Just Play

By Cathy

Summertime and playing go hand in hand. Summertime brings baseball, pool time, picnics, and vacations; lots of fun and lots of playing time. I can remember when I was a child looking forward to summer, because we could play all day. And play we did! I remember hours of sitting on a hot sidewalk playing Jacks. I even remember one summer my sister and I played a game of Monopoly all summer. That’s right, the game went on all summer. We just kept borrowing money from the bank!! I’m sure you have fond memories of playing as a child and even as an adult.

My goal this summer is to have fun and play with my camera. The idea of playing and having fun with my camera came as I was reading a photography book written by Kim Manley Ort, who is a contemplative photographer and author. There is a chapter in her book, Adventures In Seeing, where Kim reminds us to “never lose that sense of play, curiosity, exploration, and discovery.” On Kim's blog she has a very good article on The Value of Play in Photography.

I was flipping through a book about my camera while thinking of a way to play and discovered a feature that allows me to create photos with special effects provided by the camera processor; not in post-processing. The one I chose to play with first was Watercolor which creates a look with blurring and runny colors. I’ve been spending time outside creating watercolor pictures of everything I can think of. Did I get any breathtaking photos? No, but that wasn’t the purpose. The purpose was to have a little fun and I definitely did that. I’m even going to print some of them to remind me to play more often.

How long has it been since you just had fun and played with your camera? I’m not talking about taking pictures with it. I’m talking about having fun and playing! How long since you took a picture that made you laugh out loud because you were having so much fun? If you’re like me it’s probably been a while. One of the photos I took did make me laugh! I took a picture of a small piece of lichen floating in water. When I pulled it up on my computer it looked like the face of some a happy monster. Think Sesame Street Monsters!

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ve made a short list of photography projects that would be fun.

• go on a scavenger hunt with a list of objects to find
• photograph only one color
• shoot only reflections
• create abstract photos
• shoot without looking into the viewfinder or the LCD screen
• photograph children’s toys

Summertime is a great time to play a little with our cameras. Try it! You might just find yourself smiling or laughing at what you create or discover.

When The Well Runs Dry

by Judy

"Take a step back.  Clear your mind of its fog.  Refresh your perspective."

As most of you probably know, each of us here at Focusing On Life have a schedule for our blog posts.  We post every two weeks, and sometimes those two weeks seem to come around very fast!

Knowing that my post was coming up today, days ago I began thinking about what I'd like to write about.  Sometimes ideas come easily, the writing is easy, and the reception from all of you is great. There have been many times that I've found myself scribbling ideas down on the back of an envelope dug from the bottom of my purse, or jotting down notes on the back of a napkin so that I didn't forget them. The ideas just flow!  Other times, it's not so easy.  

This time I didn't know what to write about.  I couldn't think of a single thing.  All of the ideas that did come to mind seemed forced, and I know that when I try to force it, it doesn't make for my best posts.

 I've been stretched thin these past few weeks, both at home and at work.  Needless to say, I'm not surprised that ideas aren't flowing.  I have learned that when I'm very busy, and not giving myself time to be creative, the well runs dry.  I've said it before, others here have said it before, but it definitely bears repeating.... we must, must, must take time out for ourselves.  We must fill our buckets.

We have to be in the right state of mind to let ideas and creative thoughts in.  What works for me may be entirely different from what works for you, but I'd like to share my methods, and I'd love to hear your methods as well!

First and foremost, I need quiet time to myself  so that I am open and aware of everything around me. I used to go to my favorite sanctuary and sit on the bench near the pond and just BE.   I don't always have time for that now, so I've learned how to find a quiet place in my home to be still.  No phones, no social media, no people.  Now, that's not to say that as I sit there I'm flooded with creative ideas. No.  But giving myself that time, and letting my mind be still, allows for those creative ideas to start flowing again.  Maybe it's that day, maybe not.  But my mind is open.  

There's another method that I haven't done in awhile, but one that I found to be very effective, and one that I will be revisiting again.   I would start each morning 'free journaling.'  I learned of this method after reading Julie Cameron's book, The Artist's Way.  She suggests taking 30 minutes each morning to write freely in a journal.  

