Looking Back and Looking Forward :)

BS"D

Hi sweet soul!

It feels so good to reconnect with you. Hope you enjoyed the holidays, and that you have an AMAZING 2023! Let this be your time to shine bright - be good to my dear friend - that's YOU! Be kind to yourself. Focus on your best health and happiness. The ripple effect of your doing so will touch the people in your life. Take care of the diamond you are. 

I intend to do the same, G♡D willing, and I also choose to declare 2023 as "The year of We!" For me that means fostering a greater connection with the sweet souls in my life - including sharing, as I am now, the creative highlights of this past month.

Some may be interesting to you, and some not, because that is the we were created - each with our own taste. My humble take on it is that our interests are tied in to our purpose in life. Now that is something to journal about!

Speaking of journaling, I decided to create this post in an expanded "logbook" format, being that I pulled this list together from my Austin Kleon inspired logbook. It's a brilliant concept, if you ask me, especially since some days are so blessedly full. I simply take two minutes, usually at night, to jot down the what/when/where of my day in fact-format. (I leave the elaborating for my morning journaling.) I have all of Austin's books, so needless to say, I recommend them for your own creative journey. They are motivational in a light and entertaining way that makes them fun to flip through a second, third and tenth time.

Being that its been a while since I wrote last, I've got quite a bit to share. I've also chosen to experiment with creating blog posts and then linking them in the newsletter. This way you get a peek at what's inside each post and can choose what to read based on what interests you as opposed to one long megilla - though it seems that this one has grown into just that. Oh well, I tried to keep it short, I really did.

Without further ado, here WE go...

My new book is out! Woo-Hoo!  

The Treasured Chest ; Poetry and Illustrations for Coloring and Contemplation." contains a collection of close to 50 poems and illustrations side by side, with empowering affirmations resting between the pages. It's a book, to read, to color, to reflect upon. It's a personal creation that has grown into one that I feel excited to share with you. I used the pen name of L.L. Sage, my brand-to-be signature. Yay! I beat my self-imposed due-date of January 2023 by hitting the submit button 5 days early. I cherish this book and hope you will, too. I share more about the birth of this book in another blog post I wrote, titled, Closing a chapter, Releasing a Book.

• Got the iPad Pro for ease of creating additional coloring pages. I can now see the entire page as I draw as opposed to continuously pinching open and shut - a game-changer for me. What approachable investment can create measurable ease in your life?

• Painted on a canvas (on a new, super-cool, double easel) for the first in seven years. It felt as if decades passed, and yet, as if the time melted away.

• I came across the mention of Antrese Wood's Savvy Painter podcast and her free membership site. I only skimmed, but of what I saw and read, I liked. For instance, I made note of this quote, that can apply to us all:  "Giving up taking uninformed advice." (Good one, isn't it?)

• Got Scratch Off art cards for the grand-kiddos. It's a great way for us grown-ups to get in a quick creative fix and shush that inner critic. Don't like it? Chuck it! Then again, why not tack your masterpiece to the fridge for a chuckle instead. Here's a feathered friend I doodled on the fly :)

• Took a class on Domestica by Karen Klassen. So good! I usually stick to the creative classes on Skillshare, since I have a subscription, but once in a while if a class like this one, will pull me to another platform. I'm not into drawing human figures, per se, but was curious about this artist's process. You never know where inspiration might strike next.

• Put the Imaginarium Sticker book on my wish list. If you love stickers, this entire "Antiquarian" series will make you swoon! Definitely don't need this, but oh, what an amusement for the eyes.

• Put the airplane mode to work on my phone for an hour at a time, and heightened my productivity and my sanity. It's not for everyone, I realize that, but it works wonders for me! And yes, I do check my phone after the hour - I am not ignoring anyone, but rather, making sure the best version of me is present when I do pick up the phone.

• Shared my Noah's Ark "Cheshvan" coloring page with my dear friend. A while later, she sent me back a picture of it colored in, and shaded beautifully, by her grown daughter. Not fully sure why, but it made me cry - in a good way. I guess I had moments of wondering if there was meaning to my coloring page creation - and the fact that someone else  received enjoyment from it, well, that is a reward that makes my soul sing and soar! 

• Took my "Touring Teddies" out to play after 7 years of hibernation, and recorded videos for the grand-kiddos, to post on YouTube. In the process of creating the thumbnail covers for the uploading of "Pilot Polly." More on this in a future newsletter ;)

(What can I say, I crack myself up.)

• Shared my learning about POD (print on demand) and SPD (surface pattern design) and now my daughter has picked up on some of what I shared. She sold out her Chanukah card that she designed and uploaded to Zazzle.com and has Shabbat candles design coming soon. I'm a proud mama hen. This is what I was hoping for - that what I share about "Print on Demand" is useful to others, and that they can explore it as an option for extra income for their families. What a great feeling, and a blessing, to earn while doing what you love.

• Used my VR headset to travel around the globe. I don't watch TV so I feel fine to indulge in a viewing once in a while. It's a trip, but NOTHING like the real thing. Still dreaming of going to Morocco.

Reflecting on Holiday happiness: