Not another Challenge - Welcome to the Overflow - Tips for overload

Do you want to take part in a challenge, 

course or webinar?? 

How many resolutions have you made?

I think most of us do at some point or another, and in January everyone wants to get set to make the most of the ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and see changes in their life. By February, we are a bit shocked at how quickly the time has passed and now that we are in the middle of March how many courses have you signed up for now??

  

How many challenges, courses and webinars can you really do?  We take on them on because we want to progress, there can be some great teaching that comes out of a challenge or course your insights and perspectives can be changed, if only you could keep up and stick to the end.  

10 Day Challenge in your own time

I recently created a 10 day Challenge, where you take 10 minutes each day for 10 days and I give you a creative prompt to try.  You may or may not have been able to keep up as finding the time for ourselves can be hard.  The great thing about the challenge that I created is that you can get the prompts all in one booklet for you to go at your own pace and it is entirely free when you sign up to my mailing list.  I had to really discipline myself to stick to the challenge.

Old Habits ......

Mixed Media Art - Amanda Trought, Realityarts

Are you one of those people that like to sign up for a lot of challenges, courses or webinars and then don't follow through.  It is very easy to do, we sign up for a challenge and then do not complete it, we feel guilty, can you relate to this dilemma?  It is the dreaded signup for 'lots of different things' and then the realization that you really can't see them all to the end.

You start out with the best of intentions but you totally over estimate how much time you actually have, whether you have the tools for the job and even if you are in the right frame of mind to stick to it.  You can also end up confirming the thoughts that 'I can never stick to anything' or 'why am I always giving up on things' syndrome, or hearing the critic who says (see I told you!  You never finish anything do you????)

If you can relate I want you to stop now and think about the following things:

• Take stock of where you are in this very moment;
• Think about what you have on your plate;
• Can you really fit another thing in or should you be letting something go? and 
• What would it need to look like for you to manage the additional tasks?

You are worth it!

You have to decide what you are worth and the things that you need to say yes to.  You have to recognize how you work best and what your creative style is like - Do you thrive in having multiple balls up in the air, or pieces of art unfinished around you, or does it send you in a spin and then immobilize you like a dear in headlights?

Solutions - There are some key points

When you work out how much you are worth to yourself, (and that’s a whole different post) you will also start to consider what it would take to make the things you have committed to happen.

Don't try and overload yourself with courses, there is only so much you can do.  It is better to finish one and then start another one than to have two half finished courses given up because you found another one you really like.  You should think about what you want to achieve at the end and the rewards may outweigh the sacrifice and hard work.  You need to get some perspective and when you really take a step back, you can objectively see what needs to be done and start taking the steps to see things move along.

Ultimately you have to be realistic about the time you do have and what you’re going to do to get the jobs done, or whether you have to walk away from the challenge. My advice if you are like me is to keep it simple.  I love getting involved with different challenges, sharing and knowing that something I enjoy can help someone else.   

Mixed Media Art

So the long and short of it is to go for it but take these points into consideration: 

Conclusion

In a nutshell here are the main pointers for you:

1. Take stock of where you are;

2. Ask yourself what you need to manage the additional tasks;

3. Decide your worth, how much do you value your time;

4. What is your creative working style like – (lots of things on the go or one at a time);

5. What it would take to make it all happen and complete the journey;

6. What do you want to achieve at the end, does rewards outweigh the sacrifice and hard work;

7. How much time do you really have - Be realistic - do you need to take on this additional challenge/course now?  Are you willing to walk away, or reschedule for a later date?

8. Keep it simple, break it down into doable chunks and don't feel guilty! 

  

I hope you continue to join me on this creative journey, and where I can share creative hints and tips I will be more than happy.
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Think about the things that take up your time and how you can change things to work better for you – there’s a challenge for you!!

Let me know how you get on, what are you working on at the moment, what do you find challenging?

Happy New Year - 2016 - What's in Store!

I am late in wishing you all a Happy New Year, but better late than never.  There are so many things that I have planned for this coming year, I feel as if I am a roller coaster ride, and its one of those ones where you say 'I'm ready to come off now' before you go up another steep climb and let out the loudest scream you can muster:)  

I will be reflecting on 2015 this coming week, that seem to go so fast as well as share on the exciting developments that have been taking my attention away from the blog.  I have been painting and creating and exhibiting, but I guess we all go through the moments where we hide ourselves away, and work through things, and get a sense of where you are in it all.

2016 has found us in a very different location than last year and we have been able to enjoy the warmer weather of Barbados.  Many of you know we have been spending more time here and I have yet still to share that transition and the ups and downs, and it's also coming as we continue to go through a process of change!

