The Art Forms of Purposeful Living

The ending of a year is a natural pause point to reflect upon the way one’s lived, loved, and created. This post is my pause point. Although I’ve written and blogged less in 2013 than in previous years, I’ve spent more time with my family and more time developing my art than in previous years. So …

Writing for the Right Reasons

This morning while searching for a possible post, I came across a comment I'd written to a dear writing friend, Christine Grote, in response to her post, One thing’s clear — re-evaluating blogging. We both self-published around the same time and often shared ideas and information. Although different genres, her's memoir and mine a book about creativity, her writing touched me …

The Fallow Ground of Creativity

Have you ever noticed that dry times tend to follow a creative project? I know I have. I can be on such an artistic roll painting or writing or songwriting, and then I finish the piece and my creativity comes to a screeching halt. I often experience these odd, unproductive times after a flood of …

Moon Dancing

We creative sorts are destined to be moon dancers, people who envision the impossible and dance upon the unreachable, dreams as distant as the moon. We spent an inordinate amount of time fantasizing about what could happen in our artistic lives: Perhaps I’ll become a famous novelist. Maybe my art will be recognized on Etsy …

Find your Bliss

Here’s my latest mixed media in process I titled, “Find Your Bliss,” because I envision her hair formed with different kinds of creativity that I love. READ THE ENTIRE POST...

The Art of Breathing

Sometimes life is about breathing deeply, enjoying the people who make life worth living, like family at my Aunt Nancy's 80th birthday celebration. And at other times, life is about gasping for air and holding your breath for as long as possible, and lately my lungs have strained from the lack of oxygen. You see, …

The Competition Between Career and Creative Life

It’s the second day of a four-day weekend and I’m sitting here, in my art room, staring at a mixed media canvas in process. READ THE ENTIRE POST...

Flowers, Photography, and Photoshop

Here’s a few tips on how to photograph flowers and then alter the images with Photoshop to create a soft, romantic mood. READ THE ENTIRE POST...

Give the Gift of Mixed Media

If you’re looking for a creative gift, try making a mixed media collage using photos of your loved ones. I created this first mixed media, “Forever,” using a background of acrylic paints, lace, vintage-style tissue paper, and Golden Gel Medium. READ THE ENTIRE POST...