The Game Changer

I am lovin' all the gratitude vibes permeating the blogosphere this month!

Just a few little "blisses" on my mind this morning...

Choices...I love that I get to choose every day what my attitude will be.  I get to decide how I will respond to my experiences and emotions.  This is huge.  It means I am in the driver's seat.  

Beginnings...Every day I get a fresh start. Everything I put my hands to has potential. Beginning something affirms that I have hope.

Community...Being connected to creative, kind individuals keeps me centered and makes me more courageous.

As I was perusing the link-up for Art Every Day Month yesterday I came across a tutorial for a painted paper mosaic by Marcia Beckett.  Marcia is an art teacher and a very gifted mixed media artist and her blog is full of beautiful journal pages and inspiration.  Her paper mosaic really caught my eye so I decided to do my own take on it.

After "scrubbing" some gesso onto an old book page I picked through my little pile (okay, it's really a big pile) of paper bits and came up with these.

The fun and relaxing part was the doodling...

In a way these two images illustrate how practicing gratitude can change our experience. Sometimes life is like the first image...just a bunch of bits: unrelated and sometimes chaotic. Like the pen lines and colors in the second image, gratitude connects the bits, creating a vibrant, complex composition where each element relates to and supports the others.

Gratitude is a game changer.

A grateful life is alive with hope and possibilities.  If I can manage to be thankful for something, then I can trust it is somehow going to be used for something good.  The really great news is that gratitude isn't something we have to strive for, it is something we choose to allow into our lives.  When we allow it, gratitude flows just as creativity does, washing away strife and leaving peace in its place.

Choosing gratitude = Choosing to let your heart rest

I can't believe it is Friday already.  I hope you find a little time to celebrate, rest, create, or do whatever brings you joy this weekend!  

I'm linking up today with:

Art Every Day Month, Little Bliss List, and Joy Jam.

These link-ups are a great way to connect with other artists and creatives and see a lot of inspiring work.  If you have the time, it is great fun to check them out and follow a few rabbit trails!

Lil Journal Project...Still Having Fun!

Thank you, Ashley Hackshaw at Lil Blu Boo for helping me keep up with my art journal for almost a month!  This is monumental!  I love Fridays, when we link up and get to take a look at what everyone else has been up to. 

It was a busy week, so most of my entries were doodled while I waited in pick-up lines at school or sat with the fam at night.  I put together a bag of supplies to carry around with me...makes me feel like a school girl! 

This week we made a timeline and listed all the jobs we've had over the years.  Since I stayed at home with my kids for so long I also made a list of all the "Hats I've Worn".  Whew...it makes me tired just to look at it!

Tuesday's prompt was to list magazine subscriptons we'd like to have and on Wednesday we drew a map of a route we travel often.  I decided to have some fun and let one entry randomly spill over onto the other.  I really love this page.

Yesterday's descripton of my favorite vacation as a kid looks like a page straight out of my high school binder.  I really got in touch with my inner teenager!

Finally, I just needed to remind myself of some truth one day, so I sketched out a bit of scripture and this wise little owl...just a reminder to be still and know.

If you have a few minutes, head over to The Lil Journal Project and check out some really fun journals or better yet, pick out a prompt or two and do a little doodling of your own this weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!