Tag Archives: change

art, art making, artist, change, inspiration

Crossroads are tough

Crossroads can be tough when you don’t know where to go next. I have found myself in that situation lately. I have so much inspiration, but what do I actually want to create?

I have been buying different kinds of art supplies that I would never look at before. Now I look for possibilities.

There is always some component missing for a project, or if you want to start a whole new creative stream, you have to invest in a lot of things, like tools and other supplies, to get it going.

I’ve been trying to use the debris in my studio, things I’ve had for years but didn’t know how to use. So what if I don’t know; I will charge ahead anyway.

Here’s an example of what I made lately.

crossroads expression
crossroads expression

I had some wire, polymer clay, and an empty “useless” box, plus an old key.

Crossroads can be tough, but you have experience.

When you have the experience, you know what your hands can do, so it’s easier to move forward. If you’re just starting out exploring your creativity, CHOOSE SOMETHING that appeals to you, and go for it! Don’t look at popular trends. That won’t work in the long run.

Do what feels good.

Which path seems the most alive? You don’t want to go backward, so it’s either going forward straight ahead or take the other road.

What is pulling you forward?

I have been making a lot of polymer clay mosaics, and recently I’ve found new tools to use for a different style of tiles. It makes an old craft exciting. I have also been drawn to sculpting more.

sculpted face
clay face

I’ve been sculpting clay faces for spirit dolls, and it has been hard to get the features right. They are far from perfect, but I keep trying, using the advice I’ve found online.

Faith in your abilities will make you take risks.

Crossroads force us to take a look at where we are and where we are going. They give us a gentle push away from the stagnation that happens if we refuse to grow.

Walking the path of an artist is a constant call to change.

People don’t like change, but as artists, we have to move forward if we want to explore the inner expansion that art offers us.

Maybe you’re called to leave an entire career…

That is a scary idea. We have all many reasons to stay where we are, in safety, and there is comfort in that, but meanwhile, the soul is calling us elsewhere. Listen closely to that call.

If you dare to follow your inner guidance, life might be tougher in some ways, but infinitely more rewarding.

At least take some steps in the direction of that call. If you lack in faith and experience, go forward anyway. There is lots of help along the way.

Take interesting live art classes and learn new skills. The teacher’s enthusiasm will rub off on you! 🙂

crossroads
Fun tag journal
Fun tag journal

I made a small journal from an old manila folder. The tags and papers are all chosen from my studio detritus. I used paper, glue, washi tape, a sewing machine to make a fabric spine and seal the edges. I ended up with several pockets and many tags.

What is your next step?

I’m going to make a mixed media house with a bird.

Have a creative week!

Maria

P.S. I have many new things in my Etsy shop: Earth and Faery.

Lots of ideas for boho gifts. If you missed my last blog post you can find it here, Gold Dust Makes Everything Better.

change, dream, fear, life, motivational

Your dream is real

Your dream is real, yet we do everything BUT listen to and acknowledge our dream.

Everyone has a longing for something. For me, it was art, making art in many forms. I have made a lot of art over the years, but there have been many detours along the way.

The problem is DOING, and major lack of listening.

To really get beyond all the conditioning we carry from as far back as our childhood, we have to stop everything and listen within.

The dream might be a small flicker of light or a great big monster trying to get your attention.

Our conditioning is based on doing, of accomplishing, of getting ahead, of making money, of being practical. Listen to the voice of reason.

Problem is, life becomes an uphill struggle, a chore, an anti-dream. We push through, we are super women or men, and we hate getting up in the morning (if we allow ourselves to think about it.) Maybe all doors to thinking and feeling are closed. Easier that way.

But it isn’t. If we don’t listen within, there comes a crisis where we’re faced with our blocks and short-comings. Then there is no way forward except for letting go and facing the uncomfortable voice of truth.

Why do we allow the crisis to happen? It’s the illusion of all is fine, “I’ve got this,” “I’m okay,” while quietly suffering inside or not acknowledging our feelings. Sticking the head in the sand is not the answer.

I have come to a cross-roads and I’m willing to look at it. It’s not the first time in my life that change has come knocking on my door.

There has been a time of major blah in my life lately. I go through the motions but the mojo isn’t there.

Well okay, I recognize the signs of change.

