Inspired Reflections + Creative Recommendations
I did it! This year I turned 38! This is the first year I somehow feel like I got younger rather than older (is that a sign of truly getting older?? If so, I'm fine with it!)
I get a little nostalgic around my birthdays - they mark a new year, the act of cosmically spinning through time and the universe to circle back again to things that feel familiar – August. Warmth. The energy of summertime sunshine and back to school activity. So many things are the same, and yet so very changed. Evolved. Remade. Reborn.
The past year has been tender, like a fresh wound healing. The way a seed breaks itself to reach for the sun, this year has broken me in new ways. The days have been harder than any I've experienced, and yet, this year has been so SO generous in the way that you only understand after being stretched and having to grow. Last year at this time, I was fragile, quickly trying to grow roots to sustain a sun that felt too hot, too harsh. But now, a year later, with months of gentleness and care soaking into my soul, I am learning something that you probably know too – even in hard seasons of growth, when life feels overwhelming and like too much, you are (I am) whole and beautiful and full of the capacity to love. That even in pain, we are whole – actually no. Scratch that. We are more than whole. We are growing.
I've gotten to watch the beauty tucked inside sustain me and my creative practice more than ever before – and that's something I hope to return to year after year forever and ever.
This post is going to be a full one. I'm going to share some thoughts that have been transformative as well as a few fun things I've found and really enjoyed this year. Ready? Let's go!
A few of my favorite things
THOUGHTS • MANTRA • MUSIC • POETRY • STUDIO • BOOKS
YEP. EVEN ME. THE QUEEN OF PAINTING 1000 LANDSCAPES AND CONSISTENTLY SHOWING UP FOR THOSE AROUND ME.
This might seem like a small and obvious thing, but when I let these words sink into MY body and MY mind, ooowwweeeyyy -- everything started to change.
Except for my belief in myself. And my trust in myself. That only settled in and grew as I began to look for more congruence and alignment. And what a liberating thing to know that that source is lasting and, when your heart is aligned with your actions, it's ok to change and evolve and look a little new to people around you. It's OK…..
This book of poetry by Andrea Gibson, You Better Be Lightning, has brought more tears to my eyes than any book to date – but not in a sad way. In the kind of way that makes you look at like and see that it is beautiful and fragile and good. I recommend. Highly.
Hold it in my hands: Well… this book messed me up and them healed me all over again. The Invitation is a poem, prose, personal recounting, and general life re-shaper. I gave a copy of this book to everyone in my Mastermind it is so beautiful and rich. "In a world of endless small talk, constant traffic jams, and overburdened schedules, "The Invitation" opens the door to a new way of life -- a way of intimacy, honesty, and peace with ourselves, others, and the world around us."
Listen on Audible: Ninth Street Women is a historical recounting of five women who revolutionized the modern art world. If that sounds dry and textbook-like to you, IT'S NOT. Their stories are powerful, fascinating, and so inspiring.
I've been creating art professionally for 18 years so it's kind of rare that I stumble upon a new medium or tool – but that has been the theme of this year for me! If I see something new, and if it's not too-too expensive, I'll buy it and play! This has led to a whole new style and aesthetic of artwork and it's SO FUN. I purchased a few beautiful art supplies from Choosing Keeping(brushes, pigment, paper, paint…) as well as local art shops and while traveling. I'm currently playing with posca paint pens, Sennelier soft pastels, and China Markers in a new way.
I shared the 2023 STUDIO PLAYLIST recently. Listen to it here. It's SO SO GOOD and has all the right vibes for your creative practice, in my opinion. Music is one of the quickest ways I can access creative flow. I turn on some good-good tunes and pick up my brushes, and BEGIN – and it WORKS.
I gave myself a pretty incredible birthday gift this year – tickets for my daughters and I to see BEYONCE in tour on Friday! We're giddy with excitement and I cannot wait to experience this inspiration with them. Beyonce's Black Is King changed my life in several ways – it came out at a time in my creative journey when I needed to see what it looked like to create something big and bold, and that visual album DELIVEREDDDDD. If you haven't watched it yet, go now. It's a visual feast. So to say I'm excited to see this concert live is an understatement.
Here's to more creativity, bravery, gentleness, beauty, and strength in the next year. The growth ahead is thrilling to me. Thank you for being here, along for the journey, and for growing alongside me. Your presence is felt and so very appreciated.
AND NOW A REQUEST FOR YOU:
If you have words of affirmation you return to frequently and would like to share, please do!!!! I'm soaking up inspiration and wisdom for the next year. Hit reply and share please! xoxox
