Podcast Episode 123 - Revelation (Creating in Faith )

Over the past few weeks I had been trying to push myself for change.  There are many things I want to accomplish and many changes that have to be made so that these things can come into fruition.  I shared in my post previously about staring fear in the face and acknowledging your feelings, and that is exactly what I have been trying to do!.  I am not and would never say that it is an easy feat, it isn't, it is not an overnight thing either.  There are somethings that I find easier to do than others.  When it comes to the practical sides of planning and sorting out others I find this much easier to deal with than if I were to do the same thing for myself.  

Listen to the podcast clicking the link above or HERE .  Think about the following:

• What changes in your life are you trying to make
• what words of wisdom have you been given along the way
• What words of wisdom would you give yourself 10 years ago.
• Who are you comparing yourself to? - remember that you are on different parts of the journey
• Who do you admire in your field 
• What advice would you give yourself in 10 years?

This 'perfect', 'got it all together' person doesn't and will never exist.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and at some point we will all have a moment when we release an offering in the world that might be less than perfect - so what - we pick ourselves up, we have taken that important step, we learn from it and then we move on.  This is so much better than to not have tried at all and be asking yourself "what if".

Think about what your strengths are and how you are going to be moving forward, ask those difficult questions and think about how you will encourage yourself to get out of your comfort zone more often.

Check out the previous Realityarts Podcast recordings on Wednesdays its Arts and Wellness topics and on Friday it is the Inspirational shorts to set you up for the weekend.  





Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Creative Dementia Arts Conference - 16th April 2015

Creative Dementia Arts Network 

Conference 2015

The contribution of creative arts to building dementia friendly communities

I am so please to share that I have been asked to lead a workshop at the Creative Dementia Arts Conference this year, and share my experience in working with dementia sufferers and carers in the community at a one day conference organised by the Creative Dementia Arts Network in collaboration with Eminence Grise.

It is a great way to come together with others who not only work within the field but who also those who have direct experience of dementia, either as a carer or the one being cared for.

It is vitally important that we all arm ourselves with information and tips on how to help those who are affected. More and more people either have first hand knowledge of the effects of dementia as a carer or sufferer or know someone who is dealing with it, and has a dramatic effect on the community as a whole.

Who should attend? The conference will be of particular interest to people with dementia and their carers, artists, musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and staff and volunteers working for arts organisations, museums, galleries, libraries, theatres, local authority social services, the NHS, housing associations, care homes, nursing homes, academics, researchers, students and those working in government agencies and departments.
The conference is being held on

Thursday 16 April 2015 

9am - 4.30pm at

St Hugh’s College, 
Oxford, England, UK

If you want more information check 
out their website HERE

Gratitudes and Celebration - Week 40 - Triumphs and Trials

Trials will come, but then so will triumphs...

Life has its ups and downs, we have problems they are fixed or sometimes not, we ask for help, we find a way, solutions present themselves and sometimes we experience the grief of loss.

After losing my brother to cancer last year and my best friend to a brain tumor three years ago, while continuing to look after my mother with dementia I sometimes felt numb.   I still do feel numb at times, on automatic pilot, not wanting to believe that they are gone.  With the mother I thought was invincible and who seems to be disappearing before me I find that I busy myself in practical activities that ensures her health and well-being are taken care of.  

I am still going through what seems like a trial I never thought I would have to face, I have to learn to navigate the territory that comes with grief and sadness and at unexpected times my thoughts are consumed with the loss and the continued loss that dementia brings. But laughter exists, mums playful spirit prevails and in the midst of it she can bring joy to the situation.

As I deal with each day at a time I find comfort in being grateful for the small things that can bring a smile, as do reminiscing and sharing childhood antics.  I celebrate the gift of healing of what can seem like a broken heart that will come with time. 

What small thing can you find to be grateful for in the midst of whatever situation you are in right now? 

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Confidence - Creating in Faith

Confidence

What do you know that you know, that you know to be true?

Earlier this week I had a mini revelation or understanding about my life.  It wasn't something now I think of it that I didn't already know, but it was clarity that shone its' light over an area of my work.

'You know that you know that you know to be true.....'

In my prayer life I have been praying for change, but we all know that change can only come if you do something different, taking that step each day doing something different until you get the required results.  The change could only be activated if I had the confidence to know that despite what things look like, something totally different than the current view is expected.

I am confident in knowing that if I want to learn something and everyday I do a little bit to expand my knowledge, put it into practise, review and learn some more, I can be guaranteed that in a year I’ll know more than I did when I started.

