Day 215: Tap into your creative spirit!

Really fun prints by Elise Joy

Studies show that people who engage in regular creative pursuits have richer and more full lives and are better able to handle stress and  turmoil.

Many people are under the assumption that they "don't have a creative bone in their body". Do you cook? Creative. Do you doodle? Creative. Do you make anything at all? Creative. Sing? Dance? Play guitar? Creative. Do you appreciate the creative skills of others? Guess what?  You are creative.

Anyone who knows me (at all, really) knows how important being in touch with that part of myself is to me. It is what drives me daily. If I didn't indulge in making things, sharing ideas, and enriching my world, I wouldn't be me.

Are you really being you?

A good friend and I have just launched a 365 day creativity project: Artfully Accomplished 365 to help to bolster our processes and be more active artists. We would love you to join our creative community and share and inspire others.

   “It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life” ~ Barthold Georg Niebuhr

P.O.P. Day 213: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste

You know how sometimes you give your dog a big, juicy bone and they just gnaw on it for days? I think my brain is doing a great best dog impersonation.

Print by Sandra Burgos of The Wallaroo

Sometimes, our minds just get a hold on something and worry it into a bigger deal than it is. It may not have been anything to worry about at all. We can embroider things until they no longer even resemble the original.

I struggle with this concept. It sometimes keeps me up at night. And it annoys me. I am (generally) a rational woman and I know better.

I am attempting to let go a little more, let life unfold around me, and stop being such a worrywart. Not sure how that will play out in the the long run, but fear has no place in my driver's seat.

P.O.P. Day 212: A Numbers Game

Print by Rebecca Peragine of Fresh Words Market

While I can recognize the beauty of others, I find that I have a skewed sense of myself sometimes. I will proclaim from the rooftops that I am funny, witty and generally awesome. Sometimes, too much (I mean, really, NO one is THAT awesome). But I will take very little pride or acknowledgment of any physical attributes (other than the big goofy grin).

In the coming months, I am going to try to embrace all the work that I have done and the physical improvements that I have made. My muscles are bigger and more toned, the jiggly bits are s-l-o-w-l-y getting smaller. Other people appreciate them, why shouldn't I?

Take time to love yourself and all that you are. You might not be able to see the great things in yourself that others can. Dust off your self-perception mirror and appreciate all you see. I'll be right there with you.

P.O.P. Day 209: two wrongs CAN make a right

Original painting by Nathan Pyle of NayArts

We are all human and would like to think that all the choices that we make are the right ones. Guess what? Not going to happen.

Even something that seems like the right choice at the time ends up being the worst possible option. The house that looks great from the outside ends up having massive internal  damage. Same for the cute guy or girl...A dress that looks wonderful on all your friends does nothing for you. The ice cream binge that seemed like such a good idea makes you sick.

But because we are human, we also can learn from our mistakes: find a better house, a much better guy, a more flattering outfit. We have to be willing to make those errors though and not give up in our quest for something better. I am saying to have unrealistic expectations, only to know when something isn't right. If I hadn't made those mistakes, I wouldn't be so satisfied with my life right now. Realizing that my choices were not the right ones was difficult, but it has made knowing when the decisions are right so much sweeter.



P.O.P. Day 208: Soothing the Savage

"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." ~William Congreve

Everyone needs to have something in  their life which can lift them up no matter what. It may be a book, a food, a song, a pet, a TV show...the list is endless. What it is doesn't matter as much as having it. For me, I suppose it would be music (and my kids of course, but they aren't around in the summertime.)

I have recently realized how important music is to my life. I enjoy having a soundtrack. And a theme song. My changes regularly to suit my mood, my current circumstances, my newest "favorite song".

Print by ButtercupInk

Different parts of my life have different soundtracks and themes: my running life, my work life, my romance, my chill out time, my getting my joy on. Some songs cross those lines and inhabit various lists, some are regulated to one purpose. Some songs are musical versions of my motivational wasteland, some just push me to work harder. But rarely is there a time that the appropriate song does not lift me up and brighten my day.

What is it in your life that always brings you joy? A favorite song, a great book, a sappy mantra?



P.O.P. Day 207: It's your choice.

I LOVE the prints from HappyTownUSA

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice. ~Wayne Dyer

I will never try to make you smilely if you are truly sad. Honest. But being miserable takes so much energy. More than just letting a good mood take over. We all know that it takes more muscles to frown.

Buuuuut...the important thing is that you have the choice. Be sad. Be happy. Be both. Be neither. No one has the right to dictate your mood, your feelings, or how you react to things.

