dreams can come true....

MAGIC HAPPENS WHEN YOU FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

I can hardly believe I am getting ready to go on the Flora Bowley Bloom True painting workshop at the Do What You Love retreat.  NEXT WEEK!!  Back in January I put out a plea to the Universe to help me.  (Read this post to see exactly what I wrote back then).  I wanted to go on this retreat, but it seemed difficult, too far, too expensive.  But I really really really wanted to go.  And you know what, I decided to pay the deposit and FIND the money.  And that very week, a job I had been turned down for, called me up at the last minute and got me in.  And I earnt the money there and then.  It wasn't quite that simple, because it was still a lot of money and now that my 3 year old son is at preschool, I am contributing to the household income and it was still a lot to be spending on myself.  But since January I have consistenly got work, and good work too.  More of the 'supergroups' product development stuff that pays really well, more of the work in the gallery, more childminding and more portrait commissions.  The UNIVERSE answered me! And next week.  I am going to GO!!!! WOO HOOO


I have been packing up my kit list.  Phew, its a lot.  I have got my shed loads of paint (bought a job lot on ebay!) and shed load of brushes.  I have even got some rags and some mark making stuff like old pencils and bottle tops.  I have got a load of acrylic medium and a palette block.  And a water sprayer. 

It has been a real learning curve simply getting my kit together!  I am not a painter (yet!?!) and was initially scared and baffled by the long list of things to get.  e.g. 4oz minimum of 4 colours you really love.... all tubes in this country are like 60ml or 120ml what is 4oz?.  Should it be fluid or not? And even what appears simple, like 'colours you like', freaked me out as I am not familiar with the names of the colours! What is pthalo blue or cerulean or burnt umber.  And why are some paints £16 and some £3? And did it matter?  Luckily Beth had organised a Yahoo group for all attendees and I was able to chat with others who knew what they were talking about.  And I learnt.  I learnt that Goldens are the best acrylics but that System 3 would be fine. I went to the shops and I looked at colours on tubes and wrote down the names of the ones I liked.  I bought a colour wheel and found out what medium glaze is used for.  I even know where to go and get the foam brushes  - and yes you can get them in 'hardware stores', just not B&Q.


I am getting a lift up to Yorkshire (or 'Orkshire', as Bub has taken to calling it.... "you are going to Orkshire to do painting...) with a lass who lives near me, who it turns out is a brilliant painter herself and also a friend of a friend.  And a yoga teacher too.  We have been in email contact since the lift arranging and she has been really helpful and supportive throughout my kit purchasing panics!  In fact any contact with any of the others has been really supportive, friendly and generally mutually excited about the whole event.

I am absolutely over the moon about it.  I feel SO LUCKY to be going.  It's like a dream come true, it really is.  I am almost having to pinch myself that next Wednesday I will be travelling all the way up to 'Orkshire' to spend 4 nights in a LUXURY eco lodge, eating meals prepared for me,  in like minded creative company and PAINTING PAINTING PAINTING for 3 whole days!  Seriously I am the luckiest lady alive.  I have to say BIG THANKS TO THE UNIVERSE on this one.

And I am now working on stuff that I am taking for my wee stall on Saturday night.  Its all so very last minute,  but inspired my my last minute portrait commission, in which I did some  mixed media portraits I was very happy with, I am in the midst of creating portraits of a few of the bloggers and art bods who I know are going.  Beth Nichols, the organiser of Do What You Love (it is such a cool name isn't it?)  is getting one, and its my plan to have these on display at the event so folk can see my work and order portraits of themselves or of their loved ones, if they want to.  SO more Merry Creative Mayhem in my house tonight and for the next two days...... Oh and I need to decide which clothes are going to be my painting clothes...... hmmmm.

xxx merry blessings to you and to the universe xxxx

merry creative mayhem

 just finished two portrait commissions.  creating a right merry mess on the way.  totally loved it. xx!!

to do update and onwards

Had a productive day.  I got my hair cut (see previous post for picture) it was wonderful to actually go to a good salon, have a chat about it, trust the chap who was going to cut my hair and enjoy the massages and general hair attention.  I do have the sleekest shiniest head of hair today.  Long may this salon head last!

I put some FFF money in the bank.  I currently have a jar and the rule is to put something in it every day, even if it is just 1p.  When its full I count it up and bank it.  I do still need to open an account for it specifially.

