Tag Archives: motivation

art, commitment, creator, excuses, showing up

How to be more productive

How to be more productive in a society that asks so much of us every day is a challenge. After nine-to-five it’s hard to get motivated when all your energy is gone, BUT if you take the step to do something you love, you’ll find that you perk right up. It beats sitting on the couch eating popcorn.

The first step

Identify what you can do NOW to move your dreams forward. I’m coming from an artist’s point of view, but all areas of life can use the same approach. As an artist, I have so many art supplies that I have collected over the years, so I have no excuses.

Making art is a journey. There is a beginning but no end. The journey is traveling through many facets of creativity, and when one style doesn’t support your enthusiasm it’s important to trust the progress forward.

The second step

Can you commit to something you love to do? When you sign up for an exercise program you commit to following through, but how many do? It gets boring but you gain stamina and mobility. So, what change can you make to be more excited about it? Try a different style? It takes creativity to get out of a rut. Commitment is invaluable! Follow through until it gets to be second nature. That is probably the most valuable lesson I have had in my years as an artist.

I have made many clay figures in the past, and the above picture is a new variant of the same theme. I wanted to make a toadstool hat, which I knew would be a challenge. This is how I did it (lots of gnashing of teeth.): I took a Styrofoam ball and cut the top off. I already had the sculpture’s head done. I carved out the foam to fit the head. That was the easy part. Then I needed pleated fabric on the underside. I used A LOT of glue to press down every fold of white muslin. (You should’ve seen my gluey hands!) I made sure the folds were attached well, and then I went back to press them down as the glue was drying. Then I trimmed the excess of fabric at the edge, and there it was. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I painted the red area first so that I wouldn’t get paint on the white pleats, and I added the clay hair afterward.

Step three: Keep experimenting!

You don’t learn what works unless you experiment with the materials. Many times a material won’t work, but you get a better idea of what will.

Set small goals

Climbing Mt. Everest takes MANY small steps. Say you can commit to half an hour of art-ing every day, plan ahead. If you’re a visual artist, bring a sketchbook in your purse and some pens and pencils. If you paint abstracts, make a wild background on a blank canvas. If you work with clay, make an armature for the sculpture you want to create. One small step will get you going.

How to be more productive happens in small steps!

The Universe helps those who help themselves. Brilliant ideas come from nowhere, and you can be the vessel for those ideas.

Show up, and magic will start happening 🙂

It’s true.

If you have no clue what excites you, think of what you liked in school, or what you were good at. Talent often shows itself early, a suggestion of a future to come. Doing what you love makes you HAPPY! If clueless, try different things; the smallest effort will eventually show you the path.

Lots of love,

Maria

My etsy shop EarthandFaery is filled with magic!

art making, happiness, inspiration, self-care

Allowing yourself a Great Day

Allowing yourself a great day is for most people not a choice.

Happiness is a choice, but we are never taught how to be happy. It’s not about the things you do in a day, but how you feel inside.

Here in the States, one of the most polite expressions to another person is: “have a great day.” How many people really mean it? It’s one of those automatic sayings that rolls off the tongue, like “thank you.”

How many people know how to be happy? Not many; it’s not something we’re taught in school.

I like to meditate in the morning every day. There is a source of happiness in my heart, riding on the life-giving stream of breath. This is a knowledge I was fortunate to acquire in my youth, but how many people have that know-how?

Allowing yourself happiness is to seek what truly makes you happy. There is only ONE thing in the long run, and it lies within you.

However, to make a day complete, you have to do things that uplift you. I encounter so many people who are miserable at their jobs and see no way out of the constant grind.

I decided a long time ago that I did not want a “career” and to be miserable. I found my joy in writing and art. My working life has been a roller-coaster ride so far, but I made my own choices, and I don’t regret anything.

It takes two things

Number one, you have to WANT to find happiness.

Number two, you have to make a DECISION to be happier and stick with it through thick and thin.

The thing is, there are answers to all of your questions, and it takes courage to stick with anything worthwhile. So I guess courage is the third requisite, but as you move forward, you create great momentum.

I talk to so many people who want to make art, but they never do. When I hear the excuses, I will not try to convince anyone to do what they love.

It is a personal choice. Today I allow myself to create a day to my liking, which includes art-making or crafts of some sort, eating well, breathing some fresh air, hugging a tree, and having a good night’s sleep. I do work a job, but only on my terms, which does NOT allow for burn-out.

How can you change your life today?

What could you do? Change, once and for all, one habit that drives you nuts. Investigate how you can incorporate a spiritual practice in your life. Honor your body with good food and a walk. Make some art. Your choice, but choose one little thing and stick with it.