At first this seemed strange to me, but I quickly learned that the only way to do it is to just pick up my pen and start writing. I would set a timer on my phone so that I wasn't distracted by checking the clock.  I began looking at my free journaling as my way of daydreaming on paper. 

As I write this I am reminded of an article that I read this year that was written by a clinical meditation consultant.  He compared our brains to a body of water.  The calmer the water, the clearer the reflection.  Our minds are no different.  He states that when 'the surface thinking settles, it becomes much easier to see the contents of the mind.'

We live in a busy world and we must do what it takes to calm our minds to let our creativity flow. Today, won't you please take time for yourself, even if it's just a few minutes.  Be still, and let your mind be open to all that is around you.  

Creativity Grows

by Carol

 Nothing blossoms like creativity! I (we) have all talked about this subject before, but this week has brought these thoughts back to the forefront of my mind. What is so amazing about creativity is that like a ivy vine, it can grow in so many directions at once! Once your eyes are opened to seeing the world through creative eyes, your mind gets rolling, your vision clears and there is endless possibility in every direction. And its contagious.

As Terri told you last Monday, we are all participating in Tracey Clark's Picture class again. I'd like to use the phrase "deja Vu," but it doesn't apply. It doesn't apply because this many years later, we all have new eyes, different vision. It seems like that's what Tracey herself is experiencing, and why she wanted to revisit the platform. What is so striking to me is the thought that from this one woman's creative burst several years ago, so much has grown.

In my own personal journey, Tracey's original class took a fledgling photographer with a new camera and one workshop under her belt and made her into a daily photographer finding her place in the world of art. Lessons were learned, many skills were gained, projects were tried, as she began to define herself as an artist. That same photographer can now say that she defines herself as part of the Contemplative Photography movement, emphasizing serendipitous beauty, meditation on nature, appreciation of the beauty given to us in the quiet moments.

Let's pause with that phrase "define herself" - because that same fledgling photographer had also just driven her youngest child to college and she was beginning to explore the next phase of her life. That homebody took a chance on the internet connections made in Tracey's class and eventually hopped on a plane to meet other classmates, signed up for more local classes that eventually led to trips all over the globe. That inexperienced photographer, and private writer,  took a chance and joined a blog startup and actually let other people see what she was creating.  She took up journalling, and took sketching classes; started playing with paints and pastes. A shelf full of art books appeared in her bookcase, and colored pencils and ink pens set up camp on her end tables. Of course, that beginner was me. This class is titled "New Beginnings." How appropriate,  as I  have found that art provides daily beginnings as well as life-stage beginnings.

_________________________________________________________________________________


So consider please - all of this happened because years ago a woman named Tracey, whom I  have never met had an idea and the courage to put it out there. And that's just my story. Multiply that by all the participants in all the creative classes taught on-line and all over the world.

Creativity grows!!!

       'When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before."

                                                    Cliff Radioman

Learn Something New Every Day

by Judy

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. 

-Chinese Proverb-

My Mother always says, "You should learn something new every day."  I remember her saying this when I was a kid, and she still says it today.  Maybe that's why I've always had the desire to try new things, and maybe that's why I am a self-described research nerd.  When I want to try something new, I research it from all angles. 

My newest project is planting a vegetable garden.  It seems funny that I've never done this before.  I grew up a country girl in Upstate New York.  My Dad had a huge vegetable garden and we enjoyed the fruits of his labor just about every day of the summer and early fall.  I've often talked about planting a vegetable garden, but this is finally the year that it is going to happen.  

For the past two months I have been researching the best plants for a beginner gardener, when to plant, the best soil for the garden, raised beds, and on and on and on.  To some this may sound like a lot of work.  To me it has brought me such happiness. (and I haven't even planted one single thing yet!)  

Of course, being the aforementioned research nerd, I even researched information about how learning something new can make us happy!  And you know what?  It's true!  It's not just in my mind - learning does make us happy!

According to my research I found that as human beings we have a natural desire to learn and progress.  This makes sense if we think of our ever changing world.  There's much learning and progressing happening all around us every day.  

I also learned that learning fuels our creativity.  Learning something new in one area of our lives can trigger ideas in another. Don't you find this to be so true?!  Friends who have learned to draw have naturally moved on to painting.  As I mastered one area of photography it made me want to learn another and another.  Now, my love of flower gardening has moved me to learn about vegetable gardens.  

