Make a Start! It is Not a Dress Rehearsal

 

3 Ways to Move Forward as a Creative: Embracing Personal Growth and Innovation

Creativity is a journey, not a destination. As creatives, we constantly seek ways to push our boundaries, discover new horizons, and bring our unique visions to life. Moving forward as a creative involves a blend of reflection, resourcefulness, and the courage to venture into unknown waters. Here are three ways to move yourself forward on your creative journey:

1. Embrace What You Have and See How Far You Can Go

Often, we underestimate the potential of the resources at our disposal. Whether it's a limited set of tools, a small budget, or even time constraints, these limitations can actually foster creativity. By fully embracing what you have, you can push yourself to innovate within those confines, often leading to surprising and unique outcomes.

Practical Tip: Take inventory of your current resources—skills, tools, and time. Challenge yourself to create something using only what you already have. This helps sharpen your problem-solving skills and shows how creativity can thrive under constraints.

2. Create Things You Never Thought of Before

Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential for growth. This involves experimenting with new mediums, techniques, or even genres that you haven’t explored before, you open doors to endless possibilities and new perspectives.

Practical Tip: Set a regular time for experimentation in your creative schedule. Dedicate this time solely to trying out new ideas without worrying about the outcome.

3. Bring It All Together with a Personal Touch

Your creative journey is deeply personal. It’s shaped by your experiences, beliefs, and aspirations. Bringing your personal touch into your work not only makes it unique but also resonates more deeply with your audience. Reflect on what ‘personal’ means to you and how you want to express that in your work. Also check out post - Arts and Wellness Cafe

Practical Tip: Reflect on your personal story and values. Consider how these elements can influence your creative projects. Are there specific themes or messages you want to convey? Integrate these into your work to create pieces that are truly reflective of who you are.

Moving Forward: This Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

Remember, this is not a dress rehearsal—this is your life, your creative journey. Every moment is an opportunity to create, learn, and grow. By focusing on utilizing what you have, exploring new creative environments, and infusing your personal essence into your work, you can move forward with confidence and purpose. Embrace the process, trust in your creativity, and watch as your artistic path unfolds in ways you never imagined. Stay Blessed and be a Blessing.

Before You Go.....

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Ignite Your Motivation and Creative Spark

Welcome to the Arts and Wellness Cafe! What's in your cup today? As you sip your favorite drink to unwind, we're about to embark on a journey of motivation and creativity. I have been growing herbs and medicinal plants, like fresh bay leaves, right in my garden for a while now and I make sure that I use them in my tea and cooking, and it makes such a difference to my overall well-being. In today's video we look at ways in which we can stay motivated using our creativity, and today, I want to explore these themes with you in this post as well.

Cultivating Motivation

Motivation is the driving force behind our creative endeavors. It's what keeps us going even when we face doubts or creative blocks. I've found that motivation isn't just about pushing through challenging times but also about setting up your own toolkit for those moments when you need a creative boost.

Creating Your Toolkit for Motivation

Think of your creative journey and be prepared to create a toolkit for yourself.  It filled with inspiring ideas and activities. Here are some tips to consider:

• Variety is Key - Have a range of creative activities at your disposal. Whether it's painting, writing, or crafting, having options allows you to choose what resonates with you in the moment.

• Journaling - A journal can be a powerful tool for reflection and motivation. You can use it to jot down your thoughts, set goals, and even draw or paint when words fail you.

• Playlists of Inspiration - Music has a profound impact on our emotions. Create playlists of songs that lift your spirits and help you get back into the creative flow.

• Creative Breaks - Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery or a short, creative activity to refresh your mind. Carry a portable project with you, like a small art journal, to seize those spare moments for creativity.

• Self-Made Cards - Craft encouraging cards for yourself. Fill them with inspirational quotes, messages, or simple words of motivation. Keep these cards handy for when you need a boost.

Fueling Your Creative Fire

The Art of Doodling and Mini Projects

I've found that breaking down creative activities into smaller, more manageable tasks can be immensely motivating. For example, I create small squares of art that I can work on when I have a few minutes to spare. These squares can be filled with doodles, drawings, or patterns. They serve as an excellent way to keep the creative juices flowing and give you a sense of accomplishment, even in short bursts of time. 

Challenges and Overcoming Creative Blocks

Creative challenges are a natural part of the artistic journey. They can manifest as moments of self-doubt, lack of inspiration, or feeling lost in a creative fog. During these times, it's crucial to fall back on your creative toolkit . Take time to reflect, relax, and rekindle your creative spark. Remember, challenges are opportunities to grow and discover new aspects of your creativity.

