career coaching

You may have noticed that adding new prints to the shop has been a bit on the back burner for me lately.

Not because I want it that way.  Just because my kids have been needing so much of my time and energy that I'm falling asleep at night and with homeschooling, my daytime creative hours are no longer an option.

But I'm making an effort to carve out time for creating.
(Side note here....but I had a request to make a boy on an eagle so I started this.. I felt like a boy would much rather be standing with an eagle that looked way more fierce.  At least I know my ten year old son would much prefer it this way.)

Back to the title of this post.  And the fact that If I'm not intentional about literally putting creative time in my calendar, it so sadly is one of the things that can get cut from my schedule.

Back in August I noticed that one of the illustrators I have loved following, whose work I think is adorable was offering career coaching.

stephanie fizer coleman

Ironically, I so often have wished for something just like this where I could talk with someone further along than me and ask them how they do things.  She also is completely self taught and her story is pretty amazing.  Her first illustrated children's book was just released.

I love success stories like this.  So often I think people wouldn't want to share their short cuts or tips.  But she is and honestly, I can tell that we would be real life friends if we lived close.

We started our weekly skype sessions yesterday afternoon for me, night for her.  Over the course of the month, she's basically doing one on one tutorials with me as well as answering loads of business related questions.  It's perfectly catered to all those questions that apply directly to what my needs are at this time.  It's like having a private class.  And I'm so excited about it.

Generally I google things when I want to learn how to do them and then follow a tutorial.  Or I'll spend lots of time going to paper warehouses and researching online, finding what I like best.   But my free time being so much more limited with homeschooling, I thought this would be more efficient and well worth the investment.

Most of all, it's making me carve out time for something near and dear to me.  I've set it up to have a babysitter every Friday afternoon from 2-6.  It's giving me time to draw and work on the things we talk about in our skype session.

It's inspiring and fun.  And just what I needed.  I pray you'll see the fruits of these sessions very soon!

contemplation

Happy Friday everyone.
Happy beginning of the weekend.
This sight, though not captured super well, was what I saw out my kitchen window as the sun was setting one night.
It took my breath away.

This bright, golden, streaking cross.
Calling out to me.  Reminding me that He is here.
He is always here.  Jesus sees me in the every day, in the struggles, in my doubts.

I've been deep in thought on so many things.  It often feels like too much to explain and so I've been kind of quiet here.

I've been contemplating where I am and where I'm heading.
I haven't mentioned this yet..but in just about two weeks I'll be turning 40.
And it suddenly has made me very introspective about a lot.
Perhaps soon I'll unfold it all here.
I can be so very introspective and sentimental.  I thought I felt strong about this birthday.
But suddenly I was hit by this wave of sadness over how fast the last decade has gone and how I guess it sort of felt like it would always be here.  And then I wonder will this next decade be just as fast.  A friend of mine about to turn 50 said it goes even faster.  Why, oh why does the time speed up as we age?

I wonder if homeschooling will slow me down or cause the pace to feel more pressured.  I'm praying it's the former.  But sometimes I fear it's the latter.  I have lots of unknowns of how it will all go, how I'll handle it all, balance it all.  Oh that unreachable 'balance it all' place.  Perhaps it's more about the letting go of balancing anything.

I do feel the Lord guiding my steps and so I'm faithfully trying to not over think.  I'm practicing just being where I am today.

I've also been feeling an increase in fatigue and joint pain that can come with the heat for lupus patients.  Sometimes I like to be in denial that I have it anymore.  Especially when I feel good for awhile.  But it seems all the go-go-go of our schedule at the end of the school year must have also taken a toll.  So I'm falling asleep early a lot at night..which means not a lot of posts and not a lot of creating.

But my mind and soul are itching to put pen to paper.  In my head I've drawn and painted and dreamed up much. But in my mind they remain for now.

I turn the energy I have over to making this a fun summer for my kids, with lots of swimming and entertaining friends.  Tonight we surprised them and took them to see Brave.

This next week they have vacation bible school and I'll have a rare three hours each day where they're all in the same place at the same time and the house will be quiet.

I'm praying for renewed energy and I pray this finds you all well too!

A Happy Place

That's what my sister named this room for me ... 


well it's a closet really.


But it doesn't matter.


It's a space to create.


And it's coming together.


I'm letting myself take risks and have fun.


I chose an aqua blue for the walls.


And tested out Emily Jones' painted wallpaper technique 


on the table top.


I chose a different design though.


I was actually inspired by a generic screensaver option 


found on the iphone.

It went much more quickly than I thought it would.


I've found lately if I just don't think about things too hard, 


they come together.




I traced the design while my kids played during the day


and was able to paint the whole table top in a little over an hour one 


night.

