Sharing my artwork is nerve wracking. I think that is the best way to describe it. On Saturday, my friend nominated me to share 3 pieces of artwork for 5 days via social media. At first, I was very excited. Oh! I was asked to share my artwork! Oh my! What do I want to share?!?

I began perusing my stock of paintings, drawings, jewelry pieces, designs and creations. I felt so excited thinking of all of the things I have made, that I have poured love into from the moment of their conception. I then began to think of how the majority of it, has never been seen by the world.

I don’t really share much of my artwork. I kind of hide it in a sense. Sometimes, I feel like I hide it from myself, the fact that I can and do make art. That I create.

This recollection/realization saddened me a touch. I felt sad for the many unfinished projects clinging to the peripherals of my heart like leaves and litter blown against a chain link fence on an overcast afternoon. I felt sad because what I had wasn’t enough. It wasn’t that my work was bad or good, it just wasn’t enough. This voice inside told me that by now, I should have so much more, so much better work.

There is just too much pressure within, to do more, to do better. This part of me that spoke up, the part that tells me it’s just not enough has some very odd preconceptions of what it means to create art. Try as I might, we’re getting to a more peaceable place with one another. As we fly through the skies together, I gently cut the heat fueling our balloon ride. Letting us fall, just slightly. Letting things slow down, just slightly to let us come back to Earth. Come back and breathe, no pressures.

The more I share my work, the easier it will be. The more comfortable it starts to feel. As long as I keep the belief that it’s enough, all will be well and I can embrace all of the loose ideas that float about me waiting for their materialization. Sharing my art isn’t all that bad. It’s actually pretty fun.

It’s my work and it is enough.

Specials

A whole seven days into the New Year, I can attest that I, without a doubt, love New Year. Riding high on the possibilities yet to unfold in the remaining 358 days of 2015, I find myself steeping in optimism, creativity and new ideas. One of the main things I love about a New Year is the specialness, or my seemingly unique need to create specialness for one day, a specialness that burns brightly through the remainder of the year.
I think that there is a great importance on reflecting on the previous year and taking consideration for what one would like to bring into the new year and what one would like to leave behind in the past. On New Years Eve this year, I was coming down with my third illness since October, which is a very rare thing for me to be so frequently ill. I stopped and asked myself what would make me feel good? Feeling good about life is something I would like to bring into the new year, and I decided that caring for my home, my houseplants and my creative self would feel the best to me. I picked up some things around the house that had been bothering me, I watered my many houseplants, had a delicious snack, painted for pleasure and kissed my sweet man at midnight.
I made it special.

It felt great, it felt like New Year. It felt special, I often think that there needs to be something special to attend, somewhere special to go. This New Year, I wanted to be at home. Home became my special place to go, my special thing to do. I realized in that moment, that with my need for things to be special, I could make them special regardless of the circumstances. Given this realization, I have vowed to make this New Year, of 2015 special, for me and the people I care about.

How do you make your days special?