Creating for Yourself

While sharing your creations with the world is wonderful, don't forget to make art just for yourself. I create wearable art and art journals that are just for my use to play in. They are a space where you can explore and experiment without any external expectations.

Recycling and Repurposing

Don't underestimate the power of recycling and repurposing materials - you probably have a lot of the supplies you need take a good look around, you just have to change your perspective and have an inquisitive mind.   You can check out the video HERE

Before you go

Motivation and creativity go hand in hand. Your toolkit should be filled with activities and practices that fuel your creative fire. Embrace the power of mini projects, altering them where necessary to keep your creative juices flowing even in the busiest of times. Challenges are part of the journey, and they offer opportunities for growth. Remember to create for yourself, enjoy the process, and let your creativity shine.  Thank you for joining me, and I look forward to sharing more creative adventures with you.  Stay blessed and be a blessing!

What are You doing on Wednesday 18th October 10am EST - Join us and be part of an international 'Art In'

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Creating in Faith - What is Motivating You?

 

In today's Podcast recording I look at the word Motivated.  What is it that is motivating you in your creativity and in the other areas of your life.

What about the times where you don't feel motivated. Here is a snippet on my YouTube Channel

You can listen to the full episode on my podcast HERE

The image has been taken from a series of pastels that I painted, if you would like to get a print or see it on other merchandise you can do so HERE

Podcasting - Just Start

So I decided to start a podcast in the last few months on a platform called Anchor, and have been sharing insights and revelations, about art and creativity, my time as a carer for a mother living with Dementia and things that generally inspire me.  It has been great, I am learning so many new skills, and juggling everything is becoming a fine art!

The great thing about creating the podcasts on Anchor is that it is shared on a variety of other podcast platforms and so if you have a favorite one you will be able to listen on that specific platform.

Podcasts have always been a great way of listening to your favorite content, and Anchor have made it easy for you to create and upload and then take the hard work out of it for you by uploading to additional podcast platforms.

Here are a list of the platforms that my podcasts can be found on:

Anchor Podcasts

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Spotify

Breaker

Castbox

Pocket Casts

Radio Public

Stitcher

Did you see your favorite one, check them out, and while your there check out my current podcast on your platform of choice - It's easy!

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Letting go of words - The Negative ones!!

Letting go of the Negative Words

After listening to a snippet of a Ted Talk, I stumbled on it and thought that I had book marked it, but when I went back to listen to the rest I couldn't find it.

The short of it was a question which asked you to think of a negative word that you commonly use, and think about removing it from your vocabulary.

What word would you remove and why?

When you remove the word you have to give more thought to your situation.  My word was Insecure, and rather than use that word I had to dive deeper into the situation I was trying to explain away under the banner of 'insecurities'.

It then began to be clear that there were many things that I didn't do because I explained it away as me being insecure.

But when I let go of the word I found that I got to the root of how I was feeling and why, instead of fobbing myself off.

What negative words are you using to describe how you are feeling that you could omit from your vocabulary that only makes you feel stuck and doesn't really describe how you might be feeling.

Let me know what word you will stop hiding behind.  Create a journal page, play with your supplies, or write about how it feels.

If you want to listen to the podcast you can do so HERE

Stay blessed, pass it on and be a blessing!

Celebrating Your Achievements - Filling your Well

Picking up my Art Awards

How often do you celebrate your achievements or do you brush them under the carpet?

It is important to regularly celebrate the achievements and accomplishments that you make, it doesn't have to be anything big or lavish, but needs to be noted, so that in those times of doubt you have something to look back on, or you can as it were 'dip into the well' to remind yourself.

Do you quietly allow those momentous occasions to pass you by with other people getting more excited than you?  Do you hope your achievements will gain the approval of others, not valuing the importance of stepping out and knowing your worth?

When I talk about celebrating your achievements there are so many different ways in which you can do it, and the important thing is that you do celebrate in some way to mark the occasion acknowledging the work that you put in to get to where you got.

We can get in the mode of achieving things but not acknowledging them because other people feel insecure,  or are you the sort of person who waits for affirmation from others, and don't recognize what you have done as an achievement.  

Blow your own trumpet!

Not everyone grows up being told how great they are, how much talent they have or that the world is indeed their oyster which means they can have anything their hearts desire.
You can't wait for someone to see your value you have to see it first within yourself.  Why not make something of the hard work that you have put in there are others who would be happy to celebrate alongside you and would be inspired.


I shared some of the recent success I had with some of my work in Barbados.

