Soul Whispers... Life's better...

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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I saw this message more than once this past week.

It is part of a new advertisement for a major bank branch.

And, the best part...

I never noticed the words at the bottom

until I really looked at my photograph.

Universe, you work in amazing ways.

I love this message,

Life's better when we're connected.

It caught my attention in light 

of everything happening in Boston,

and the increased police and

 armed guard presence

 that has returned to NYC this past week.

It made me think about all the people

that are important to me.

I smiled each time I saw the message.

Days later, I took this picture 

and then saw the smaller words;

to potential

to possibilities

(I'm not sure if there are more words

this is where I unconsciously cut it off).

This made me think more.

We all have potential

and, honestly, I believe that 

possibilities are endless.

So, I want to encourage you 

to become connected

to what your heart and soul

see and feel as your potential

and then see what possibilities you have.

Life's better when we're connected

to potential

to possibilities...

Soul Whispers - It's time to take the next step

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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I've been seeing this ad a lot for the past couple of weeks 

and, I'll be honest, I've been ignoring it.

It's time to take the next step.

What if the next step doesn't have a clear path?

What if there aren't any answers?

What if I'm afraid?

What if the not knowing is holding me back?

What if...what if...what if...

At some point you just have to leap.

I'll be honest, I'm not quite there yet...

But, I'm getting closer.

So, Universe, stop yelling at me.

Gentle reminders will work just as well.

I'm seeing them, trust me, 

I just need my brave girl cape, 

a few more bracelets, and maybe a new pair boots first.

Has the universe been sending you messages?

By the way, May is almost here and I will again be hosting my May Flower Challenge. 

Will you play along?

Every day during May simply blog about flowers. 

Flowers you've made, you've seen, that have inspired you, 

any blog post that is about flowers and link to my daily post in May.

I have a general link on the May Flower Challenge page on my blog

where you can sign up and link your blog to mine.

Soul Whispers - Stand Back

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 conjure 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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This is what I've been doing lately.

Standing back.

From my creative self.

I've needed time to physically heal, I've been sick.

It's why I haven't been around here much.

Thank you all for your kind well wishes, 

private messages, emails, 

phone calls to make sure that I was okay.

You guys are the best!

As I waited for a train in Boston last week, 

I noticed how faded the message STAND BACK was

and it made me realize that I don't need to stand back anymore.

 I've starting to feel better, 

I've taken care of myself

 (with Superman's help - and love from the fur balls) 

and that means that I can resume my creative life.

I'll be around more often.

I'll post more.

I'll share some of the sketches I've made while in bed.

I'm done standing back!

Shared Messages from the Universe - Forget the Rules if...

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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Forget the rules if it makes you happy...

As an artist, I take online classes, local classes when I can find one, visit artist studios, visit galleries, etc.

I love to learn.

Classes are great, don't get me wrong, but at some point you just have to create art.

Yes, as a photographer, I've learned about aperture, shutter speed, composition, but honestly no one has ever taught me to see things the way I see them. 

It comes from practice. 

During the past year alone I've taken over 5,000 pictures, many of them aren't very good but when you find one gem it is all worth it. 

Had it not been for my camera I probably wouldn't see the world around me the way that I do.

I feel the same way about my other art. I make jewelry, really simple twisted wire pendants, and then sterling silver, cut with a saw, formed, filed, and if I'm lucky the use of a torch to solder. I took a class a few years ago, loved it, and long for the day that I can have my own studio to create jewelry. I dream of taking the skills I learned there and not only make jewelry but also make big metal sculpture, too.

Lately, I've been art journaling and learning how to use watercolor paints, dylusion inks, inktense pencils, tombow markers, and tons of other art supplies. I've learned tons of technique but honestly, I have also learned that I really just want to make sure that I'm using the products correctly. 

I want to learn to use the tools and then I want to figure it out what my art will look like. 

I don't want my style of art to look like my teachers'. I don't want what I create to look like my classmates. 

I want to be unique.  

I don't want to follow the rules and paint a ladybug just because everyone else is doing it.

I want a little bit of me in what I create.

So, today, I want to encourage you to forget the rules the next time you take a class.  I want you to learn about the tools and then create from the heart and not from the instruction manual.

Put your heart into your art. (and stop thinking so much with your head)

Forget the rules if it makes you happy...

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Mandala

I'm linking up with Julia over at Stamping Ground today.

My desk is a mess, so my creative endeavors get moved to the bed, the coffee table, or the kitchen counter. (The things I do in the morning while Superman is sleeping.)

Inspired by a fellow artist, Linda a.k.a. Rappy, in Joanne Sharpe's Color Love class and her instructional how to which is on her blog, Rappy-Art, I created this mandala.

