Salt Spring Island

A week on Saltspring Island. It went so fast. It was soulful, artful, and relaxing. I soaked in the calm energy that nature gives. I come home changed in subtle ways. I bring home with me a slowness, a sense of being present. Living more peacefully and intentionally in my very own house and routines is where my energy is focused. This trip has been a gentle nudge for me. Yet I also come home full of turmoil. A sadness has taken up home in me. I yearn for a more simple lifestyle, more nature and community for my family. I want to have space and time on my side. 

 

Another take-away from this trip was learning to find the art in existing objects. I was inspired by the nature art created by my endearing host Henri. As we walked through gardens and forests we spotted his quietly elegant art set back from the path. Patience and love was evident in every creation. Later on, as I was flipping through my sketchbook looking for a blank page I saw a doodle my young son had done and I decided to try drawing out the existing art by adding my own layer. A new process… a delight.

 

 

I am brimming with love. Love for all the wonderful people we met, the community that felt so much like home, the nature that replenished us, and our hosts Tangachee and Henri who gave us more than a place to stay.

soul time

My husband and I whisked ourselves away to a magical nature paradise in the woods for a little soul time. Relaxing into it is blissful. Feeling peaceful in the spaciousness of it, and in our togetherness.

[ all photos taken by my lovely husband ]

It's such an important piece of living a creative life; taking the time to pause, retreat somewhere that we can see the world with fresh eyes, shift our perspective, rest and rejuvenate, and connect. Colours seem brighter, the air smells fresher, nature is replenishing us. I feel happy.

xo

Art Retreat Harvest

Bliss. Highs. Lows. Contraction. Expansion. This is the incredible journey I've been on for the past week. A creative retreat from daily life in a beautiful Victorian town on the water. Three days with beautiful teachers (Daniel, Mindy and Juliette). Soaking up all I could. And soul sister connections. Beautiful, life changing, kindred-spirit connections. I'm full of gratitude.

A tiny glimpse:

 [ bliss ]

[ whispers painting in-progress, photo by joyelle brandt ]

[ in my groove, photo by joyelle brandt ]

[ getting creative and messy ]

[ Port Townsend, The Clam Cannery, Retreat building on the water ]

[ me and oh-so-lovely Danielle Daniel, writer artist and teacher ]

[ and me with gentle soul, writer artist and teacher Juliette Crane ]

[ playful and kindhearted artist and teacher, Mindy Lacefield ]

[ fun Q+A with the teachers - mindy, danielle and juliette - at the cellar door ]

[ with beautiful soul sisters Joyelle, Andrea and Renée ]

And now for the art harvest. We worked on small journal pages for all of the workshops, exploring a range of techniques, materials and challenges. Each of the teachers is so unique in their personality and style, it was amazing to learn from each of them. My mantra for the week was letting go and allowing myself to be messy/ less contained.

[ back in my studio again, taking a moment to enjoy all my little creations and reflect on the experience ]

Brimming with gratitude and love,

The real questions

Answering three questions today from Danielle LaPorte's book, Fire Starter Sessions.

I want to create…

Beauty. Growth. Love. Art. Artful reflective living. Space for individuals to see and know their true power and find their way.

I want the freedom to…

Work in my own way.
Live in my own way.

Be creative when it flows; be reflective when it calls; be productive when it feels energizing and rewarding; and be at ease when stillness is called for. Work with passionate force, then retreat to replenish.

Entrepreneurship is…

Designing your own reality based on your deepest core values, soul calling and talents. Hard work. Sweat. Tears. Breakthroughs. Clarity. Passion. Quietly knowing yourself.

Sugar + Spice Art Retreat

[ art credits: danielle daniel title unknown // mindy lacefield live from oneness // juliette crane like the wind ]

In one short week I will be participating in this lovely art retreat. I'm not sure exactly what to expect, but I just know it will change me, inspire me, grow me. 

The retreat is called Sugar + Spice (how fitting for me being named Ginger and all ;)). I'll be traveling to Port Townsend in Washington to work with these three lovely mixed media artists - Danielle Daniel, Mindy Lacefield and Juliette Crane. 