Having confidence helps me to know that in every situation there are several outcomes possible and if I am flexible in my approach and not ridged then it is possible to be able to gain insight and understanding from any outcome.

In our faith we have confidence that there is a living God who cares for us and wants us to live a life beyond anything we could possibly imagine, using the gifts, talents and abilities that we have all been given, working on those ones that need work, sharing, giving, blessing....

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength... Philippians 4:13

God wants you to be curious about life, to stretch beyond what society tells you is the norm and to keep asking those questions like a child who learns about his surroundings starts to ask the ‘why’ questions.  God’s word tells us to 'ask and you will receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open in Matthew 7:7'.   There is no standing still, no static, or staleness but an excitement about each and every day, knowing that the difference that it will bring depends on our perspective and whether our glass is half empty or remains half full.

The Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught... Proverbs 3:26

What have you put your confidence in?

Feeling upbeat and Inspired?

What do you do when you’re feeling upbeat and inspired and your checking out other artists work, leaving encouraging comments on their site and then you start feeling a tinge of doubt about your own work creep in.  It feels like nothing you do is right, then the only voice you can hear is the one telling you ‘you’re not good enough’?  How have you dealt with the self doubt and the under currents of anxiety that dismisses your accomplishments or efforts and leaves you insecure and wanting to climb into bed with the covers over your head.  How have your dealt with the opinions of others that appear to come from way ‘off base’ and while feeling hurt you try and explain but your not given a chance to give your point of view and you ask yourself ‘just what have I been doing all these years?

I think that we all at sometime feel these things or hear the quiet murmurings of ‘really’ or ‘you call that art’ or the niggling ‘whatever it is you do your never going to be as good as that person down the road.....’  In fact I know we do, the difference is how we deal with it and whether we allow ourselves to be paralysed. 

I am not one of these people that go around waiting for the next tragedy to strike and I normally deal with challenges looking at all the positive things, making the necessary adjustments and seeing how it can turn it round for good.  I looked at the problem and try and see how we can make some lemonade out of the selection of lemons and limes in my midst. That being said there are sometimes where you can’t stop yourself from being paralysed in the moment and my 'take' on it is that you do have to embrace the fear/doubt/discouragement and the rest, really sit down with them and allow them to voice their opinions.  It’s not a ‘let’s throw a pity party’ that last for days but let’s sit down over coffee’ or in my case ‘spice tea’ and let’s hear what you have got to say about my life and the things I want to achieve. 

As I get older, I am learning to use a variety of tools to enable me to stop myself from sinking into the 'doubt spiral' but I accept that it will come.  It can be that thing that either carries us down with it or allows us to step up and over and make the next achievement. My spiral of down though didn’t come after a series of unfortunate events - through there have been several that were standing in line waiting for their moment in the spotlight.  It actually came as I was in the throes of planning and organising my work. I am taking part in The Challenge and one of the questions last week was to list 20 people you admire in your particular field, so I did and I will share them with you in another post. As I spent time with the list and revisiting their sites I began to feel a passing cloud, very subtle, but distinctly filled with a series of questions that started with... ‘you’ll never...’  I was admiring all these artists work and there I was feeling bad about myself and my abilities. Calling a general emergency meeting, I called on 'Current' and 'Past' achievements.  I allowed 'Doubt' to state its’ case and it seemed that as I was being encouraged connecting with different artists and making plans of my own it had been met with some resistance.  'The Critic' in its' efforts to protect me from the world was unsure how these so called positive changes would be perceived by others.  'Vulnerability' wanted things to stay the same and 'Insecurity' was by no means shy at stating what a bad idea change could be. I know change can bring up a whole range of issues that need to be addressed and it can either be supported through the process or hijacked.  

I called on Achievement to do a ‘past and present and potential futures’ presentation.  This was met with some trepidation and murmuring as they tried to allow Comparison the floor space. Needing to have the final word I had been taking notes of the proceedings and began to remind myself of all the things I had achieved, both big and small.  Like Marmite - not everyone will want to hear your story or experience that you have to offer but you know that there is at least one person somewhere around the world who wants to hear what you have to say, or would love to play your videos, take your courses and buy your art work.  I had to remind myself that I had come a long way in the last 5 years, and that Comparison does not play on a level field.  

When someone presents their work, you don’t usually see the trials they have been through to get to that point.  The technique videos they made before you saw the ones you were inspired by.  Other artists continue to share their vulnerability but they too have to fight and work hard to get to where they are despite how they feel. 