I DID do 30 mins of Yoga this evening, on the back of doing several drawings of Gabi.  Am not totally convinced of them yet, but am keeping going.

Am not going to do a long to do list tonight.  The not complaining thing seems to be going OK.  Life is good.  xx

FRINGE

Ok its not actually headline news..... but to me it is!! I went to a proper hairdressers for the first time in several years and came out with a dramatically different hair do. . Well, a fringe.  I have to say, so far, while the hairdresser's blow dry, straighteners and product are still in there, i am loving it!

action update and more todos

Yesterdays list of TODOs
be consious of my thoughts around money
make choices that are supportive of my financial success (and all success!)
create a FFF
be more rigourous in allocating funds according to the 'rules'
15 mins of yoga every day
BIG TODO  = portraits.  ENJOY them

Well, I felt I didn't complain about anything.  Sometimes I guess it might be so habitual that it slips in.  I had a lovely day.  In the morning I mainly tidied, attempted to make lentil patties / burgers without using bread crumbs (moderate success) went to Sainsburies and bought lots of nice food, mainly veg, but also some tuna steaks and some greek yoghurt with coconut = both seriously yummy treats. After a yummy lunch of prawn fajitas, Bub and I used the new blue car to go to Stanmer Park and hang out with a friend and her son, who is the same age as Bub  - they get on really well.  It was lovely, we chatted and they  ran about being funny!

We ate the tuna for dinner and it was very tasty.  I FORGOT TOTALLY about my Monday night yoga class.  ARGH! So need to step up with the Yoga. 

Oh and other news, is that while I was away on Saturday, the ceiling fell in in the sitting room!  Well, you know, the plaster fell down. Luckily no one was hurt and nothing was damaged, but we now have a comedy 'broken down old house' front room.   Of course its not on the emergency insurance, so we are going to have to wait until tomorrow to even start getting the house insurance ball rolling.  I am not too upset about it though because we needed to get the ceiling re done anyway so now we can get it done on the insurance!! its kind of a blessing in disguise!

Last night I sorted through my paints and I really do have enough to go to the course with.  I could buy a few of colours I really love and I still need to get a lot of foam brushes.  I went to the 'hardware store' (B&Q) but they did not have foam brushes.  I am not sure that they are stocked in 'hardware stores' as Flora mentions.   Perhaps it is a US thing.  Perhaps B&Q are not really a 'hardware store'?  Anyway wil need to get these together this week as the RETREAT IS NEXT WEEK!!!!!!! WOW!!!  This is like a dream and next week it will be a DREAM COME TRUE!!

TODOS for tomorrow
15 mins yoga
call insurers  - get ceiling sorted
go to bank with big bag of change
go to RBS and get them to set up my ISA txfr
pop into art shop to look at paint / brushes
take Bub to his first YOGA class (aw SWEET!)
more portaits (I have started on the commission, and I am quite pleased with it so far!)

to do list

get hold of N's raves reviews of E's portrait and upload onto my website and FB page somehow.
be consious of my thoughts around money
make choices that are supportive of my financial success (and all success!)
create a FFF
be more rigourous in allocating funds according to the 'rules'
15 mins of yoga every day
BIG TODO  = portraits.  ENJOY them

after a LONG search for said quotes, all I could find was:

Grandparents are delighted
Talented lady
So Tender
Captures the character which is so hard to do

Creating WEALTH is important to me, because I want to travel a lot and visit my friends and I want to HOST my friends.  I want to go on art retreats and I want to support myself and my family.  I want to donate to the community and be a patron of the arts.  I want to wear beautiful clothes.  I want to be able to pay for a cleaner. I want to be able to either homeschool or send Bub to a school that suits him.  I want independence and freedom.  I want a studio and to paint and create.  I want to convert a horsebox into a beautiful living space and travelling studio.  I want to be more eco friendly and do up houses so that they are both beautiful and energy efficient.  I want to support good causes and have plenty of space so that Hub can have an office and I can have a studio and we can have a big garden to grow vegetables in.  Mostly its the being independent.  Being able to make my own decsions and not be reliant.  I want to own my time better.  I want to carry on being free when I am really old.  I would like my hair done more often.  I would like to use the best materials in my work. It facilitates and I want to facilitate.  I want to be happy and feel as if I am fulfilling my potential.  I want to be able to give back to my parents.  Creating wealth is part of creating my life.  I do not want to waste money or splash it around being flashy.  I want enjoy it and spend it wisely sharing good things and good times.  I want to be an inspiration to others.  I want to be that woman who tells her story of success so that others can do it too.  I want to be empowered in the world. I want to go to France with a big van and buy delicious things from French Flea markets and bring it back and sell it here and in the USA and create a living for myself and my family, doing fabulous things like that!! I want to use wealth to help educate Bub to the best of my ability.  To bring him with me as I travel, to help get the best tutors and experiences. I want to help the women who struggle in Africa.  I want to go on holiday to Ibiza again and again. I want to pay my bills on time and do my house up properly. 