The people who like to make art are doing it. People who love to write are doing it. People who want to exercise are doing it. They chose to incorporate it into their lives because it uplifts them.

Women usually think about others’ well-being first, and that is something we learned by watching other women. For goodness sake, allow yourself some self-love! You will not reach sainthood by being everything to everyone. You’re gaining no brownie points with the Divine, au contraire.

Make a decision to set aside one hour each day for self love.

A few examples of allowing yourself self-love

Get up earlier in the morning and spend time writing in a journal about YOUR needs and how you can satisfy them.

Make some art

Meditate or do yoga. Awareness of self is everything.

Connect with nature and breathe in the healing qualities.

Get in touch with your body and HOW YOU REALLY FEEL. Most people live outside their bodies to cope with the pressures of daily life.

Put your own well-being FIRST!

I hope you do something because I’m tired of listening to excuses. Have a love story with your art making, starting today.

It can be rough at times, but if you are the creator of your own life, you know how to get back to the “good vibes.”

Lots of love,

Maria

Allowing yourself a great day
Allow yourself happiness

P.S. You can check out more info about spiritual practice HERE. Art practice inspiration is available on YouTube in any form you like. If you want to check out my art journaling videos, go HERE.

Allowing yourself more inspiration, read this blog post: Creativity, spirituality, and passion.

art, inspiration, inspirational, motivational

Every painting is a leap of faith.

Every painting is a new challenge. It can be scary to engage.

If you want to go deeper into your art, you have to attend to your feelings. What do you feel? All that energy can be fodder for your creativity. Say it in colors!

How deep do you want to go? When we allow our deepest emotions to stir to the surface and acknowledge them, we’re making a big leap forward (unless we push them back down.) You can make a pretty picture or a raw one.

When you see raw art, you pause. You might not like the rendition, but something speaks to you beyond the slashes of paint. It’s a remembrance. It reminds you of your own most profound hidden stuff, the wounded side we don’t want to look at. It doesn’t have to be dark and dreary, just direct and arresting.

Art is an excellent therapy if you’re willing to dive into the depths.
What comes out is raw and innocent.
Maybe you will paint a child-like picture of sunshine and smiley faces or perhaps slashes of dark colors.

If you don’t want to feel, paint safe projects. Make pretty pictures. That is okay as well. We all need brightness.

If you’re going to touch someone’s soul, you have to bare your own.
It’s all in the process, moving forward. It might take years to be vulnerable, but you grow your confidence to use your paints as a conduit. That is always a growth in itself.
What comes up in daily life is fodder for growth as an artist.

When you dive deep is when the wild side takes over and brings you into the “cauldron” of transformation. The answers to your questions then appear in your paintings. Honesty is the most important aspect of showing up to create.

When you feel short of honesty, you choose “pretty and safe.” I do it; we all do it, but there is always a longing to discover more depth.
I don’t know, is it only me?

Do you ask the paint what it wants to do? Do you ask it where it wants to go?
Do you invite the canvas to accept the paint?
I always feel into those things, but sometimes I cop out in the middle and choose the easy way through the project.

It’s the “instant gratification syndrome” rearing its head. I want to see the art finished, but I know that’s not what the canvas wanted. It’s hard to be patient and put the painting away for another day. The risk is that you’ll never go back to it. That happened with this painting recently. I don’t know what she wants, but I’m waiting to hear.

unfinished painting

I have several unfinished paintings and some that I paint over. At the time of their creation, they bloomed, deformed maybe, but expressed their gift. So, they offered their gift and then turned into a memory, possibly harshly judged as poor art.

Can we allow art to be what it wants to be?
Yes, for me anyway. I don’t always like it, but the breakthroughs are worth all the pain of waiting, the frustration of walking down blind alleys, and poor concentration.

How do you allow this process?

You have to sit with the discomfort and allow the frustration.
Be in partnership with your art making. Treat it with respect as you would a good friend.
There is no need to conquer or perform.
It’s okay to take baby steps.
It’s okay to slash paint all over the canvas without thought.
It’s okay to be angry, but what is that all about? Ask your anger. It has a strong message for you that can propel you forward.


Stick with the practice, set a time when you will enter the studio, and show your respect by showing up.
Art is a living being, a force of magic and brilliance. You want to dance with it, don’t you?
Art will grow you as a person; it promotes change. It can be subtle, but it’s there.

It can be a wild beast or tame as a kitten. In the long run, it never lets you down! Make art your best friend.