Doing something new gives us a chance to grow and to challenge our bodies and minds. As we learn, we gain confidence in ourselves, which allows us to learn yet another new thing!  One of the most exciting bits of information I found is that continuous learning has been widely documented by researchers as the single variable tied most directly to improved health and longevity!

Do you find that learning something new brings you happiness?  Have you seen your creativity flourish as you've gained knowledge?  Come on everyone!  What have you always wanted to learn to do?  Now's the time to learn it!  Not only will you learn something new, you will be improving your health and adding days to your life too!  

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. "

-Carl Sagan- 

Community Sparks Creativity

by Carol

A dress made entirely on envelopes

Do you sometimes page through Flickr or Instagram and just marvel at the talent on display? Does that sometimes translate into thoughts of inadequacy?

I believe the way around that is to change your reference point. Failure is a very important part of learning. Watching others struggle and overcome teaches so much more than watching successful finished products over and over again. Because each gain represents a trial. According to Danny Gregory - an artist who studies inspiration - when you watch others work through an issue, it makes the process more external. In other words, it separates your own ego from failures and illustrates how problems are solved.  That gives you a thought process in which new ideas can pop up. It provides hope that creative problems in general, are solvable. It frees you to experiment without vulnerability.

That's what's so wonderful about having a creative community. We watch each other experiment. One of us enters a creative surge while another is blocked. New solutions are floated that spark different ideas in another. 

A safe encouraging environment where you are allowed to be vulnerable. Isn't that a breeding ground for creativity? Who doesn't desire that in every aspect of life?

                                             

                                                  He who works with his hands is a laborer.

                                                  He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.

                                                  He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist.

                                      

                                                                                                                        St. Francis of Assisi

Down The Rabbit Hole

by Carol

Me - Photo credit : Terri Porter

Comments heard recently:  

"My Dad carries that iPad from room to room all day - it's hysterical!"

"Every time I open my computer, there she is - on-line again!"

"I don't have the time to sit at my computer all day like some people!" 

"The kids are always staring at something on a screen!" 

I hear all these comments humbly, knowing I am just as guilty, and feel, at first, a bit shamed. But the other day, I started thinking about how my homemaker mother and her friends used to spend their days when I was in high school. My Mom would get up early to take a literature course on Sunrise Semester on our little black and white TV. (Is anyone here is old enough to remember that show?) She read voraciously. and kept a notebook list of the books she read, and another of her favorite quotes. She took care of the billing for my dad's office, She managed the house, of course. She cut out articles and recipes to use from magazines. She wrote letters to family and friends. She sent us for the dictionary or the encyclopedia if we had questions while we conversed.

And here's me .... After a more-than-busy work week, there is nothing that I enjoy more on the weekend (after NOT waking to an alarm) than taking my coffee and my computer out to my deck in the warmer months, or to my comfy living room chair in winter, and diving in.  I might start by catching up with friends on Facebook. I may have some correspondence with some of my photo buddies arranging an outing. I may also answer emails about maintenance - schedule that dishwasher repair guy, contact a handyman, see when the local charity will be picking up in my area. If it' s that weekend once a month, I may pay all my bills on line. 

I read the news and sometimes magazine articles on line. Any reference that's interesting or new, I tend to look up. I read my favorite bloggers. (Kim Manley Ort's newsletter alone can suck me right into the vortex - so dense with  references that I want to follow up on!) Even the novels I'm reading are often now on my Kindle or my Kindle app on my iPad.

Every other week, I am writing for FOL. And that'll take an hour or so. It's often a process. I might start by seeing a quote that strikes me, or thinking about an article I read, Before long, I am looking up more details, or trying to find out who the quote belongs to. Sometimes I start writing and then find my writing spinning off in another direction and end up with a whole different subject from where I started, researching it as I go.

Then there are my courses. I have taken many photography courses, and many art courses on line. I also often purchase one of the "Great Courses" from their catalogue on topics that interest me, like impressionism or history. With the interactive courses, like Shutter Sisters, I am uploading pictures of my homework in the morning , and returning to the computer at night to see what everyone else uploaded. Instead of clipping articles, I am on Pinterest, saving projects of interest.

