Working on Wonderful

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." -- Marilyn Monroe


I read this quote yesterday and it hit home.

For the last several months I've watched fellow Brave Girls blossom into the most incredible entrepreneurs and artists while I'm still trying for formulate the vision for my own future. At times I put way too much pressure on myself to come up with something that will be successful. I'm not much closer to capturing the vision yet but I've been dabbling in many artsy things and having fun with it.

This quote hit home because, no matter what, I just want to be so stinking proud of what I do in all aspects of my life that I feel wonderful about who I am. Money wouldn't hurt, but this ... this would be the ultimate.

I think there was more to Ms. Monroe than met the eye.

"She Art" mixed-media love

I'm in the middle of this wonderful online art course called The She Art Workshop. It's taught by the uber-talented Christy Thomlinson and is SO MUCH FUN! This was my first project.

I made it for my daughter Mackenzie who is always drawing mermaids and who touches everyone around her with her magical smiles. I LOVE this process of creating art layer by layer. Christy, you may have created a mixed-media monster!

Isn't she just the cutest mermaid you've ever seen?

Thanks for peeking.
Jill

Dabbling ...

I have unofficially declared 2011 my year to dabble in new art techniques and just have fun learning and playing.

So ... a little show and tell of what I've done so far.

Graphite on paper.

Watercolor on paper.

Watercolor Pencil on Bristol board.

Color Pencil on Bristol board.















And in case you're thinking I'm going all high brow, here is a paper crafty piece of pure FUN I did in a Paperbella e-course by Teresa McFayden last month.

Paper Lady's Slipper

More things yet to come.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jill

Sharing a little LOVE ...

I finally got off my butt and created AND COMPLETED a project again. Been in a rut lately. Also still been in copy mode. This was a book design I saw on Heidi Swapp's webshow last year before Valentine's Day. I've wanted to make it ever since and decided not to allow another Valentine's Day to go by without doing it. So a month ago, I glimmer misted all the pages. I've been taking the photos since December and sort of putting the book together in my head. Now, here it is.

Thanks for looking.

PS - I'm really not a pink person so this was a step out of my usual color box. I like it though.

Jill

Finally! Brave Girl Camp ... HOW WAS IT?

Get ready for some rambling musings. I've tried to organize my thoughts and words in answer to that question and I just can't seem to do it as eloquently as others I've read. Bear with me. Life changing experiences are tough to put into words.

So ... Brave Girl Camp - how was it?

It was beyond LOVELY in every visual way.

I was surrounded by BEAUTIFUL people, beautiful ART (this part was pretty intimidating!).

Melody and Kathy and their incredible friends were THOUGHTFUL and GENEROUS beyond belief.

We were PAMPERED at every turn and served the most incredibly DELICIOUS food all week.

But it was also hard, very hard and very brave for me to be there at all.

I'm an introvert (classic, quiet, invisible middle child!) and flying from Illinois to Idaho all alone knowing not a single soul was truly brave. No wonder it was hard when I got there.

But maybe it was hard to the part of me who doesn't want growth and change in my life? I was elated to be there, to be a part of something this BIG, but I couldn't shake the role of observer rather than active participant.

It was hard to see so many women in need of caring and compassion and give to them when I'm so very nearly tapped out of both after this past year and a half. But ... dig deep and it's there - that immense capacity to love we women possess. I have felt it even more since my return home.

It was hard to believe that women could possibly bond so quickly after only a few days together. I want so much to believe that is possible though. What beautiful women they are! What lovely souls! What inner strength I witnessed! I want never to forget them. I want more moments together somehow to grow what began at Brave Girl Camp. Time will tell ... but the country feels a bit smaller knowing Brave Girls are scattered all around me.

It is hard to tell where I will go from here - as a woman trying to find a new direction in life, as an artist trying to find her niche, as a mother and wife trying to be the best she can without losing sight of herself in the process. Here I go anyway. I am a Brave Girl.

It will take many weeks to process all that I experienced in that one. But I am so grateful to have had that one incredible week.

www.bravegirlsclub.com.

Brave Girl Camp - How was it!??

Forgive me as I'm still processing my incredible Brave Girl Camp experience.

LIFE has also had a way of intruding (how rude of it to continue at the same frantic pace upon my return as it was coming at me before my trip!) on my thoughts and my time.

More details coming soon ...

Farm Girl Goes to Art Camp

I don't believe I've shared this here yet but ...

I'm about to go on an adventure.

I'm heading to Brave Girl Camp in Idaho next week for 5 art-filled, girls-only days in the mountains near Eagle, Idaho. This shy Michigan farm girl is going to spread her artsy wings and see what she's got. I'm incredibly nervous, super excited, ready for the break from routine "duty", a bit nervous to go alone knowing NO ONE that I'll be there with, hopeful that all that won't matter and we will become fast creative friends.

Have a gazillion things to do before I head out on Tuesday but for now I'm on Cloud 9 and trying to feel brave.