Instead of stubbornly pushing through, which is my most common way of performing, I have learned to drop it all and really look into the gaping maw of the unknown.

Either I can be excited or full of fear.

Why hang on to the old? It’s like having a favorite sweater you don’t want to let go of even if it’s full of holes and paint spatters.

I might not know what is next, but so far, life has worked out just fine, so why would I need to fear the future?

I’m not afraid but I don’t like change. It’s so much easier to stay in my comfort zone than to take a look at my inner far-from-perfect patterns. It can be outright disgusting. But I have to acknowledge the truth if I’m to free myself from conditioning.

Self love, self-compassion are important as we change. They help when we’re facing the “beast” that does NOT want to examine anything. It says, “I don’t want any inner growth.”

But do you want to stay in the stale sameness? I know I don’t, so I bite the bullet. Allowing the inner to come out is a new way of living.

Let’s live from the inside out! Facing the “beast” can become a healthy habit, just like exercising and eating right. I’d rather support my path to renewal than support the same ole, same ole.

Behind all of the stuff we carry, there is LIGHT and it’s always available. 🙂

Yet, listen up. Your dream wants to manifest in 3D so let’s make room for it.

I did have some fun. I made a how-to art journal video this week. Check it out.

mermaid

Have a great weekend! Let that creativity flow.

xo

Maria

art, asskickery, creativity, inspirational, intuitive, life, motivational, purpose

Because you are a leader.

Because you are a leader…

leadertoo
because you are a leader

Hello beautiful person,

Does the headline put a great bubble with a question mark above you as in the cartoons?  A leader can be many things, and the most exciting is when he or she has the brilliant enthusiasm and determination to change the world.  Do you say then, “I’m not like that, or do you say a resounding ‘hell yeah’?”

Basically, you can’t change the world, but by changing yourself you change the world. However, it’s not so much about changing yourself as it is to ACCEPT yourself, with warts and all.

You know, we are all leaders IF we decide to blaze our own path and go “there” whether anyone follows or not. The individual has that choice.  I believe we were put on this earth to have amazing lives filled with passion and prosperity.  I totally buy into that concept and I have consistently turned to the arrow  pointing toward my best life: “go there, there is your passion.”

It is becoming a habit to follow where the joy is in my life.  And so it should be for you. There is no mystery here.

It can take guts to change yourself, let alone change the world. But I’d rather take the risk of making a fool of myself using my own mental and heart capacities to create something original than working 35 years in the same job.  I never could settle down to a career, but now I’m grateful for that since so MANY varied experiences have led me to take charge  and become the CEO of my life.

businesswoman-454874__180
CEO of your own life

When you step into the shoes of leadership, you say no to the fears of society, you rise above the anchors that hold you down at status quo, i.e. the murky bottom with the sharks.

So, a leader leads people toward something good, a transformation.

A leader offers the path that she has already blazed with a badass machete. 🙂

A leader inspires others to break out of the mold and become the awesome person they are meant to be, to become another leader to help others succeed.

It is basically all about helping others to become great, so a leader stands behind the people and urges them along the path he or she knows will lead to contentment and discovery.

A great leader listens to the needs and implements solutions to problems.

Leadership is something we can grow into if only we take the steps to free ourselves from the beliefs and fears that hold us back. Who says your idea, your passion, isn’t the next great thing that will help humanity??

If you ever read the classic book Jonathan Livingston Seagull you know anything is possible.  Jonathan sensed within that he had greatness and he set out to prove it to himself and others. He flew higher than any seagull had done before.

leader3
soar

The other seagulls said it could not be done, but Jonathan practiced and practiced. He didn’t care if his wings hurt or if it was stormy; he know he had to reach that greatness.  He made the decision to never give up and that decision brought him to success.

I stand in my power as a leader. I’m no great name or famous person, but at one point I decided to be the best I can be,  and that includes my spiritual life, my mental and physical health, and my work.  My passion is art and to help others to create, overcome their fears of exploration via art.  I am an intuitive artist and I use my intuition to help others break through to greatness beyond that snarl of brambles that grew across the path because no one had the nerve to cut them down.  Do you have the nerve?