If you missed the art self-care boost during the first week of February, you can check out the first video on YouTube HERE. There are five in a row, marked with numbers.
It will give you a boost toward continual art marking. You can also join my creative group on Facebook.
Looking for some affordable art journaling e-courses, I have a few evergreen ones HERE.

Lots of love,

Maria

art, art making, artist, commitment, habit, magic, resistance

Resistance–we all feel it

Resistance is more than the brave people who worked during WWII to defeat the Nazis.  I’m talking about resistance, the Nazi within.  We all have it, and I think creative people have many close encounters with the beast, probably once a day or so.

As an artist, I walk into the studio every day with the hope of being productive and inspired.  Many times I walk in there with the need of coffee or some other stimulant to keep myself alert.

Truth is, energy is available in vast abundance.

Resistance shows up in many ways:

Don’t try these new paints, they won’t work well.

Don’t repaint that old picture.

Cleaning your fridge would be a more effective use of time…

The studio is too dirty to work in, clean it!

Painting is an iffy proposition–at all times.

Don’t waste the paint on that old painting.

You;re too tired to paint…

It goes on and on. Why is it that so many excuses pop up when we’re about to do something that we actually enjoy.  It’s like starting over every day.

Maybe creativity is that way.  What will show up on the canvas is uncertain, so why even try?  Every new day is a challenge.

Should I use my time better, do something that needs to be done (chore) or do I stick with the plan?

Since I made the agreement to stick with my art years ago, it has become simple to stay in the studio, but Resistance will show up in sneaky ways, holding hand with its cousin Excuses.

It’s never easy.

But what worthy endeavor is?

It’s also hard to be self motivated. We learn early on to follow orders, never questioning their importance.

Taking charge of your life and actually DOING something you love on a greater scale can be scary.

Flying without a safety net.

For many, that is a nightmare.

It is the trickster within that builds things out of proportion and say you can’t have a life that is outside the norm.

Let’s say the trickster is the ultimate expert, the father of resistance and excuses.

When you recognize these guys, just laugh.

You have enough confidence in yourself to know you’re being tricked.

A solid commitment to the art, or craft, is a must. If we haven’t made the DECISION to make art no matter what, we don’t have a strong foundation.

A strong commitment and habits to produce will strong-arm those negative voices aside.  It’s really important to nurture the commitment. With time it becomes very strong.

Every painting is a risk of failure, but what isn’t?

It’s worth a try.  When inspiration seems to be absent, spread some paint on a canvas anyway. It could become a good foundation for a masterpiece.

Practice allows the door to open up and magic step in.

It’s a special joy to see the process through, and the rewards can be great. You never know on any given day.

Another post that might inspire you when the negative voices are loud: My inner critic on rampage.

Another post: Who is in charge?

I’m working on this goddess painting. It will need some tweaking, but it was a great process of seeing her emerge from the chaotic background.

resistance

I don’t know what will appear today on the next canvas. Time to find out!

Have a great creative weekend!

xo

Maria

P.S.  I have lots of goodies in my etsy shop, Earth and Faery. Check it out. 🙂

 

dream, inspiration, inspirational, motivational

Why people don’t follow their dream

Why people don’t follow their dream is not a single why, but many. As many as a person can make up.

If the desire is sincere, the artist has to START practicing!

why people don't follow their dream

Main reasons people don’t pursue something they long to do:

  • fear
  • lack of time
  • not feeling worthy
  • feeling inadequate
  • thinking it’s not important
  • thinking others will object

These are just a few examples. Since I’m a visual artist, I have only experience in that type of art, but I know for sure that if you want to be a good musician you have to practice A LOT.

Some artists might slap on some paint and create a huge painting in an hour. For the art to be effective, they would have had to practice and explore countless styles and tools in the past.

I’ve seen people create “sofa art” on home improvement shows. I can’t say it’s not art, but the subject won’t hit me in the gut or make me pause to really look, to absorb.

Art in any form is a life long exploration.

So what to do about the objections I posted above?

Fear: The only way to get past fear is to face it head on and start creating anyway. It will rear its ugly head time and time again, but you gotta get your brave on! Take some classes if you can’t get started.

Lack of time:  If you insist on that excuse, there won’t be any time, but if you’re sincere in your desire, you will find the time. Start with 10 minutes a day. Set up your art / craft / music / dance / supplies where you can see them as a reminder.

Not feeling worthy: That is old programming of shame and guilt. Engage with your dream anyway and know that the false programming is a scam to keep you “in line” and work for the Man. Tapping is a great help. Check it out on YouTube.

