Waiting

'Was I waiting on Him or was He waiting on me?'  This was one of the myriad of thoughts I was having as I stood on top of a telephone pole that had a top the diameter of 10"!!  I was taking part in the Leap of Faith exercise at a women's retreat.  My next thought was a curse word.  Literally!  Some one later told me that I said it out loud...I thought I had said it in my head!!!!  Hmmmm, saying a curse word at a Christian's Women's Retreat...well, there is raw and authentic for ya!

So, my next  thought was, 'How did I get here standing on top of a very tall pole in Prescott, Arizona?'  I was getting ready to jump off and out to a bar about 10 feet in front of me with the scenery of Northern Arizona outstretched before me.  'Hu?'  Everything looked peaceful.  The breeze through the pine trees, the rolling hills, the bird fly...ing...past...my...head?  'Hm.'  But I was not so peaceful inside.

I started trying to visualize.  This was in an effort to stop the emotions running rampant in my head.  I tried to imagine the 10" circle I was standing on as a whole floor outstretched around me. Inner monologue: 'Imagining....imagining...uh...not gonna work.  This is a Christian Retreat, I'll just imagine ethereal music playing with God and his flowing robes, arms outstretched....yeah, that's a bit of a stretch.  Ok, let's try practical.  I'm harnessed and hooked up to a cable that will catch me.  It's all good!  It's .... ALL...good.'

The man below who held my rope yelled, "Ok, I'm gonna start counting."  I think I may have yelled out a sassy comment about having waited 1 1/2 hours from the last group that did the Leap of Faith.  I was last in line to do this from an earlier group in the day, and they shut the exercise down right before my turn...leaving me to wait through the employees lunch and break until I could try it again.  So, I said I would count myself down.  "Ooooonnnneeee.  Twwwwooooo."  I squatted for my jump.  Swang my arms back...and....yeah... those feet weren't goin' anywhere!!

Inner monologue: 'Ok.  Gut check time!  I know why this is difficult for me!  If I don't jump, I will feel horrible about myself and will not have chipped away at this core issue this exercise is bringing up for me.  TRUST.  That's it.  I have to jump.  I have to trust.  I have to let go of the distrust I have been holding onto like a precious treasure.  That's right, Girlie!  A precious treasure!  I have to choose...to have faith in the distrust or the trust?  I need to let go of the baggage of distrust! It's time. This jump is a moment for me to get back a piece of trust that had been taken away as a young girl.  Ok, Big Guy, this exercise is a huge metaphor playing out for what is happening everyday in my life.  I see where you are going with this, God.  Point taken.' (Sigh.) Inner monologue quiet.

Earlier in the day, before getting up on that pole, I waited 1 1/2 hours for the exercise to reopen.  Enough time to really think about the whole thing, and get really nervous.  In that time I thought to myself, 'Yo!?  Big Guy!?  Why you always makin' me wait?  My whole life has been a waiting game.  Really Dude!'  (Don't you love how I capitalize all my names for God?)  I realized that I was so nervous that I was not sure if being around my female friends was the best idea.  I mean after all, it was between God and I, wasn't it?  I could do it on my own!  Ok, I didn't need them around to witness that!  I'd just walk up there and do it!' So I had started to walk towards the Leap of Faith pole.  And theeeeen....I had started to walk back towards the cabin!  I texted some friends that were still at lunch,  "I think I may need some encouragement for this."  They texted back, "On our way!"  The next thing I knew I was telling my friends a multitude of emotions.  I had realized this exercise was a living metaphor for what I have trouble with...trusting.  I was being presented a moment to challenge me, as an opportunity to grow and learn. I felt honored and fortunate.   I so realized the significance and enormity of the moment for myself that I was overwhelmed with emotion.  I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.  I came apart.  (Good grief.)  The exercise was another layer in my healing from childhood sexual abuse.  I have come so far, and every once in awhile, I take another layer off that has been hindering me in my healing process.  Can you believe jumping off a pole was another layer?  I don't really remember much of what I said to my friends, while crying, only that I had diarrhea of the mouth with my feelings at that moment.  I just remember saying, "I'm gonna do this.  But I'm gonna do this messy."  This was a big thing for me.  I needed to let the emotions flow and honor the moment for myself.  I had earned it and I was going to reclaim a piece of something that had been stolen from me.  I needed to let myself cry all the way up the pole.  On the pole and after the pole.