And of course, there's my photography, Lightroom and Photoshop - OY - now there's a rabbit hole of major proportions!

Me after a few hours on the computer

Of course, I do make myself stop at some point! There is life to be lived, there are walks to be taken, there are groceries to be bought and cooking to be done. and there are people to see! My eyes get as tired as everyone else's. I realize that the downside of all this is that it's completely sedentary, and if I ever am fortunate enough to retire, I absolutely need to build exercise time into every day or my body will positively rot! And corresponding with friends is not the same as spending time with friends, but on the other hand - every single one of these FOL girls and many of my in-person photo buddies I would not know if I had not met them online. 

My mind is enriched by my computer. My life is enriched by my computer. I will never take for granted the joy of having so much information at my fingertips! I love that I can take a course without dressing, driving and penning up the animals - that I can listen to a book while ironing or cleaning the kitchen....

So I've decided to ban that feeling of shame! It may not look like it - but I am getting a lot done here on the deck!

The Art of Contentment

by Kelly

“I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more.” ~ Henry Fielding

Seeking.  Striving.  Exploring.  Learning.

All words you could use to describe the early stages of my relationship with photography.  And I do not believe it was a coincidence that I was also approaching my life the same way at the time…working through my mid-life crisis/empty-nest issues.  Looking for answers to some of life’s big questions.

In the beginning, I spent so much time and energy behind the lens and in front the screen…when I look back, it really was a time of very active growth.  I was reading everything I could get my hands on.  Experimenting with technique and style.  Making big discoveries about both my Life and my Art.

Life and Art….for me they always seem to go hand in hand.  

Lately though, it’s been a different story.  Less striving…less struggling.  A certain sense of quiet peace about both my life and my photography.

So, just to be clear, I am absolutely NOT pretending that life is perfect and I have all my problems worked out!  And I’m certainly not stating that I don’t have room to grow in my photography!  I guess what I am trying to say is that even in the midst of their imperfections and incompleteness, I feel content in both of these areas in my life right now.  For now, I am satisfied with where I am at.

Even as recently as a couple of years ago though this kind of quietness (or anything even **remotely** resembling emptiness) would have sent me into major hustle mode – Take a new class!  Start a new project!  I would have found some way to busy it up.  Fill up the space.  I had this notion that if I was not actively pursuing improvement in my Art then basically I was a total slacker.

But I am slowly learning Art isn’t only found in the relentless striving and the big epiphanies.  Art is wherever the heart is, so that means there can also be Art in contentment as well.

Finding the heart in my Art…it’s the core of my word for the year – CONNECT.  Connecting my hands, my head, and my heart in all of my creative pursuits.  And beyond the surface connotation of how it might apply to crafty-type endeavors, instead, where I am truly focusing my attention is in motivation behind my Art.  Making sure my Art is not driven by one of my “Big Three Art Killers”:

• the comparison trap
• fear of missing out
• hustling for worthiness

So then what does finding contentment in my Art look like?  For me, it starts with acknowledging the ebb and flow of creativity.  Getting comfortable with the seasons of life.  I believe the art of contentment also has its foundation in gratitude and mindfulness.  Staying present and avoiding my tendency to find distraction from uncomfortable situations and emotions.  And lastly, for me especially, resisting the urge to fill this quiet peacefulness with empty busyness.  

I think it's important here to add here that contentment is not complacency.  Whereas complacency is rooted in smugness and pride, contentment owes its origins to fulfillment and serenity.  Complacency boldly proclaims that I have learned enough.  Contentment whispers that there is much more to learn, but I am ok with the not-knowing.  

So to that end, I continue to pursue my creative vision of finding magic, wonder, and joy in my ordinary life. I still take photos everyday.  I'm still working to nail focus and exposure.  I am still looking to composition to help me accurately tell the story in my photo.  Because I want to continue to evolve as a photographer and as a person.  And I believe that being happy where I am right now is rich and fertile ground from which to grow.

Until next time,

Kelly

If You Visualize It, It Will Come

by Judy

One of my creative goals for this year is to design a vision board that can be displayed over my desk in my home office.  I realize that today is already the last day of February, and until I was asked if I could pinch hit today, I still had not even begun designing my board, but working on this post has really inspired me to get moving with this idea.  

