A New Word for 2013 - BLOOM - and a blog hop

As many of you know on Monday's I typically do a message from the universe post but today I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled programming to participate in the Fly Tribe blog hop to help embrace my one little word for 2013.

Choosing a word to embrace the entire year means to me that I have a reminder of my goals for the year.

Once again my word chose me...a few months ago but I didn't realize it until recently.

A couple of months ago I created this page in my journal.  

Bloom: a flowering state, a state or time of high development or achievement.

I played and considered a few other words: evolve, flourish, grow but for me bloom seems less daunting.  

To me bloom also can reflect a single thing and the other words made me think that I needed to make multiple things happen. I know that I will do more than one thing but balancing my creative life with my day job means I can only do one at a time, right now.

So, bloom it is for 2013.

Bloom

With my word I am committing to blooming creatively.

More art, more photos, more blogging (I promise to get back on the blogging bandwagon this week - sorry to have been a little inconsistent).

Hop over to the Fly Tribe blog and visit a few other posts and see what words they have chosen to embrace in 2013.

Oh, and if you haven't done so already, consider what your word will be for 2013.

Fly Tribe Blog Hop - Giving Back

Welcome to the Fly Tribe Blog Hop.  (Read to learn how you could win a spot in Kelly Rae Roberts' e-course Flying Lessons.)

One year ago I participated in Kelly Rae Roberts' Flying Lessons e-course.  I can honestly say that since then my life has not been the same.

I am a photographer, jewelry designer, and artist with a full-time day job. I took Kelly Rae's course to begin a dream, learn about the online art community, and live a more creative life. I gained so much more. I found a community of creative women that have touched my soul, shared my celebrations, hugged me when times were difficult, and encouraged my dream. 

When a fellow flyer recommended that we join together and give another creative artist the chance to take Flying Lessons for free - I decided to pay it forward and participate by donating. 

I was raised in a small community in Wisconsin, a town of 5,000 people. While growing up my family was always involved in the community (they still are), whether with my church, raising funds for a charity, volunteering at events, or simply helping a neighbor build a garage or fix their house - the list is endless. And, it is second nature to me. 

So much so, that for more than thirteen years I worked directly for some very wonderful charities as a fundraiser and now I work for a fundraising consultant company and help many charities via my day job. 

As an artist, I pay it forward by inspiring others with little bits of flower power kindness which I leave in public places in NYC. In hopes of making someone smile. 

Each Fall, my day job hosts a weekend volunteer trip to help fix up homes for people who can't afford to fix them. We spend 3 days roofing, siding, building, renovating, and anything else that needs to get done. Last year I had a great time and am looking forward to doing it again this year.

I am so excited that not just one of you but 16 of you will have the opportunity to participate in Kelly Rae Roberts' next and last Flying Lessons e-course. You will learn so much about having an online presence as an artist, about blogging, selling your art online, and you will also meet like minded creative souls. 

So, leave a message on my blog (I'd love to hear from you), hop around to the other participants who helped make this all possible (the links are below the photo), and then click over to the Fly Tribe blog, read the post, and leave a comment for a chance to be one of the lucky who get to attend for free.  Oh, and at some moment in the future when you have the chance to pay it forward or give back (however you want to look at it) please give, give, give...it feels so good.

I leave you with a bit of sidewalk art my a well known New Yorker, James De La Vega, who walks the streets and inspires us. 

Janet Forrest http://www.tatterednworn.wordpress.com

Cat Athena Louise http://www.catathenalouise.com

Stacey Bockness Curry http://starhitchedwagon.blogspot.com/

Kris Lanae Binsfeld http://cherishdesigns.wordpress.com/

Renee Burke http://happilyeverafterbyreneeburke.wordpress.com

Mary Sterk http://www.justmarydesigns.com

Michelle Reynolds http://www.shellsinthebush.com

Constance Rawlins http://livingwithinyourharvest.com/2012/08/19/fly-tribe-anniversary/

Kelly Hoernig  http://www.kellyhoernig.blogspot.com

Cindy Jones Lantier http://www.lantier.org

Kathleen Conard http://newfromoldcreations.blogspot.com/2012/08/giving-back.html

Claudia Dow http://www.claudiadow.blogspot.com 

Susan M. Walls-Beverly http://susanscharmingtrinkets.blogspot.com/2012/08/flying-lessons-and-art-of-giving-back.html

Linda Barutha http://baruthadesigns.com

Linda Kinnaman http://lindakaysart.com/blog/2012/08/19/my-dream-journey-one-year-now/

Cheryl Dossey http://www.cheryldossey.com/

Sofia Dabalsa http://sofiadabalsa.blogspot.com

Jill Lambert http://jill-lambert.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-spirit-of-giving.html

Sally Rose http://sallyhow2.blogspot.com/

Ursula Smith http://EasyScraps.com/blog

Deborah Eaton http://www.deborahgeaton.com/blog/

Lori Leissner  http://www.leissnerart.com/2012/08/giving-thanks-giving-back-giving-flight.html

