Well, hello Spring!

The temperature reached 76 degrees today, yes, 76, wow!! How could I not adventure out with camera in hand? I couldn't help it. I just had to go outside for an impromptu nature walk. I couldn't believe all the lovely flowers hidden among last years leaves, just waiting to be discovered. I stumbled upon this little mini, the early one of the group, in the little bed surrounded by our driveway. It is so small, as tall as your hand from stem to flower tip, yet so brilliant in appearance you really can't miss it. Its beauty was just standing there blowing in the breeze, welcoming Spring home once again.

Word - Bravery

The word for this week is bravery.

Its noun meaning - courage.

I am usually a jump first, think about it later kind of person in my art career. I put my name on the waiting list for a booth before even designing one thing. I sent off a book submission with the first 3 things I had designed. I traveled across the US for years by myself exhibiting and teaching my art. I launched my first e-course before even knowing if I could videotape. Why would I put myself through this? Well, I had to. I needed that deadline to get me moving with motivation, purpose and an end goal in mind. I knew it would work, I would succeed, I just needed to set the wheels in motion and take action. This week I am being brave and asking teachers to join me for another online e-course. Is it scary? Sure. Will there be rejection? Sure. Will it happen? Of course. I am taking a leap of faith and reaching out to fellow designers some I know some I do not but I have already succeeded because I found the courage and asked.

I did this art to express who I am and the text reads...
on the edge, clinging, hanging on, can you feel it? life.
on the verge, tight grasp holding, is is real? life.
on the cusp, dangling, moving on, are you ready? life.

So, how will you show your bravery this week?

Growth

Some Thesaurus words for "haze" are: brume, cloud, dimness, film, fog, fumes, haziness, indistinctness, miasma, mist, muck, obscurity, smog, smokiness, smother, steam, vapor.

Don't you just love the word muck? For me, this is the most powerful because that's exactly how I have felt - stuck in the muck. Trying to find an inspirational photo that showed persistence, growth and the willingness to push forward was quite a feat but I think this one fit all the meanings extremely well. When you look past the haziness of the lambs ear you see the uprising of a stem pushing through. It is unwilling to just lay there and not grow and explore as it was meant to. I really love nature for this reason and find much of my creativity surrounded by its everyday beauty. So, what are you pushing through today? Fight for it, it will be worth its weight, I promise!

Word - Haze

The word for the week is haze.

Its noun meaning - fine dust, smoke or light vapor causing lack of transparency in the air; vagueness of mind or perception.

Its verb meaning - to harass by abusive and humiliating tricks usually by way of initiation.

I took this photo in the late fall while leaves were burning and wanted to catch the smoke rising and swirling in the air. The effect of the smoke close to the ground was just what I was hoping for. I chose this word because I spent the later part of 2013 in a bit of a haze. Wanting to move ahead into a new direction but I was met with a lot of resistance within myself. Deadlines and responsibilities kept me going but in a lackluster way, just doing art to get art done. I am resolving to let my art life exist out of the haze, in true light and with a path that is undefined, risky almost. I am ready!. The haze is lifting and I want to explore 2014 in all it offers up with a new found freedom of simply starting each and every day. That isn't too much to ask, right? So, I am asking you, my readers, is haze a part of your life at the moment? If so, how can you push it aside and live in full light? I know you have the answer, just look past the smoke!