I personally choose to be happy and surround myself with people who are for the most part happy. That was my choice. I am glad that i made it.



P.O.P. Day 206: Life is indeed good.

Hey! Guess what? Life doesn't suck. Sure, some situations really do suck. But life isn't just that one situation or instance. Life, overall, is better when happy. I am not talking about blissed-out, hippy dippy, "everybody loves everybody" kind of great. Or faux happiness that is adopted just to seem "normal." I am more interested in contentment.

The dictionary defines content as: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

That is what I am striving for. My ol' buddy, the Bard puts it more poetically:

"My crown is in my heart, not on my head, Nor decked with diamonds and Indian stones, Nor to be seen: My crown is called content: A crown it is, that seldom kings enjoy." ~William Shakespeare

At this moment in my life, I am content. I appreciate what I have earned and what I have been given. I don't mourn the loss of things that I do not possess. Smiles come more easily, laughter is more sincere, friendships are more cherished, small things become bigger.

I still have worries, both real and imagined. I still struggle sometimes with being mindful and present in the moment. Contentment, though, has a way of making all those struggles more manageable.

I hope that you are content in your life. If there is anything that I can do to assist in that state, please let me know. What helps you to achieve contentment? 

P.O.P. Day 205: Stop! Thief!

Print by Brooke Witt of Platypus Design Press

There are real things in this world to be worried about--disease, zombies, saving. But most people that I know (myself certainly included), tend to worry about the little stuff or worse yet, stuff that we make up. I spent a good part of this morning worrying about something that I think was just in my own head. And even if it wasn't, I was not changing or fixing anything by worrying about it.

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.  ~Leo Buscaglia

In reality, there is typically little that we can do to affect all the garbage that we worry about. We can make sure the stove is off and the the door is locked, but we can't control the actions and feeling of others. We can change our perceptions, but rarely do we succeed in altering all our views.

What's my point today? Sometimes worrying does nothing but spoil what could otherwise be a great day. So let go and let life happen. We may be disappointed, but we may also be ecstatic.

Give yourself a break.



P.O.P. Day 202: Today not yesterday

Print by Ashar Reed of Hunter and Smile

You know something scary? I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. So could you.

If we really think about it, do we want to spend the last day that we may have on Earth dwelling on the past or worrying about the future?

 “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
~Omar Khayyam

I'll be the first to admit that I don't always live by this precept. Frankly, sometimes, I have trouble remembering it all. But it is a goal worth striving for.

I am happy in this moment. I am happy in my life. If I continue to show gratitude and joy in each day, I will be doing a lot more to enjoy life.

Sappy? Yes. But also true.

P.O.P. Day 201: Staying Relevant

Print by Cheryl at Go Faith

I have not been ignoring you, I swear. I also didn't break all my fingers or lose my computer password. I was in danger of becoming redundant...and repetitive...and saying the same thing (heeheehee).

I was unsure that I actually had anything left that my readers (and frankly I myself) would want to hear. So I took a month to just live. And you know something? It has been an awesome month. I am more content then I have been in a long time. I guess that both my writing and I needed to take a break to stay relevant. 

I have taken time (as we all should) to re-evaluate. Things that seemed oh so important earlier this summer are now just there. I realized that in some cases that it wasn't the outcome that was necessary, but rather the steps...the getting started.

For example, I really thought that the veggie garden would be this huge priority for me once I took it back from "my past life". Right now, the garden is overgrown and weedy and I am okay with that. The veggies weren't what was important. The act of taking it back and not attaching feeling to a patch of dirt.

I am no closer to a professional jewelry program and becoming a full-time designer. What I am is someone who understands how important creativity is to me...how much a part of me it is. And I am okay with that.

Everyday is another chance to adapt, appreciate, and evolve. Through those processes, I will remain relevant. Not just to you, but to me as well.

P.O.P. Day 166: Act Like You Want To Feel

Print by Aimee at one of my most favorite shops, Artsyville

There are lots of people out there trying to be "happier". That state is almost impossible to sustain though, as it is not really quantifiable. I am try instead to just see things in a more positive way. That being said, I do read books and blogs by people like me. I am currently reading (among other things) The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She has a section entitled "Act The Way You Want To Feel."

I have been struggling lately to focus on having a positive outlook regularly (as you may have noticed by the lack of blog posts). This chapter spoke to me, though.

