Connections

Recently I had the opportunity to go to my 20th Highschool reunion. It was a surreal experience. Walking into a room filled with faces that I recognized but they belonged to people I didn't know anymore. As soon as I began to mingle it was as if the last 20 never happened. I was in the ladies' room with my three best friends from High school; talking about "Girl Stuff" while our husbands ordered drinks.


 The 10th reunion had felt like we were all trying to impress each other. That wasn't the case this time around. Maybe it was because of the energy I had brought. Even though the turn out had been small for the 20th reunion; it turned out to be a good thing. I got the opportunity to talk with people who I did not get to know in school. I was thinking to myself This person is so funny... Why did we not hangout in school? 


The answer is simple we are older and wiser now. Life had happened. Some of it good and some of it bad. There I stood in a room of people who wanted to reconnect. So exciting! The next day I was sending friend requests left and right on Facebook!

Life is short

 A few years back my husband came home from work and and gave me the bad news. An old friend had died in a fire. He was a brave fireman who risked his life to save others. This moment in my life changed me forever. I always thought that we had time to reconnect. I imagined meeting his family and him mine. Now he was gone and he didn't meet my family...we didn't get the chance to reconnect. How did I miss the warning...life is short.

Photo by Thomas Winarski

Inspiration

 After my friend's death, I felt the need to make something good come from this tragedy. My friend had been the kind of person who befriended everyone. I used to think he was nieve, because some of the characters seemed like bad news. I worried he would get hurt or be taken advantage of. He knew the risk and he connected anyways. He inspired me to stay in touch with friends and to call up those from my past. My 20th reunion was the perfect opportunity to rekindle those old but not forgotten relationships.

Excuses

It has been too long. They won't remember me. I think I was mad at them. They will think I am crazy. Those are some of my excuses that ran through my head. I can tell you that when I reached out; the other person on the other end was happy to hear from me. Those excuses were just ridiculous and they were holding me back. I urge you to find a way to connect and ignore the excuses in your head. Make new friends and cherish the old ones. 

Music in My Head

"Glad You Came" by The Wanted
"Do you Realize" by The Flaming Lips
"Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Folgelburg

On the Canvas

Take some pictures of your friends. I used to take pictures in college and I take a lot of my kids. However I don't take them of my friends anymore. Have fun! Make a collage! Pretend everyday is a vacation and take some pics of your friends! Got to go...I need to set up a playdate for me and my girlfriends!

Till we meet a again my creative friends!

Jenni
Special dedication to Pioneer's Class of '92

Intentions

I recently started a practice of setting my intentions for my day. I have goals and To- Do lists but this is different. My focus is more on the state of mind or the way I want to feel during my day. Happy right...no matter what! (All my pessimistic friends just threw up, I know... I know just hear me out.)  Here is an example; I intend to be patient throughout my day. Then my kids started fighting over a toy.  My first reaction might be to yell, but then I remember my intention and breath. After reconnecting I can calmly and patiently guide them through their disagreement. This takes practice. Life will throw some doosies at you to see if you can handle them. Each day it gets a little easier.

Crisis

There is always a challenge and sometimes someone else's crisis can also become yours. Setting an intention for the day helps you cope with the unforeseen problems.  Maybe your boss will lay a stack of files upon your desk and move up your deadlines. Maybe a friend calls with their latest meltdown and needs you to clean it up. Suddenly your day is spiraling in an unpleasant direction. However if you set an intention then you have a place to go back to. Take a deep breath and realign your actions with the state of mind you want to have. If you don't set your intentions someone else will set them for you. Don't give up that power!

Choose Happiness

It is easy to give the power of happiness to someone else or to your inner bully. I have found that setting intentions has helped me to be happier even when the world seems to be falling apart around me. I can hear the crying of my kids in the other room and I can go in that room with a positive intent and change the energy by just focusing my feelings. You can't control the world around you but you can control how you react to it.

Music in My Head

Matt Kearney " Nothing Left to Lose

Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars" 

Ingrid Michaelson " Be Ok"

On the Canvas

Sometimes I sit in front of a blank canvas and I just think about the feeling I want to portray in my painting. I write an intention in a journal or across my canvas. Below is a painting I did with the intent of being a calm mommy. First I painted with serene blues and tranquil purple hues. Then on a sudden whim I wanted red! As the painting developed I think it portrays a fiery crazy outside world, but a momma who keeps her chicks under her calm energy.