I'm alive with excitement! These are the things in life we wait for, work towards, dream about—opportunities to expand. Exhale.

xo

Whispers

[ bloom - cherry blossom from our lovely neighbourhood this spring ]

The winter season has come to a close. A season of intense design projects has wrapped up and here I am, exhausted and in need of major rejuvenation. I was trying to figure out how to start my transition from out-of-balance, overworked, distracted ... to calm, relaxed, creative (in preparation for the upcoming art retreat I'm attending and for all the hard work coming over the next few months as I really dig deep and define my strategy for growing my artist business). I found myself stumbling around online, checking out the blogs of a few favourite mentor artists. These two blog posts by Kelly Rae and Flora Bowley brought me completely to tears. The yearning to do more with my art is so intense that I could feel physical pain (literally) at the thought that I might not ever get to explore to this level and experience these kinds of life altering revelations and creative adventures. I felt the same heartache after I became a mother and my travel adventures dwindled due to practical things like budget and time. Art-making and traveling are how I learn about myself and ultimately how I grow as a person.

So on this rainy morning I sat here with my tea and I started imagining what I would want to do if I could do ANYTHING... and slowly this little idea started to bubble... it has to do with stepping out of my comfort zone and leading art retreats. I had convinced myself that I'm a lone artist and do best when I run solo, but today these little whispers surfaced and I instantly knew they had been there all along and I just wasn't ready to listen. I can see the picture so clearly - I'm leading others in wonderful international retreats in places that my heart is called to – full of nature, beauty, calm, personal introspection, uninhibited art creating, and ultimately growth. I'm on a healing journey and I want to surround myself with others who are too. I am here to create more than just beautiful art, I'm here to help others realize their power and beauty through art. I had never made the full connection of just how much my art is about personal growth and healing. At the heart of it all it's about loving your whole self, letting go of restrictions and expectations and being yourself as you truly are, despite all the judgements and pitfalls that come with being human.

It feels profound. My vision for my life just expanded. More to come as I sit with this.

xx

Mother's Day Breakfast

 

Just my kind of breakfast! And a lovely morning of quality time I'm very appreciative of.

 A thoughtful gift from my husband of Kelly Rae Roberts art. So beautiful.

Close-up of Kelly Rae's words. This message made my day.

Beautiful artwork from my son. Feeling like the luckiest mom. 

Full of gratitude and love.

xo

knowing yourself

The one who grasps the thousand contradictions of his life integrates them into a single whole.
 

—excerpt from poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

Close women friends, my husband and my mom (all in separate conversations) have shared every crucial conversation that inspired the changes in the past couple of years of my life. It feels like this has been a time of coming to know myself. A time full of contradictions.

Most of my life I felt lost. Without realizing it I was suppressing much of what was authentically me. I was fitting myself into the box I felt society celebrated. I was pleasing others.

Having my son was a gift in more than one way. It birthed new consciousness as well. I went through a dark period afterwards that ultimately pushed me to grow and learn about myself. As I have come to know myself better I have started to love myself more.

 [ love: digital illustration by ginger deverell ]

I find now, rather than focusing on what society expects, I'm drawn to seemingly unrelated things: Simple living, Ayurvedic eating and healing, art and creative pursuits, gardening, quiet time in nature, reading, real conversations, quality time with loved ones, alone time, positivity. All of these things add up to me. They are very connected. They are all key ingredients in my growth, and when combined they become a single whole of self-knowing.

For the first time in my life, more often than not I feel contented and connected. It's less about external circumstances and more about the calm of knowing and accepting myself. It's fleeting and takes conscious work, and more than a little vulnerability, but I wouldn't wish to be anywhere else. It feels freeing.

[ know yourself: digital illustration by ginger deverell ]

XO

on growth

[image credit: morning dew, fine art america]

Every day is a growth day. I want to stay in my happy productive zone and skip past all the dark places, but that's just not how it works. We're human, and this means insecurity, guilt, anger, shame, doubt. They creep up on us. I dig in my heels and resist but inevitably I can't avoid the dark moments. I find myself overwhelmed by exhaustion and emotion that are no longer willing to be ignored. It's tough, uncomfortable. But then I find myself on the other side and I know it was necessary to go through it rather than fighting to dodge around it. It's the beauty of growth. And of life.

