Maturity - Creating in Faith

 How do you teach maturity? how did we learnt it growing up, was it the reaction to responsibilities which we gained as we got bigger and the way we dealt with situations, the challenges we faced and how we overcame them. 

Some have responsibility forced on them at a very young age and so very quickly are dealing with circumstances and situations in which someone twice their age would have broken down.  They have a maturity that enables them to deal with the circumstance and informs their decision making. 

I learnt at 13 that my 50p a week pocket money was not going to get me as far as I would like and despite trying to negotiate a raise the answer was still no.  My father would tell me about life as a boy in Jamaica, having to get up at 4 or 5am in the morning, milk the cow, collect the eggs, take the goats out to the field all before walking 3 miles if not longer to go to school.

With this I took myself off to find a Saturday job.  My first was for a shoe shop called Saxones, and my level of maturity increased as I dealt with the many customers, those who wanted to try on 50 pair of shoes and in the end not buy anything.  Learning to deal with people, interacting and maintaining professionalism was something we had to grasp quickly in the busy store on a Saturday. 

The bible says that there comes a time when we no longer drink milk like children but go on to solid food, which tells us that we go through changes to deal with the more complex situations that will meet us in our adulthood. We have to use a combination of knowledge, insight, reflection, discernment and understanding with every circumstance as this will form the basis of our maturity.  And as our children grow, we don’t want them to have to deal with things too early, but we have to ensure we give them the tools necessary to handle themselves with confidence when the time comes.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,and of faith in God,  Hebrews 6:1

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14

Bugsy Malone - night to remember

I was 11 years old when the advert came over the TV, they were holding auditions and needed children for what turned out to be a very successful movie.  

Bugsy Malone paved the way for many of the child actors and actresses, some of whom have had very successful careers. It was the kind of film that you could watch year in and out and sing along to the songs. 

A while back me and some of the family were able to enjoy what was a combination of theatre, cinema and audience participation at the Troxy Theatre. 

Let the fun begin!

We were ushered down the streets to stand in line to wait to enter the secret back door. With what seemed like a trip to the library to check in our books we were transported into the world of Fat Sam's Speakeasy at the heart of Prohibition, Chicago.

What are we letting ourselves in for?

Dressed up in cloths and accessories of the era, we were included in the action, firstly auditioning for parts as dancing girls and then took to our seats to listen to Talula sing her song.   

Me and Ahisha take in Fat Sam's Band

Also amongst the action was the viewing of different scenes from the film - the live-action boxing rings, Bugsy and Blousey Brown's tiff and casinos playing as we sipped our drinks. It was more like an experience rather than just going to the theatre. We were then presented with the film itself, which in my opinion we didn’t need as we had already had so much fun....

Alan and Sekani mean business!

That said when the warning was given that Dandy Dans mobsters were approaching we were armed with ponchos and custard pies and at the finale pelted each other, while dodging the splurge guns. It was full of laughter and definitely an experience to remember. 

Splurge Gun Fight, armed with our pies and ponchos

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Grattitudes - Music

Comforts and sets a mood.  Music can lift your spirits and make you burst into tears....

 What are you grateful for this week?

21 Days - January Monthly Challenge

My first four cards in the challenge

Have you thought about what you are going to do with all those pieces of papers, cards, or odds and ends that you have in your art collection that you promised you will clear out?  Before you put them in the recycling, why not join me and create a series of twenty one 4 x 6 cards created from decorated paper, scraps, or just about anything you already have.  

 

If you've been to my blog before you know I like a challenge big or small.  I've been playing over at Motley Soul  with Mika on her January challenge and you don't realise how much fun it is until you take part.  There is no fee, lots of encouragement, a series of prompts available if you get stuck, and is a great way to help you de-clutter from all those things you started to create and never quite got finished.  You can create some lovely pieces of small scale art that you can use in future work or bless someone with.  There is no time like the present, so come over and join in!

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Letraset Neon Markers - Product Review

I recently received a free set of 6 Letraset neon markers and I’ve been trying them out to see how versatile they are for my needs, and working with my other mixed media materials.

