In Week Seven, I continue to incorporate some of the same techniques I utilized in the February project.   Expanding upon collage, watercolor, ink, colored pencils and more.  Ahhh but Week Seven was challenging.   I guess this is why I love sharing my journey.  You get to see my struggles and how I deal with my own creative stumbling blocks.  And yes, I get frustrated all of the time.  I always say creating is a series of problems and your creative process is how you answer those problems.  

In this sketchbook exploration - I had an intention - I began with manifesting ideas.  Small ideas - not BIG ones.   My goal is to complete three paintings in the next three months.  Paintings from my personal journey - have I shared how much I am struggling with this?   I have been spending a lot of time re-learning.  Taking online classes from artists that I admire and re-learning technique - drawing, composition and simple oil painting basics.   

I continue the journey with collage and smudging with white gesso - my intuitive flow.  This is where I warm up, let go and build a fun moving foundation.   Sometimes I see faces is this flow and I go with it.  I use a watercolor pencil to loosely draw what I see.   At first I just wanted to sketch her in and use a dark color to add shading.  But I got sidetracked!  I found my Caran d'Ache crayons and used those.  I stepped back and the feeling wasn't there and I regrouped and let go.  Remember don't get too precious with things.  

What happened?  A creative exploration that took a new turn and I love it.   A few lessons I try my best to follow:

• Don't get too precious - sometimes things need to get covered up

• Make small creative goals and work your way up from there

• Set an intention but be open to change during the process

• It is ok to get frustrated in your process - step back, give it space and let it speak to you

• Take chances - you never know where the story will take you

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS -

Week Eleven, I am on a role!!!   And my time today in my sketchbook was a big creative booster!  I just love her and love when my journey takes these turns.  

This week I focus on those things that get me tangled up in a given day.  You know those things that just get you all in a jumble and you find it difficult to unravel.   Our creative space is a place to go to untangle those tangles.  To unravel and allow your creative soul to absorb that untangling solution.  Get yourself swept away and focus on your sketchbook.   

We begin by inviting ourselves to think and talk about those tangles and why they trip us up sometimes.   Of course, we release with an intuitive flow and introduce some fun stencils in the background.   A glazing puts it all together!

Butterflies were on my mind so I found some in my collage stash!    

I definitely felt untangled after completing this spread.   I just love when it all comes together in a flow.   

What tangles you?  Do you find yourself stuck in your tracks when those tangles show up?  Do you know why they tangle you?   Do you find your creative space helps or sometimes adds to the tangles?   

Week Nine, Yess!!   The sketchbook is filling up!!!

This week we add some stencils into the mix and focus on our connection to our sketchbook, ourselves and our creative self.    Feeling connected is important to our well being.  What brings you to this creative space?  Why do you like to create?   When you connect with your creative soul you can truly see and feel your inner senses tingle with joy, nourishment and balance!!   I am working hard to find connection - sometimes it isn't easy - the feelings of failure, fear, imposter syndrome always likes to show up.   Deeply connecting with my inner self helps me grow stronger and more confident when they do decide to come forward.   

This week we let our goddess flow and create an expressive goddess using the primary colors.   You can create anything with yellow, red, and blue!  But it is ok if you want to by all of those other yummy acrylic colors!   We create an intuitive abstract background with stencils - stencils are a great way to add texture and feeling to a piece.  Plus I love collecting them!   

Keep creating, keep filling up your sketchbook!!   Find connection in your creative soul so you can grow and expand outward.   Keep creating - creative soul!!!

Week Seventeen - and can you believe we are in the month of May?  Where is the year going?  I feel it is flying by and I am being left behind!!  

Still untangling and getting a lot of due projects done - haha and I just created a list (I love making lists) of to-dos going forward.   But I am so happy about how this week's goddess in my sketchbook turned out.   We play with acrylic inks this week and WOW!!

This month the theme is ME.  Taking time out to focus on your needs, your healing, your being present.   My creative space and easel is where I do this - although sometimes I get too caught up saying YES to everyone else - I tend to forget about ME! 

This week let it flow and began with some of my favorite "free writing" this gets me flowing and pushes me to let out what's inside.   It feels good to just write whatever comes to mind.   I know I don't always make sense and my spelling is atrocious but it is me and it feels good.  Thats what is is all about - feeling good.  I surprise myself with several layers of acrylic ink and boy my muse did not disappoint this week.   I am again inspired!   

Week Ten, YAAAH!!! Yess!!   YIPPEEE!!  I DID IT!!  I am so proud of myself working through my sketchbook and staying on it!   The sketchbook is filling up!!!

Celebrating my Birthday month!!!  This week in my sketchbook I just let my creative soul flow.  No plan - I just kind of went for it.   

Continuing our theme of CONNECTION.  What brings you to your creative space?   What is your connection here?   I spend some time answering that in my sketchbook.  Our answers can all be different - there is no right or wrong in this space.   The important part is that we are here.  We are here to create.  Thank yourself right now for continuously returning to this space.  It is sacred to YOU. Let it become your ritual.  

I share a little secret with you - a great "Creative Training Wheel" to help you see the values.  The App is called Poster Shine.  You can also alter your photo reference to do this in PhotoShop if you have it.   We continue to build our Goddess using the values and let her emerge.   And YES she emerged!!!

Week Twenty One - This week in my sketchbook I wanted to flow.  Use watercolor and all of my creative tools to play and experiment.   I love doing this.  One I get to understand how these tools work with each other but every time I explore - I learn something new or discover something.   I completely encourage you to journal while you create.  When surprises happen - it is a great way to document it. 

I love watercolor because I can let go and loose control.  It allows me to accept the fact that I am not always or I don't always need to be in control.  I can step back and allow things to flow and just see what happens.  Yes, sometimes it doesn't work out but that's OK.   That is growth!!!