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Sketching has never been natural to me. I’ve always thought it was only for people who can draw, and I don’t really.

I’m amazed at people/artists who sketch so beautifully daily life items, landscapes or whatever crosses their mind.

I started to give it a try, just to see. I bought a simple sketchbook and began using it for collecting color combos, symbols that talk deeply to me… and little by little easy drawings.

Now, I’m hooked most of my sketches won’t make it on a painting, but it’s because I suck at planning what I’ll create in advance (funnyhow one’s process can reverse over the years! ).
I always date them, too. As I do in my Art Journal.

Do you sketch?

Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

It’s Friday !

I am taking some time this morning while Mom is getting ready for our day. The girls are back to school today (we made them miss yesterday), Cheridoo is at work, so it’s our first day just the two of us. Lots of plans

I hope you’re having a good week, and counting your blessings. I know I insist, but it is important to me to also see the little moments, they are as essential as the bigger and more obvious ones. I hope you’ll take some time today to make your list, even just a simple mental list.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Mom is here from France, leaving in July.
• We planned our meals for until the end of next week.
• Grenouille, who told me what she wishes for me. She touched me deeply with her honesty.
• The professional opportunities. Explorations.
• Music.
• The Polaroid Supercolor 635 that my Mom brought with her. It belonged to my Grandpa and it’s still working, but I need to find some films now.
• The painting I created this week for Christy Tomlinson’s class «Behind The Art», out of my comfort zone but I totally love what came out.
• Friends.
• Dreaming with friends. Opening doors of new possibilities.
• Trust

I’m wishing you a wonderful week-end.

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post): [linkme]

You know I love sharing what I’m into.

Learning has always been something dear to me. Even as a kid, teenager and now as an adult. In our era, it is a blessing to be able to learn from the comfort of your home so I decided to share with you the few online classes I am currently loving and why.

True Free Spirit

It’s the 3rd online class I’m taking from Mindy Lacefield. This is one is different as it’s a project oriented year long class. Meaning: each month, she shares a specific project with us, learning new techniques, working on a different surface etc. We also often have a bonus video mid-month.

Watching Mindy create is a pleasure. One of these thing I am always looking forward to. Always.

We don’t paint characters only, animals invite themselves, we play as much in our art journal than we do paintings outside.

As usual, I love the community, some of the women I met through Mindy’s classes are now friends.

It’s not too late to join ! Learn more here: True Free Spirit.

Behind The Art

Christy Tomlinson’s new class is all about what she uses in her creative process, and why, and how. She spills the beans like she never did before.

Surfaces, paints, gels and things you would not even think about but that Christy loves and uses.

She poured her heart into it, there is TONS of content. And it is not a only-for-beginner oriented workshop, even I learn new things, and can’t wait to get to it and try it for myself.

I am one of the three guest artists (along with Danielle Daniel and Junelle Jacobson), so if you’re in the workshop, you’ll see me create some art along. Lots of fun.

More info right here: Behind The Art.

Mermaid Circus

This is a collaborative workshop between online class extraordinaire Jane Davenport, and the amazing Teesha Moore. They combine two worlds: the circus, and mermaids.

I have been waiting for Teesha to make her online teaching debuts for a long time, and I am very blessed to be in this class (thank you so much to my angel friend for making this happen, thank you).

It is an 8-week class, so lots of things will be learned as well. I am very excited because Mermaids are fascinating, they are creatures Koala (my 6 years old daughter) keeps drawing again and again, and it will touch creative areas I am not comfortable doing (like drawing for example).

Art journaling, journal making, story telling… so much juiciness ahead in this class !

You can learn more about the workshop here: Mermaid Circus.

Creative Goddess

Ahhh Leonie Dawson is a gem in this world.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I am facing, now and then, some creative blocks. I am aware that growth always eventually comes out of them, but on the moment they’re riding along with me, I get afraid that it will last forever.