Feeling inadequate: Have you ever gone ice skating or rollerblading? You know it’s next to impossible to keep on your feet the first few times. But you laugh off the embarrassment of looking like a fool and keep going.

We all look like fools when we start something new. Get over it and practice.

Thinking it’s not important: Maybe you’re thinking of the wrong dream.  Maybe you’re not important.

Thinking others will object:  They probably will. They want you to be the same, not grow as a person. That might make them look bad and make them remember the dream they shoved into the closet among the spiders.

The mothers of the Lewis and Clark expedition members probably said “Don’t go,” when the guys stated they were going to explore vast uncharted wilderness. The mothers’ fear didn’t stop those intrepid souls.

We have got to explore what is calling us from inside!

It is your Lewis and Clark expedition. You  don’t have to face grizzlies and raging rivers, but you have to face your fears and give your passion some space.

I did write a blog post about Fear Holding You Back and what to do about it.

Have a creative weekend, folks!

Lots of love and inspiration to you.

Maria

P.S. I have some new things for sale in my etsy shop today. EARTH AND FAERY.

 

 

 

inspiration, life, motivational, process, self-care, skiing

Mortifying memories

Mortifying memories remain very vivid in my mind. Isn’t it funny how we remember the “bad” things more than the good?

It’s about 90 degrees here today and I’m sitting at my computer sweating. It brought me back to some memories of snow. Let me tell you a funny story.

I grew up in Sweden and it was plenty cold, dark, and snowy for maaany months of the year. Think same latitude as Alaska.

Skiing was something everyone did in the winter. Sometimes the snow glistened like diamonds with a soft layer over packed snow. Perfect skiing surface, and gorgeous to boot.

Around age of sixteen I got interested in slalom. I was never into taking classes at the time, but I went with a friend’s family to ski a mountain.

It started out with my dad buying mountain skis that were too long for effective use. The downhill boots hurt my ankles, but being young and strong, I endured.

The first time I went up a ski lift I fell off as I tried to get on it. My pants ripped in the ass and filled with snow. A totally mortifying experience as everyone watched. My memory is a bit hazy, but I think I fell off three times before I got the hang of it.

Not only did that happen but I had to spend the whole DAY with my undies showing through the rip and being cold from wet snow.

It took a long time to get down the mountain and I fell plenty, replenishing the snow in my pants. I realized I would have to learn how to slalom if I was ever going to enjoy the downhill experience. My ass was close to frost bite that evening. To my delight, I did get the hang of the ski lift…

Needless to say, it was a trip of mixed joys…

My folks didn’t have a lot of money, so classes were out of the question, but during dark winter evenings, after school, I used to hoist my skis on my shoulder and stagger down to the local slalom hill (converted sand pits.)

There I started low to the bottom and practiced my slalom skills. No one ever showed me how, but by watching others, I got some kind of hang of it and ventured up steeper hills.

Chicken as I was, I never dared to try the highest ones but I got courageous some evenings and went down the medium hills. It was a thrill.

The ski lift there was rough. You had to hang on to a handle and the handle pulled you up on a thick wire. You needed to have your skis aligned or you’d fall off and then you had to move sideways on skis up the hill, which was tedious beyond belief.

I almost killed myself there when my scarf got rolled into the wire and as I got to the winch at the top I had to quickly untie the scarf or get strangled and mangled. (Another mortifying memory.) The scarf came out at the other end no worse for wear…

The point of this story:

  • I stuck to the routine of learning slalom, almost every night, and I was sad when the snow melted and I had to give it up.
  • I went alone every time. It showed me that I could take initiative and do things without others’ approval.
  • It was frickin’ cold but I did it anyway.
  • One time I did cross-country skiing every day to recover from a severe illness. I was fifteen and took that initiative. Sometimes slushy snow made things difficult but the skiing made me feel stronger every day.
  • Something inside me pushed me to do self-care and to grow my confidence.
  • That something has been with me all my life and urged me on. Learn more, be curious about life, always learn more. Be a student of life.

It’s always about self-care! What do you allow in your life that is not good for you? Can you quit doing it? What can you learn today? Is life an adventure or a drag? Sometimes it’s a drag, but if you have a good foundation, you can rise above and still move forward.

The point is, question your routine and see how you can make it better. Let the years get better, not like some fading lamp of old age.

For artists: Make art every day! Learn something new. Take risks. Be bold. Enjoy the process.

I had a delightful chat with artist Trisch Rosema about art journaling. My little gift to you today. 🙂 You can watch it HERE.

If you want some more motivation, read this blog post: The Dog Ate My Motivation.

Or this post: Trusting Yourself.

What pushes you to improve?

xo

Maria