Did you know that visualization is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do?  You've probably heard of athletes using visualization to mentally rehearse a shot or a kick.  By mentally rehearsing, the athletes minds and bodies become trained to actually perform the skill that was imagined.

According to research, visualization works because our mind can't tell the difference between a visualization and an actual event.  Since the mind controls the body, it causes a similar physiological reaction to an imagined experience as to a real experience.  To me, this research really brings home the importance of positive thinking and visualization!  If the brain "sees" our  negative thoughts, then we will probably achieve negative results. 

When you create a vision board, and place it where you will see it often, you essentially end up doing short visualization exercises, just like athletes do, each time you look at the board. This could help you bring to life what you've placed on your board! Visualize yourself crossing that finish line. Visualize yourself ten pounds lighter.  Visualize yourself opening that business, or getting that raise, or organizing those closets, or whatever you may want to do. 

The best thing about vision boards is that there are absolutely no rules!  Anything goes!  You can create your board digitally, like the one I put together above, by selecting photos or quotes, or anything that inspires you, and making a collage. I put this one together rather quickly by finding images that inspired me, and that fit with my goals. I saved them to my computer, and then created a collage of them on PicMonkey.  Easy peasy.  

I'm sure you have all heard of Pinterest where you can "pin" favorite images, videos and quotes to a board.  You can create one board that holds all of your wishes and goals, or many different boards, separated by topic.  

Digital boards are all well and good, and many people love them, but for my vision board I want to sit with my pile of magazines, scissors, and glue to cut and paste photos and quotes that inspire me and fit my goals and wishes for this year. I may use something as simple as a piece of poster board, or a cork board, or even a slightly more elaborate shadow box style, where items can be easily added or removed throughout the year.  The sky's the limit and I can't wait to put my board together so that I can place all of the things that inspire and motivate me front and center in my office.  

Whether you create a vision board or not, simply keep in mind that by visualizing a dream or a goal on a regular basis, our mind starts to see us accomplishing those goals!  Let's go get 'em!

"Visualize this thing you want.  See it, feel it, believe in it.  Make your mental blue print, and begin to build."  

-Robert Collier-

A Time to Declutter

by Judy

I am blessed to be surrounded by so many Creatives.  Since the year began I have seen many of my friends talking about starting new projects, finding their "word," planning and plotting all of the wonderful creative things they want to do with themselves this year.  I must say, I'm impressed, but I feel a little bit like a slacker. 

You see, I find that January is the time of year that I need to stop.  Just stop.  I need to take a deep breath and just be. I've learned that I can't focus on beginning projects, heck, I can't even focus on planning projects yet.  In the past I have struggled to find my one special word to begin my new year, only to find myself kind of grabbing at the first one that sounded good.  Needless to say, that word and I never really connected throughout the year.  I wonder if I'm alone here?  Have any of you felt this way too?  Do you feel like you need to ease into the new year and relax and rejuvenate before the creativity can flow? 

My one little plan for this month is to declutter my mind.  I've cleaned and decluttered my house as I put away all of the Christmas decorations.  Now I can set forth on getting rid of some of the mental post-it notes and lists in my head. 

I've begun journaling again on a daily basis.  I'm not sure why I always stop doing this - it definitely helps me to clear my head, and ideas seem to really flow.  I am also trying to stop multi-tasking.  As a woman, a mother, and an employee, this is a very difficult thing for me to stop doing.  But as many of my FOL sisters have talked about in their posts, I feel that multi-tasking is keeping me from being in the moment.  If I'm juggling too many things at once, I'm not really putting my best into any one thing. 

I really look forward to seeing all of your 365+1's, and ALL of your creative projects, but for now, what is right for me, is to dust the cobwebs out of my head and just BE.   

Failure IS an Option

by Carol

(with lots of help from Elizabeth Gilbert)

It's everywhere - in gift shops, on bumper stickers, on corporate desks. It's burned into wooden wall hangings, painted on decorative boards, engraved on little brass desktop name plates - 

"What would you do if failure were not an option?"

I don't know where or with whom this quote originated, but it's suddenly unavoidable. I have always had a fundamental dislike for this saying, without really knowing why, and I recently found out that Elizabeth Gilbert does too - but she knows why!