My next labor of love is a decoupage pegboard that will go on the 


inside of one of the doors.


I decided to decoupage copies of vintage hymnal music to it.


They were more yellow so I adjusted the color to make it 


look like newsprint.  And when it was all done I used a dry brush


of a martha stewart paint called newsprint to give it an even softer, 


vintage feel.


My daughters and I went crazy ripping and making a mess.


I really think there's no other way to create is there?


They were so excited to help and took such pride seeing


our progress and the finished product.

I very intentionally chose some of the words and numbers I wanted 


to stand out.  But much of it was like fitting in pieces of a puzzle.




I would place them down with modpodge first and then let my 


daughter's slather the modpodge on top.

Yes, it was messy and yes, more than one of us had glue in our hair.  


But it was fun and really how badly could we mess it up.  


It's supposed to look shabby.




I love the finished effect.  It feels more like a cool frame than a 


pegboard with a bunch of holes.

now that i figured out where i'm using the ikea baskets... i have to head back to buy two more

I kept waiting to get the good camera back in order to show you 

these things.  But it still isn't in my hands so these cell phone

photos will have to do. ;)

The 'room' is still evolving and I don't yet have a proper chair, but


once I'm all set up I just can't wait to start really creating in my 


"happy place."

"Recycled" Muffins & Valentine Fun

A dear friend of mine told me how not to waste all the pulp you get from juicing.


So today I gave it a go, making these uber healthy muffins.


I tried to be super stealth and not let anyone see the ingredients.


Because around here if they know what went in


they automatically say they don't like it.


But alas three out of four gave it rave reviews.


The littlest two liked them, especially with some butter 


(which by the way, kept on accidentally coming out looking like a heart... very apropos).


Daddy woofed down SIX of them.  But he said he was hungry.


The big boy of our family when asked if he liked them answered,


"They were great.  But that stuff inside made them gross."


I call that a mixed review. ;)


But never-the-less, they scooped them up and they're gone.


And they had a hearty, healthy, veggie filled, gluten-free breakfast. 

Here's the Recipe

Veggie Puree Muffin

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 cups veggie pulp

1 cup pineapple pieces

1 cup slivered almonds


Mix well.  
If using frozen pineapple bits, mix all other ingredients first, 
before folding in the pineapple.
Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 35 min. or until firm.
(let sit for awhile to firm up... I did find mine to be a little crumbly, 
but they were great on a plate with butter.  
I used cupcake wrappers when baking.
Oh and I substituted sunflower seeds for the almonds because it's what we had on hand.

Meanwhile... we're busy here finishing up Valentine's cards.


I scanned in the girl's drawings and we're attaching little rollo candies as the sun 


for Ava's kindergarten friends.

and little bug and butterfly stickers for Audrey's preschool friends.

Happy Sunday everyone!

The Joy Of Freedom

Do you remember the day you first learned to swing?

To really swing high and free with your hair flowing in the air.

My five year old just crossed this milestone.

Today was the first day I captured it.

This freedom is my joy #54.

I love that face.  The sheer excitement.  The feeling of freedom.  That childhood rush without a care in the world.  I remember it like yesterday.  

As an adult I feel like in many ways I'm experiencing freedom of a new kind.  A freedom I should have grasped long ago.


But I didn't quite get it.


The freedom that comes from knowing who you are in Christ.


And nothing else matters.


I don't know how to explain it.


But lately I feel more free in this way.  I feel the way she looks in those pictures.

I feel the way I draw the girls in my prints.


It's that freedom of knowing He's rejoicing over you and that you are perfect in His eyes.  And that no matter what hits you in this life He's got it under control.  All of it is perfecting your faith and making you more like Him until one day you get to be in perfect peace with Him.


What a gift it is and how joyful that makes me.


So freedom in Christ is my joy #55.


Joy #56 getting to help in the kindergarten class today.

A little scheduling technicality meant my preschooler had no school which meant my preschooler had to come with me.  But all was well.  She fit right in.

They've adopted her as a classmate.  

She joined her sister and friends in the dramatic play area where they were princesses and kitties crawling around the room after me.

Now that's freedom of a different sort and just so adorable.


You don't realize that in the beginning of the year there's no way Ava would have even thought of crawling around acting goofy like a kitty.  The fact that she's so free to be herself today brings me joy.

And Joy #57 working computers, working fonts, working photoshop means prints lined up and ready to be packed, wrapped and shipped.

I'm still in denial about the fact that I MUST print my address labels to get our cards out.  But deep breath.. it will get done.  It will get done.  