Creative Clearinghouse http://creativeclearinghouse.com/Online-Class-Reviews/blog/Ursula-Creative-Clearinghouse

Lenore Angela http://www.lenoreangela.blogspot.ca/

Katharina Star http://www.blog.katharinastar.com

Rachél Payne http://wp.me/pWRyw-10P

Sherry Richert Belul  http://www.simplycelebrate.net/cherry-blossom-soup/gifts

Deborah Velasquez http://deborahvelasquez.blogspot.com/

Shannon Etnyre http://www.livingwithumami.com

Live Laugh Love Retreats http://livelaughloveretreats.com

Kelley Miller Artworks http://kelleymillerartworks.blogspot.com/

Wini Dougall http://artloveandjoy.blogspot.com

Carol Bray http://theredpaintedcottage.blogspot.com 

Tracy Yarbrough http://chickpeastudio.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-spirit-of-giving.html

Diane Enright  http://dianeenrightphotography.wordpress.com/

Jamie Burch http://www.dancingdownserendipitystreet.blogspot.com/

Mary Cottingham http://www.barnbugstudio.blogspot.com

Susan Dietz http://flutterbeforeyou.blogspot.com

Kim Hyer http://www.apaperaddict.com

Tina Carlborg http://www.tinachicky.blogspot.com

Catherine Pistone  http://catherinepistone.blogspot.com/

Mary MacIlvain http://maryart.macilvain.com/

Carolyn Chenault http://carolynchenault.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/the-big-giveaway

Thanks for visiting!

Messages from the Universe - Created

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere.

I secretly call them soul whispers.

The messages are all around us

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Superman and I escaped the city this past weekend and drove to visit the lovely Deborah Velásquez and her family.

Deb and I met while taking Flying Lessons, spent last Thanksgiving together and share a wonderful friendship. She is a fabulous artist and simply just fun to hang out with.

Deb and her son E have often told me that finding messages from the universe in the rural town where they live is difficult. There are few billboards and very little graffiti - unlike NYC.  

I am so inspired because they decided to create messages from the universe for me. These greeted me, hung in a tree in the driveway, upon my arrival. 

I love that they made me messages from the universe. 

I think my favorite is: Make Your Own Luck. :)

If you are having difficulty finding messages where you live - I suggest you make your own. Maybe you can hang them at the end of your driveway. 

Shoe Hop & Shared Messages from the Universe

It is my belief that messages from the universe speak to me and remind me of something that is inside of me. When I first see them, I often don't even know what is really being advertised. Instead, the message conjures emotions or thoughts relating to something that is going on within me; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I see them on billboards, in magazines, store windows, church plaques...everywhere. I secretly call them soul whispers.

The messages are all around us
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Today I am also hopping on the Fly-Tribe's Shoe Hop.

Only Me.

As an artist the art I create, no matter what the medium, needs to be authentically only me.

I am the only me. How I see the world around me though my pictures. The jewelry that I create. The doodling, the panting, the collage, the journals, the little books...it really does have to be authentically only me.

How and what I write on my blog has to be authentically and only me. You deserve the real me. 
So, when my grammar isn't quite right, or I write a run on sentence, or the photos I use are always about flowers...well, you are getting the one and only me. (I love flowers!) I write like I talk so, trust me, when you do meet me there won't be any surprises.

Because as an artist it is only me (and I still have a full time day job), I need to pace myself sometimes. Go really slow if I am trying something new (the journal books that I started at Christmas are still not done) and I need to be okay with it.

I also, need what I create to be an extension of myself. I won't be jumping on any new trends unless it resonates within my soul and is an extension of only me.

Being only me is all about balance...balancing my blog, my creative endeavors, my full time day job, my relationship with Superman, my home, my family, my friends, my life...and I'll be honest I don't always do the balancing act well BUT you can trust that I am always - only me.

I encourage you, no matter what your role is in this world (even if you play many roles), to be the only you that you can be.  You are the only you in the world and your voice, your passions, your gifts to the world are better when they come from your heart and soul and only from you. So, be the best "only me" that you can be!

Click on the picture below to hop over to the Fly Tribe blog and check out the other shoe shots this week.

 

Love of Art

Happy Valentine's Day! 

I've been creative in way or another since I was young. My love of art started in grade school and was inspired my Mom and her friends who used to craft and create small pieces of art, mostly ornaments, to sell during the holiday season when I was a child. Today I love all kinds of art and simply respect an artist for creating from the heart.

I've fallen in love with photography all over again during the past year. 

During the past two weeks, while walking throughout NYC, I've been capturing photographs of hearts. It honestly has been so much fun seeing and noticing the world around me with heart shaped glasses. What do you see in the world around you?

Click the Fly Tribe button below and visit the other bloggers that are participating in the Love of Art blog hop today to see what they've been inspired to create or simply what inspires them for the Love of Art.