Book of Days and other such things...

Ah, well... i'm finding my groove with Book of Days... making the time to make some art a few days a week and to journal... to touch base with me. Taxes are filed... don't hate me because me I'm fast and ahead, know that I've only done it this quickly because of the ever looming threat of loosing my house...

I've had some fun experimenting with some new techniques and playing around. The good thing about art journals is that when your attempt fails, you can keep it to see what went wrong or just cover right over it with something not so "mistake-ish"-- Me, I keep the mistakes, because I'm a firm believer in learning from failure. But here are some of the pages that have really turned out the way I hoped...

What a blast. If you haven't taken a look at Effy Wild's Book of Days project, I encourage you to take a look. It is a no pressure art journaling project that will last for a full year. Effy provides you with videos, feedback via a facebook page and emails. She's a ton of fun to learn with. I've paired up with her to offer a HUGE discount on The Planet You workshops as well as at the Planet You Shop. For access to the discounts, you just have to register for Book of Days (which is totally free.)

Life has been the same kind of crazy for me.. too much going on at work, too much drama at home and a general sense of malaise. I know that once the tree finally finishes shaking and I figure out if I'll be able to keep my house the rest of my world will also settle down. Until then, I'm just hanging on and doing my best to enjoy the ride-- though I'd be lying if I didn't say that some days, all this shaking makes me really unhappy and uncomfortable. As I work on my process of "coming back up" I am reminding myself to be gentle with my failures, to try not to lash out when I am feeling threatened and cornered, and to do the best I can with what I've got. It is not always easy to have those days when the best I've got is really not so good. But that's part of the art of surfacing... coming back up is hard work, and long. I'm not a patient person, so the "long" part is not my favorite. But here on Planet Kaere, I know that the way things are are the way I choose to see them... so I keep choosing to see them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Make something beautiful with your heart and your hands,
Kaere

2012... who knew?

right, so... how many times have you heard "a new year, a new you?" How many times have you then succumbed to the sales pitch that followed... and proceeded to have a NOT NEW YOU? or worse, didn't succumb but sat around feeling guilty and worth less because you weren't ALREADY that you? Yeah... everything from Get rich today internet marketing to lose 100 lbs dieting... all aimed to tweak us right where we are weak and vulnerable and aimed, really, not at giving you a new you and a deeper sense of self but at your wallet. And the thing is... who doesn't want a bigger bank account, a slimmer body, a healthier lifestyle? Lord knows, I'd be right in line... if it were really about change. But the truth is, I don't really want a new me. I like the me I am. It took years to find her, to discover the paths she wanted to walk and get her moving on them, but I like her. Most of you know that I teach journaling workshops centered on the idea of talking to the "real" you... I believe that there is less a need for a "new you" than there is a need to discover and uncover the "real you." There's been a lot of talk out there about your "word for the year" (Much thanks to Ali Edwards for bringing her personal project into the world.) I chose the word "Surfacing" this year... a year long concentration on both the coming back up aspect as well as the clearing down to. For each of us, and for each moment and thing, there is a choice, somtimes with many options, sometimes with just a black and white option and sometimes it's a choice that doesn't feel like one-- option A. bad, option B. worse. I've spent a lot of time in the past year with many of the latter kind of choices... not much fun, but not powerless. So in this coming year, I am focusing on the necessary pairing down and the critical emergence from the muck. I have been working on the new Planet You workshops and am so excited about the new classes. I have been tagging along on Effy Wild's Book of Days project and am really enjoying the community of art-ers/ists and journalers. I am fighting my way back up-- and though the surface is still not clear, I am looking forward to breaking through again. You can sign up for the newsletter for Planet You and the Planet You shop by clicking the button on the right. Have a wonderful new year, and hey... let me know what word suits you this year.