You really can get into a zone. Time flew by while I was drawing this. 

What's even more cool is that it doesn't have to be perfect. You'll see that my half daisies don't have the same number of petals each time, the center flower lines aren't exactly even, my lettering isn't identical all the way around, and guess what I don't care.

That's right, I don't care, it is my belief that the imperfections of a mandala make a beautiful piece of art when complete. That is only in these imperfections that the you find the beauty.

 I think that I'm going to add a heart above that half daisy, now that I look at it. 

It is time to add some color.

 I'll use my inktense pencils, tombow markers, koi watercolor, and maybe I'll pull out my peerless watercolors and colored pencils for some texture.

Check back later this week, hopefully I'll have made some progress.

Hop over to Stamping Ground and see what is on a few other desks. You never know what will inspire you.

Shared Message from the Universe - Be Fearless

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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As the tides change...

Be Fearless

I walked past this store window on the Upper West Side yesterday, smiled, and turned around to capture this photo.

As I walked to catch the bus home I kept thinking about the word fearless.

Fearless:  showing a lack of fear

Fear:  an unpleasant emotion of impending danger, pain, evil...real or imagined

Synonyms:  brave, bold, daring

I had just left an art journaling workshop that I discovered via meetup.com.  I am new to art journaling and wanted to gain a few new techniques.  And, yes, I've done a few classes online, I've watched youtube videos, and honestly I really wanted that feeling of learning while being surrounded by others who were doing the same thing. I wanted the community.  So, I signed up not knowing anyone else in the group and had a great time.

This message from the universe, in my opinion, affirmed my very big step to Be Fearless. 

 I took a risk.

 I signed up. 

I went to a place where I knew no one. 

I was fearless. 

I am so happy that I did. I gained some knowledge, had a really wonderful time, and now feel a little more confident in moving forward with my art journaling and The Sketchbook Project.

So, I want to encourage you today to do one thing that requires you to Be Fearless. 

Just one. 

I know you can do it.

Be Fearless

Shared Messages from the Universe - Practice

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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I know people that equate practice with work. 

Practice in my mind equals play.

P R A C T I C E  =  P L A Y

As a child, I remember taking piano lessons (by the way I took them throughout grade school). I also remember that I could not memorize music.  No matter how long I practiced it just wouldn't stick in my head. But, I didn't let that stop me.

I could get lost playing. 

I could express how I was feeling just by the song that I chose to play. 

I miss playing the piano.

Now, I am learning and practicing to use watercolors, inktense pencils, tombow markets, micron pens, peerless watercolors, and I believe that I have learned what I like and what I don't.

P R A C T I C E

What do you practice?

Are you learning something new? Or, trying to perfect a technique?

I want to encourage you to approach your next practice lesson as play. 

Pay attention and see if just by making that shift in your mind if practice can be more play instead of work. I bet you'll find more joy in the practice.

P R A C T I C E  =  P L A Y

.

Shared Messages from the Universe - Yes

 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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It is such a little word...yet, it carries so much power.

Y E S

If you are like me thoughts, ideas, and questions are always on your mind.

While out for a walk the other day, during a rather stressful day at the crazy day job, there were a few questions that were on my mind. 

Well, these blue little Yes stickers were stuck all along my path. 

I could have walked anywhere that day during lunch but the universe guided my direction. I was constantly reminded that the answer, at least on that day at that time, was Y E S.

I could have easily not noticed these little stickers. They are only about 1.5 inches in diameter. 

And, I'll be honest, I probably didn't notice the first couple. 

But then I started to see them more often.

Like the universe was validating my questions.

I laughed out loud.

Y E S

I hope that you pay attention today.

 Is the universe trying to tell you something?

By the way, I'm going to have to see if the universe ever says no in the future. 

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. 

Roses, Red and Markers as Watercolors

If you've been following along the past few weeks you may be aware that I am taking Color Love with Joanne Sharpe. Now, I'm a photographer and a jewelry artisan who loves to doodle and sketch.

A friend asked me, in the kindest way, if I was playing with markers and taking non-photography e-courses as a diversion or avoidance. See, I am also working on creating my own e-course and focusing on taking more pictures. I thought about it, because it's a good question, and the answer is no. What most people don't know is that I've known for the past few months that I was going to be getting injections in my knees (an alternative to surgery) and I also knew that this would probably mean that my taking picture expeditions were going to be limited while I worked through physical therapy. And, I was right, PT has been more intense than expected and just my normal walk everywhere in NYC, assigned exercises and climbing the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment has been enough.

Color Love has given me a diversion in the evenings after my long 'day job' days to stay creative and to release stress. I cannot write after my day job, I am just too spent.  It is why I wake up every morning early to write before I go to my day job. So, this week I played with markers and painted.

