Pause, be still

Amidst the deadlines and goals and shuffle of daily routines our selves can slip away, vanishing into lunches in backpacks and jumbled texts on our smart phones.

Pause.

I'm taking a moment to myself. I need to stop and look around me. I need a warm bubble bath with grapefruit essential oil and a nice cup of chamomile tea. I need to feel my feet on rainforest soil and breathe the fresh air of trees and sky and ocean.

I need to sit in my studio and stare for a bit. Close my eyes and rock to the rhythm of the rain falling on the skylight. I need to pick up my brush and paint from my heart. I need to get outside with my little boy, and cuddle with him in the studio while we create together.

I know what I need. If I pause and listen.

[my four year old, almost five year old son working on a painting with me. He added so much to the process and final outcome. My heart swells. It was hard to let go of control, but so glad I did. He's brilliant.]

 Pause and Listen, 2014

24" x 30"

mixed media on canvas

 xo

Little moments along the way

Life is made up of all the little moments that seem insignificant, but add up to make, well a life. Here are a few small moments in my days lately:

Refurbishing a vintage window frame for my painting “Ritual” and sending her off to a new home. I’ll get a photo of her in her new space, perched against a beautiful brick wall and flanked by peacock feathers. It’s lovely.

Some inspiration that came when reading my young son a bedtime story— fresh spring botanicals are definitely finding their way into my favourites these days. An illustrated page from “Who Is in the Garden?” kids book by Vera Rosenberry

 

 
Hunting for treasures and getting playful at the beach with my son: Photos taken by my four year old – I'm a proud mama.

 

Loving these metallic journals I found by Paper Blanks. The intricate patterns stir me up.

Made these delish baked kale egg cups, adapted from a recipe from this lovely gal.

I've been working on cleaning out my studio. It feels so good purge things I’m not using and make room for the new. I designated drawers for my marketing collateral and products which are expanding. One step at a time. Feels great.

Here’s to all the tiny moments in my life and yours.

xo

 

Taking the time to retreat

Last month I spent a rejuvenating few days on a retreat with a close friend and professional ally. We turned over strategies and desires for the coming year—for our businesses and our personal lives. We talked about simplicity and minimalism, spacious days, feeling like sexy goddesses, parenting, finances, growth, marketing, brand… all the pieces of being artists, entrepreneurs and more.

To kick the retreat off we found ourselves at my favourite restaurant and found ourselves mesmerized by a gorgeous belly dance performance. 

 

We wandered the Granville Island markets and indulged in one of our favourite paper goods boutiques (of course I fantasized about getting my art products in stock there!).  

 

We did yoga, drank green smoothies, walked, read, wrote. I bought new running shoes and started my fifteen-minute runs ritual back up. 

We zentangle doodled, laughed, cried, cranked up the tunes. It was a memorable weekend. It was about friendship, business and all the pieces in between. And it was an important part of how I want to work and live. 

I’m grateful we took the time to retreat.

 
 

Late Winter Bloom

It’s the tail end of winter and life has been unfolding slowly. Just a few more weeks before spring begins to bud and sunshine returns to these grey skies. My heart yearns for it and I eagerly await the fresh beginnings of springtime.

Lightness/ Bloom

In progress, 2014

9x 12

It’s no secret I am a seeker of beauty, light and vitality. Little moments of beauty feed my soul, startle me out of my thinking and producing, and connect me to my heart. Light and lightness of being inspire, uplift, soften and heal. And vitality, well it surrounds us. Anything with life and movement and nature grabs my heart.

Remembering these things is helping push me through these darker days and highlighting the positive during a time when I’m feeling depleted. I’m letting the Hello Soul, Hello Mantras course by Kelly Rae Roberts guide me and I’m using every scrap in my creative process. Combined with lots of rest and permission to slow down, these weeks are a period of renewal, introspection and transformation.

Here are a few of my mantras: 

 

 

 

And so, from the dark days comes light. Sending out love as winter lingers and we await its' bloom into spring.

xo

Permission to rest and play

Today was the first exercise in my hello soul mantras e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts. It brought an outpouring of truths that I could feel lying below the surface but didn’t have clarity on yet. It began with looking at the untrue stories we tell ourselves and re-framing them into positive mantras to guide us forward.

in progress, 9" x 12"

mixed media on cradled wood canvas

I thought my mantras might be about being brave and going for it, but a huge transformation has been taking place over the past couple of years as I work on healing and I'm finding myself taking leaps and daring greatly more than ever before. Instead what's coming up for me is the feeling that there's not enough time, that I need to rush, that I work too slow and that I can’t accomplish everything I want to. As a result I’m missing out on some beautiful pieces of life that are experienced when you slow down to make room for play and rest and connection. What’s really going on? I’m proving myself, my worth—if I accomplish a lot I’m worthy. There’s no time for play until the work is done. It's an old story. Time for a new one.

Here are my new themes:

Permission granted to rest and play.
Permission granted to be playful, sexy and silly, in lieu of productivity.
There is enough time. Pace yourself.
Claim time as my ally.
Indulge in slowness.
I untie my identity from my productivity.
I can flourish while creating space for rest and play.
Walk barefoot in open fields.
I am allowed to be beautiful and sexy.
I reclaim my sexy goddess self.
I can be sexy and lighthearted and still be an excellent businesswoman and parent.
Soar in stillness.
I reclaim my playful carefree self.
Pause and breathe.

Yet again, positivity, healing and abundance are before me. I feel incredibly grateful for the amazing people and opportunities that are cradling me with compassion and space to grow.

xo

Artful Stickers Are Here!

I’m happy to share with you my artful stickers! I’ve printed a handful of my favourite mixed media paintings on stickers and I’m thrilled with the results. I have packs of round stickers and booklets of postage-stamp sized stickers with my art printed on them – both for sale in my shop.

Remember that kid in you that loved stickers? I did too. I still do! Go ahead and post a pretty note to someone special, embellish an envelope with a pretty seal, give someone a special gift, or simply add some beauty to your own day.

I also have an array of artful greeting cards that come packaged with sticker seals if you’re looking for that special card to send. Feels great to get back to the written word and pop a note in the mail, no?

Thanks for sharing in the excitement with me. I pour my love into these products and I truly hope you enjoy them. xo

Love

Happy Valentine's Day. xo

Slooowww

Over the past couple of weeks I've slowed way down. I did a much needed retreat which I'll tell you more about soon (so good for my soul). And after coming home to a flu I had no choice but to surrender and rest. Then I added yoga glo to my days, along with light running and light fare, including more green monster smoothies than ever, ginger tea, lemon water, and lots of sautéed kale and chard. (Ahem, there was the odd treat in there too).

Tuscan Kale Salad, from Pinterest, originally from this blog.

Garlicky Greens, from Pinterest, recipe originally from here.

Green Smoothie, image from Pinterest, originally from here.

This time of year my energy dips, so I enrolled myself in Create Health to remind myself and motivate myself to be kind to my body and fill it with all positive things. I tuned up my full-spectrum happy light for more rays to boost me. And we had a candlelit pioneer night at home—an idea from Living Simply with Children. 

I'm embracing slow. It feels good.

xo