Angles Walk Among Us - Silver Award 

I received 3 awards (2 Bronze and 1 Silver) in the The National Independence Festival Of Creative Arts (NIFCA) Barbados for 3 Sculptures I created. I shared my successes HERE.  It was great to be part of the exhibition and there were many beautiful pieces of work on display, both professional, and emerging. 

Mixed media art Sculpture - The Dancer - Bronze Award

The Dancer, which received the NIFCA Bronze award was snapped up and made its way to a home in the UK.  I shared my achievements, wrote down the date and how I felt about it in my journal.

The Dancer - in her new UK home

 My work is available for viewing and sale on my website - Realityarts.org  

So why not blow your own trumpet, even for a moment, look at what you have achieved, write it down and give thanks for a new day to achieve something else, and the fuel that keeps you going in those times of doubt when you look back and see how far you have come.  

What about you?  what have you done in your life that you have brushed under the carpet?  what can you celebrate be it big or small? And without knowing it you could be that spark and motivation that someone else needs to celebrate their achievements. 

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Everyone's a Winner - One BADASS Art Journal - Giveaway winner announced!

Today is the day that I announce the winner for my giveaway on the BADASS Art Journal Course.  We are really looking forward to teaching on this course and you have a fantastic lineup.  Thank you so much to all those who took the time to leave a comment and enter the giveaway, it was great to connect with you.  

We have a winner for the free place on the course, and it goes to Dash Cam (Carolyn) and the information will be winging its way to you.  Well done!

Everyone indeed is a winner, as we still have a great early bird registration (URBADASS) code, which gives you 15% discount off the cost of the course and on top of that I am giving away a couple of bonuses .

When you sign up HERE you will get the following bonuses, for you to keep and work through forever!

Bonus 1

25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your Life

Hints and tips to get more creative time into your day

Bonus 2

Art Workshop Canvas Tutorial

Filled with mixed media, layers, embellishments and more - over two hours of instruction!

This is a really great way to start 2017 on the right foot, you will be stretched, blessed, inspired, taken out of your comfort zone, motivated and supported, having fun in the process!

I do hope you can join us

Playing Card Art - Spending Time in the Garden, & Giveaway Update

I love spending time in my garden, I find it a place that offers a time to relax even when you are weeding or pruning some of the plants.  One of my morning routines is to go out before anyone has stirred on my walk and then walk round the garden to see what changes have taken place

As well as spending time in the garden, I have been finding a lot of my work has that element of nature within it, whether it is a tree, the sea, something that for me I find very nurturing.

Playing Card Art - Amanda Trought

This painting is a mini, done on a playing card measuring about 3.5 x 4 and it came in handy when I didn't have much time but wanted to do something in the studio.  There is always time to do something creative, you just have to think about what you want to get done and break it down into chunks.

I kept it very simple, with a limited pallet, this is also a great way for you to clear your mind of the clutter and the need to use loads of supplies, and what often happens is you spend time looking at the supplies rather than working.

I hope you give it a try, I will be sharing some hints and tips to help you stay creative over the next few weeks, and I also have a few challenges coming up in the new year that I would love you to join me in.

Don't forget the giveaway for a place in the One BADASS Art Journal Course finishes on Tuesday 20th December 12pm (EC) and I will be drawing the winner on Wednesday 21st December.  Check out the Blog Hop post to see what you need to do and fingers crossed, it could be you!

Spending time in the Garden - Mixed Media Art

Stay blessed and be a blessing, sign up for my Mailing list to receive downloadable goodies to help you on your creative adventure!

Today is my Blog Hop Day - BADASS Art Journal 2017

BADASS Art Journal 2017

You made it!, thanks for showing up, and if you tuned in each day I hope that you were blessed by the prompts I shared with you.   If you would like to check them out you can do so HERE

This is my second year as a teacher on the BADASS Art Journal course and I am super excited to be working with this talented group of artists.  Grow with us as you take this course.  I believe that there is always room for growth, and there is never a cut off point, it is a lifelong thing.  As you grow in experience you learn new things, use different techniques and change your perspectives.

I love working with colour and texture, and allowing the stories come out from the page.

Texture allows you to create some interesting effects

In my lesson I will be sharing with you techniques that allow you to play and use surfaces that you wouldn't normally use in your art journal in very different ways!

As you can also see I love creating faces, the characters each telling their own story....

Now that you have seen some of my work I am excited for you to finally see the two goodies I will be giving away when you sign up using my link here on my blog, which include:

25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your life.  
A guide, filled to the brim of wonderful ways in which you can get more time out of your day!  It also filled with encouraging and inspiring quotes and images!