I decided earlier this week that if I want to be treated like both an artist and an athlete, I should act like both those things. I registered for all my fall races, I wrote out my 1/2 marathon training plan (in a few places), I began researching new running shoes. I scheduled studio time that I committed to. I may not be selling a ton of pieces daily, I need to keep creating. I updated my Etsy shop,  I made a ton of new pieces for The Holiday In Homer, I sketched new designs.

I am acting like I have already achieved my goals. To me, I am an athlete. I am an artist. What are you? How do you want to feel?

P.O.P. Day 165: Accomplishments

print by artist Mike Joos

It hardly seems possible that it has been nearly 3 weeks since my last post! It has been a hectic time for many reasons, primarily in the week leading up to The Boilermaker.

To me, the "big race" was all about setting a personal goal and working towards it. Something that was essentially JUST MINE. No one else was holding me responsible and no one else that would really be effected by the outcome. Even though I trained smartly, ate properly, and hydrated to the extreme, there was a lot of self doubt at the end. I was unsure if the smaller goals that I acheived would be enough to carry me through. I had planned, but didn't know if that was enough. My self-confidence was not as high as it should have been going into an event like that.

So the week before, I walk on hot coals, I ziplined, I ran extra miles, and I drank A LOT of water. And you know what? I did it. I ran the entire 9.3 miles. I finished in the time alloted, even though I would have liked to go faster. My accumulated goals helped me to achieve the big one.

I made a bargin with myself that if I ran the entire race and finished in less than 2 hours, that I would do a half-marathon in the fall. Looks like I need to start racking up those smaller goals again ;)

Sarah (the best support crew ever) and I after the race.

P.O.P. Day 145: Facing Fears

Print by RebecaMoxie



So everyone knows that it has not been a great driving year for me. But hey, I didn't die and got a new fun car out of the ordeals. I have had increased driving anxiety since then though. But this weekend, I have the opportunity to show one of my favorite cities to a good friend. Problem is that it is a busy city surrounded by very busy roadways. Yikes.

BUT, I don't want to be limited in my world. If I just stay around Homer/Ithaca, life will get pretty boring pretty fast. Plus, don't I teach kids to work through their fears and excel? Shouldn't I practice what I preach?

I have gotten through a lot of things that I never thought I could in the last year and a half. Living alone. Making ends meet. Running races. Putting myself out there. Meeting new people. Doing shows without the support of my spouse. Going to lots of doctors alone. Do I want driving to be what holds me back?

I want to face this fear. Will the drive be easy or comfortable? Probably not. But, I want to do it. I hope that I can. I'll keep you posted.

P.O.P. Day 144: Pick yourself up and dust yourself off

Collage by artist Becky Rife

No, I didn't fall off the Earth. Well, not literally anyway. I have just been having a hard time celebrating my positive moments when my negative ones are so much more overwhelming. I am valiently trying to break that cycle.

Regardless of tests, diagnoses, trips to doctors, and general malaise, I DO have things to celebrate. I DO have the opportunity to make every day special. I have just not been taking that chance lately.

I am extremely proud of the cast and crew of Maccers and their many wins at the Cortland Rep Pavilion Awards. I am proud of myself for completeling two 5Ks so far this year. These are the types of things that I need to remember when I am feeling like I have nothing going for me. My students rely on me to be a positive and motivating force in their lives.

So, here I am, back to doing something that I love. And living for the moment. And making that moment the best that it can be. Now to strap on those sneakers and get that part of my life back too!



P.O.P. Day 132: You Deserve It

Print by Keep Calm Arsenal

You! With the huge to-do list and not nearly enough time. Yeah, you. Put down the list, pick up some bubble bath or nail polish or lotion or good book or whatever and do something to pamper yourself. You deserve it.

It will make you better able to focus and get things done if you occasionally put them down and do something JUST FOR YOU!

P.O.P. Day 130: Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

Sign by Carrie of Scaredy Cat Primitives

So nothing too heavy or deep today, just a reminder: no matter what is going on in your world, there is always something that can make you smile. It may be a cookie, a run, a pair of shoes, David Tennant (maybe that's just me), time with your kids, a photo, a song...

Smile. Your face and mood will thank you :)

I even made an Etsy treasury to remind the whole world.

P.O.P. Day 129: Stay the Course (Or: You Are Your Own Biggest Fan)

L-O-V-E this print by Aimee at Artsyville Doodle Shop!

It is nice to be told that you are doing well. It is heart-warming to hear that others are proud of you. It is narcissistic but great to hear that you inspire someone.

But sometimes, you don't hear those things. Maybe no one is close enough to you to do so. Maybe people are just embarrassed to express themselves. Maybe they figure that you already know.

