like discussing my history with depression at the moment, I do want to say that I'm currently trying (with the assistance of a doctor) to slowly come off my anti-depressants. The first month of this process (that may take 6 months or more to complete) went amazingly well. I didn't feel a difference at all, in fact I felt better than usual. I'm now in the second month and I've felt the dip. I know I'll rebound though. It's sort of the feeling of when you jump into water. You dip down a bit before coming back to the surface.
I know that there will probably be some withdrawal symptoms involved in the future. Anyone who has done any reading about or had experience with coming off anti-depressants knows that the withdrawal can be harsh. However, I feel like I'm in a place in my life where I'd like to approach depression from a different angle and it feels like now is the time to go for it. Plus, I feel like I have a great doctor to work with who will help me do this safely and smartly. I'm not anti-medication by any means. I've been on some sort of anti-depressant for nearly 7 years and I would never judge anyone's choice to be on or off medication. Whatever keeps you healthy and safe is the way to go. And I'm not positive that I'll be able to come off anti-depressants completely, but I do want to try. If I can't do it safely, that's o.k. too. There are many reasons for making this decision and perhaps I'll go into that more later, but I felt like I wanted to share where I'm at at the moment as it is a big part of what's going on for me currently. Part of my brave action today is writing about this here.
I'm a bit behind on email, but if I owe you one, I'll get to it soon, promise! Tomorrow is a day for returning emails and errands and hopefully some art and then Thursday is my birthday and I plan to do whatever I feel like. Hehe. Friday, I'm planning to meet my mom for a pedicure and a movie and then drive up to Artstream for Lisa Solomon and Lisa Congdon's art opening. I feel totally introverted at art openings, but it should be fun, inspiring, and hopefully I'll see some familiar faces!
Creativity as a Cure for the Blahs
June 16th, 2008, Comments (14)
Last week, I was feeling a bit of the blahs and after wallowing in it for a bit, I was determined to move through it. Creativity to the rescue! Reading some inspirational words, playing, having some good laughs, and making art helped me to break free of the blahs and into something more colorful and light. Over the weekend I was working on a couple pieces that I finished up today. "Carried Away" (above) was born from an idea that came from playing in my sketchbook (sketches in this post.) It is about 6.5" x 10" and was created with acrylic, ink, and colored pencil on thick printmaking paper. I also worked on another idea that came to me on a long drive. I made a quick note as I drove, so that I wouldn't forget it (nearly illegible since I wasn't looking at the paper as I wrote on the back of a receipt on top of my steering wheel.) Later I transferred the idea into my sketchbook, played with it some more and eventually it became "Storyteller" below.
"Storyteller" was created with collaged papers (mostly maps and pages from old books), acrylic paint and ink. It's about 9.5" x 9" on thick printmaking paper. As I was imagining it in the car, I had an image of words flowing out of a woman's hands because I love the idea of art that tells a story. I think other images may come out of this idea, but this one is finished. Below is a detail of the whale, which I particularly like because of the way a piece of a map is its eye.
I've got some links to share that hopefully will bring you some inspiration, whether or not you're feeling like you've got a case of the blahs.
- Just spotted the blog Three Beautiful Things (via a small stone.) Love the simple and totally beautiful things the author has noticed there. This one made me smile: I hear music from Oli's yard. He is sitting in the half-shade with a jug of juice and his guitar.
- I so loved this post by Patti Digh. Oh so touching and inspiring.
- In the comments of my post and art about Alzheimer's, Carla from Anonyrrie mentioned the song "Silent House" by the Dixie Chicks. I looked it up and thought it was heartfelt and lovely. You can listen to it here.
- Jim is planning a very cool sketchbook swap on his blog. I'm planning to play along!
- Big thank you to Julia for featuring my etsy art shop in her Friday favorites! Julia has a blog filled to the brim with inspiration.
- A sure-fire way to beat the blahs is to head out for a nature walk. I love the look of this collection of pine cones from the blog, unruly things.
- I love this innovative way of hanging art using pants hangers (seen at poppytalk, originally in O at Home magazine.) I think it would be a great way to display prints that you don't have a frame for or works on paper.
- I was so entertained by this interview of Melanie Ford Wilson by Danny Gregory in one of his Illustrated Life podcasts. I listened to it while I painted and enjoyed it thoroughly. The podcast talked a lot about sketchbooks which was great fun to think about and listen to someone else's approach.
- Shortly after listening, I saw a picture of a bear online and really wanted to draw it. I grabbed the nearest pen and scrap paper and scribbled this guy out (below.) Bears are terribly cute aren't they? I mean, I wouldn't want to mess with one, but if the bear weren't opposed to it, I'd totally give it a hug.
- I mention the bear drawing because I think doodling and drawing whatever your heart desires is a wonderful way to beat the blahs.
How do you use your creativity to scare away the blahs?
Re-Thinking Rejection
May 28th, 2008, Comments (15)
I haven't done a "Wellness Wednesday" post for awhile. Today I was thinking about how as part of wellness you need to learn how to embrace rejection. Well, maybe not embrace it, but at least re-think it.
There are all sorts of heavy feelings tied up with the word rejection, such as hurt, shame, and embarrassment. We all deal with it, whether in the form of relationships, our work, or simple exchanges with other people in the world. As a creative person putting their art into the world, hearing the word "no" is to be expected.
In the past, I've avoided putting myself out there because of the fear of rejection. Somewhere down deep, I was saying, "Aha, rejection, I've got you now! If I don't apply (show up, try it, etc), I won't have to experience you at all!" Well, this is wrong on many counts and the sad part is that it only ends up hurting me more.