And so I did.  I cried and cried and cried.  I really did feel quite a bit better after I let the tears flow and absorb the moment.  And as I stood on top of that pole having cussed, absorbed the scenery, visualized, put practical thinking to use, ...a new thought entered my mind, 'I really want to get off this pole.  And the only way off... is to jump.'  I remembered in my 1 1/2 hours of waiting, I prayed to God and told Him I understood that he wanted me to turn to Him and NOT do this alone.  He wanted me to reach out to Him.  He wanted me to come to Him and let go of my distrust and embrace the trust that He offers.  I realized my friends being there was making me feel better.  Their words of encouragement from below were helping.  (Ok, an 'ah ha' moment ...riiiiight...abooouuuut...here!)  So, I guess my lesson was that I try to do too much on my own and don't ask for encouragement and support enough in my life.  Sometimes I need help.  God wanted me to know that he is there to help and that my friends are still there too.  He was showing me I need to work on trusting and letting those that love me, in more often.

I felt the warmth of the sun on my back like a reassuring hand.  For me, when I visualize the essence of God in me, I visualize a light.  So knowing the sun was to my back, let me know He was there, and the heat of the sun was the transference of His strength to me.  At that moment I knew everything was going to be ok.  Not only was I going to be ok in jumping, but I would be ok in other areas of my life.  I just needed to trust the plan and purpose for my life and trust that He would always be there.  I needed to let friends and other loved one's in more often and open myself up to trust , no matter what.  (I always pray for "neon signs" from God, and I think the Leap of Faith counted as that.)

I didn't want the guy below to count, even though he had offered twice.  I had tried to count on my own and that didn't work.  So I said out loud, "I'm ready." I knew I needed someone else to count and motioned for my friends to start the countdown.  The sound of their voices would feel so supportive.  So, I had God,...and I had my friends.  And I knew it in my heart and soul.  I was ready.  "ONE.  TWO.  THREE!" 

I jumped.

I didn't catch the bar, but it was the jump that mattered most to me.  I was lowered down and my friends hugged me.  I realized that He had not made me wait, but that He had been waiting for me.  I chose to be last in line in the earlier group.  I chose to take awhile on that pole.  I had been choosing to just trust Him with my head and not my heart and soul.  I had been only dipping my toe into the waters of friendship and not truly diving all the way in.  I had not been surrendering to trust.

One of my friends brought my phone over to me to show me the pictures she had taken of me and said, "Erin, you have to see this photo."  This was the photo she took of me before I jumped.  I was overcome.

There is the sun, the reassuring warmth at my back. Wow!  I even got confirmation and a bonus awesome souvenir photo out of the deal!!

I write alot about making choices and attitude changes in the moment. The good news about making choices is that we are 'co-creators' in our lives, alongside the Big Artist in the sky Himself. We choose what our life looks and feels like throughout many moments on a daily basis. Sometimes these moments can be profound and even soul changing.  What is even more awe inspiring is when there is something bigger than ourselves at work. When everything lines up in a pin point moment in the universe and we have our 'Ah Ha!' moment; on every level I know of, that is Artful Living!

To my KC Ladies: Thank you for your encouraging words, hugs, and the final countdown.  I'm so glad I got to share such a special moment with you.  Thank you for the opportunity...it was life changing!

Many hands make light work

So,  I was reading an article in a magazine awhile back about a group of 6 friends that rotated helping between each other's creative decorative home projects.  As a former Interior Designer and a current Life Coach this doubly peaked my interest.  I loved that they were pitching in their creative talents and skills and then supporting one another and connecting.  Here is what they would do: One person in the group would have a project that they needed to complete or finish.  They would then buy and organize all supplies for the project and provide food and drinks for everyone helping.  The friends were invited over, each assigned a task and the project was finished in a day or weekend.  They then would rotate to the next person in the group, a month or 2 months later, that wanted their household project done.  The the same thing was done for that person.  This is such a great concept!  I mean as women in the season of raising children, these types of things on our "to do" list sit on that list for years!  We think, "How can I get this done all by myself?"  There is always the kid room to repaint and organize, dining room chairs to recover, baby's room to prepare, kitchen to clean out and organize, and garage sale to orchestrate.  This idea would be great for any and all of those, and could be utilized for any similar scenario.  More than anything, I love that they took work and looked for a way to make it easier on themselves individually and then also ended up making it fun and connective.  I am sure there was alot of laughing, talking, and bonding in friendships.  This is definitely the "Many hands make light work" approach in action.  These ladies took something that was potentially draining work and transformed it into efficient, fun, and connective time with their friends.  That is Artful Living!