Oh and that reminds me of Joy #58 I got a commissioned order to do a scripture print of a boy with a special scripture to go with his name.  I had plans to do a couple of boy drawings.  My son is begging me to make him a bookmark.  This new order has inspired me to do them sooner than I probably would have.  The ideas are mulling around and quite frankly I feel like doing that so much more than addressing envelopes.  But the days are ticking away so the envelopes will have to come first.

I'm linking to the 100 Reasons for Joy challenge if you'd like to read the other posts this week!  Happy Monday.

Getting Business Cards

I've been doing research and trying to get myself as prepared as possible before opening this shop.  Tonight I designed this for my business card.  Still may change everything all around, but for now I'm happy with it.  Now time to hang with my hubby.  It's crazy how fast time goes when you're creating!

I Have Set You Apart

I've been feeling this ache in my heart over how every time we turn around there are headlines about corrupt businesses, organizations, leaders, the list goes on.  It feels overwhelming. 

I think about how many people are just lost and walking down paths that only lead to destruction.  I think of the hundreds of thousands of hurting souls that don't know Jesus.  The ones that do, that are also hurting.  The hurting people that are hurting others. 


You see glimpses of it everywhere.  At the grocery store when a customer is rude to the checker for no good reason.  On the road when you're trying to merge and someone speeds up, so you won't 'get ahead' of them.  From giant corporations, to neighbors who don't even say hello.  We are called to love, to be a light, to be different, to not cave into these worldly ways.


I hear startling statistics of young adults turning away from their faith.  I hear it from pastors, on Christian radio, from my bible study teacher.


We just began the book of Judges, following after Joshua.  I am astonished at how often the Israelites repeat the same cycle.  They have a time of peace, they become complacent, they break God's rules,  and do evil things like the people around them.  God no longer fights for them and they fall into destruction.  They cry for help.  The Lord hears their cries and rescues them.  He provides someone to help and a way out.  They are pulled out of their destruction.  They are in a time of peace and then they fall into the world's evil ways once again.  Over and over and over.  

The elders, those who personally saw God's faithfulness in crossing the Jordan into the promise land, did not keep their testimony alive.  They did not share with their children the amazing power God showed in delivering them out of captivity.  They didn't embed in their children's hearts a sense of awe and thankfulness for his sovereignty and the many blessings he gave them.

 "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel."  Judges 2:10

It's convicting isn't it?  I've heard some say this could be exactly why those in their 20s and 30s are turning away from their faith.  Are we making it a habit to show how active God is today and how faithful He is to us today.  Are they growing up learning bible stories, and memorizing scripture, but without an active faith that is alive and personal to them?  Let's make sure this generation grows up knowing how faithful He is, with specific, very personal stories that show the God who rescued Israel rescues us too.


Back to the Isrealites.  Looking at it on paper, I'm thinking, "Man why don't they just get it?"  Don't they see their wicked ways and see how simple it is to stay in the path that God has clearly laid out for them.


But then I think about how many ways our society today does the same exact thing.  People get lazy during times of ease.  Standards slowly slip away as little compromises are made, that lead to bigger and bigger compromises.  The worlds ways blend together until you cannot tell the Christian apart.


I know I'm sounding kind of heavy.  But even just driving the roads I have to take to get my kids to school they see billboards with images their eyes shouldn't take in.  Driving to ballet this weekend I looked over to see something I shouldn't have.  I don't even want to explain what it was and sadly it wasn't the first time this has happened.  I was struck with the feeling that we are living in a wicked and perverse generation.


My initial feeling that day was I just want out.  But really there isn't an 'out' until Jesus returns or I go to be with Him.  I also know we are not meant to 'run away' even though sometimes I feel like it.    We were chosen to be in this time for a purpose.  God ordained our days and he has called us to stand strong and to stand apart from the world's ways. 

Sometimes I don't know what to do with the frustration I feel about things.  When I'm stressed or anxious or working something through, I find I need to create.  It's a release.  I pray and talk to God and listen to praise music and as things come together I feel a peace wash over me.  

This idea had been mulling around for awhile and it seemed a fitting way to express how I'm feeling.  We are to stand high above and take the narrow path, set apart from the circus of the worldly nations around us.  

Oh, please join me in standing strong against the world's ways, and praying for repentance and changed lives.  Because we too have been set apart, and are chosen to be His own.  This isn't an exclusive club either.  He loves you even if you don't know Him yet.  He's tapping on your heart, hoping you'll be His own too.


P.S.  I'm linking this to gitzen girl's 'You Create' this Thursday.  Feel free to go over there and check out the other posts.  

Creative Deadlines

I work best when I have an assignment.  This was a project every family had to do for our child's preschool class.  We get this assignment every year and I actually love it.  I love to scrapbook, but sadly this creative outlet has found its way into my life only a few times in the last year.