So, Tombow Bloom was an assignment in Color Love and this month Louise Gale's Creative Color Challenge color and theme was red and roses. I didn't quite follow Louise's full color palette of inspiration because I added blue but there is red and I did create roses.

I used Tombow markers, blended and painted with water.  I'll be honest here... I had no idea that Tombow markers existed until I saw them on Joanne's supply list. I also didn't know that I could turn them into watercolors and paint when using them. So much fun!

For my first Tombow marker, water painted piece...I'm quite pleased.

So, I'm not only going to link up with Louise Gale and her Creative Color Challenge I am also going to be brave and link up Paint Party Friday for the first time. Which is totally inspired by the lovely Tracey Fletcher King. You have to be brave sometime, right? Ok, I'm pressing Publish now so I don't change my mind.

Shared Messages from the Universe: Me = Love

 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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If you follow me on Instagram then you may remember this photo. 

It was taken during the first week of May and I was just starting my flower challenge. That's also the reason for the boots.

Me = Love

Love = Me

There used to be a time in my life when I would have walked right past this, may have not even noticed it or if I did I would have just grinned and kept going.

Now, they touch my heart.

This touches my heart.

Things, like the above, make me smile from within and I smile for blocks.

Me = Love

I walked for the next hour doing errands but smiling deep within myself (and every once in awhile smiling for no apparent reason) because yes, me, I equal love. 

Had I not been present. Had I been too busy trying to get to where I was going. Had I not noticed I would have missed out on that hour of inner bliss.

I choose to be aware of my world around me. I choose to see the little things and to harvest joy from them. I choose...and now it is who I am and I do not have to consciously see...it is just the way I am. 

I notice things that most people walk past. I believe that each of us can harvest the simple beauty of each day if we only noticed the little things a little more. So, I feel that it is part of my responsibility to help you see the world that is around you for the first time by sharing how I see my world.

How I do this is by being present. 

Being where I am, which in NYC, often means I am surrounded by hundreds of other people who are so focused on getting to where ever they are going that they miss where they are in the moment. They rush, they are rude, they push, they don't smile, they don't make eye contact...by the way, I choose to smile, to say thank you and excuse me. I choose to be present not for them but for me.

Me = Love

Love = Me

My dear friend Renee at Happily Ever After is hosting the sumMEr of ME - a calling forth of self care. Hop over and visit her blog, click the link on her post and watch her video it will make you smile and then choose - decide how you are going to care and honor yourself this summer. 

Too often we put others before our own needs and we forget that by honoring what we need, who we are and where we are going - we actually provide more for those around us. 

So, Me = Love, Love = Me... I encourage you to become more present in your every day, to notice those little things that you used to walk past, to embrace your journey because You = Love.

How are you going to begin? 

Summertime Colors

 I am linking up with 52 Photos Project today. 

The theme this week is Summertime Colors and I always think of flowers. I used to spend a few weeks each summer as a child at my Grandparents house in the big city of Milwaukee, WI. I and my little brother, no parents, it was so much fun. 

My Grandmother had some of the most beautiful roses and lush flower gardens in her back yard. In the morning she would tend to her garden while we would play in the yard.

My Mom now has beautiful flower gardens (which is where all of pictures included above were taken recently during a visit home) and I know in my heart that if I had a yard I would too. In the meantime, I visit the gardens of Central Park.

Visit 52 Photos Project to see the wonderful pictures of everyone else's interpretation of Summertime Colors. 

Shared Messages from the Universe - home

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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Will the road you're on get you home?

I walked by this sign last week. There is a Baptist Church on Madison Avenue between my day job and Madison Square Park. I walk past it at least once a week. This message to the universe was on the kiosk.

I thought about it in the back of my head while I enjoyed the warm summer rain.

When I first read this I did not think about "home" as in where I live, or where I grew up but "home" (and yes I do understand what the church was implying), for me, means my heart.

And, as I walked, in the rain without an umbrella taking pictures...I love to photograph in the rain...I thought about this:

Will the road I am on get me home?

I thought more about home as in "my heart". 

You know the feeling you get when...

                you dance alone,

                you sing along to your favorite song,

                you are doing what you love.

You know when you get lost for hours and smile deep within yourself.

Will the road I am on get me home?

Say this out loud. 

Will the road I am on get me home?

Then think about it...

Are you on the road to making your heart sing?

If you are like me, you many need to still travel the day job road while you occasionally take detours on the road to get you home. I think this ok, just make sure that you detour often!

Oh, and do me a favor, wave every once in awhile when you pass me on the road.

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Have you noticed any messages from the universe?

Share your message by joining my flickr group by the same name: Shared Messages from the Universe and post or link your photos. Share those written messages that you walk by most of the time. Those message that all of sudden you notice, you read, you react and they move you forward.