Passion leads you along to discover even more passion. There is no time like now to get started.  Maybe passion flows quietly at first, but if you keep at it, it will become a roaring river.  It is a natural law!

As I said above, it takes guts to change, and the change starts within, with mindset and determination.

Are you longing to change?  Are you longing to help people in a way that counts, not just surface stuff? Do you want to help change the world from the inside out?

If you want to explore art as a way to break through your brambles, I can help you.  Check out some of my e-courses, and I will soon be offering one-on-one coaching based on intuition.  Are you in?

The only thing that stands between you and your own greatness is DETERMINATION.  Just don’t quit.

On that note, keep on going. Our roads might cross at some point, or they won’t. It is all okay.

xoxo

Maria

P.S. My available ecourses at this time: CLICK HERE.

 

 

asskickery, inspirational, life, motivational, purpose, transformation

How to know yourself better.

How to know yourself better?  What do you have to do? It is an infinite question for sure, but while we’re living in 3-D dimension there are a few things we can do that give us an idea of where we’re at.

You probably figured this already: it’s all about stretching boundaries.

1. This sounds simplistic, but try something that scares the sh*t out of you. I’m talking about doing something HUGE, like speaking in front of a big group of people, or jumping out of an airplane. Everyone has a different fear level of course. Shock yourself out of inertia.

You probably wonder why scaring the pants off yourself would show you about yourself. It does, though, because you don’t know exactly how you’re going to react. From your reaction you’ll know your strengths and your weaknesses.

Something that once was scary becomes commonplace, and then you move on to the next big stretch.  You don’t have to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls…. unless you want to.

2.  Become less concerned about what people think and do more of what you love.  Yes, another obvious piece of advice, but how many people actually do this??  Again, it’s about boundaries. Every day has its own boundary: get up, drink coffee, shower, dress, go to work…..come back, chill, undress, sleep. This does not change unless we DECIDE to change. Stretching the boundaries of your routine could be to get up one or two hours earlier, do some meditation, walk in nature, journal, or doing something that makes your spirit soar, whatever it is. Talk about getting your day off to a good start!

Problem is, the rut gets deep, and it’s hard to change the groove, but it’s doable. With determination and a desire to change, you will do it.  Don’t let life get so bad that change is the only choice.

3. Listen to your heart.  Is it whispering about kicking out the discontent of your life?  Are you feeling a great deal of discontent? Well, do something about it!  That inner urge is not wrong, you know. Your sh*t-o-meter is working overtime and trust me, it knows what it’s doing.

Life does not end if you have to change careers, the opposite, in fact.  When you do something that is more aligned with your soul, you will find your joy sky-rocketing.

Fear will be there of course, but stretch those boundaries!  There is a perfect place for you, just as there is for me. Fear of the unknown is a drag, but by doing something different, you learn about yourself.  You might find that your capabilities are amazing! Wouldn’t that be worth a change? Kick the fear aside and do that thing you always wanted to do!

4. Learn something new all the time.  Yeah, that is an easy way to stretch boundaries. One thing leads to another and before you know it, you have a whole new set of tools to use.  Be an insatiable learner!  Many people stop where they think they are experts / teachers, but a true expert keeps on learning.

What would you love to learn today?  You know, THAT THING.

5. Help others. Serving at a soup kitchen is one thing, but how many times have you really listened to the person who needs help?  We tend to barge in and try to fix the problems, but lending a sincere ear is sometimes more difficult than serving up soup.  It means you have to engage with the person on a deeper level, and it can be confrontational. It’s a good way to learn about true compassion and stretching boundaries on a whole other level.

It can be painful to hear about other people’s difficulties, but you learn about yourself in the process. You might not like what you hear, but you gave the other person a chance to be heard. There is a huge lack of that in our society.

Stop being all about yourself.  For starters, begin listening to an important person in your life right now. No excuses.  Is it uncomfortable?  Feel the pain of your boundaries and then get over it.

6. Decide that now is the time to begin.  What is the very first thing you can do right now to improve your life and work on  getting out of the rut?

Do that now.

Then improve the next one.

What boundary can you stretch by taking action now?  That’s where you need to concentrate the most for now.

As you evolve, stretching will become easier and easier.  Ultimately, you look forward to the next challenge.