It is easy to get discouraged when you don't have someone at home cheering you on. That is when you have to both dig into yourself for encouragement and reach out to you friends and family for that bolstering word. With others, you may have to actually ask for it. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to admit that you need it.

So far as pulling encouragement out of yourself, look...it is already there. Everytime that you lace up your sneakers, open that book, pick up that pen, or whatever you do, you are telling yourself that you are strong enough, smart enough, creative enough, and awesome enough to shine and excel.

You should be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. I am proud of you. And you know what? I am proud of me too.

P.O.P. Day 128: Didn't Know That I Had It In Me

Awesome print by Sandra Falero of Sweet Lady Shop

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

~Mahatma Gandhi

If you had told me five years ago that one of my favorite things would be training for a race, I probably would have laughed my foolish fat butt off. I was not exactly content with how I looked and felt even a year ago, but I was resigned to it. I come from a large family...maybe I was just meant to be fat and jolly. And then my entire world got flipped upside down a year and a half ago. I spent 6 months in pretty deep mourning. Then I read an article that changed my life, literally.

Prevention magazine printed an article last May entiltled "Yes, You Can Run." I have never been a super-sporty gal, but thought that I would give it a try. My first run was to the end of my street. I was out of breathe and in pain. But, I got out there the next day and tried it again. And the next day. By the end of 2010, I had run four 5Ks and an 8K.

In a little over a month, I will be running The Boilermaker, a world famous 15K road race. Prior to that, I am running three 5Ks with other races through the remainer of the year. By Thanksgiving, I plan to run 10 races. The old Louise would have NEVER imagined that would even be possible, much less highly anticipated.

Morale of the story: we are stronger and capable of much more than we give ourselves credit for. When I get in a funk, I need to remember how much I have done and how much more that I am capable of. If I know all of you, you need to do the same. You are strong. You have skills. You are an inspiration to someone else. You can do so much that you never thought that you could.

Now, go do it.





P.O.P. Day 127: Fight the Good Fight

Print by designer Nick Agin

There is such a thing as spreading yourself too thin and having unrealistic expectations. There was a time where I would disagreed with that. Granted, I stay super-busy now but I chose (most) of the things that I am busy with. I choose to channel my energy into them and avoid wastimng my time on futility.

Not to be too personal or one-sided, I am pretty happy with life overall. I am back to doing the things that I enjoy and have really started to focus on what is important to me, especially my health. The things that really knock me for a loop is lonliness and not having a life partner. I recognize that I have freedom that a "coupled" person rarely experiences, but...

I am trying to fight the good fight here: focus and me and what I can control, not on other people, their choices, or how they effect me. I admit that I am struggling. I am channeling too much of myself into being lonely. I am wasting my precious time lamenting that I have no partner. That has to stop.

How can I truly enjoy all that I DO have if I am mourning the life I COULD HAVE had? As I try to push through this fight, I am learning more about myself. I have learned that I am a great partner and hope to share those qualities with someone again, but I have also come to appreciate (or at least I am trying) my solitude. I am discovering myself more everyday and I am truly thankful for that. As I become my friend a little more each day, I hope that the lonliness dissapates and I am happily alone.

It is a tough fight, but I think I will be the one on top in the end.

P.O.P. Day 124: Things

Print by Julia Art of The Art Society

Yesterday, I had a long talk about my personal crossroads. More than that though, it is an impasse. None of my decisions are really the right or wrong. The options are many and we tried to find if the things that truly matter to me would be affected by one course of action rather than another. Much to my surprise, none of the things that are most important to me will change regardless of my decision.

It may not surprise most of you to learn that the most important aspects of my life are my creativity and my friends.

While I would LOVE to have a creative job, I am happiest when I have a creative life. Between theatre and design, writing and gardening, reading and exploring, I guess that I am much more fortunate than others in the creativity department. Like most though, I have taken that for granted. Not everyone gets to conceptualize and then actualize shows. An in-home studio is exactly commonplace either. Luckily, I am more aware and grateful of those things. Though that doesn't make any decisions easier, it makes me happy to know that I am so fortunate.

I enjoy being and having great friends. To me, my friends are just like my family. They are the family that I choose. I love being a person that has your back, that maybe makes your day a little brighter, that you want to see. I love having people that I can call any time and no matter how long it has been since we've last spoken, we can slip right back into it like we see each other everyday. I am blessed in that respect.

So, the map hasn't gotten any clearer and the decisions haven't suddenly become no-brainers, but it is good to know that no matter which road  I take that if I keep those things that most important with me, I am all good.