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Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

I am a very anxious person. I think it began when I was about 9 years old, period when a lot of stuff happened in my life. Over the past two decades, I have tried lots and lots of techniques to help me release the stress and to learn how to trust that everything is going to turn out okay, I did. Some do offer relief, but never long-lasting. So my mentor Elle taught me a very easy (and kinda funny, to be honest) technique that helps me get that grounding so much needed when I feel like I am going to explode from all the anxiety in my heart…

This week, I am thankful for:

• Left nostril breathing technique
• The ability of moving on
• Books
• My Spiritual practice
• Unexpected gifts
• The phone calls with Mom
• Change
• Music
• My husband
• Long baths
• Finally having “normal” night of sleep
• Naturopathy and the results on my health

What about you, what are you thankful for this week ? share in the comments !

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

Isn’t it funny how everything is black and white ? well, this is how this week feels to me. A little bit of white in a sea of black. But I love taking this Sacred time to remind myself of the light in my life, this is how I do not drown sometimes.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Decluttering our girls’ rooms with my Mom. Too.much.stuff !
• The chance to be able to rest when my body fights against me.
• Art.
• Music.
• Having my Studio right in my home.
• Game nights.
• My devotion to my 365 Nixies in 2016 project (you can watch the January Collection here).
• My husband coming home after a week away.
• Working with Elle and with Jen (I will be launching something really special soon-ish !)

What about your week ? if you close your eyes right now, which moments fill your heart with Gratitude ? Don’t be shy to share with us in the comments <3

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

I am writing watching at our window, the rain drops falling hard from the grey sky. This is what the life in BC looks like most of the time. Even we knew when we chose this Province over 7 years ago, I guess I never really got used to it. However, the rain makes our land green and beautiful and I am thankful for that.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Sia’s new album, This Is Acting, is out today. I love how she took songs she wrote for others and made an album from it. And well… this is Sia !
• My #365NixiesIn2016 project makes my heart really happy.
• The time in Palm Springs.
• The heart to heart talks with Mindy. Our breakfasts. And just her sweetness. I could get used to spend time with her more often 😉
• The people I met there. Consu, Dawn, Dori (and Papa Kerry) were an highlight.
• Mom being with us. It changes everything and it will be weird when she will go back to France.
• Hot bath.
• My devotion to Lakshmi for a while. Incorporating new things in my spiritual practice.
• Good fresh food.
• Decluttering our kitchen and re-organizing it with Mom. Feels good !

What about you ? What is making your heart happy right now ? Don’t be shy to share in the comments ☀️

And because this is my current musical hymn:

I am back from attending the Creative Nomad Retreat in sunny Palm Springs, California. It was the first time I went away on my own, by plane to make it even more stressful fun. I am writing this from my bed, in the middle of the day. I guess I pushed my body too hard without noticing and now it is coming back at me, pain+insomnia+exhaustion makes it hard but it was worth it.

I learned with Brian Kasstle and Roxanne Coble, two days with each. Honestly, I did not really know either of them when I signed up. So you may wonder, “why the hell did you register if you did not know about the teachers ?“. Well… I have been following Tracie Hanson, our hostess extraordinaire, for a few years now (since we were together in classes by Connie from Dirty Footprints Studio). When she announced that she was putting a retreat together in California, it picked my curiosity, I love the name she chose for it and it somehow spoke to me instantly. Then… my Love Mindy said she was going to attend as a student so I paid even more attention to what it was about, when etc. Going to an art retreat is expensive, I won’t lie. You pay for the classes, for the transport and for part of the meals once there. So I gave this a LOT of thoughts. Talked about it with my husband several times. And we decided that I would work even harder, pay with sold paintings and go. So here I was !

What I take home from this retreat experience

• I can go towards people, social anxiety can be lowered.
• Being uncomfortable is not a bad thing, it means I am evolving and growing.
• Being surrounded with creative people makes a difference.
• Laughter is the cure to everything (and it helps to create killer abs ;)).
• Creative boundaries can be pushed again and again. And redefined.
• Making a successful retreat is all in the details.
• Arriving the day before was the best decision, so I did not have to over-stress about being on time on day 1.
• Spending a few days away from my family was what I needed, so I could become my self again.
• Making art all day long is frustrating but as Elizabeth Gilbert wrote (and I repeated this over and over in my head… and sometimes out loud):

Frustration IS the process.

A few photos:

Brian Kasstle’s group photo after his Totems class.

Roxanne Coble’s group photo for her Adaptations class

Mindy, Consu, Dawn, Dori: thank you for making it even better thanks to your amazing selves and cuteness <3

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

TGIF !

This week, my husband and I had long talks about the future of our family. Of our careers. What we want it to look like, to feel like. What we are ready to sacrifice to get there. Opening our eyes to the possibilities and yes, sometimes to the lack of opportunities. So we will see how it goes.

This week, I am thankful for:

• New stories unfolded onto my arm (and thankful to have spoken my truth to the artist who designed my tattoo so we could make it work).
• Honouring the women close to my heart that battled breast cancer thanks to a video project for ColourArte.
• Sunshine
• New art supply to play with
• My Project Life planner (but I need to find a way to add simple lined sheets to it. Ideas ?)
• I am back at doing the Double You Biz intensive class by Leonie Dawson. This time, I’m a doer, not only a reader.
• Morning walks with my husband before we both really start our day.
• Seeing the hummingbirds everyday.

Have you shared a bit of what makes you so happy right now ? What makes you feel, deep in your bones, this big «thank you» that you whisper to the Universe ?