This year I am teaching in two exciting online courses that you are going to love, there are so many inspiring artists taking part, I feel honored to have also been chosen to teach.

The Journey Within - Click here for more information

The Journey Within starts today and I had two seats to give away, the two lucky winners who have been selected will be announced shortly.  

You can still register for the course HERE

The other course is One BadAss Art Journal which starts on 1st February 2016 - we are currently on a Blog Hop to meet the artists.  It will be my day to share and show a sneak preview of my class on Sunday 3rd January, so please do come back to see what's in store for you!

Click HERE for more information

The other great news about courses for this year is that I will be a guest artist on Embrace Your Art 2016 JAM, and will be sharing some more information about what I will be creating on this.  

I know that creatively 2016 will be a year where the seeds sown in previous years will begin to bear fruit.  I am excited at all the creative possibilities, the revelations, ah-ha moments and more and look forward to connecting with you as you dive into your creative self where ever you are around the world!

I would love for you to join me on the journey, that is going to be bursting at the seams, so strap yourself in for it is going to be an extremely exciting year!

Holidays - Memories of Home

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here.

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

 

Holidays

I guess it is too early to start to talk about holidays, daydreaming about fun times in the sun, the sand beneath my feet and the waves lashing around bringing with it the cool breeze of a Caribbean afternoon.  We begin the year and already 2 weeks into January, a fresh beginning, new start, and a chance to do all the things that you dreamed of and a few that you didn’t.  I often take a glace back at where I have come from as a reminder of not only what I have left to do but also of where I want to go.  Our dreams do not drive themselves and while the ‘good things come to those who wait’ – reminds us about patience, no one will be knocking on your door with the man/woman/career/house/car of your dreams anytime soon.

Dreams

This year one of the things I would like to see materialize in 2014 is the ability of being able to work from anywhere in the world on one of the many creative pursuits that I currently have in motion and be able to impact the lives of thousands, tens of thousands (ok lets think big) Millions! All this to be done through art and creative expression!  

I want to get up with the sun shining, hearing the tropical birds outside my window, with the trees swaying, and start my work after having a morning swim at the beach that is a stroll away from my house.  After my fruit smoothie with a combination of pawpaw, sweet & sour sop, mango, golden apple, pear, and banana the fruit from the trees in my garden I go into my art studio and start work on a selection of the large canvases series for an upcoming exhibition.  There is a distant sound of steel pans that sound as if they are coming towards the house, strange to hear them so early in the morning, but a great accompaniment to my creative flow.  I make a mental note to order some more paints, the steel pans getting closer, as if they are now outside my window.  

I reach for the latch on the window, but instead find myself turning over in bed and reaching for the mobile phone, now at its top volume after having the snooze button pressed for the final time.  My throat dry as I call out to my son to get up and get himself sorted for school, and wonder how many 6 or 8 legged fiends I consumed while sleeping!

Working for yourself

Being self employed at the moment means that every day is a work day, the dreams keep me motivated, and the mild weather we have been getting gives me the necessary ‘breeze across my face coming from the Caribbean’ feeling.  Looking back in my teenage years I never dreamed I would be calling myself an artist and have worked and connected with a range of inspirational and encouraging individuals, if you asked me after my degree as I launched myself back into the ‘corporate world’ that I would be sharing my journey and encouraging others I would have signed and said ‘in an ideal world’.  

Caribbean inspired

As I look forward I see that I have come a long way, yet the journey has not completed – far from it, there is still so many adventures waiting to be experienced and it begins with today and what I decide to do or not do, but choice there has to be made.

What have you done with your today, and what will you do with your tomorrow.  Have you already found yourself defeated from those promises you made on the 1^st January or are you taking a slow and steady pace with your eyes on the prize.  Do leave a comment.  I would love to hear what big and little things you have planned I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 26 - Miracles

Miracles Happen Every Day!

We are just 3 days into the New Year.  Do you remember what you did around this time last year?  I know many made promises to themselves of things they would do, try to achieve or try to change.  How many have see these things come to pass?

Often we look for the miracles in life to be massive things that take our breath away.  Winning the lottery, getting that dream house (out of the blue) or landing that job that you know you aren't qualified for but they liked you.  I am sure you can think of other things that are massive that you might count as a miracle.  For some these things have been their reality and they are looking for the next big thing.

Gratitude's and Celebration page before completion

For the general population miracles are happening every day, yet we over look them or take them for granted.  One of the reasons for doing a Gratitude's and Celebration journal was to remind myself of those things that I very often take for granted and celebrate them. I am grateful that the backache I went to bed with stopped when I got up in the morning.

Miracles Happen....