Questions to ask yourself:
- What in your life is draining you and could be transformed into being easy, fun, and/or connective? How could the negative be turned into a positive?
- Is there something in your life that you are needing to ask for help on?  Is it hard for you to ask for help?  What could move you past the hangups for asking for help?  What action steps could be taken to move you to ask for help?
- What are the new possibilities on an old issue in your life?  Do you need an attitude shift on an old issue?
- Could the "many hands make light work" approach be utilized somewhere in your life?  Where?  What could that look like?  What are the steps necessary to move forward with putting it into action?

Getting Out of My Own Way

So I got out of town, this past weekend, for my 20th class reunion back in Indiana.  Now, I'll be honest all those old insecurities did resurface.  Darn it!  I felt uncomfortable.  But I quickly changed my attitude and got out of my own way and decided that if I felt uncomfortable, that it was worth it.  Anytime you are uncomfortable there is opportunity for personal growth...right?  Well, to alleviate some of the uncomfortableness I admit I shopped for a great outfit to feel good in...hello, I am a woman!  Plane tickets...check. Great outfit...check.  Party reservation $ sent...check.  Bags packed...check.  Positive, confident, fun party girl attitude...check!  I was ready! 

Or was I?  Would I be judged?  Would anyone talk to me?  Why did no boy in my class ever ask me out? Would the popular girls even engage in conversation?  Would that old crush still be devastatingly handsome?  Would the boy who had a crush on me be there?  Would the smart kids have these amazing careers and look down on me?  Would the prom queen be the most beautiful one in the room?  Will the cheerleaders command the dance floor and I'll be left looking like I'm dancing with my hip thrown out?  Did I wrong someone all those years ago and they are going to rip me a new one right there in front of everyone?  How old do I really look?  Can anyone see how much my boobs are sagging?  Will spanx really suck in my baby pooch?  Would I be able to get my mind and insecurities to quiet enough to have any fun? Aaaaah!!!

As soon as I showed up, it went nothing like I thought.  At first it was overwhelming to the senses to see so many familiar faces that now were all grown up.  It became a game of sorts, and a ton of fun to see what we all looked like!  But after I got into the groove, I started to let go of all of the questions and insecurities I had running through my head, and got out of my own way.  I'll admit it wasn't easy, but I did it.  I became present and let myself receive all that the night had to offer.  I found that I myself was not alone in this receiving mode...most everyone was right there with me.  They just wanted to get reacquainted and enjoy the fun interchanges.  I found my heart just melting as the night went on and felt so much love for everyone there and love in return.  Now I have heard others who have gone to their reunions say they felt like they were right back in high school and nothing had changed.  There is a little truth to that. I mean my old crush still looked devastatingly handsome.  The prom queen still had her queenly beauty...maybe even more!  But what I realized was that I was the only one letting the outside influences cloud up my mind with the inner monologue of questions from earlier. I was the only one keeping me from being me and open to the joy that was possible for the moment.  So what did I do?  I got out of my own way and completely enjoyed the entire evening!  I had a blast and left feeling filled with joy.  That is "Artful Living".

Lesson:

"Getting out of my own way is the the adjustment needed for my own freedom and ultimate joy." 
- Erin Finney Myers

Mama's Cup of Goodness

Yes, this really is my actually cup!  Love this cup! 

 

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided to get out of Phoenix for the weekend.  We packed up our children for an overnight stay up in the pine trees of Flagstaff.  We focused on just spending time outdoors, with the kids, with each other, and fitting in at least one activity on everyone's wish list.  My activity, of course, was browsing in a fun girly boutique that is the, "I've always wanted to go in there, but never have the time", type of shop.  Our first day in town was a windy day in old town Flagstaff and there was just enough chill in the air to chase us inside to a local coffee shop for mochas, and hot chocolates for the kids.  The weather had everyone a bit cold and grumpy.  As I waited for my mocha to be made, I saw "my shop"of choice across the street from the coffee shop.  Girlfriends, it was one of those trendy little shops that make you feel youthful and sexy all at once.  It's window displays appealed to my artsy side.  I mean we're talking sweet looking wedge shoes, pretty little dresses, and 'to die for' hand bags.  I leaned over to my husband and said, "Oh, that shop over there looks cute !"  He then suggested after I get my mocha, that I just head over there and browse and he would sit with the kids at the coffee shop while they finished their drinks.  Score!  Seeing my opportunity and the support of my husband in action, I wasn't going to let this go.

