Brings Life To A Field

It is not possible to complete yourself

without sorrow.

Sorrow is a vital ingredient that shapes

the heart and enriches it.

So endure sadness the best you can

when its season comes.

That rain that can fall from your eye

brings life to a field,

and on other days when you laugh, 

a sun takes birth in a sky you will

someday know.

See how all the elements are inside of 

you.

See how your soul is a sire of light.  

~Hafiz

In My Moleskine

It's starting to get HOT in the desert...
so my days of sketching outside are numbered!  

To Take A {Sacred} Pause

When it comes to the sacred, I feel that we are living in very precarious times.  Just scroll on Facebook and I'm certain you will find someone trying to sell you that business is sacred--money is sacred--chasing your dream is sacred.

But from my experience, this is not true.

I have great reverence for the work that I do, the container that supports it, and even the commerce that is generated from it.  But my work in itself is just that.  Work.  

I believe the sacred is of a deeper fiber.

Something that can't be measured in dollar signs or fall under some standard of success.

I find the sacred almost impossible to express in words.

But when it is present, I feel it.  Sometimes I can even see it.  

The sacred doesn't bring me a high or some ethereal bliss.  Instead it flows through me like rain or blood or oxygen.  It cleanses and purifies at its best.  

The sacred was truly present in my six day IGNITE Immersion in Sedona with my beloved FEARLESS Painters.  The sacred surfaced when we each surrendered to the process.  When we leaned into the mystery and reached out to our own personal magic....the sacred was there.

This sacred is what I long to understand.  This sacred is what I desire to share with other women.  This sacred is what I wish to go deeper into and bring forth in my life--my relationships.

My intention was to offer another session of IGNITE starting this September--one that was more condensed--more affordable--more neat.  But I've decided instead to take a pause.  To allow the teachings from this current sacred experience to process and marinate before I set out on another journey.

This decision scares me a little, which confirms that it is the right decision.  It would be easier to just go through the motions and share the incredible content that already exists for IGNITE--but I would be denying the truth that at the core of IGNITE is something much more powerful than the lessons themselves.  

It is the sacred.  

I see that now.  I understand.

Now it is my responsibility to be the gardner of that sacred and patiently wait for the right time for it to bloom again.

Sacred

We have each made our way back home.

Literally.  Spiritually.  Creatively.

Now it's time to process.

Amazing Amazing Amazing

Yesterday at day 2 of the IGNITE FEARLESS Painting Teacher Training Immersion in Sedona, one of the things we did was FEARLESS Painting collaborations.

It was freaking awesome, to say the least!

There is nothing like spending a week with a group of amazing creatives ready to set the world on fire with their creativity and big hearts!!!

I love doing this work of guiding women into becoming empowered, self reliant, amazing teachers--that I decided last night that I need to make it more easier for others to join this experience too.  I just extended the payment plan---email me if you need more information!! I would love for you to join IGNITE this September!!

An Incredible Journey Begins

Yesterday I drove into my beloved Sedona and spent a few hours setting up the space for my week long IGNITE Immersion that begins today.

The amazing women in my FEARLESS® Painting Teacher Training program IGNITE  have traveled from all over North America and even as far as the Netherlands to gather here for a week of strengthening their teaching practice and deepening their own Artist path!

Before my day was over, I took a short hike along an empty trail and prayed for guidance and wisdom so that I shall be of the greatest service to these women who have traveled so far--literally, creatively, and spiritually.  But most of all I prayed in gratitude for this great gift I have in my life--the gift to guide other women into a life of sharing their passion and creativity--in bringing more beauty and healing into the world.

It is such an honor for me to do the work that I do.  It is such a joy to gather in circle with wise, creative, heart centered women.

So as I take a deep breath...today starts an incredible journey.

If you too are feeling called to the path of teaching and transformation--today can be the start of an incredible journey for you as well.  Registration for my next session of IGNITE opens today.

To learn more about this incredible program, please go HERE.

In Transition

Maybe one day I'll tell you about this journey I've been on.

Or maybe it won't matter by then.

But for now,  the only way I can express this hard and sacred time,
is by capturing little bits of it
in my sketchbook,
on my iPhone,
and in the privacy of my journal.

Thank you for holding space for me as I navigate in transition.

My Healing Journal {Episode 2}

For episode one of My Healing Journal please go HERE.

One Year Old

Happy Birthday Phoenix!

There are no words to express how much I love and adore you.

Thank you for picking me as your Mom.

Happy 1 Year Old!!!

I Live An Ordinary Life

I've always considered myself an Artist--even when I was an itty bitty.  But I can remember when I was younger, especially in high school, when I thought being an Artist was really glamorous.  And, well, I guess for some Artists it  is.  But for me, it's quite ordinary.

I sketch in hospital waiting rooms.

I'm over the moon when Phoenix drops down for a nap so I can grab a little longer time to sketch his angelic face.

Sometimes Hansel will run into the grocery store for something, and I'll sit in the parking lot making grey scales in my sketchbook.

Glamorous?  Not quite.

But steady, consistent, and interesting (well at least to me)--yes.  Nourishing to my Spirit? Without a doubt.

I'll tell you a secret...sometimes I feel a little insecure about this.  My inner critic thinks I should be dashing from one exotic location to another to claim that I'm living the Artist life.  That I should be oozing out canvas after canvas and stacking up licensing deals and tripping over piles of magazine articles, but truthfully, that's not me.