I am also grateful that I get to see another year.  I celebrate being able to see new changes take place in my life.  With the loss of my brother last year I celebrate his life and the impact that he made on me. 

Me aged 9 and Robert aged 5

 I celebrate all those fun times we had as children and the fine man he grew up to be.

Robert is dearly missed

Whilst we only got to enjoy 45 years of his life some get even less time and every day someone is loosing a loved one, and we were able to let him know how much we loved and cared for him.

Miracles are happening every day, if you are having a hard time in seeing them, look out your window, step out of your front door, take a breath, feel the breeze on your skin, put on some music and dance - knowing that you are at this moment pain free - even if it is just for a moment.  Make a promise to yourself this year, if it is the only promise that you do make for yourself, and that is to live each day from today with passion, see the big and small miracles that are coming your way, and do not take one more day for granted.

Miracles happen everyday! - Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

I would love to hear from you and share what you will be tackling next. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Happy New Year and Tutorial Tuesday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Better late than never, I wanted to start out by saying Happy New Year and wishing you a blessed year filled with peace, growth, insight, understanding and much love.  This is my last post of this year and Tuesdays are usually filled with tutorials.  I shared in yesterdays post the changes that will be happening, I am taking a few courses that I hope will bring new knowledge and change will come through in my work.  I want to step up and do more.  I don’t make new year’s resolutions but build on the plans that I made this year which will carry through to next year.

One of the changes that I will continue to work on is my health, getting fit, getting rid of clutter and making sure that nutritionally I have a balanced diet.  I am going to continue to clear the clutter and we are all going to make a big effort at home to get rid of those things that are just there ‘because’ rather than serving a purpose.

Rather than weekly to fit in the new courses I will be posting Tutorial Tuesdays on a monthly basis.  I will have lots to share from the insights and techniques gained on the courses and wanted to make some room for this.  I will be trying my hand at videoing and will try and do some video based technique videos.  There are so many things that I would love to do that there isn’t the hours in the day, but I will try and do a few of them.

If you want to take a look at the past tutorials click on the link below and it will take you to the topics.  

I hope you find ways to experiment and learn new things in the coming year.  As always share what you are doing and remember to be a blessing.

Happy 2014!

Joy - Creating in Faith

After all that we have been through, I still have joy.....

I have been reflecting back over my life as another year slowly comes to an end.  As I look to the year to come and wonder if the decisions I made this year will bear fruit in the coming year.  Not one for making New Year’s resolutions I plan from around November the things I want to do or changes that I want to make, that way I am not setting myself up for a fall when you hit the second week in January and all your promises to yourself have been swept to the wayside.

Back to joy... there are many scriptures and references that talk about 'shouts of joy', 'singing songs of joy', 'being joyful', and it would seem as if it were a state of being.  When you look at the glass with water in it, is it half full or half empty?  I have always been a half full type of girl and tried to go into every situation trying to look at the positives that can be seen, and this I guess calls for a particular state of mind, but I think you also have to make a decision with the way you choose to see things.

My mother had a mini stroke twice this year, and after we came back from holiday and she had been in respite care she was in a really bad way and couldn't stand up straight and had difficulty walking, she also couldn't feed herself and wasn't really eating.  It was suggested by some that she go into a permanent home, but this is something that I have always fought against, for whatever reason the ‘residential home’ environment doesn't seem to extend life but I could guarantee that within 6 months she would have passed.  What was important for me in getting her back to some form of health, thee one to one interaction, the encouragement to walk even if she said she didn’t want to and for me the creativity, the laughter and joy would be the thing that would facilitate improvement.  I knew that if I was sitting down all day in a circular formation with other people who didn’t really speak and other people making you do things at set times then I would find it difficult and wouldn’t want to get up or function.  We know that if you have ever suffered from any form of depression, the last thing you want to do is mix with other people and you don’t want to get up and walk but cover your head under the covers, even though the walk will do you mood some good.  It would seem that there is no joy in this situation.  

What we had to look at was not what mum couldn’t do, but what she could, how could we support her where she was but to also retain and build on the strength that she had.  We had to encourage her to see that there was still something worth fighting for – to try and straighten her back, lift up her head, hold the spoon, walk up those stairs with encouragement all the way - to find those pockets of joy, sing a song, dance even though there is no music and as I found joy in the simple things she was able to find the joy within what she had, see the sun shining and get excited.