I've been reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. This book is truly profound and life altering. It's also uncomfortable, overwhelming, heartbreaking, and hopeful. All the necessary ingredients for growth. If you haven't found yourself a copy it's so worth hunting one down and carving out some time to read this incredibly crafted insight into the underlying things that drive our beliefs, self-esteem, behaviours, relationships and ultimately our ability to love, lead and parent. Brené Brown has some amazing kernels of wisdom to share.

With renewed confidence and strength,

Books + Quality Time + Wellness

When life gets overwhelming I say focus on the little things that bring joy to your everyday. That's what I'm doing! Here are some treasures in my life right now...

Book: The Fire Starter Sessions, by Danielle Laporte. What were you born to do? How do you find that fire that makes your soul feel alive? This book is AMAZING, possibly my favourite ever. Ever. Bold statement.

Recipe: Rosemary Olive bread recipe from Elana Amsterdam's Almond Flour Cookbook
For all you fellow gluten-free and grain-free peeps out there, try this bread! I've tried all the commercially available options, some small bakery-made options, and they all felt the same to me - low on flavour and with a really dry texture. It wasn't worth eating bread 'til now :)
 
Treat: The big amazon parcel that arrived last week, and that my 4 year old immediately tore into and sprung it open with delight. He distributed out the books, some for everyone :) The highlights for him were Ferdinand the Bull, Yucky Worms and one of my childhood memory books, The Paper Bag Princess.

Quiet Time: Reading quietly on the sofa in the evening (no TV!) with my son passed out on my lap has turned out to be the highlight of my week, despite all the sickness we've endured lately. Last week I read almost every evening. And the bonus was my husband picked up a book that had just arrived in the big order called Conscious Living (a recommendation from Kelly Rae Roberts blog), plopped down next to us on the sofa and didn't put it down until his eyelids were drooping and calling for bed.

Wellness: Eating real food - not living on things in plastic wrappers. My journey into real food has left me with a sense of wonder at the flavours real natural foods have. There's a fabulous book called Eat Taste Heal that combines ancient Ayurvedic principles with modern western ideas, and has really changed the way I look at food. I read it last year and pulled off the bookshelf again recently.

Nature: Spring flowers. Our yard is full of japanese roses, tulips, daffodils, heather, forsythia... It's a feast for the eyes. And new things are popping up almost daily. It's a great reminder that there is hope, a fresh start, we can indeed start anew.

Friendship: I have some lovely women in my life, who I cherish. They are holding me up in different ways as I move through a challenging blip on the radar. I'll do the same for them. 

Quality Time: Campfires! Two nights in a row on Easter weekend, with my husband and my young son chattering excitedly, mesmerized by the flames and thrilled by the smoke. So calm. Such a replenishing experience to sit contentedly and watch the fire together, with deep conversation about big things.

It's amazing how life can feel like a crazy overwhelming mess and a lovely treat that we're lucky to have all at the same time. I know I'm living my life the way I'm meant to if I can find the calm in this mad storm :)

xo

Healing + Truth

[ art journal page from last summer]

When I had a baby four years ago I knew it would be a journey. The beautiful thing I didn't realize was it would be a healing journey - body and soul healing.

After my son was born I was propelled into physical health challenges. They seemed insurmountable, unsolvable. I wrestled, I fought. And then I started to approach them peacefully and holistically and carried myself through many phases of healing (still going). All this physical recalibrating naturally led to emotional soul seeking. At first with prompts from many great books (oh how I loved it when my latest amazon parcel arrived. Those parcels kept me going). And then over time the prompts came from within. I started to listen, and the more I did the more the answers revealed themselves.

I started to paint again. I expanded.

I connected with nature. I expanded.

I found people who build me up and formed my community. I expanded.

And I found clarity on work, on my passion for art and design, and on the kind of business I want to be running. Tweaks were made, are continually being made. I'm finding my truths.

I'm on this journey, always will be, thankfully. My world is expanding, my energy is back, my heart is swelling and I'm looking forward. There are bumps along the way for sure, but I've got optimism and truth tucked in my pocket, and they always win.

xo