So despite how I feel in the moment I can still encourage, I can still look for the gems hidden by the dirt and the dust, I can still feel the rays of sun on my skin or feel the breeze and hear the chattering of the birds or the rain on the window and be inspired.  Despite how I feel there are still things I can do to get where I want to go -  from learn a new skill – take a course.  Despite how I feel I am still going to try my hand at those technique videos, write and illustrate those stories, complete those large paintings I started over a year ago.  Despite how I feel, I am still going to write those posts and hit publish cause I know I am not alone in the way I sometimes feel.....  

I will remind myself of my previous achievement both large and small and keep moving and share my story with the world.  I remind myself and would like to remind you if you get this far in the post that what you have within you is a gift that the world deserves to be part of.  Each thing that you create, be it art, a poem, a song, whatever it is, was not meant for you to hide.  You were meant to shine your light!  

Everything you create out of love is meant for a home and someone somewhere in the world is praying for the miracles that are coming out of the creative gifts that you are supposed to share in whatever form that it takes. Alongside the reminder of what I have done or what I can do, the gratitude’s and celebration journal has kept me grounded and whilst the spirals of doubt will come, finding the tools and using them appropriately is the key.  Yes you know you have gifts, talents and abilities, but what are you going to do when out of the blue doubt and his friends show up? Here are some examples of things to try: 

• Acknowledge how you feel 
• Try and identify where it is coming from, 
• Identify what your needs are – do you need to learn a skill or get support in stepping out.  
• Find someone you trust to share your feelings. 
• Acknowledge where you are  
• Look back on how far you have come, identify the triumphs amidst the trials, look at the changes that have been made, look at the challenges you have faced and that you have come out the other end with a story to share. 
• Acknowledge what you really want;
• Be truthful about where do you what to go, what support systems need to be put in place, and most importantly what steps can you make today? 

Recycled 'cereal bag' journal

Get yourself a journal or create something, that you can be honest in and write or draw about how you feel and look for the solutions.  When the fears and doubt come take a step back, hear what it is that they have to say, note it down, but once you have addressed them move on.  I would love to hear your comments of how you deal with your critic and the doubt spiral and what creative activities do you enlist to support the process.

Warmth - Creating in Faith

Many of you have been praying for my brother Robert who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and last week I wrote about prayer and how powerful it is.  Your prayers have been a source of comfort, and please continue to lift up the family.  My brother breathed his last breath and passed to be with the Lord on Sunday 2nd June 2013 at 10pm.  We are taking each day at a time to come to terms with the loss and the pain.  It sometimes seems as if time has stood still and he is in another room.  Many of you can understand the shock of loosing someone close, there is nothing that can prepare you for any of it.

I take comfort in knowing that I got to tell him over and over how much I loved him, that we were all there for him, sometimes thinking I tired him out with my chatter.  We warmly remembered our youth and our days of adventures, on our bikes, scooters and riding up to Hampstead Heath.  I also talked about when he got better, watching the kids grow up, walking his daughters down the aisle, like he did for me when I got married as our dad had passed, seeing his grandchildren and more. 

Today, we pick up the pieces, looking at his life and our own, seeing how fragile it can be.  I never imagined that we would get to this day, but know for many of us it will come again.  What it continues to show me is that we can't wait for illness to strike before we let someone know that we love them, or to value the relationships that we have taken for granted thinking that we will always be around.  How many people have you promised to get in contact with but let the cares of the day get in the way and before you know it 6 months or longer have passed?  How many promises have you made to your own health, things that you will start to do in an attempt to get fitter, but have allowed lethargy to take over?

We only have one life to live this side of heaven, and we need to make sure that we do the best we can, we get a chance everyday to find new ways to be present in this life, let yours count for something today!  Have a blessed week.

Please note: for those of you who are considering sending flowers, please instead make a donation to Myeloma UK - via Robert's Just Giving page, Cancer Research UK or Macmillan Cancer Support

Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations; Thou didst establish the earth and it stands....Psalm 119:90

Wisdom and power are His.  He changes times and seasons... He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. ...Daniel 2:20-21

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant

Psalm 25:10

U is for Update

Since I wrote asking everyone to pray for my brother in my post called Understanding, who has Multiple Myeloma a couple of months ago I thought It would be helpful to give you an update.  Your prayers and thoughts for the family are still needed, and I appreciate all the comments that have been coming through and encouraging words.

Robert found out a couple of weeks ago that the cancer had spread all over his body, he was not responding to the previous chemo and they have since put him on another drug.  He found this last drug helped with his energy levels and he was (up to last week) feeling more like himself.  As part of the treatment he has to have a week off and during these weeks finds that he is extremely tired, and obviously some of the side effects are beginning to take its toll.  He has been having some trouble with his left side and nerve damage and there is a lot of weakness in his left hand.

