Stepping Out Towards My Dream

Sometimes the universe conspires to bring us messages telling us what we need to do, we only need to learn how to distinguish them from all the buzz that goes in and out of our minds and our daily lives.  When we become conscious of this message, it becomes easier to be a receptacle, it's kind of like tuning in to a certain radio frequency or channel.  What we choose to listen to is what we get.   What we focus on is what we see.

Photo Credit: Kanegen

I remember some years ago when I got our first car, a 2nd hand Nissan Safari, we were so excited about it...suddenly everywhere I looked I saw the same car.  It was like there were so many people driving that same car.  When we sold that car, all of a sudden I stopped seeing it.  I hear its the same way for other people.  That is because this thing we acquired had suddenly come into our stream of consciousness, I attracted what I became conscious of.  The same goes for the other things that would come up in my life.

I very recently started running again (around 6 months ago but only really got into it over the last 3 months) and suddenly - boom! - I attracted back into my life the people who I used to hang out and associate with when I used to be active in my mountaineering and dragonboat rowing days + I started making connections with people of like-interest, expanding my network and opening myself up to new adventures.  And the added bonus of shedding all those excess pounds - yes, they have finally decided to start letting go of their grip on me, LOL!  (You can read about my running at Indyruns  - I'm still undecided on whether to merge that too with this blog, hmm..)

What I really want to get at is this - the UNIVERSE has been telling me to step out towards my dream for some time now (hello, like all throughout my life?) but I have not been hearing it.  I have always subjugated it and relegated it to the background, tucked away into the zone I felt comfortable with - the zone that always told me I was not good enough, and yeah, "Who did I think I was?"

And for a long time, I did not know who I really was.  Or I thought I knew, only to find out otherwise.  I always envied others for knowing on the onset what they wanted and getting to that place so much sooner than I have.  I have worn so many hats, too many - a jack of all trades, multi-talented, multi-interests...I jump into any endeavor with a passion and fervor so great, I constantly thirst for knowledge, to learn more, to read more, to see more.

These have all contributed to who I am today.  Do I regret not being part of the pack labeled as "normal"? Sometimes I do, especially during moments when life is difficult and giving my kids what I wish to give is not attainable at that moment.  It would seem farcical to claim otherwise.  But I also know and accept that this is my now, my moment and I have the POWER to change that.

One thing keeps calling, one thing keeps turning up at different moments in my life - consistent enough for me to finally GET IT.   I am a CREATIVE, I am an ARTIST.  I have been, am now, and will always be one.  It is the one thing I love to do, the thing I can get lost in.

I give myself PERMISSION to step out towards those dreams and take flight! 

Image by The Indy Playground

And you know what? Things are changing...things are happening...embrace a life of abundance and abundance will happen.  I embrace a life filled with the creation of art...a life surrounded by kindred souls...woven together into a beautiful web of colors, gentle thoughts, undulating kindness and love, glimmering in the light and emerging from the shadow...intertwined, connected, one in an infinite sky of possibility.

 

Infinite Sky of Possibility

by The Indy Playground

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Mothers, Friends and yes, being Uniquely YOU - Lets Celebrate That!

Oh its been a crazy past two days trying to do everything...the beginning of the school year always brings on a mad rush to get the kids their extra supplies, new uniforms, new shoes...wrapping and labeling of school books (that part I loathe doing), and oh so many other errands to get them ready.  On top of that, I had work to finish, deadlines to meet, meetings to attend and the unbearable humidity and heat that accompanies the onset of the rainy season. 

Yesterday was quite a struggle because I could not keep my eyes open, even after 3 cups of coffee.  I arrived home, spent and just ready to jump into bed.  But no such luck.  My son Enzo was running a slight fever but wanted to finish some homework and needed my help with some Algebra.  I wish I could say proudly that I was of some help but I could not for the life of me remember how to do it.  Sigh, I think I need the tutor so I can tutor my son.  Finally settled down at past 9:30 thinking that I've been running around doing this and that since I got home, even through my muddled, sleep deprived, zombie-like state.   But that is what you have to do once a mother, attend to everyone else before yourself.  And I wear that badge proudly (even during days when I forget everything else exists but the piece I'm working on - and yes, that does happen).

Today, I celebrate all mothers - just because!

Artwork by: The Indy Playground

Watercolors, Pigma Micron pens, Rotring Technical Pens 

with White China Ink on Watercolor Paper.

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Speaking of celebrating, I'd like to introduce you to a collab from two wonderful, talented girls in the scrapbooking community (and they're Filipina to boot! You go girls!), it's called A Cup of Kindness by Lorie M Designs and Rachness Designs

I got around to playing with the kit today and loved the many, many ways I could use this kit.  Here is my layout:

Here are layouts from Lorie's Creative team:

Fun right? This kit is packed with a unique mix of hand and vector-drawn goodies and doodles to celebrate friendships. Filled to the brim with 24 papers and more than 60 elements, most of which are original doodles by both Lorie and Rachelle.

The kit is 20% off at MScraps from June 18-21, PLUS!!! you also get 4 quick pages, 1 alpha pack and 1 wordart pack (that's a real deal!)

You might want to head over to Rachelle's blog to join the giveaway she's hosting and to Lorie's blog for another freebie.

Here's my gift to you :) A quick page freebie of the layout I created: Sassyindy_ACOK_QPFreebie

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I Love Being A Girl

I really love being a girl when I come across sweet little scrapbook kits like these by Rachness
(Hello Rach! You really continue to amaze me with your talent!)