If I know our FOL family as I presume to, I can assume that they are aware that Elizabeth has a new book out called Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear. You may not be aware however, that she also has a new podcast called Magic Lessons. It's a fascinating approach to discussions on creativity. She has chosen five creatives working out there in the 'real world'. Initially, she calls them up and talks to them about their creative process, their blocks, their fears, their paths and then she gives them some advice. On a later episode, she will invite a friend of hers - usually a successful creative in the public eye (like Cheryl Stayed, John Hodgeton, Brene Brown) and elicit from them advice for her student. The podcast becomes a wonderful mix of intellectual discussion about creativity brought down to personal stories of living the creative life from people slaving away at it without recognition, money or fame.

Why, you may wonder, did I cross out the words "successful" and "slaving" in the above paragraphs? It's because of two (of many) points that I really related to in podcast episode #12, where Elizabeth interviews Brene Brown. Together they make the point that the saying above should really be:

 What is worth doing EVEN IF you fail?  

So I ask you, do you really want to go on making things? Because this is the alternative, according to Elizabeth: the people who shut down their creativity for whatever reason accepted that they "were never allowed to be makers again. They were never allowed to be participants in creation again. They could only be consumers.They are not allowed to contribute to the evolving story of the universe that's in motion. (they) just get to watch and buy."

Doesn't that make you glad that you have chosen to be "a maker?" The days when your creation disappoints you are the days of practice and learning. They are the days that show you what doesn't work. They define for you your special talents, and allow you to concentrate your work there. Most of all, on those days you are expressing your soul - 

"The only unique contribution that we will make in this world will be born of creativity."

                                                                                                        Brene Brown

{See you in our galleries -  show us what you are creating these days....and by the way, support the arts for our children, won't you?}

Release Your Inner Child

by Linda

It's safe to say that I am not a huge fan of Facebook. It can be a place of high drama and I tend to avoid that when possible. The feed moves fast and too much is read into how many and who "likes" or "comments" on your post and now Facebook is considering a "dislike" option. oy. That's really gonna fuel the fire.

I prefer to browse the groups I belong to and scan the newsfeed to see what's happening with friends and family and not every 5 minutes but maybe once a day. Facebook also creates a sense of urgency that you need to be looking at it all the time. I got bigger fish to fry.

But, that being said, I came across an interesting item that was "shared" by someone in my feed and it has created a lot of brain activity over here. For the life of me I cannot now locate it to give the person who shared it or the article any props. Mybad?

So please indulge me as I "post" some of my recent brain activity with regards to the "lost" facebook "share".

The article has to do with why we allow what others say about us and/or our work to affect us to the point that we no longer want to put our work out there and what we can do about it.

oh.so.true.

Why do we measure ourselves against what others do? Only by doing that and allowing harsh critisms and judgements from others to invade our own thoughts do we feel less than we are and less capable than we are. We allow those feelings to paralyze us into fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear that everyone is better, fear of failure. We stop creating. We stop playing. We stop having fun. We stop doing things that make us happy.

How did we get there? When we were born we were perfect human beings. We began to grow and as children we spent everyday in persuit of what made us happy. Nothing but that and an occasional cookie.

We played. We sang. We danced. We colored. We pretended. And the next day we did it again. Our only thoughts were what can I do that makes me happy? What can I do that is fun? Everything we did had a sense of joy about it. You can see the joy that kids exude as they run and play and skip and sing and create.

When we created a work of art, we were happy to share it. Hang it up so everyone could see it. Give it to someone that we loved. We never thought someone else's stick family and yellow ball sun was better than ours and no one ever told us that there was any other picture that was better and if they did we might look at the "better" one and then we would shrug our shoulders and go play. Make ourself happy, have some fun.

What happened? We started getting told to sit down. We started getting told to stop singing. Your picture is just OK. People would tell us that we need to stop pretending all the time and "live in the real world" (whatever that means!) So we fell in line. We started to act like everyone else. We didn't want to make people "unfriend" us. Our playful child became hidden deeper and deeper inside. We couldn't let her out very often without someone complaining. So we kept her hidden.

And then someone strapped us in a roller coaster and pressed the "GO!" button.

