Category: spirituality

A tool to make you feel better about yourself

A tool can be helpful, but all the self-improvement hoopla we get bombarded with online can become tedious. BUT if you have one visual tool, the long-term effect can be felt even if it’s subtle. Life improves with time. Improvement happens where you focus. FOCUS is the key.

I have been into Spirit Dolls for a long time. It’s not something new. Indigenous tribes have used talismans throughout the centuries. They made poppets from nature’s bounty, twigs, rocks, and grasses.

I know that intention-setting is a great tool, and it can be applied while making a Spirit Doll. When you make a doll that carries intentions, you support yourself with positivity.

So I got busy and created A SPIRIT DOLL KIT.

I have made the polymer clay painted faces forever and sold them in my Etsy shop as one item, but then I decided to put all the parts together into a kit. Each doll is unique: a single painted face, different fabric, polyfill, talismans, and twigs.

The best part: It’s almost NO SEW. You can put it together in an hour. There are detailed printed instructions included with lots of pictures, and back in the day, I made a YouTube video about it. How To Make A Spirit Doll From Scrap Fabric.

A tool / doll that won’t give you a headache (like Ikea stuff 🙂

The way to give this doll “life” is to fill her with your written intentions. Anything you want to improve, write it down and stick it into the doll. When you look at her, you are reminded. She will be your special doll because you made her!

There will be more dolls to choose from in the near future. I have also been busy in my other Etsy shop, Virtual Stationer. It’s getting some traction, which is often tough for a new-ish shop.

I sell all kinds of ephemera for art and junk journaling. I’ve been playing with a Gelli plate, and it’s so much fun! I also have a massive stash of ephemera that I have collected over time. I don’t art journal that much now, but I sure love ephemera / fodder. Take a peek at the goodies.

That’s all for July, my friends. I wish you lots of fun and creativity!

Lots of love,

A pink heart with the name Maria

Creativity, spirituality, and passion

Creativity has many faces, but when you boil it down, everything comes from the same source. Creating something can be a spiritual experience, and when you feel passion, you’re eager to launch yourself into the project.

When you’re stuck in your creativity, where do you feel it? I usually feel it like a wall in front of me. It’s a major effort to pick up the paints and get started. I push consciously through this gloom and make something, anything! So, if you feel into the stuckness or resistance, where do you feel it? Try to pinpoint what the exact feeling is like. Usually, it comes down to a vague fear or the fear of change. Every time you put paint to paper, there is change. What if you don’t like what you create?

You won’t.

The best strategy I know is to keep pn going. Put another layer of paint on, add some ephemera, write a poem even if it’s for yourself only. You can look at someone’s work that you admire. What element do you see that might look good in your art? Then make your own version of that feature.

When you’re in the creative flow, you feel the fire in your heart, and it’s a spiritual experience. That’s why all these above elements go together. You could exchange creativity for TRUST, spirituality for FAITH, and passion for PURPOSE.

By showing up and making stuff you grow your trust. As your trust grows you know faith. If it has worked before it will work again and again. When everything flows you feel as if you’re on purpose with your life. Ah, you say, this is what I’m supposed to do with my life.

The next morning:

I don’t feel anything; I don’t see why I should go back into the studio, I had a good day yesterday, that’s enough. Sometimes you have to go through the whole procedure to grow more trust. It is the simple act of sitting down or stand by the easel and push brush to paper.

Purpose is action

We think our purpose is something nailed down and sealed in the eternal times of our soul. In my experience it changes. It’s not something that can be controlled, only followed. Via action, you create your purpose. We fight this because we think we should be better, or have a greater goal in life. Creativity is change. It’s a constant flow so we need to learn to follow it. We crave that passionate flow. We try to recreate it, but you can’t, because no day is like the previous. All we can do is to make ourselves available to the flow and see what happens. It’s both mundane and mystical.

Starting on February 4, I’m offering a free 5-day creative self-care boost in my Facebook group. I will talk about this subject and also kick start some creativity via video or live stream. I haven’t decided yet. However, it will help you to get going and kick off February on the right foot. Sign up HERE unless you’re already on my mailing list.

I have made some art lately, but been lazy about taking pictures.

Here is a whimsical dog that doesn’t care for gossip! 😀

Creativity when resistance is overcome

The Dancer, an abstract



My etsy shop is chockful of beautiful unique things. There are some heart items just in time for Valentine’s Day. You can check them out HERE.

I hope you join me for the 5-day boost. You won’t regret taking another step toward deepening your creativity.

Here is another blog post that might inspire you: Creativity on fire.

For now, toodle-doo,

Maria

2018 special word for the year

2018 is brand-spanking new, so I figured it was time to tune in and get my special word for the year. I sat quietly breathing and asked my wiser self what my word would be for 2018.

I got SERVICE.

At first I was a bit taken aback thinking I would get a more “attractive” word (whatever word that would be,) but I sat with Service for a while and it felt good.

It can mean SO MANY things.

service

We are already doing service. Everything we do is for movement forward, either directly to a person(s) or prepping for other action that ultimately helps people in some way.

So I was thinking, how can I serve with my art?  I can show people new ways to do something or inspire someone to take that first step to explore their creativity. I can be connected to my spirituality and use that as inspiration in my art. People can feel that connection and I really enjoy inspiring others to deepen their spirituality. They in turn inspire others. And so it goes.

It is a misconception that it’s difficult to create art. There is usually some resistance, but you don’t need an art degree to express yourself. Children do it all the time. They don’t make excuses for lack of experience. They just ARE and they DO. They create with abandon, until someone tells them their art has to be in a certain way and they start doubting their abilities.

Art can be very freeing!

Art is important in life. We access our deeper hidden parts through expression. Color cheers you up! Movement across the page or canvas can be revealing as you follow along on the journey. Wherever it takes you…

If I can assist you in any artistic capability, please let me know in the comments. I have many great ideas for 2018. Let’s get artistic together!

IF you’d like to win a handmade art journal I made, please take this short survey about how I can serve you better in 2018! Thank you.

SURVEY

xo

Maria