Sacred Space

Well, I'm doing it again. I haven't posted for 2+ weeks, because, deep down, I'm afraid of being boring or not as good as other bloggers. So to avoid failing, I just don't even try. But! I've been following the Artistic Alchemy workshop over at Kira's blog, and Lesson 1 was all about creating your space for art journaling. Making a sacred ritual that prepares your mind and body for art. Sort of a Pavlovian dog stimulus to get those creative juices drooling to put paint to paper.

My ritual entailed waiting till everyone went to bed so that I was alone in the house (except for my 21-year-old, who was glued to the computer at the other end of the house, playing his geeky cyber-games); sitting down at my desk in my studio; lighting my rose-scented, Mexican Virgin Mary candle (which might ward off any evil Lou Dobbs spirits...); putting my MP3 on (while singing loudly and no doubt, off-key, but who cares--- all my kids know that I delight in singing inharmoniously while listening to my MP3); and then I waited. Just sat there and waited. It didn't take long, just a minute or so, before I picked up a paintbrush and started painting. And painting. And collaging. Profusely. I was all, THIS is what it takes to make me start creating?! Just showing up? Dang! Why haven"t I done this sooner?

So I did a lot of creating last night, and I'll show that later, maybe, if I get up the guts to expose myself. (No! they weren't naked journal entries, silly! I meant expose myself emotionally...)  Meanwhile, I'll show you my favorite letter that I sent to the kids while at Camp this summer. But first, an explanatory picture from the premiere lolcat website:

We are all addicted to lolcats, so this letter was written entirely in the lolcat language. It is a response to the fact that my children had not written me a letter from Camp, despite the fact that I wrote them EVERY DAY and had endured HOURS OF PAINFUL CHILDBIRTH WITHOUT AN EPIDURAL JUST TO BRING THEM INTO THIS WORLD.

Comments

[Aforementioned 21-year-old Geek]

Har dee har har. I don't play "cyber-games", I just talk to random people for six hours a night.

Anyway, I'm glad you've been posting recently. I've always envied your ability to put brush to paper and miraculously create a beautiful work of art out of thin air. Neuroses aside (hurr hurr kidding), you are possessed of a wonderful creative spirit, and I'd hate to see you neglect such a gift.

P.S. Did you know that when you search for "Mam'zelle Hepzibah" on Google, you're the first hit? Well done! You've made your mark on the internets, mum. :]

<3

[acideplusalcool]

your work may not look as perfect as the work of hundreds of mixed media people i've seen, but it sure is personnal, and one of the more interesting
so you should'nt mind too much about how good it is and just keep doing