As his big sister, even at our age I guess I still want to make things better for him as my younger brother, and feel so powerless at not being able to make it go away.  I also recently found out that I was not a match.  We shared so many adventures and fun times when we were children, and there are many more adventures I hope to share with him.  

More than 1 in 3 of us will get cancer, and those not affected directly will know someone who has it or know someone who has a loved one who is effected and it is up to us to take a stand and do what we can to raise awareness, funds, and do our part.  Cancer Research UK are running over 230 Race for Life events over the UK and Macmillan Cancer Research are also running a range of different events to raise awareness and much needed funds. I encourage you to do your part however you can where ever you are.  I also thank you in advance for your much needed prayers for Robert and the rest of the family.  Blessings, Amanda

Painting for the day

Each day I will show a completed piece of art or journal page hope you enjoy today's

 

Art Journal Page

 

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with those who are also taking part in the challenge, it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter U, but a few of them for you to start with....

 Uber Random

Unconventional Librarian

Under the Tiki Hut

Unless I write it down

Under the Trolls Bridge

Creating in Faith - Understanding (Special Request)

Good fortune can fall on the just and the unjust in equal measure, we know not when or where disaster will strike.

This week my brother was rushed to hospital, they had found elevated levels of calcium in his blood, he hadn't eaten for 3 days and was very weak.  The doctors did their tests, scans, mri's and  have come to the conclusion that multiple myeloma is back.  After his bone marrow transfusion, chemo and radio therapy last year we thought there would be at least a 10 year gap before we would have to worry about it, unfortunately the reports say no.

I tried  to understanding why 'our family'.  Why mum with dementia, Robert with this cancer and my father passing 20 years ago with an unknown illness.  There seems to be so many that have been struck down, we seem to be in a generation now where our parents were when we were younger when we can count the passing of friends and relatives that we know being affected by some illness or the other.

After getting the news I felt washed out, what words of encouragement could I offer to him when all I wanted to do was cry, as I sat thinking the words that came to me were, ‘....the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much’ James 5:16.   It was then that I understood what I needed to do.  My tears cannot bring a cure but prayer can.  Despite it all we have to stand firm on the word of God.  There can be no compromises, no excuses, though at times our faith can be shaken by the very circumstances, I have found a renewed strength in the word.

I am not one who normally likes to ask for help, but the word says...were two or three come together ... I know that there will be strength in our prayers as we come together.  I ask you now to join with me in prayer for a miraculous healing for my brother Robert, and for his family, 3 children and wife.   We have to stand on the word of God, have faith and believe that we have the victory over defeat.  I would thank you in advance for taking the step for I know that God is working in all our lives and as we continue to move in faith,  a change will come and we will be blessed beyond our wildest dreams. 

As you go about your week, along with prayer ask God to enable you to understand the impact that your very gifts which you sometimes hide can, if nurtured, be a blessing.  Create a journal page or piece of art that expresses this.

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gifts of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:6-7

If you would like to see how I made the book mark pockets check out the post Bookmark Pockets

Come join the group - Creating in Faith, show us how you will be incorporating the words and scriptures and reflections in your art this week.  Step out and be a blessing and you will also be blessed!

U is for Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight...Proverbs 3:5-6

I have tried to understand why and how mum has dementia, why our family, why now, why after looking after my dad did she then go on to develop it and what other factors played a hand - was it the isolation, being consumed by dads illness?, loosing a support network?, could it have been her high blood pressure, depression, food or environmental?  What was the trigger...

With so much people being affected it makes you wonder why a cure cannot yet be found, we hear so much information - suggestions and solutions in the news papers every other day.   In undersanding the frailty of the life we sometimes take for granted things that we can do now.  I know that in my own understanding I do not hold the answers but we can often miss the now as we focus on what we can no longer do.....

Words so far....

A is for Alzheimer’s, B is for Behaviour, C is for Carer, D is for Dependant, E is for Enough, F is for Fear, G is for Guilt, H is for Health Professionals, I is forIdentity, J is for Judgement K is for Knowledge, L is for Love,  M is for Motherhood, N is for Neighbourhood, O is for Opportunities P is for Purpose, Q is for Quietness, R is for Regret, S is for Strategies, T is for Tradition

These posts are part of the A-Z Challenge taking place during the month of April.  I have been sharing about my experience as a carer to a mother with Dementia.  If you would like to know more join the Arts in Health Network and also check out my website for information on some of the work I have done with Creativity and Dementia.

Understanding

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6