I've had gallery shows before in my twenties.  I've sold art on Etsy and one year I had almost 50 commissions for FEARLESS Paintings.  But none of that made me as happy as just creating for me and sharing what I find with the students I am blessed to be trusted by, or with you here on Dirty Footprints Studio.

And somehow, I've been able to make a living from this.  Not that I haven't worked my ass off, and still do.  But I don't let what others think I should be doing as an Artist define what I do naturally--that feels right to me.

I spent most of my adult life chasing the dream of being an Artist, but it wasn't until I truly started listening to my heart in the here and now--and just doing what feels right to me--that I actually was able to do it as a self sustainable living. All those years in my twenties and early thirties were certainly not a waste.  I gained so much experience, knowledge, and life wisdom from trying out different versions of the dream of being an Artist, but I was always striving for something, always trying to get somewhere.

I feel like I finally arrived.  I'm not talking about financial or professional success--but to something greater: my own comfortability with who I am in this world, and what gifts I'm here to share.  Because of this, each day becomes an unveiling of something new--instead of another day of trying to get closer to some greater version of this life I'm blessed with.

So ordinary?  I'm ok with that.  Actually I think I make ordinary extraordinary.

Seeing Red

For Those Afraid Of Drawing

Most of the time before I start sketching, I have something in mind that I am interested in learning or achieving.

Either I want to strengthen my drawing skills by practicing, or sharpen the way I look at things, or figure out these watercolors, or simply have fun and play around with my materials.  But to be honest, I haven't sat down yet with the intention to draw ultra-realistic--or even realistic at that.  That doesn't mean I won't some day, but that doesn't interest me at all.

So lately, many Artists online have expressed to me their fears around sketching and drawing.  I have a sense that they might be putting some pretty lofty expectations on themselves when they sit down with a pen or pencil.

It's so IMPORTANT to remember that the life of an Artist is a journey.  We ALL have to start somewhere and creating safe little containers for ourselves as we grow our skills and confidence is so important.

What do I mean?

Well, when I sit down with the intention to simply practice drawing I really am granting myself a nice little container to mess up and most especially to use as my time to learn in.  What becomes important is the work I'm doing in the container--rather than the finished product itself.

For example, in the sketch in this post, I was interested in discovering how to sketch something with all these little parts and pieces to it.  As I sketched it more and more I started to learn that I wasn't really looking at the relationships between things--and that's what was making my drawing a bit wonky.

Holy schmoly! That was a HUGE lesson to learn for me!

And so, my sketch is far from perfect, but now I've gained something that will help me on the next page.  So that's it.  I move on.  I get better.  I grow.

This goes for all Artists.  No matter if today is the first day you pick up a sketchbook or if you've been doing this Art thaaaang all your life--as Artists there is ALWAYS room to grow.

So a great way to face your fear around sketching and drawing is to start simple and easy.

Begin with sketching objects that have simple shapes and lines--such as fruit and vegetables.  Practice really looking at them and sketching their basic shapes. That's it.  Don't worry about shading or making it look realistic.  And yes--they of course are going to look simple--that's the point.  But just allow yourself this time to begin understanding how simple shapes and lines are the foundation of all sketches.

And most especially: practice.  You'll learn how stronger your Artist eye will become and how sharper your skill will become the more you practice!

Thank you to all the beautiful Souls that shared my free online workshop: FEARLESS® Painting For Art Journaling--and thank you to everyone that has dived right in and started painting FEARLESS®!! My heart is doing cartwheels over all the beauty we are creating together in the world by sharing our light!! 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

FEARLESS Painting For Art Journaling

I am very excited to share a free FEARLESS® Painting For Art Journaling workshop with my beautiful readers of Dirty Footprints Studio.  This workshop was originally a part of Life Book 2012, hosted by Tam Laporte.  But now it is yours free here on Dirty Footprints Studio.

In this two video  + one PDF workshop I share with you a lighthearted way to incorporate the FEARLESS® Painting Process into your art journal while also diving into a simple, but extremely powerful, breathing technique I practice to access my heart center any time I encounter fear in my creative process or those challenging life circumstances.

The beauty of the FEARLESS® Painting Process is that you don’t have to resurrect any traumatic memories or poke at difficult feelings to prompt healing.  Plus no special skills or prior knowledge is required to access your heart center.  All you need is the willingness to trust the process and to give it a try!!

Please use this workshop as simply a guide and not a set of rules that you must abide to.  FEARLESS® Painting is meant to tap into that inner wisdom we all possess--the inner wisdom that communicates to us through subtle feelings and not words or heavy concepts.  So when you find yourself over thinking things--or slipping into a pattern of negative self talk--please forgive yourself by simply returning to the paintbrush.

I’ve found that some of the best and most profound healing happens when I simply let myself experience joy.  It is my deepest wish to help facilitate a little FEARLESS® Painting joy in your life with this simple workshop. Wishing you great joy and transformation!

Please click HERE for your downloadable PDF and enjoy the following videos.

PART ONE



PART TWO

Happy Art Journaling!

__________________________

Another Dirty Footprints Studio FREE workshop...

Total Alignment is a FREE online FEARLESS® Painting workshop that helps creative souls align their heart-mind-bodies with their creative source through FEARLESS® Painting and yoga.  If you are feeling stuck or out of alignment with your creativity--this free workshop will give you a loving nudge back! You can find it HERE.