Finally, my mocha was ready.  Now, you have to understand something about my mocha's, coffee's, tea's, hot cocoa's,...well any hot beverage for that matter.  My relationship with them is very serious.  There is something about a warm beverage that jump starts me into slowing down and being present.  I love to pamper myself in this way.  My family now calls my cups of hot beverages, "Mama's cup of goodness."  It is so long standing, that if I'm in a bad mood, sad, or stressed my husband is the first to jump in and suggest that he head out in the car straight to our local coffee shop and procure "a cup of goodness."  I think it really appeals to his old cave man instincts of going out and hunting something down and bringing it back home to provide for his woman.  Can you hear the chest thumping?  Hey, if my man feels better, all the better for both of us. 

So, anyway, I headed across the street and stepped into the shop and let the wonderful feeling of having a moment to myself, wash over me.  I took just a second to be very present.  Mmmmm.  I had no children tugging on me, or repeating, "mom, mom, mom," I was standing in a shop oozing with trendy cuteness, and I had A CUP OF GOODNESS in my hand!!!  This was a great way to love on myself..."self care" if you will.  I took a deep breath and instantly exhaled.  My contentedness must have been audible, as one of the boutique's staff commented on how lovely, cozy, and peaceful I looked with my coffee in hand.  I giggled and said, "I feel good with it just in my hand.  I sometimes think I wouldn't even have to drink it and it would have the same affect on me."  The sales lady laughed and said, "Oh that is so true!"  As I browsed I thought about what I had just said, some more.  In being very present, and letting my senses take in everything.... the 'to go' coffee cup with it's little raised lid and earthy/urban cardboard sleeve hugging the white paper cup that gave off the perfect amount of cozy warmth.  The colors and textures within the shop.  The silence.  I was fully appreciating this small moment and all of the beauty it had to offer.  An attitude shift was slowly taking place.  I had't even had a sip of my mocha!  Then, I had to think back further, maybe this attitude shift had actually happened back at the coffee shop itself.  The intoxicating aromas wafting from the coffee shop were what had lured us in in the first place.  Was that the shift?  Oh, and not to mention that coffee shops in themselves are always a visual with their trendy cuteness.  Maybe my mental shift had taken place at the coffee shop?  After all what FINALLY prompted me to seek out the boutique I had never gone into?  Was it the aroma of the coffee beans that started my mental journey to a different more positive place of possibilities in my head?

Now keep in mind the cup of coffee, the aroma, nor the trendy shop, have the power to change my attitude.  But I do.  There is an association however with that cup of coffee of good feelings.  The shift that took place from feeling cold and grumpy to contented and happy was all within me.  A choice. I chose to take a small moment for "self care", to be present, and enjoy God's beauty through my senses.  We choose, whether or not we see God's beauty in everyday life.

As a former Interior Designer, it was well known in my business, that one's environment can have an enormous impact on one's mental well being.  In my experience as a designer I always asked my clients to pick a favorite 'thing' as an inspiration piece to jump start the design process.  Many times they would come with pictures and treasures that were from past vacations.  No matter the object, the reason was always the same; the object elicited a particular feeling.  There was a mental shift in the presence of their favorite object.  As a designer I used that in their home so that the feeling could be all encompassing in their everyday life.  You can do the same on a much smaller and more affordable scale with what you have around you.  What a great way to pamper yourself! For example: I once remember making a list of everything that spoke to me in positive ways and helped make a change in my attitude.  The list included things in the physical world that took me back to a memory or triggered a good feeling, by just seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling them in the day.  They were things that would engage my senses in my everyday life.  They made the daily grind a bit sweeter.  Here are a few things that were on my list:

Wind chimes ( keeps me present and in the moment)
Favorite song or cd on the ready (a get up and move song is great for a grumpy mood)
Coffee or Tea (calming)
Quotes/ Bible verses that mean something to me (great for perspective)
Pictures of my family on vacation (calming and helps me let go of the moments when I'm ready to turn in my wife/mom card)
Fresh Flowers (beauty always brings joy)
Pumpkin spice candle for the aroma (reminds me of Autumn back home in the Midwest)
My Children's Artwork (this returns me to the 'awwww my kids are so adorable' attitude when I'm ready to sell them to the gypsies)
Pictures of the Ocean (peace and perspective)
Favorite Family Heirloom (helps me feel connected to my roots)

These are several off of my list and I have many more.  But, I would challenge each of you to make a list of things that you could put in your everyday world that resonate with you.  God comes to us through the smallest of moments and through those things that sing to our souls.  He wants us to take good care of ourselves.  Taking a moment to pamper yourself, getting present, and choosing to find beauty and joy in the littlest of things...that, is Artful Living!