I love to paper scrap, hybrid scrap and digital scrap.  I go in and out of doing them all.  One day I'll upload some of my work here, but if this link works you can see some of them on my flickr account.  But I stopped doing it for awhile last year while my joints were hurting so much from the lupus.  

I am feeling so much better now, praise God.  But I tend to 'let' myself scrapbook only once the dishes are clean, the lunches are made, the house is tidied, the laundry is done, and the closets are organized.  You know all of those daily necessities.  And honestly by the time that's all done, I generally want to just crash and read or spend time with my husband watching a movie or talking before going to sleep.

But I forget that when I don't create and don't have this kind of outlet I get kind of cranky.  I realize after the fact that something has been missing.

So assignments are good and this one came just at the right moment.  I had to sit down and go through pictures to find the people and things my daughter loves right now.  It was fun and therapeutic and just plain made me happy.  It's all digital using a kit I had purchased long ago from designer digitals.  (This link is to the accessories that went with the papers, but I don't actually see the papers there anymore.  It's a cute school days kit).

So with this knowledge about myself, I'm taking my little window of time while the kids are in school today to sit down and create... to draw and work on my dream.  Because the dishes and papers that need filing and the fridge that needs cleaning will still be there and in fact they'll need to be done again shortly after I've finished anyway.  So why not let them wait awhile and set aside time to create.  I really need to make this area of my life a part of my 'to do' list with a deadline. 

So with that said, this is brief because my pencils and my pandora are calling me. ;)  I hope you're finding time to create today too!

This is linking to gitzen girl's YOU:create so go check out the other entries for inspiration!

Creativity For Creative Sake

I hear people say they're not creative or not crafty or not into that kind of thing. But it's because they've let that negative inner voice tell them so. I really believe we all have a desire to create in some way or another. How can't we? We were made by a creative God who has made us in his likeness. So by nature we've been made to create things.

It's how you look at creativity. It can be anything where you take something empty or blank or that didn't exist before and make it into something new. It doesn't have to be relegated to typical 'art' things. Someone who has a knack for putting a cute outfit together, or organizing a room, or cooking a delicious meal, taking a great photograph, writing, singing, acting, putting together a great party. It all takes creativity.

Yesterday we went to the Skirball Center Noah's ark exhibit and the "Monsters and Miracles" exhibit. The "Monsters and Miracles" exhibit was amazing. It was all about illustrated books connected to Jewish history and Jewish artists/authors. I loved all the displays and interactive things for kids to do. I wish so much we had gone earlier in the spring so we could have visited it more. The exhibit leaves this Sunday. But I'm glad we caught it while it was there. I would have loved to show pictures, but I only had my cell phone on me and it died early on. :(

Each week they rotate a different craft for the kids to do in the Noah's Ark exhibit. This week was a repurposed craft that you didn't take home. You created something using what they had and you left it there to decorate an Ark. The thing that threw us at first and I noticed it threw quite a few people. No scissors and no glue. So you really had to use your mind when designing and connecting and creating.

I sat down with my girls and we all just played for playing sake. And it was fun and therapeutic and relaxing. I get lost when I do things like this and I find my spirit is lighter. I'm happy. There was no point to it and you didn't take it home. We were creative for creative sake. And look at how proud they are of their creations.

Don't you just love that feeling. Even in the simplest thing like creating new order out of a closet or a drawer. That feeling where you want to stare at it a little while longer and share it with someone?

God gets it too... "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.". Genesis 1:31

Inspiration

I find inspiration in the simplest of things.

In the words of a song.

In a bird sitting in a tree outside my window.

In a moment of time while my kids play.

I see a picture.

I usually run for the camera so I can remember the image in clearer detail. Later that scene, altered here and there will become the starting point for a drawing.

Or often times scripture will bring to mind a picture. I'll think of how I can bring it to life, in my own style.

I think of something that I'd want to wake up and see first thing in the morning to inspire me to live a better life and to stay focused on God. So many little things can do this for me.

I love being open to them and then pondering them in my heart and mind. The idea for the art is usually a lesson for my soul. It helps me focus on the scripture that day and focus on the Creator who brought the scripture to me for a reason.

I love the connectedness I feel to the scripture as I work on the picture. I love the lessons God is teaching me as I simply draw and let go of any little worries bogging down my mind.

I think we all can find these moments in doing simple acts that cause you to let go and get lost in the moment. Folding laundry, ironing, making dinner, doing dishes, sewing, putting away toys, exercising, drawing or creating.

The little repetitive motions that allow us to escape usually open me up to hear from God. So the next time you're thinking about something as mundane, think of it as more than that, as an opportunity to quiet your mind and hear His gentle whispers.

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper".
1 King 19:11-12