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You know I am a huge fan of hers. Not long ago, she shared 5 of her Truths and invited her readers to share theirs.

Truth is one of my favorite subjects. I love how it is different for me than it is for you, that there are «Universal Truth-es» in the World. I am working hard at accepting mine and sharing them along in my paintings, and when I was younger putting them on paper in depressing proses.

Here are 5 Truths (for me):

1. Listening to music makes everything better.
   

2. I did not become a professional Chef but food is a huge part of my life.
   

3. Painting with my fingers never fails to make me happy.
   

4. I am both Light and Dark.
   
   

5. Texture is everything.

   

Your time now, what are 5 Truths you wanna share with us ?

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.

Hello !

I know I know… long time no see. Did you take time to thank for all that you receive ? I hope so.

This week, I am thankful for:

• The school we chose for our girls.
• My husband, who takes care of everything when my body decides to shut off.
• My friends {Anu, for her concern/help/friendship that gives me wing. My friend Cocotte who trusts me. My friend Paola who takes time to talk to me despite her own body shutting off.}
• I loved loved loved making my last {Painting In Progress} video, Sonya. You can learn more about her and enjoy the video here.
• My husband got a promotion, it makes me proud to see how comitted he is to his job and that I am not the only one noticing his hard work.
• Our home, that is still a work in progress but that we love so much. We found «the one».
• Love, in all its forms.
• The enjoyment of taking portraits of my daughters and then playing around with them in Photoshop.
• The stupid excitement just to know there are currently 3+ movies/tv shows filming right around my corner (if you remember, being on set of something is on my «26 new things» list, i was getting despaired about this point… so maybe ??).
• It’s finally the week-end.
• I am finding my pace in painting, with my poor focus, i noticed that i can actually paint for 20-30mn straight, go away to do something else, and come back to it. It may seem weird but it looks like it is working for me.
• I decided to maybe continue my book project.

I hope you’ll join me in this weekly ritual, tell me: what are you thankful for today ??

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]

Ok, as you may know I jumped on the train and signed up for the live version of Mindy Lacefield (from Tim’s Sally)’s online class «Paint Your Story».
I committed this year to really be careful when deciding about a class I wanted to take. Because honestly, last year I signed up for way too much classes, did not follow properly most of them and so it felt like I was wasting my money.

I often speak about how I feel like something is missing in my artwork, how something is kinda off. All of my Nixies have a story to share, but I was feeling like writing paragraphs of them was boring (I am bored very easily). I was lost and confused and needed direction.

This is what I found in «Paint Your Story». A new way to tell my stories, to fill my art with my own symbols and non sense and wildness. It helped me to accept that it does not have to look perfect to be meaningful, that a face does not have to actually look like a real face to be expressive. Acceptance is the key (I should count how many times I’ve written you that mantra in here ! ;)).

I will tell you more about them, but I have now a new… genre of painting, that I am calling «the Sprixies» (thank you Anu for spending time with me brainstorming to come up with this name). They are not human looking neither beast like, they are something totally different. I know I am just chanelling whatever comes. Maybe are they from a different Universe than ours ? Who knows ! Each have a strength to share.
And I would have not dare sharing them without what this online class opened for me.

So… back to Sonya 🙂

I created her on a 11×14″ canvas board. I used color I don’t use much like this red *Pyrrole red* for example. But love how it came together. From Chaos comes Calm.
I had lots of fun seeing her emerge from it. But at first, I was a bit confused by the paradox between the sadness I feel coming from her and the message she gives: PLAY.

And after thinking of it deeper, I realized that her message is more than that. She is there to show me (you) that no matter how sad you are, no matter how beaten by life you feel, if you keep a sense of playing, it will be better. Lighter on your Heart. Don’t let the dark part of you take over, give it some love because it needs it for sure, acknowledge its presence inside of you, but know that it does not define you entirely.

About the video… I finally was able to record a voice over, not without sweat and hair pulling (I am blessed with a wonderful husband who can help me when it comes to technical computer stuff). It makes me really nervous to speak on a video but i did it. FEARLESS I am. Uh.

So here it is:

If you have questions, and/or want to know more about the supplies I used, just tell me 🙂

I am not dead, nor is this blog. I sit in front of the blank page to talk to you every single day. I have several drafts in progress. But nothing gets publish. I am not sure why yet.

So while waiting for a real blogpost very soon (I promise), here are some sneak peeks of some new artworks (and if you want to see more and talk, please consider «liking» Inner Voices facebook fan page).

I am currently editing a new {Paint In Motion} video for you. But it wouldn’t be fun without a bit of technical difficulties, right ? 😉

My dear friend Anu asked me to blog about 10 random things you might not know about me, as she did on her blog.
You know how much I love making lists about everything and anything 😉

1. I am Metis. But this term has a different meaning here in North America than it has in France though (you would say «biracial» when we use the word «metis»). I don’t consider myself «Black». But I definately am not «White» either. I have a hard time fitting in a racial box.
2. I love eating a banana with Nutella. Mix discovered in middle school from my bff at this time.
3. I have a focusing issue and it is impossible for me to do/concentrate on one or two things only. I scatter a lot.
4. I have an obsession for my totem animals: owl, raven, whale, elephant.
5. I have a book project started since a few years now.
6. I have lots of artists crushes. And when it happens I tend to stalk everything they do.
7. My best friends are scattered all over the globe, and despite technology I feel desperately lonely most of the time. I would love/need local girlfriends.
8. I did one year of music theory, and hated it but was the best of my class. My teacher told my mom I was a «natural». But I did not have the chance to actually learn how to play an instrument. And for months it has been quite bothering me somehow. I really want to learn how to play the drums, and piano. There is something with rythm that obsesses me.
9. I love love love finding an handwritten card/letter in the mail, and to receive packages.
10. I have a passion for tattoos. I have a few and always think of the next one(s). That said, they have to have a symbolic and special meaning for me. I had my first tattoo when I was 15-16, and my mom was with me when I was getting inked.

Your turn ! tell me random stuff I don’t know about you, I want to get to know my readers 🙂 If you blog about it, please feel free to come back with your link.