My Favorite Story of Artful Living

This is an old antique server or buffet of my Great Grandmother's that has been passed down in our family.  My Grandmother told us that she could remember playing around this piece of furniture when she was a small child.  It came to me after the death of  a Great Aunt and the cleaning out of her home.  I was the only one that wanted it.  After an arduous trip from southern Indiana to Arizona, it came to me a "hot mess"!  In fact, it was so awful, we affectionately started calling it "The Bohemoth".  Finally, after some reworking and a coat of paint...it now sits in our entry, and has found renewed purpose and beauty.

If you haven't noticed by now, in my blog posts, I love to write about creating "something out of nothing".  The "beauty in everyday life"!  Even when I create visual arts and crafts, I find my particular favored medium is to always take discarded items...trash...cast off's or the ordinary and create something beautiful out of them.  It is a passion of mine, to bring beauty to the surface.  It may be why I originally went into Interior Design.  I love taking old furniture or homes that are less than attractive, and uncovering their true beauty.  I love to create "something from nothing".  These creative acts as a child and young adult ultimately became a living metaphor in my daily life.  I may even be able to credit my mother for instilling this in me.  An extraordinarily creative science teacher, she could find a way to do anything on her frugal budget.  I guess I really took what she taught me to heart and have carried it even further.  I started applying the idea to the "yuck" and ordinary in life and finding and creating beauty out of those moments.  In learning more as a Christian, I have found that this is actually an old idea.  Jesus took the sick, poor, and cast off''s and spoke into them God's renewing words.  He showed them their true worth and beauty.  And so, now I write this sweet little blog (when I can) about finding the joy in the tiniest of moments and creating beauty wherever we can.  While my childhood had many difficulties, even abuse, I do carry sweet memories.  Which, I suppose, makes them even more treasured.  I wrote the following blog post about a year ago.  It is still my favorite Christmas story from my childhood.  And each time this time of year rolls around, I find it dancing happily in the corners of my mind.

       In a visit with my mother, a couple of years ago, she pulled out some old Barbie dolls for my kids to play with, and some of the old clothes for the dolls were still in the box.  I immediately was struck with a pang in my heart that caught me off guard.  I ran my fingers over the Barbie outfits with nostalgia and wonder, and a feeling of love swept over me.  There they all were; a white ruffled dress with blue ribbon trim, a yellow dress with a fitted bodice, a blue sundress, and many others with various ribbons, ric-rac, buttons, and ruffling.  They looked worn and aged, each with small stains and some of the ribbon fraying.  But, to me they looked the same as the day I received them.  My mother had given me these Barbie outfits one Christmas as a child.  I couldn't believe that the sight of these miniature clothes could have such a deep affect on me after all these years.

      I received a shoe box full of Barbie doll clothes for Christmas, over 30 years ago.  I had one Barbie I had gotten the Christmas before and she came with only one outfit.  I was really into Barbies back then, and I longed for more outfits for my new doll.  I mean seriously, Barbie couldn't go out in just an evening gown in my imaginary play world!  As if!  Barbie and I had other places to go that required a multitude of styles and colors!  Store bought outfits were expensive for my parents in that season of life.  I guess that particular Christmas, all those years ago, my mother was backed into a corner.  How was she going to provide a Christmas for her young children on a very tight budget? 