I signed up last year to Leonie’s «Goddess Circle», which gives me access to ALL her past classes and all the new ones she releases for 12 months. And to forums filled with other creative women from all over the world. It allows me to do the classes at my own pace, but also to sign up for the live-versions if I want to.

There is SO much, really.

Right now, because I really really am looking for help about how not to stay in that hole that seems deeper and longer each time I fall into it, I am taking the «Creative Goddess» class again. It contains videos, e books (yes, plural), and even meditations !

Are you currently taking classes ? which one(s) are you loving ?? Please, share away, I’d love to know

Truth and Honesty. With me, with you who take some of your time to read this blog of mine.
I am feeling so raw, writing you this. But I feel like it’s time. Now.

Lately, I have been working a lot with the topics of “Who is the real ME“. Yea I know I know, one of the biggest eternal spiritual question. I have been digging for more than a decade and finally feel like I have scratched and peeled most of the layers that have been covering ME up.

I believe that once you’ve reached a certain level in your Soul pathway (the one you walk on life after life after life), you’re given the choice before being born. I should say «choiceS». What you’ll face, in what family you’ll grow in, the challenges and joys. But it does not mean it’s carved in stone, just that what needs to happen will happen and the rest will unfold depending on your choices (see how we always come back to the same topic ?). I do believe in free will.

March 2013

Because my gut was telling me, since I was a kid, that I was not «like anybody else», I put a mask and built walls all around me. OKay, I don’t bend spoons with my mind (there is no spoon anyway *yes this is a «The Matrix» reference there*), or things out of the blue like this, but it was still floating around. Being what I jokingly call now «half & half», the Brown raised on the White side of my family tree, knowing very little about the branch that gave me my skin color.
When I was a kid, I used to wish I was be blonde with blue eyes. Just to be more blended (however, for the first 8 years of my life, growing up in Paris’ suburbs, it was not an issue for me to be Brown as there are lots of immigrants (several generations) in this part of France) in my surroundings, just to stop the stupid question «Were you adopted ??» (both from classmates AND from their parents).

Who is the real ME ?

There are so many stories I tell myself about what the answer to this question is. Could be. Should be. It can be so damn hard to look at myself in the mirror, actually looking for my Self; and not finding it, not seeing it. It is often like there is a whole world between how I feel inside and what is looking back at me from the mirror.  And then I snap a self-portrait of my face, look into my eyes, and I know this is still the same me…
But I am getting there. I know I am somehow finding my way back.

I guess we all have these stories we tell ourselves, over and over; so much and so loud inside that it becomes what we think is our Truths. But they’re not. I say it again: they’re not.

As of today, I still feel giganourmously out of place around people, afraid. Letting people in takes a lot of effort, and is for me a sign of bravery. Letting myself being seen as I really am. The quirky passionate woman, healing the kid I was.

This is me.

Found on Pinterest

In cleaning and tidying mode, my Mom arrives in two days for three months with us.
Excitement.

I’ve been looking for help in our parenting. I know there are some stuff we desperately need to change, automatic negative responses that need a shift.
I discovered that 1-2-3 Magic book through Kelly Rae Roberts Instagram (thank you) and after some research about it, talking with my Husband, we decided to give it a go.
I really want to believe it’s not too late to change. And to become better parents. For the kids, and for us as well.

I also decided to go further in my knowledge for running my shop and boosting my career.

It’s been more than four years now since I’ve really worn contacts instead of my glasses.
I learned at my last eye doctor visit that one of my eye has astigmatism. And so when I went to order contacts, I was told I can’t wear color contacts anymore because of this (I even need a special ordered contact for that eye apparently) … which sucks because I love wearing grey ones.
Anyway, I am getting used to my face without glasses again (and that we can now actually see when I have make-up!).

I ordered weeks worth of pictures to get up to date in our Project Life album. Happy to get back to it. And I’ll finally be able to introduce it to my Mom.

What’s currently happening in your World ?