Go for it.  I know you can do it if you decide to do it. Give a sh*t about your life.

xo

Maria

P.S. I have a new e-course titled Meet Your Intuitive You.  You can read more about it HERE.

asskickery, inspirational, life, motivational, purpose, unstuck

When life sucks donkey balls.

When life sucks donkey balls don’t jump from the nearest bridge or do something stupid.  If the world has thrown so much crap at you that you can’t see a way out, just say “I’ve had enough of this shit,” and do something about it.

You are not powerless!

rosietheriveter

(google images)

You don’t have to live in awfulness. I’m sure the Powers That Be never intended for us to be unhappy.  We live in a very complicated society and we’re brain-washed to the enth degree to start with.  We are smart; we can say enough is enough.

First you have to realize you’re brainwashed.  That is why it’s so difficult to see a way out.  You have to forge new pathways for the new to imprint on the brain.  Living the life like it used to be does not work in the new you /world.

There is a superwoman and superman living under the mundane suit of armor.  Rip the suit off and claim the superpower within!

How do you do that?  It’s hard to shift immediately from mediocre to superhuman, but everyone can take ONE step toward something more fulfilling in life, like an interest, or caring for something or someone other than oneself.  Helping others brings you out of the bullshit.

Figure out where you want to be in, say, a year.  What is gnawing to be heard inside?  Listen to that and take one step today toward the new you.  Within a year, you will have shifted completely, or maybe even faster than that.

Learn everything that needs to be learned to attain the goal. Sometimes we have to become nerd-like, sitting in a corner learning all kinds of computer BS to get somewhere.

But it feels good when mastered!

Set ONE goal.

Do something today toward it.

Do something tomorrow and the next day. Write down some doable steps and DO them.  Before you know it, you have created a new neuro pathway for the new you to form.   The old crutches you held on to so strongly will be gone and you wonder why you held on for so long.  You might doubt you’ll ever succeed, but YOU WILL.

Freaking one goal.  Just do it already.  Stop the blaming and the excuses.  If you want to live a new life, you have to take consistent action.

Even if you don’t feel like it.

…because life happens NOW!

Or stay the same and be miserable.  It’s your choice.

I’m for sure taking steps every day.

xo

Maria

P.S.  If you’re interested in art check out my YouTube channel for some free tutorials.  CLICK HERE.  Sign up for my newsletter for more freebies, CLICK HERE.

art, asskickery, inspirational, life, motivational

Stop being that way!

Hey you,

Stop being that way!  I can feel all the frowns coming at me, but seriously, I have come across several people lately who complain about their lives, but they don’t want to do anything about it.  To change, we have to take some risks and explore new territory.  Why are there so few people willing to change?  You rather live in misery?  None of my business, right?  True, but I can’t help but say, hey, don’t complain if you don’t want to change your life.

The only ones willing to change are those who have been up against the wall with serious health problems or other stressful situations.  Why wait until crisis strikes?  Life is frigging short!

Fear is what holds people back, but being a coward never got you anywhere.  Fear of money, fear of other people’s opinions, fear of the boss, fear that you’re-not-good-enough.  Fear of taking one step toward change.

There is only one person like you, and you have gifts to share.

Why waste in on mind-numbing TV?

What is your passion right now?  What could you do that would light you up?  You know that old hobby you shoved to the back of the closet… that’s the one.  Or the classes you’ve been wanting to explore.  NOW is the time.

Stand stronger in who you really are every day and feel the fierceness and longing take hold and carry you onward to something so much more exciting.

I’ve never lived a conventional life. I can’t say it has been easy, but I could never conform, not for any length of time.  Truth to tell, I’m not a rebel at all, but I’m thoroughly sick and tired of the conventional world, the gossip and the chit-chat, the greed and the selfishness.  Activities that lead to nowhere.  Where is the meaning?

I spend a lot of time alone since it feeds my soul. I listen to the silence, and it’s enough for me.  That’s not me, you say.  What are you then?  Stop the numbness already.  Be or become that person who lives from within with passion and purpose.  It’s all in there.

Bring that gift to the world!  We need it.

That’s what I’m doing –to the best of my ability.

Rant over,

xo

Maria

P.S. If you’d like some FREE art inspiration, a whopping 37 page PDF, sign up for my newsletter HERE.