They are a twin tip water based ink marker and come in a range of florescent colours.  I have been playing around with them on different surfaces to see how they stand up.  

I used moulding paste on this journal and had no problem adding colour using the markers.  And the heart below is made from tissues paper.  They work well over glitter, and gave it extra sparkle.   They are water soluble so it’s a good idea to use them at the end, but you can also use them with water to add a hint of colour to your work.  The Letraset Neon Markers bring a vibrancy to whatever surfaces that you are working on.

 

You can also use them on gesso or to colour your gesso.  I put some of the marker on a plastic sheet then added some gesso.  You get a lovely pastel type finish but with the same vibrancy of the neon marker – depending on how much gesso you use. 

They also work well on fabric, this is a page from a fabric journal that I made recently, I decorated the flowers with the neon markers. 

The other thing I like about the markers is they have a colour stickers at the end of the lid which makes them easy to store and find the colours that you need without having to pull everything out.  All in all have found a use for them in quite a few areas of my mixed media work, and as an additional tool they will definitely come in handy.  If you would like more information about their products you can see more Here

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Tools for staying motivated - getting past the baggage

Have you had those times where it feels as if nothing will change?  Well that's how some people feel at the start of the year feeling stuck before they have even had a chance to draw breath and think of the direction they want to go in.     

 

Things are changing all the time, you have to remind yourself that this is only a temporary feeling.  What we need to focus on is that the way we respond to the situation/s.  Different responses can often give us very different results, ie: we walk around with a scowl and we get back a scowl or worse, or if we put a smile on our faces we can get a smile back. 

We often talk about baggage that we can carry that weighs us down with the regrets of the past,  the bag in a different light can also symbolise all the equipment and tools we need to help us in any given situation.  If you imagine life like an adventure and along your path you get to pick up tools/lessons that will assist you in the different challenges that you may face along the way. You have to learn which tool will fit your situation and use it correctly.

Our bag contains lessons from life, that you have picked up along the course of your existence.  Lessons learnt the hard way and some though making good decisions.  The lessons where you took the risk and it worked out or it came crashing down but you were able to learn valuable lessons about yourself.  Some of the equipment in our bag take the form of advice and fears that have been inherited, and some you need to let go off as they were the fears and doubts that others have in their own lives and serve no purpose in yours.   

There are so many lessons that we already know ourselves but we never put them into practice. When we think of the advice we can give others to support and cheer them up about their situation, telling them about their talents and gifts, we often forget that these words of wisdom can be used on ourselves as a 'pick me up'.  So where do we begin?

Think about all the things you take for granted.  I started making a weekly list of all the things that I am grateful for in my Friday Gratitudes posts after seeing a video by Ann Voskamp as a reminder to myself that what ever the circumstances - its only temporary, here are some that I have posted:

Laughter

Flowers

Jacket Potatoes

My Son

My mothers joy 

God - my faith 

Mixed media 

Keep going with your own list, and see how many you can come up with.  If we remind ourselves how much we take for granted and start appreciating more, we begin to look at our situation differently and will even see ways in which we can make changes.  Begin to look deeper, see which things that you can work on in your life..

Think about how you become de-motivated,  what are the triggers, and then put in place a couple of the ideas that can stop those feelings in their tracks.  These become your resources, so next time you think about your baggage make sure you identify the tools and lessons you've learnt along the way that can make a positive impact on your life. Blessings for the week! 

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52 Weeks of Colour - Trust

Do not fear your inner truths, you have to trust the process.  The more we reflect on situations, circumstances and events in our lives we find out new revelations and get closer to an understanding of what really makes us tick.  

As we take the time to get to know ourselves the pieces of the puzzle start to make sense and it is these pieces of the puzzle  that make up your beautiful life. We have to own the choices that we make,we make choices all the time, which ones will you make about your life today?

Quote

 We must not allow other peoples’ limited perceptions to define us.  ...Virginia Satir

Scripture

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

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Family - Creating in Faith

Growing up in a family as the middle child of 3 had its ups and downs.  Sometimes it felt that you were always too young to do what your older sister was doing but always too old be included in my younger brothers activities.  As we have grown up the age gap seemed to decrease. 