Mixed Media Art Class -Tutorial Video .  

Your very own Art Class - Step by step instructions to Make a beautiful embellished canvas, hints and tips on supplies and resources, over 2 hours of instructions and a beautiful PDF instruction booklet for you to download!

If you want to just go ahead and purchase the course  you will get the two goodies above, you can also get an early bird discount by putting in URBADASS at the checkout to receive the 15% discount .

If you sign up for the Mailing list as well you will also be sent extra goodies to help you on your creative journey.

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GIVEAWAY - 1 FREE SPOT AVAILABLE

 I am running a giveaway for one free spot on the course, so follow the instructions below to see how you could be in for a chance to win.  For each action you get a chance to win. 

1. Comment on this post and tell me why you would like to win.
2. Instagram - like my page and comment on the blog hop post
3. Facebook - like my facebook page and comment on the blog hop post
4. Sign up to my Mailing list and get an additional 2 chances to win

As I have been saying over the week, don't worry if you have never taken an online course before, you will get lots of support and encouragement, it isn't about competing with others or being able to draw or paint, it is about sharing.  You will see a great amount of love and encouragement that will be flowing through the community, there really is nothing to worry about but so much to gain.

To purchase the course and get your early bird 15% discount put in URBADASS at the checkout 

Buy Now

Remember to sign up to my Mailing list, you will be getting information about what I am up to in my creative journey, tutorials, Arts and health advice and resources, giveaways and more and also be in with an extra two chances to win a free spot on the course.

Pen and Ink - Amanda Trought

So what you waiting for - lets get busy!  Looking forward to connecting with you!

Ok there are 3 more teachers to go in this Blog Hop. Remember to check out the list of other teachers and join them on their blogs, and have a chance for winning a free spot on the class.

Dec 16 – Keri Sallee – thecreativelifear.blogspot.com
Dec 17 – Robin Mead – www.robinmeaddesigns.com
Dec 18 – Tiare Smith – www.tiaresmith.com

How Long will it Take - Daily Prompts & Blog Hop Countdown BADASS Art Journal 2017

How Long will it take?

How Long will it take... having a plan requires a deadline.  Set a timescale for achieving your goal, be realistic with the time you have and what steps need to be put in place.  Today is the final day of my prompts and encouragements.  I hope that you have found them useful, inspiring and encouraging.

Every day this week I have been giving you encouraging prompts and images that I hope you have been able to utilise for your growth. Today is my blog hop day, come back and join me in my official post, get your chance to win a spot on the course by doing a few simple steps.

I have some cool bonuses for you as part of my sign up.  I have really enjoyed sharing with you and look forward to have you join me in the class.

BADASS Art Journal 2017

Today is my day, I will fill you in with the post coming up later and sharing with you all the goodies I will be giving away when you sign up using my link here on my blog, I will even be doing a giveaway for one free spot on the course, so do come back and see if you could be the lucky one. 

Don't worry if you have never taken an online course before, you will get lots of support and be around other encouraging creatives.  It is always great to see the amount of love and encouragement that flows through the community, you have nothing to worry about and so much to gain.

If you want to just go ahead and purchase the course you can also get an early bird discount by putting in URBADASS at the checkout to receive the 15% discount .

While your at it, sign up to my Mailing list, you will be getting information about what I am up to in my creative journey, tutorials, giveaways and more and also be in with an extra chance to win a free spot on the course (thought I'd give you a heads up!)

Remember to check out the list of other teachers and join them on their blogs, and have a chance for winning a free spot on the class.

Dec 16 - Keri Sallee

Dec 17 - Robin Mead

Dec 18 - Tiare Smith

Daily Prompts and Encouragement - Round-up

Daily Prompts and Encouragement

list of Suggestions

I have created a selection of prompts and encouragements as part of my introduction to the BADASS Art Journal 2017 course that can help to lift your spirits and give you that boost that you need in your creative journey.  

Actually you don't even need to be on a creative journey, but you have identified things in your life that you would like to change... well, see the links below and they will lead you to the posts

I would love you to come and take the class. I will also be sharing some goodness along the way so make sure that you check back daily!

Start today - for change to become permanent....

No overnight formular for success....

How many times have you told yourself you can't

.

Ideal lives - what do your goals and dreams look like

Don't reinvent the wheel - look what others have done

What are your dreams and desires - break it down

Golden nuggets of inspiration - carry a note book

Give yourself a boost - think about your successes

How Long will it take - set some deadlines - are you being realistic with your time?

There will be more inspiration coming your way so do sign up to the mailing list, and check out my YouTube channel while you are around