Money is extremely important in areas in which it works and extremely unimportant in areas in which it doesn't......

For the next 7 days I am not going to complain.  ABOUT ANYTHING.  I am going to focus on the good stuff.  And I am going to report back on how my life is going because of it.  Obviously for the next 7 days its all going to be good. BUT just how good? Will marvels occur??

celebrating each step

With thanks to Glittering Shards and Louise Gale.  I am hereby going to celebrate last months achievements and list my aims for May and some ways I am going to celebrate it all!


April seemed to fly by.  Gosh.  What even happened!  Well,

• I got a commission for a portrait from someone I DON"T KNOW.  Which is like a big hurdle thing.  It means my work is out there being seen and speaking for itself.  I am delighted.  Its two children and she loves the mixed media version I did of a friends daughter.  So I am happy.  I want to do more like this, move in this direction.
• We bought a car.  (though am struggling with the celebrating this!  niggled by lies by the dealer, and generally thinking we could have spent the money better elsewhere, I need to overcome all this and get on with my life and appreciate it as, well, its a done deed now.  Selling it would be a massive waste.  Job =  to make good use of the crazy little blue beastie)
• I drove up to London yesterday in our new car, with Bub and was lucky to last minute hook up with my old flatmate, C and have lunch. An added extra lovely surprise was that E was over from Vancouver so she had lunch with us too.  We ate on the outside terrace of Portobello Pizzeria in Notting Hill and it was like being on holiday in Italy.  YUM.  We were joined by C's other ex flatmate who sells amazingly beautiful rare breed sheepskins, and she brought the one I ordered with her.  OOOOH.  Totally fabulous and lovely. 
• I bought a load of paints off ebay for a good price (I think)
• I earnt £575 (not as much as other months, but am still going to celebrate it)
• I have been asked to contribute cards and some drawings to an open house (all the benefit none of the hassle)
• I got on to the Yoga Teacher Training (or was that March? whatever, it still needs BIG CELEBRATING
• Hub is eating lots of vegetables.  Really, this is good.  Its like his mindset has changed.  I am delighted! He now sees a big plate of vegetables as a "feast".  Big change.  And actually, he has been vegetarian for most of April.  Also seriously a big change.
• Bub had his last set of immunisation jabs.  Not a pleasant experience but now done and dusted.

I am going to celebrate April by.... well I think I did that yesterday with the drive up to London for a girlie lunch followed by going over to J's house for dinner and to stay the night.  Bub got to play with F (who is just  7, so you can imagine a big hero to a 3.5 yr old) he had SO MUCH FUN.  And I got to hang out and drink prosecco with J, Bub's godmother and and very dear friend of mine.


I don't recall any challenges, maybe Bub's immunisation and subsequent illness.

Your intentions and focus for the next month - OK

May is going to be BIG BIG BIG.  My intentions are.

• To experience PAINTING.  To dive into the medium and learn how to manipulate and play with it.  
• To let magic happen (because magic happens when you DO WHAT YOU LOVE!)  It is the Do What You Love retreat and I feel SO LUCKY to be going on it.  I just feel I am going to make so many new friends doing this.  Meet some of my tribe!  I feel its a massive and wonderful step into me being an artist/
• To DIVE into my Yoga and my Yoga Teacher Training.  Likewise, I think this is going to be life changing and I will meet a whole bunch of new friends and learn so much and grow so much.  
• To successfully complete the portrait commissions I have.  And to generate more!!  Take steps towards finding my studio (why has this been so on hold for so long?) and do the things I say I am going to do re being an artist, growing my business and ALL OF THAT.
• lastly,  I want to get our finances back on track somehow.  Its not that they are bad, its just lost its purpose somehow.  lots of spending.  not and idea of what we have coming in or out
• oh, and lose some weight.  and support Hub in his dieting!