I remember my brother having a birthday party every year from the age of 5 to around 11 years.  For me though, being born in August people were always on holiday so I wouldn’t get to organise anything. My sister would organise his parties and we would all help out with the games, it was lovely to see my brothers little friends running around him (he was a popular young man!) and mum would cook and make these amazing birthday cakes.  That was often one of the highlights, mums cooking - she would make a cake for each of us for birthdays and every other celebration and the tradition only stopped when she started to get ill, but each of us has tried to embrace one of the traditions within our families

As I have grown older with a family of my own the idea of the traditional family has changed and while you might not be blood related to them whether they are step family or adopted you love them just the same.  You can find in many different communities or groups that you join people who you just 'click with' and you get on as if you have known each other for life.  There is a connection, a bond, you might not be blood related but support and encourage each other as if you were.

As a Christian, the members of the church are my family and we are called to support and encourage one another.  It can sometimes seem challenging where the different backgrounds and experiences produces different ways of looking at things.  But we are all here because of the grace of God and we are called to do for others as we would do for ourselves, we have to question just how much we love ourselves and is that passed on or do we carry too much baggage? 

When we grow up in a nurturing and supportive environment as children we can in turn create that supportive environment in our own homes and more importantly in our communities recognising the connection that we have with each other in our communities and further afield around the world.  We might not be blood relation but our dreams and goals requires the participation of someone somewhere who connects with us enough to play a role in our success. 

What does the thought of family stir up for you, and how have we redefined the traditional sense of family to fit into our lives today?

...with God all things are possible.. Mark 10:27 

Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them....Hebrews 7:25 

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants Proverbs 31:15

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!

How massage helped me tap into my creativity

How often have you taken a route then realised that you were were walking down the wrong road?

In 2001 I graduated from University, having done a Complementary Therapies Health Sciences degree.  I came out feeling that the next stage of my life should be sharing the benefits of massage and alternative medicine.  Starting my own business as a massage therapist was where I thought I wanted to be.  My focus and drive helped me write a business plan and take the steps I needed to set up.

Along the way I couldn't understand why I wasn't more driven, or excited about the prospects only to  realise that my motivation to become a massage therapist centred around the guilt I had felt with my father who at the time had been dead nearly 10 years. 

I felt hadn't spent enough time with him when he was ill, and knowing that massage was something that could have helped improve his health and well being. I launched myself into the course, wanting to help others the way I couldn't help my dad.  But deep inside I had always wanted to be an artist and saw my desires sacrificed to make way for the guilt. While doing the massage It didn't make me feel better, I still anguished over how selfish I had been in my early 20's and the lack of help that I given my mum as she looked after dad. It has taken many years to come to terms and see that I did what I could at the time. 

Making the switch and becoming an artist has taken great effort to silence the internal critics that tell you that you are not enough.  Each day that I commit to my creativity I grow stronger as an artist and begin to hear what my true voice sounds like.  Not wanting to push massage out of the way altogether, I began to approach it in a different way, knowing that I could still help. While still relating to the power of touch, the benefits of essential oils and the inner and outer benefits that not only giving but receiving a massage can bring I started to run sessions for the elderly that attended the same Day Care centre as my mother.  The weekly sessions lasted for 4 years, and we are looking at a way forward for this year.  I combined simple shoulder, neck and hand massages, small groups of 6, where we listen to music, chat and reminisce leaving the session feeling pampered and relaxed.  For many elderly attending the centre the only physical contact they have on any given day is the escort that picks them up in the morning.  And the isolation and loneliness felt by our elderly is echoed in the news papers daily.

As I reflected and worked through my original motivations, I have dealt with the guilt I felt and ultimately accept myself for who I know I can be, I am still able to use the massage without pushing aside my creativity.  Receiving massages is equally important, and as an artist you have to ensure that you take regular breaks and have some 'you time' and maybe even use an oil blend that can tap into your creativity, unwind and maybe look at your journey in a different way.