I'd love to see the messages that have inspired you!

Live Out Loud

 

How will you Live Out Loud this weekend?

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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Be...

Do you often find yourself with a long list of things to do?

Do you get overwhelmed with all of it?

Is your mind often thinking about the next 6 things that you need to accomplish?

What about what you are doing right now? Are truly savoring it?

Are enjoying the moment? Did you notice the flowers that you just walked past or the beautiful building that you just drove past? Or, are you just rushing to get to where you are going and focused on what comes next instead of the now?

I believe that too many of us rush through the moments of our lives trying to get to the next item on our list and we forget to enjoy where we are, we forget to enjoy the journey, we forget to be.

The photo above is one of those moments that I almost missed. I was doing laundry, in my world this means that I bag my dirty clothes and I carry them six city blocks to the laundry mat. Or, often Superman carries them and we pay by the pound for a service to launder them. But this time, it was my turn to actually do the laundry.

I walked past this photo opportunity five times before I captured it. Five times. I was so oblivious to the opportunity. I was so focused on getting to the laundry mat, running an errand while it washed, getting back, being bored, calling my brother, reading my magazine...that I missed the simple experience of the warmth of the newly laundered clothes. The smell - I love the smell of a dryer.

By the way, once I slowed down and by the time I was folding my last load I was finally in the moment. I was embracing where I was...I was in the state of being in the moment, in the now.

As I left the laundry mat, carrying my two bags of freshly folded clothes and blankets, this is when I noticed this message. I literally stopped, as you see my feet positioned in the photo above, to reposition the bags I was carrying and I laughed out loud. I snapped the photo with my phone.

The universe was reminding me to be. I walked home carrying the laundry with new eyes and a new heart. I noticed the sounds of the nearby restaurants, the colors of the fruit at the corner fruit stand, the traffic, the sky...I noticed the moment.

So, today, embrace where you are, the moment, the situation, stop living in the what if and savor the now. Be.

Shared Messages from the Universe - Om

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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Breathe

Inhale...

Exhale...

I remember the day that I took this photo. 

It was a day that I took off from my day job 

to specifically explore the city and take pictures. 

I remember because I had been walking 

around for hours 

and this reminded me 

to breathe, to pause and to take a break.

This is exactly what I need at the moment 

as I start back at my crazy day job today. 

So, I will be pausing 

from blogging until Friday.

Only a few days

 but a few days will be

 all I need as I will miss you.

Have you paused lately?

Have you taken the time to breathe?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -       

Have you noticed any Shared Messages from the Universe?

Share your message by joining my flickr group by the same name: Shared Messages from the Universe and post or link your photos.  Share those written messages that you walk by most of the time.  Those messages that all of a sudden you notice, you read, you react and they move you forward.

I'd love to see the messages that have inspired you!

Day 21 May Flower Challenge & Shared Messages from the Universe

 Welcome to day 21 of the May Flower Challenge.

I'm fascinated with flowers. They are all over my tiny apartment. I photograph them all the time. I draw, paint, doodle them, create them out of paper... I also see them all over the NYC. Each day I will post flowers and I hope that you will join in. The only rules are that your blog post or flickr photo that you link must contain flowers. Click above on the May Flower Challenge Page to learn more.  

On Mondays, I usually do a post called Shared Message 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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Last week I shared the photo of the truck with a flower on the back of it. If you missed it click here. This week. as I was looking back through my photos from the past month, I came across the above photo.  This was taken the same day as last week's Shared Message from the Universe photo.

What are you crazy for?

I remember taking the picture and thinking...chocolate, coffee, sand between my toes, the sun on my face, animals, creating art, Superman, my family, my friends who are my family, cowboy boots, being in the moment, taking pictures, watching people, discovering something new, flowers, hot tea, a good book...

What are you crazy for?

The photo below is of my favorite flower beds. This townhouse is on 79th Street in Manhattan and every year it has the most beautiful flower beds.  Whomever lives here must be crazy about flowers, too.

Last weekend as Superman and I walked home from Central Park we walked past this building (below). We've walked past it numerous times before during the past 5 years but I've never looked up before.

Check out those flowers!

This building is between 10-12 stories high (I'm going by memory). Whomever designed this building must have loved flowers - at least I'd like to think so.

So, what are you crazy for?

And, what are you doing about it? 

I say...embrace it! 

Participate by linking your blog post to my blog post. Each day during May, starting on May 1st, on my blog post I will have a linkytool available so that you can link your specific blog post (not just your blog but the post itself) to my blog post. And, please remember to link back.

Participate by linking to the flickr group - May Flower Challenge- and adding a photo of your flower creation. Make sure you add your photo to the linky below each day that you post.