Nurture Your Soul

This months seems to be zipping by at lightning speed!

I took a break from creating most of this month, after moving out of my art studio at the end of April in transition of going full-time at my day job at the non-profit. I get to develop a youth agency that helps kids find their spark and I'm so lucky to have that opportunity! You can learn more about Camp Fire Central Oregon here.

This month has also been one of busyness...we moved my grandparents from their house to a retirement home and spend the majority of weekends moving stuff and getting them settled.

Dad and I had one great adventure into the Oregon Outback, driving through the desert, to visit Fort Rock, Sand Dunes and some incredible landscapes. I love that part of the State!

This little painting is the first one I have done in months it feels like, and it is the reminder that even in the midst of busy lives we must nurture what makes us glad as a practice in self-care and honoring our spirit. I'm brainstorming how to go that effectively as I move into a full-time day job on June 1st. Self-care is a vital part of our routines and yet, so easy to let go of when your energy gets pulled another direction. I'm thankful to have a job I enjoy, that is a good challenge and for the beautiful creative energy that has finally hit me again!

I'm always one who does better when I'm busy, and I find my best creative juices hit at night when I should be sleeping, but my soul needs a creative release. So here's the first one! I have the next painting all sketched out and am excited to work on it this week. Hopefully this little blog will get some action next month too as I'm contemplating a new way to engage my blog with monthly themes. More to come on that. But for now, I hope you are nurturing what makes you glad as well!

Nurture Your Wanderlust...

Images from pinterest

I've had island fever for weeks dreaming of tropical waters to swim in, honeyed-mango sunsets and the true crux of it all - adventures in paradise.

I wonderful what it is about those two things that haunts us - we yearn for both adventure - the wild, uncensored, spontaneous life and paradise - peaceful tranquility, in the same breathe.

I'm learning how easy it is to becoming unbalanced in one or both...usually both. We need both calm, a sense of home, comfort and a wild sense of adventure - the adrenaline rush of something new and fresh.

I'm finding in my journey toward finding my groove it requires nurturing wanderlust - creating a sense of adventure even when you feel like life has become completely routine!

Let's face it...adventures come in all shapes and sizes, and although I'm on a mission to infuse my life with adventure, I'm not able to jet off to an island just yet. But here are my top five tips for finding your groove this week...

It can be something as simple as taking a new way to work, or a belly dancing class instead of your usual yoga class, or even turning off the computer in the evenings after work a few nights a week for technology free nights.

Some days I wake up anxious about everything that has to get done, instead, try starting the day with gratitude mediation like this one from Tim Ferris, (or be watching from one from me in the next few days).

Sometimes discovering your groove takes work...so go on a visual adventure across pinterest, or through magazines and collect images that inspire you in this moment. Look at the pictures you've saved...what stands out? (Like your wild wanderlust for an island...or is that just me...?)

 Right now, I've got pictures of islands in my journal, and on my pinterest vision board. How are you nurturing your wanderlust?

Soul-Care

 

Last week I moved out of my little art studio because I'm working so much at the non-profit youth development agency that I manage. Leadership is an intense career and I'm moving up the ladder, helping youth "find their spark."

My own spark has always been creative work - writing, making art and dreaming about travel. 

I also know myself well enough to know I need regular doses of art and time in the woods for soul-care,  so this weekend my sister and I took a road trip to the mountains and spent a day lounging by the lake, watching the clouds roll by, reading and painting.

Soul-care is vital to any woman thriving. I'm not always good at it. Especially over the past year...I lost my groove, but a weekend in the woods is always a good start. 

I'm ready to tackle the week, to kick it's butt. I'm about to conquer the week and thrive...soul-care for me means:

- yoga

- green smoothies

- writing

- painting

- some wild dancing 

Here's to conquering the week and thriving!

Wild Adventure

The only way for life to be a beautiful and wild adventure is for us to wake up and create magic on a regular basis. Is your life a wild adventure? If not, what needs to change?

Get your groove on!