When we choose to be joyful it lifts or spirits, and brings about a sense of contentment and peace, opening up new insight and views to life.  Wherever you are in the world when you look at your current situation where can you see the pockets of joy?  Sometimes it is in the least expected places, but it is worth taking the time to discover.  Blessings

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you... and I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes... Ezekiel 36:26-27

  

 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. John 16:20

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Reflections and New Beginnings

December for me always brings about a feeling of renewal especially towards the end of the month as we look towards a new year.  A time to bring some projects to an end and find renewed strength after a period of reflection. To face a new year with new opportunities, adventures and circumstances.  This is a time to think about the new seeds that you will sow - those ideas, goals and dreams that you want to see in 2013 take shape and grow.  I feel the drive to take stock over what I have done during the year – what was a hit, what missed - deciding what the best choices for what I want to achieve. 

I find it also important this year to look at my current state of health and make changes if necessary.  I didn’t do as much walking as I would normally do this year and definitely felt the effects of an unhealthy body.  I also found out I was deficient in quite a few vitamins which may have been the cause for the allergies that presented themselves.  I tried to convince the doctor that a prescription for a holiday in the sun would be the right course of action, but she couldn’t quite get passed the cheaper version of supplements instead!  So armed with my scarf, gloves and several layers we will see the start of a regular time for exercise as I reinvest in my physical health and well-being.

Personal development is also an area that requires focus to see how you can grow.   It is important to see growth as part of a continual process for all areas of our life, it is essential for our creativity.  I do think it is important to have a personal development plan to enable you to either perfect a skill or learn a new one.  I did a few courses and workshops this year, including Hello Soul Hello Business, 21 Secrets and Motley Soul Mixed Media  - check out some of the workshops yourself.  There is always something useful to learn - it is a continuous process.

There has been also been changes in the health of loved ones and I try and think of new ways to adapt to the changing needs of my mother who has dementia or the resurfacing of the multiple myeloma for my bother.  I ask for you all to continue to lift our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Yes December for me brings thoughts of tying up loose ends and embracing the new journeys and not running from them.  I won’t run from the new challenges ahead, some will be unexpected and some we might have some notice about, but while we have this life, let’s live it to the full and as we are blessed, remember to be a blessing!  Why wait!

Happy New Year - January 2012 - Try something new

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With the New Year comes new challenges, goals, dreams desires, and I am really excited to seeing what seeds will bear fruit.  This month I will be having a clear out - 30 things in 30 days, I will be going through all my belongings and seeing what can be re-purposed, recycled, given to charity or sold. I love collecting things and have many things that you think 'that will come in handy for something', and then 5 years later you still haven't used it. I find it especially with mixed media, there are so many things that you can use within your creativity that enables you to hold on to different supplies.

For the month of January everything will need to have a specific purpose, and properly stored and labelled.  In short I want to be more organised and having a clear out is one of the best ways. I will be doing a video update as well - we will see how this goes, might just be a weekly one to begin with.   I have definitely found that doing the challenges has made me more accountable and 30 days goes so quickly

Thanks for all the comments and support for my blog over the years, looking forward to new adventures, and making friendships with so many talent artists around the world, it's really a blessing, and I know that there are definitely exciting things ahead for us all as we step out of our comfort zones and have faith that he who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it......

What will you challenge yourself to do for January?

New Year - resolution fantasy or reality?

Firstly, Happy New Year

If you could imagine the ideal life/work, lifestyle what would it be? What type of relationships would you have in your life? Where would you travel? What would your job be? I asked myself that question and made a list of things . When I looked back on all of the things on the list I realised that each one on the list were all achievable now and I wouldn't have to wait till that ideal time, place or the right people to start. What it required me to do was think out of the box, and look at them in different settings, parts of the world, break them down to achievable chunks, put a time frame, make myself accountable - telling a friend etc.

My list looked like this:

• My job/working environment - Being self employed, working all over the world in exotic places,
• Having a studio and gallery representation
• My health - eating the right food and loosing weight
• Improving relationships with friends and family
• Travelling - holiday more than twice a year
• Home environment 6 bed room house with a studio to do my art, large garden, and a granny flat for my elderly mother - maybe in the uk or abroad - Why limit yourself to the UK if you went further afield you might get more floor space for your money.

 

With the new year here and everyone making resolutions, some even breaking them already, what can be done differently to get the result you want? If loosing weight is on your list what have you done so far ? Rather than wait for the end of the week , go for a half hour walk today, join the gym this week rather than next week.

Look at each goal and think what small steps you can do to make it a reality. Think of ways to keep a check on yourself and keep yourself motivated by giving yourself rewards along the way. On a monthly basis do this exercise to see how your getting on.

What could you do to make more time to pursue what made the most of your talents and abilities while earning a living. The thing to remember is to remain flexible. How many ways can you achieve your goals? Will changing the environment or people make a difference? Set yourself a time frame and as you start achieving certain goals make new ones that you can follow.