     Amazing things can happen when faced with adversity, whether small or large.  Those are the moments when we choose to fall defeated or see the way to a richer, fuller way of living.  We can choose to be victim or choose to be victor and find the beauty in a challenging situation.  My mother chose to be a victor and use her particular artistic authentic voice to persevere, express her love, and make a wish come true for her daughter.  I imagine mom looked at her skills, talents, and available resources, and saw a solution.  She knew she was a great seamstress and enjoyed it immensely.  She could use her talents and skills she enjoyed, to bring joy to her daughter and still stay on budget.  Being a great creative problem solver, I'm sure she took a look around at what was available to her.  I can just see her going to my closet and digging in my toy box to find the coveted Barbie.  I can imagine while standing there eyeing Barbie and wondering how she would complete her task, Mom probably realized her answer was right in front of her.  Hanging in that closet were the clothes I was outgrowing.  Many of my shirts were worn through in the elbows, so much so that there were holes in the sleeves.  Mom's problem was solved.  She chose to use the sleeves of the old shirts, cut them off, hemmed them, and sewed on bits of ribbon, and buttons from her button jar.  She created numerous dresses in different colors and styles for no money, but with an enormous amount of talent, skill, creativity, and love.  She used her particular artistic voice and was able to fill an entire shoe box with her creations.  It became my favorite gift that Christmas.  It wasn't until later, that I found what the shoe box of Barbie clothes were really made from or who really made them.  That gift had already been one of my favorite "all time" gifts, then to find out what my mother had done to make the wish come true despite the tight budget, was so very touching.  I like to think, that her using her gifts, being herself, finding joy right where she was, and creating beauty out of something ordinary, is what made that box of clothes hold such wonder for me.  So far reaching was the use of her artistic voice and her spiritual gifts, that the same emotions swept over me as she brought them out for my children, that day, as the day that I opened them as a Christmas gift over 30 years ago.

That, is "Artful Living".

What is "Artful Living"?

     This morning I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows with one of my favorite chefs.  She was making an amazing dish filled with color and from what she was describing, a wonderful aroma.  I was struck with how moved she was by her own journey of creating her stunning dish.  And even though, I'm sure she had made this dish numerous times, she seemed in awe of her own creation in the end.  Her eyes sparkled as she remarked on how beautiful and intense the color of the dish seemed to her.  She continued with how it tasted and how the flavors danced in her mouth.  Obviously, this woman was thoroughly captured by the results of her own skills and talents.  Watching her made me wonder, if I shouldn't consider going to culinary school myself.  If she could be so moved by the act of cooking, maybe I could find a little of that myself.  This woman was in absolute ecstasy.  Her life at that moment looked so filled with joy and contentment.  She was so amazing to watch in her reactions to what she had created, that I also was feeling amazing joy and beauty inside.  My own creative juices were flowing!  I quickly surmised that going to culinary school was probably out of the question, so looking up her recipe online was the next best thing.  As I perused her numerous recipes online, I reflected that this chef was a woman who had discovered her particular artistic voice of cooking, as her way of expressing "artful living".  In those few minutes that I watched her, she expressed herself, experienced joy, created beauty for herself and others, and connected with others...all through a few mundane ingredients we viewers pass by in our own grocery stores every day.  She had selected items from her local farmers market and had created a masterpiece of art.  The idea that she created beauty from nothing and was making her life and others a little more beautiful by her particular artistic voice, is "Artful Living".

     "Artful Living", includes the things, ideas, attitudes, ways of life, that make your life and the lives of others a bit sweeter.  It is finding and creating beauty out of the mundane, old, trash, difficult times, traumas, sickness...the "routine" or "uglies" of life.  It's an attitude that can manifest things and feelings to add a bit of sweetness to your life and others each day.  It's not just giving a card to a friend, but making a card that you give to your friend.  It's not just packing a lunch for your children, but placing a special note for them to find at lunch that reminds them of how much you love them.  It's finding humor through the trials of breast cancer.  It's repurposing and refurbishing an old piece of garage sale furniture, for your home.  It's making your special cup of coffee for your friend  as you sit down to talk about what is bothering her.  It's how you offer up your beautifully wrapped words to a friend that needs to here a truth.  It's how you turn a life trauma into an eventual beauty filled with wisdom that you are able to share with others.  It's taking the time to watch and listen to the sounds of the earth waking in the morning and giving thanks for the chance to witness God's beauty.  It's getting creative in coming up with Christmas gifts for your kids by utilizing your gifts and talents and supplies on hand, when money is tight.  It's eating a regular family meal on your finest china, just because it's fun.  This is "Artful Living", finding and creating the beauty out of the most mundane and challenging of life, to create masterpieces of art.  "Artful Living" is finding your own artistic voice and using it to live your life more fully,  more connected with others, with more joy, contentment, gratitude, healing, more expressions of love, and greater beauty.

     Find your special and unique artistic voice, and share it with yourself and others to come fully into "Artful Living".

Mission of Artful Living

The mission of "Artful Living", is to help others find their individual artistic voice, by providing creative, nurturing, and inspiring ideas, information, and opportunities for greater expression, joy, healing, beauty, and connectedness in everyday living.