Patti twittered the this quote the other day:
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.- Joseph Chilton Pierce
I've definitely been scared of being wrong. It's a fear that follows me around and shows up in my work, in my relationships, in my conversations. In a group, I might not speak up because I don't want conflict. Or I may get into a heated discussion with someone I care about because I want to be right. Some of this wanting to be right is all tied up with rejection and I'm slowly, but surely learning to let it go. I don't need nor do I want to always be right. I'm letting those stressful attempts at perfection (fruitless and never-ending attempts) go. I'm learning to lose. And through losing, I win.
I remember sometime last year when the hubster told me, "there's no such thing as failure." There is trying and there's not trying and every "try" is an experience through which you learn and grow. I think we can all look back on relationships, jobs, moments where we felt rejected in that moment, but now we realize it was for the best and simply part of our path.
So, why embrace rejection? Well, if you're putting your work out into the world, more rejections may mean that you are stretching, that you are going for it. You may get more "no" responses than you normally would, but you also open yourself up for the "yeses!"
It's also important to remember that rejections usually aren't personal. That gallery, job, person, experience may not be what they're looking for at that time (or the right thing for you either), but it doesn't necessarily mean they don't like your work. So, when rejection comes my way, I think to myself, "O.k., that isn't the right place for my work right now. Good to know. Moving on."
Speaking of moving on, as Julia Cameron says, the only cure for criticism is creativity (I'm paraphrasing here.) And while rejection isn't exactly criticism, it can sting just the same. Unfortunately, it's all to easy to let a "no" stop us dead in our tracks. I can tell you from experience, the best antidote is to get back to work in whatever way you can. As soon as you start to create again, the fog of doubts will lift and you'll get connected with what you love.
I've been putting my work out there more (and need to do much more of it.) Today I received two rejections (one very nice, one brief and form-like) and one acceptance. And that's one yes I would not have had, if I hadn't put myself out there. There's no doubt that some rejections are more painful than others. You may need to grieve a bit, but then pull yourself up and get back to it. As for me, I got back into it and had some fun with acrylic and ink on paper and made the painting at the top of this post! ("Birdhouse", 8"x10", acrylic, ink, pencil on watercolor paper.)
Oh Bee-have!
May 27th, 2008, Comments (10)
Yikes. The older I get, the more I can't contain the puns.
I was feeling a bit stressed earlier, worked myself into a veritable tornado of anxiety. As I apply to various things (shows, galleries, agents, etc...) this sometimes happens. Is it fear of rejection? I'm sure it is in part, but the truth is that rejection isn't all that bad. I can handle it. So what is it that's causing my heart to race? Some underlying fear of being judged or being not good enough seems to be part of it. What an unpleasant feeling. In order to calm myself down, I needed to go sit outside and read for awhile. The cool post-storm air and a grounding book along with some cat snuggles helped bring me back down to earth.
Tonight, I feel calm again and I decided to do some fun art. This week's Inspire Me Thursday theme was "whimsy." Earlier in the day, an image of houses carried by balloons popped into my head, so I scribbled it down quick in my sketchbook and carried on. Later in the day, I was thinking on the combo of aqua and red and decided that I could do that quite nicely with the idea I'd sketched out. The idea of it is whimsical I think.
How did it get so late? Oh, I'm sleepy...But before I go, some links!
-Erin of Design for Mankind has created another gorgeous zine, which you can read here. This issue is all about inspiration in nature.
-Looking for some places to submit your artwork? The Art Deadlines list runs a blog with a wide range of opportunities.
-Want to learn how to draw a face? So much of it is in the proportions. This video is a great place to start!
And that's all she wrote, for tonight.
Ickiness and Inspiration
April 29th, 2008, Comments (15)
I was feeling good and productive yesterday, prepping an art print to go out, finishing up a proposal, and starting a new painting. The hubster got home late from a meeting and we were chatting about it on the couch, while I did a little work on the painting. All of the sudden my ear (which has been clogged all week, I believe due to allergies) felt especially clogged and was ringing loudly and I got incredibly dizzy. When I turned my head the room was spinning as if I'd had way too much to drink. I waited for the feeling to pass, holding my head still, and then told the hubster that I might want to lay down. He helped me walk towards the bedroom, but I had to sit down in the kitchen because I felt so dizzy, hot, and very nauseous. I wanted to lay down, but I also felt like I was going to be sick, so I ended up in the bathroom. I hate throwing up, but I felt like I was seasick and had no choice, but to lose my dinner. After that I got in bed, still feeling dizzy if I moved my head too much. Fortunately, after another hour or so, the dizziness subsided and I felt better and went to bed. Very weird.
Today I feel much better, though still congested and little icky. The hubster was super worried about me last night. I don't blame him as I've never been sick like that before and I can imagine it must have been weird to see me like that. He has insisted that I make a doctor's appointment and I will today even though I'm not excited about it. Too bad going to the doctor couldn't be more fun, eh? They should give out stickers to adults too.
Enough of this barfy talk, how bout some inspiration?
- Mindy of under a pink sky has started a beautiful new blogzine called wishstudio. I love the look of it and I know it will be filled to the brim with inspiration. There's also a call for submissions if you're interested in participating!
- I totally love this new journal made of magazine pages by Elena of Lunar Musings. It reminded me of writing letters to my best friend that were sent in envelopes made of magazine pages.
- If you have HBO, the John Adams series was absolutely fantastic. They have it On Demand, if you have that service and it's definitely worth watching. Fabulous acting, great story, well-written. The hubster and I enjoyed it. The series was based on the book John Adams
Planning to take it easy today. I have some errands I need to run, but I'm going to cut myself some slack if they don't get done.