How has guilt driven you, think of those things that have impacted on your journey, and where you find yourself now. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Gratitudes - Smile

A smile can make some one’s day, and make a connection. 

What are you grateful for this week?



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Watercolours

 From this moment on....Let yourself imagine all the things you could achieve if you opened your wings to fly!

Making sure that you know how to use the equipment you have is important as it gives you greater room to be able to play and incorporate new techniques.  I have always shied away from using watercolours, feeling that they were not something that suited what I wanted to do as an artist.  Since developing my work in mixed media I have totally changed my mind, but what it needed was just a bit of understanding on how to incorporate and make it work for me.

I had been given watercolours in the past as gifts, they came in the tubes and for me I didn't find these worked.  I liked to see the colours and didn't realise that unlike acrylic, when watercolours dry, they could be reactivated with water.  I used them as I would acrylics and ran out quite quickly.  Once I learnt how to use them to fit how I worked I decided to empty the tubes into these mini pots.  It means that I can add water and use them directly. I have also mixed a few of the pots in colours that I didn't want to worry about running or drying out.  You can obviously get the pan watercolours which works on the same principle.

I also found you can put the watercolour in a spray bottle it won't dry out and render the bottle unusable, but you are able to use it as and when you need time and time again.  You can get some beautiful colours and combined with other mixed media materials create lovely effects.

I'd love to hear how you are incorporating or using watercolour in your work. Blessings 

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Taking Time to Notice your surroundings

As you went about your day did you notice the colours around you, did you hear any birds sing?

Frangipani in Barbados

I started 365 days of colour in 2011 and for a whole year I took pictures of flowers that I would see as I went about my day, whether doing mundane things or sunning myself on a holiday.  It brightened up my day to see the colour and delicacy of each flower, especially in the colder months to see a dash of colour peeping out against the stark grey. In 2012 July I continued with 52 weeks of colour, in which I continued to take photographs but also started to learn how to use Photoshop elements and wanted to experiment with the images more.

In doing both of these exercises I have grown to see my environment  in a very different way.  We are surrounded by beauty, but very often miss it because we are doing ten things at once.  Sometimes the smallest flower coming from a weed can brighten up the dullest day and this beauty is often right in front of our faces.

I recently met a lady walking down my street and said hello to her, it turned out she had lived on my road for the past 7 years, and we were both amazed that we had never seen each other.  In speaking to her it transpired that she was also interested in art so we made plans to get together and have a coffee.

This week as you go about your routine, take a moment to notice your surroundings, you might be surprised at what you find in your neighbourhood. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments are always welcome.  Blessings

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Preparing for Alzheimers

Happy New Year!

How would you prepare for Alzheimer's, is it possible?  I recently saw a video that got me thinking about my life and as we make our way through another year I am sure new challenges and miracles will present themselves.

I have been writing about my journey as a carer to a mother who has dementia and also feelings that arise that I have been dealing with when I did the A-Z challenge.  More recently I put together a video called creative interventions which looked at taking art therapy and remaining creative, which have all contributed in enabling me to look at my role in a positive way.

While on the TED website I came across Alanna Shaikh who talked about her father who has Alzheimer's. I had always kept at the back of my mind the statistics that show dementia running in families and I began to think of ways that I too could avoid it in my later years, the possible implications of my son being put in the same position. 

Alanna mentioned the type of person that her father was before the dementia, he was very caring and loving to others and this magnified as the dementia got worse.  This resonated in me as mums personality became not only outgoing with a great sense of humour, but she was even more caring. 

As I look at my mother I definitely see the warmth in her, and she is still someone you enjoy being around. She cared for her family selflessly and that care and love shines through despite the circumstances.  So as I go through this journey with her I will ensure that I do all that is necessary to keep myself healthy, taking the necessary exercise, keeping my mind active and stimulated but more importantly will also try and be a better person, loving unconditionally, living fearlessly, valuing the relationships of family and friends while treating myself with kindness and compassion and living life to the full and being that blessing that we are all called on to be. 

I'd love to hear what insights you have realised about your lives.  Blessings

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