Till we meet again my creative friends
Jenn

You are Creative

Have you heard this statement before” Oh I am not creative, but I wish I was”? Maybe you said it before. Have you heard this next statement before” Everyone is creative”? Are you thinking everyone but me? Maybe you are creative but not artistic. Maybe I should define what it means to be creative.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word create means to bring into existence. The word creativity is to have the ability to create. 

Some people believe the Divine or God created humans in his own likeness. God was a creator, therefore humans are creative. That means YOU are creative. Here is another example. Have you ever watch a small child play.  You can give them a box and they will have fun for hours. We were all like at that when we were kids; so why do some of us stop thinking we are creative?

I recently watched a TED Talk by David Kelley founder of design firm IDEO. In the video he describes how to build your creative confidence. I found it interesting, because he found that many people have a creative story where at sometime in their early childhood somebody looked at their art work and said it was terrible.  I made it through my childhood pretty confident in my creative abilities, until college. Then I had a teacher tell me “nice dentist office painting” Ugh! It was an insult. She thought my style of art was somehow below her standards. I was crushed. I felt like a fake. I quit. I started studying to be a special education teacher.  What is your creative story? 

I was still creative. I still called myself creative. I did scrapbooking, landscaping, and I would use my creativity to solve problems and invent ways to help my students.  I am sure if you looked around you could find ways in your daily life where you are creative.

 Here are some examples:

• Scrapbooking 
• Holiday table setting             
• Taking pictures of family
• Painting your  toe nails
• Decorating your home 
• Modifying a recipe 
• Making a game for your kids
• Decorating a cake 
• Styling your hair

Music in my head

"Move Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, It gets your hips moving while you are painting!

"Holiday" by Vampire Weekend

On the Canvas

This week I am playing with paint.  Here is a nifty trick I gleaned from Flora Bowley; turn up the music and close your eyes while painting. It is fun…and messy.  Above is a picture of what my 4 year old and I did  with our eyes closed! Give it a try! 


Till we meet again my creative friends
Jenni

Spring Changes Everything!

This is my first Blog post EVER!

If you could hear me I am saying EVER just like Oprah. 

 Anyways, my intent for this blog is to inspire others as I find inspiration. Whether it is with my art or the lessons I have learned. I feel like I have stumbled upon such wonderful tidbits and new perspectives that are just too good for one person to posses.  I am exploding and I want to share…share… share!

Spring!

Summer is upon us and I am reflecting over the lessons I have learned this spring. As the rain pours outside my office window I think of the saying “April showers bring May flowers” I get so excited at this time of year even when it is dreary and rainy. The rain is like a promise that summer is coming along with its warm weather. This spring I had a bird’s nest in perfect view of my dining room window. We were visited by a snapping turtle, and colorful Baltimore Orioles returned once again to our backyard.  The changes are all so exciting. If only I could embrace the other changes that happen in life with the same optimism. 

Quick Get the Fairy Dust!

  Every season I go through the kid’s closets and dressers to change out the seasonal clothes and sort the clothes they have grown out of. Every time I feel a little sad that they will never wear a particular outfit and that my babies are growing up. I always joke with my boys that I need some of Tinker Bell’s fairy dust to sprinkle on them so they stay my sweet little boys and they never grow up!

Here is the perspective shift: do I want to live in the past…or do I want to be happy in the present? Think Spring I tell myself. Embrace the changes. I start by noticing the soft fabrics as I fold my boy’s clothes.  When the memories float into my head I smile and refocus on how I am making room for new clothes and new memories. Just as the Spring rain cleanses the ground of debris left from past seasons to make room for new grass and plants; I make room for the new changes in my life.

You can count on change

One thing I know for sure is that I can count on changes to happen. I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow or ten minutes from now, but I know changes will happen.  My basement flooded this spring and at first I freaked out. Then I stopped and I breathed. I looked for the silver lining so to speak. My flooded basement turned out to be a blessing. I have been putting off setting up an exercise area and an art studio space.  The flood forced me to clear some space and organize my basement. Now I have my space to paint…yippie!

Spring taught me to embrace the changes in my life with a positive outlook. That with each change something better is around the corner. Change can be so hard to accept, but with a little effort it can be easier and possibly exciting!

Music in my head

Sheryl Crow “A Change”

P!nk “Who Knew”

The Killer’s “Change your Mind”

On The Canvas

Today my creativity is focused on my flowers and landscaping. Gardening is one way that I express my creativity when I am not painting. There is something sacred and grounding about nurturing a plant and then watching it grow. Instead of paint and a paintbrush I used mulch and a pitch fork. I hope you enjoy my photos of my garden.

Till we met again my creative friends

Jenni