Thank You, Julie!

Today's post is written to thank my dear friend Julie Pishny of Prairie Thistle for all her advice, encouragement and support. She pushed me out of my comfy little nest and encouraged me to start writing and sharing my photography. Most of us are our own worst critics, and its so essential to have someone in your creative corner to tell you that you are mistaken when you have those moments of doubt.... that your work is meaningful and worth sharing and deserves the chance to grow. Thank you Julie.

The above photo is one of Julie's creations, a vintage spoon transformed into a bracelet stamped with "Joie De Vivre" or Joy of Life. This embodies who she is and I gotta tell ya, if you spend any time with her at all, she is contagious!

This month she is celebrating her 400th blog post! Please take some time to visit her and experience her amazing work. There is a link to her online store at the top of her blog page http://gardenology.blogspot.com/. Don't forget to shop with her for Mother's day this year, as she has something for everyone and what better gift for Mom than a special piece of art made by loving hands?

"The Dot" Make your mark, then see where it goes.

I bought a children's book last week - for myself! Its called "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. Its about a young girl named Vashti who didn't think she was an artist. Her teacher encouraged her to just make a mark on her blank page. She did, and it was just that - a mark. A dot. It wasn't much, but it was the beginning of her creative journey. This is a very short but powerful little book that everyone should read. Its not just about art. Its about taking a step. Then another. Then seeing where it goes. Its about not getting so caught up in the details and fear of failure that you are paralyzed. I can sometimes spend too much time pondering what I want to create or photograph, that at I end up with nothing. I become so concerned about the end result when I should just be taking that first step. It seems fear and vulnerability run rampant when something beautiful is about to be born. Those feelings should probably be our first clue that we are on to something good!

In the same week of finding "The Dot" I also saw a post (thank you Kathleen Catania) with a video of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" speaking on creativity. Its amazing how it tied into the theme of "The Dot".

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

When my friend Julie of Prairie Thistle encouraged me to start this blog and share my photography, I felt much like Vashti and her dot. But here I am, making my little mark. And I'm excited to see where it goes.