And now we wake up and think about meetings and deadlines and schedules and appointments and classes and homework and housework and what's for dinner and who's gonna feed the dog. We don't have time to make ourself happy anymore, we don't have time to play. We don't think about what makes us happy because we are thinking about how to make everyone else happy and how to make everyone else "like" us. And how to make everyone "like" our work.

Being creative allows our inner child to come out. As creatives, the effort we put into our art-drawing, painting, taking pictures, comes from a place of happiness, a place of joy.

Raise your hand if after hours of planning, creating, setting-up and editing a picture, after trying to get it just right, after feeling joy and happiness in the whole creative process, you look at your work and say "well, that's a piece of crap, I think I will share this one"

anyone?   anyone?

Because after our creative process, our playing, our joy, we are happy and want to share that happiness. Just like we did when we were children.

We need to embrace our inner child. It's easier said than done, and it's easier for some than others but I promise that if you would do that, just think about what makes you happy and just doing it because it makes you happy, it would make everything a lot better. Even the bad things that we all deal with in life could seem not quite so bad if we also have fun in our lives. 

Fun.  F-U-N. Finding Underused Needs (like playtime)

And if we take time to play, it might make the work we need to do seem just a little easier.

Play. P-L-A-Y.  Put Love Around You

(yes, I sometimes dance very close to Gary Busey-dom, but why not?)

Give it a try!

So what are you going to do today that makes you happy?

Dance? Sing? Draw? Paint? Take a picture?

Share it with us! We love to see your pictures!

...



SOUL Journey

by Carol

I have a friend of 30 years who just embarked on a journey. It is an outward journey to an inward destination. Her journey's purpose reflects everything that we here at FOL are all about - self-knowledge, fulfillment, empowerment through creativity.

Most of us here ( maybe all of us here?) started our journey late in life, but my friend Tomi Petrella has been an artist all her life. Trained at The Rhode Island School of Design and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, she has earned a living and built a life supported by her art, which is a major accomplishment in itself. Beyond that, she is the artist in everything she does. Her own words here -  "My business, along with making a home, made me realize that visually, everything is a composition and palette, whether it is a mural, furniture selections, a kitchen cabinet layout or a fabulous meal........I believe that beautiful, cohesive choices in all the things that you surround yourself with always enhance the quality of your life."

I can vouch for that. She has always decorated (and constantly redecorated!) in a unique and fascinating style. It was a new adventure every time I went to her house - a new arrangement, faux painting, wall (!), nook - always creating something from nothing. She helped me redesign my upstairs floor when I needed a third bedroom, finding space where I never knew I had it. It was her mantle that inspired my first photographic series.

I once went to a last minute dinner party at her house. (BTW, planning a dinner party with less than 3 or 4 weeks notice qualifies as last minute for me.)  She planned the party while cleaning out her basement the day before. (The cleaning would have been my weekend!))  Anyway, she had come across a pile of tiles in the cellar. We guests arrived the next day to a beautiful venue, a delicious and original meal, and at each place was a hand painted tile! One afternoon, as we sat on her porch with wine, she noticed some interesting weeds in her garden. She grabbed a can of gold spray paint and a few pins or something, and before I could blink an eye, the little weeds had been relieved of their deadheads, and had become little people with bowed heads and dreadlocks drying on her railing. Going to craft fairs with her was a bit discouraging though - I would come home with a squeaky clean wallet and a few bags of goodies. The next time I visited, she would have recreated the crafts she had looked at for pennies! Sigh.....

I could go on and on. Watching her live was one of the forces that made me so badly want to unearth my creative side. In recent years, some major life changes have thrown a curve ball at my wonderful friend. And now, she has not only caught that curve ball, she is throwing it straight to home plate. She has sold her house, sold or stored her possessions and hit the road to pursue the true artistic goals that have been in her heart since college. Tomi is documenting her journey in a new blog called "Eat, Pray Paint," and it reflects her heart and soul, as well as her creativity. Her first post is here, and explains why she is making these choices, and the challenges ahead of her. The blog resides on  her website, where you can also page through the beautiful art she has spent years creating. Like our FOL guest post friends, Sherry Galey (FOL 2/20/14) and her sailing adventures,  and Patricia Turner (FOL 2014) and her personal Walden Pond, or Terry Hood and her photographic recreations of the Dutch Masters, Tomi is a true inspiration. I hope you will be watching and supporting her on her journey, as I will.

As David DuChemin says "Don't let the stuff that currently sustains what you do, and what you love, put out the fire. Make the time to do your best work for yourself, to complete your personal projects, be with your kids, to pack the tent into the truck and go to the woods for the night. Don't let too much time pass before you jump into a lake, or go to Venice or see the friends you love.....Neglect the fire and everything that makes you who you are starts to fade. Your brand gets muddy. Your value slides. And the quality of your work declines. Feed the fire, fan it to flame, and (to quote Jonathan Edwards) the world will come to watch you burn."

So, Bon Voyage my sweet friend. You have the support and good wishes of all who love you and all who will come to love you through your travels. May you find adventures both internal and external and may you enjoy the seeking!

The End of the Rainbow (and How It Led Me to Treasure)

(Or Why I DO This - Part II)

by Carol

In the doldrums  #white

These white-themed pictures represent the last of our August break postings. Tomorrow is September first, and FOL is back to our usual posting schedule. I am so happy to be here since this August taught me a few lessons.

Back in March, Judy asked herself a question - "Why do I do this?"  You can read her very thoughtful rumination on that subject right here.   In the past years, I have rarely asked myself that question. Maybe because I live alone, I have no one to complain to, or more quiet evenings to ponder things - who knows? But I have to admit that during this August break, my habits really changed.

I have to admit to feeling a bit "fenced in" #white

I read books without underlining quotes that might illustrate an idea. I listened to TED Talks lightly - not straining to remember the deeper thoughts more than enough to have a casual conversation that night with someone. I stopped making room in my life to write. I had a few fruitful get togethers with my photography friends and played with the resulting images long after, but I stopped photographing every day. I read photography blogs and articles with the only thought being - "hmmm, I will have to try that someday." 

My loafing attitude started to spread. I haven't exercised all summer - not even doing the laps of the pool that I look forward to all winter. I stopped working on my 'works in progress' -  ( still haven't finished the book I wanted to make of my trip to France last year.) At the same time, my original local photography group underwent some changes. One of the girls living close by moved a little further away and became a little more limited in her time (although certainly still willing and enthusiastic), and the one girl who was our planner - that would be the one who sent the emails that made our get-togethers actually happen - retired and moved far away. And I have been just plain lazy!

Having a bit of "the vapors." #white

I can't blame the heat - because most certainly, my FOL sisters in the midwest and west have me well beaten in that category! I was very busy at work this summer - but so are many of my creative friends. My son is home again for a bit and we have all kinds of wonderful and precious conversations, so I do have a bit less quiet time - but I love every minute with him. It might be that I haven't been on vacation yet - my vacations are coming up in October and November this year. But these are the doldrums for sure.

Then two weeks or so ago, things started to pop again. One of my local photography friends stepped up and invited a few people to join us for a get together filled with laughs and sharing, and followed immediately up with future calendar dates to note NOW, before we all fill up our time with other things. I spotted some good airfares and made my reservations for our FOL retreat in November, and started to get so excited to see my FOL sisters again! Mail started arriving about the workshop I will be doing with Kim Manley Ort in October, and it really sounds fascinating! (There's still room in the class  - won't you join us? All of the information is  here in Kim's newsletter. ) I will be attending that class with another local friend with an art background, and we started last week playing with our art supplies together.

Something is beginning to hatch! #white

Suddenly - I am awake again and I am feeling the same vibe from the others here. I guess it was just summer vacation after all. But for me, it has really highlighted the fact that you must carefully feed and water your creative garden with people and experiences and practice. Just as I have started walking again after work, I have started back into my photography projects. As Judy said in her conclusion, "My twice a month posting schedule keeps me thinking the rest of the month..." and my time with other creatives keeps me wanting to improve my skills. Judy said "I truly feel that my time here is an invaluable tool in my personal creative journey." I couldn't agree more! 

SO HERE WE GO FRIENDS....

OFF TO THE RACES

HERE'S TO ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR HERE AT FOL!

WE ARE SO VERY GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US!

WE'RE BACK!

Here's to another year together at FOL!