At times like these, I wish I had my own little girl I could create scrap layouts for.  But God has chosen to bless me with two wonderful and handsome boys instead (my brother and sister also have boys, so no little girl to doll up in the family)!

  (Hehe, just wanted to post my boys pics - no reason at all ♡♡♡)

I dug up a photo of my two cousins when they were still little girls - it's a photo I really love and really shows how "girlie" these two are. 

Here is my scrapbook layout:

LOL! My cousins will totally kill me for posting their kiddie photo - but then again, maybe NOT, they are adorable anyway ☺ Don't you think this kit is so cute? I can see lots of little girl layouts with these.

Rachness also created Chalky - I just LOVE chalk-like scribbles! So hurray for these!!!

I Love Being A Girl is now up at MScraps.  Better yet, you can grab the Bundled Pack of ILBAG + Chalky pack for an economical price. Chalky was created specifically to complement the ILBAG kit.

I've got a little Quick Page Freebie for all you lovelies, making use of the I LOVE BEING A GIRL + CHALKY BUNDLE.  (Personal Use Only)

Click here to grab it: SassyIndy_ILBAG+Chalky_QPFREEBIE

Pom likewise has her own QP Freebie to give away.  Go ahead and check it out ;)

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A Merry Menagerie

So my sister shows my nephew Evan the owl I made for him and he gives it the seal of approval :) He went up to my sisters laptop and kissed the picture of the owl, attempted to type on her keyboard...and started repeating Owl, Owl, Owl.  Awww!! Wouldn't that make your heart melt?

So of course I asked my sister, what other animals does he like so I can make him some more? Alligator, fish, elephant, tiger....and fish also meant (sea creature) - dolphin, turtle, starfish, octopus...hahaha! So now we have the Merry Menagerie which will reside in Evan's playroom.

Just finished two more today (click to enlarge):

Materials: Magazines, old dictionary pages, scraps, vellum, acrylic, watercolor, china ink, markers, pastels and lots and lots of love :)


More in the works....

My sister said she is going to hang them in Evan's play area right beside the big Lion growth chart she bought at Pottery Barn.

Credits: Cute Tapes and Stick-it Notes by Gunhild Storeide

Plus, plus...I'll be making prints of them and finally gather up the guts to sell :)

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Evan's Owl

Aside from the things I'm working on, I promise myself to TRY to create something by hand everyday - today I created a collage for my nephew Evan, he loves owls (who doesn't? they're so cute with their huge huge eyes!)

Evan's Owl, Collage on Paper
Materials used: Various Scraps of papers, acrylics, white and black china ink, cray-pas, highlighter, glitter gel pens and License Alpha Collage Sheet by SherrieJD for Evan's name, sample frame by me.

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Say Goodbye to Fear

A lot of things stood out for me during the first week of Flying Lessons.  (I took snippets, sentences, paragraphs of thoughts that called out to me and copied it onto my notebook, so I could go over it again and again.)  One thing that really caught me was what Kelly said about delaying our creative yearnings...because when we do so, we procrastinate our life's potential because we are afraid of it.

I no longer want to be afraid.

Today, I recognize my creative spirit and BANISH the fear of a) my art not being good enough, b) of being afraid that someone with more money to throw around will take notice of what I am doing and have the resources to do it and compete with me and I will fail to take off, c) fear of being labeled mediocre, d) fear of charging what I feel my work is worth.

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In between reading and re-reading the first week Flying Lessons e-course, I have been busy creating (yay!) layouts for a client who will be celebrating her debut this August and creating doodles for a company that is a major sponsor of this humongous wedding supplier show this June 26th (this one I'm particularly excited about!).

This company will have a booth right in the center of the venue, they are promoting their place as a wedding destination.  Lets just say, they will use my doodles for the floor, to print and wrap around jars of candles, be made into place cards, menu cards and a themed wedding cake will be made according to my design.  Isn't that exciting? In exchange for my creative output, I get to advertise my services and will be acknowledged as the illustrator, along with the event stylist/florist and the cake maker. 

I am very, very thankful for this opportunity and right now, lay claim to all the goodness that will come out of that exposure - more clients, more opportunities, more partnerships, more connections and yes, create more art. 

Here is a sneak preview of the cake design, the theme is central to the clients facility which is being promoted. I'm waiting to hear if I need to revise anything:

My initial sketch:

Transferred and tweaked in photoshop:

There may be more revisions, but golly, can't wait to actually see the cake for real and the set-up on the event date.  I'll definitely post photos after the event.

Hugs!

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Return to Art

I took the advice of Connie over at Dirty Footprints Studio and just:

Hahaha, lovely right?  Although I do use the computer a whole lot for work related stuff doing photoshop, I also get sucked into the whole Facebook vortex.  What do you do when you hear and see all those notifications popping up that comments were posted, messages sent, photos tagged?  Ah, just one little peek...turns into one whole hour of browsing...and peering into stuff friends and relatives have posted.  Then there is the browsing the forums, blogs, etc. etc.  Checking emails....the list goes on and on and on.  Oh my, where did the rest of the morning go? Anyone familiar with that scenario?

So yesterday, I took Connie's advice after browsing her blog and reading one of her posts.  No, I did not shut down the computer (is that considered cheating?) but I set it to the side, did nary a glance at Facebook, pulled out all my art materials...my journal...and sat and read through Kelly Rae's first flying lesson.  Then I started to create in my journal.

I still haven't answered the questions posed...but I got my art journal ready to write in (at least 2 pages to write in) and more in the works.

Here is what I've created so far:

How I love doing this! Thank you Connie for your suggestion :)  Paper, scissors, paint, glue, pens...how I love the whole creative process. 

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