Sunday's ART of Truth - "Enjoy your JOY- lick the beaters" - 02-28-21

Vimeo Video –

Hello friends, it is so nice to be with you here again. I think I have landed fully in my artistic saddle again! Really enjoying creating. So many ideas popping around in my head & heart.

Today, I want to talk with you about how I got there and what it means to me to “enjoy your JOY” 😊

As many of you know, I have been in a struggle over many months with my art and where and how to get my tutorials and sharing out there. About a week ago, I came to my decision about my art and started using Vimeo for my video platform, Gab Social & MeWe in place of YouTube, Facebook & Instagram. It is a huge learning curve but well worth the struggle. I have found my creativity again and am again creating for you, twice a week 😊 Yay! I am so excited!

There is a certain freedom that comes with making personal & heart led decisions. These choices feel very unified for me. In that, I have rediscovered joy. I am bathing in it as I seek out places and times for deliberate peace and joy seeking. As I was pondering this, I remembered something that a dear friend shared well over a year ago – “Enjoy your Joy”, she said. I believe she heard it on a podcast and I was so captured by the concept at the time, I knew one day I would create around it. It had been a long time since I thought about it.

What does it mean to Enjoy your Joy?”

For me, I recognize that I have many things in my life that bring me joy. I have many things to be grateful for. My husband, my kids, grandkids & students. I have beautiful art around me and everything I need to create art. I have Jesus. I have peace that comes from Him. I have all my worldly needs met. I have a partner that I get to wake up to every day. There are little and big things everyday day to feel joy about!

I had to ask myself, am I enjoying my joy? It is one thing to have joy but another, to sit with it. To bask in it. To celebrate it. To allow it to take over every aspect of our beings. To be still in it. To not wait for it, but seek it out. Gobble it up!

Last week I made brownies for dessert and when I was done, I licked the beaters. I don’t know when the last time was that I did that. I felt like a kid. I felt like I was stealing a piece of joy that I had been robbing myself of. It was a delightful moment. I enjoyed every second of it! It is not helping with my waistline, but even in that moment, I didn’t care. I was going to lick the beaters. I did it because I can. I did it because it felt really, really good. In that moment, I remembered what my friend said – “enjoy your joy.” How powerful it was.

Do you know what brings you joy?

Do you know the things that make you feel free?

Do you allow yourself to indulge? To bask in the goodness and simplicity of the little things in life?

Right now, as I am writing this blog post, the sun is beating in through the window of the studio and I am finding myself stopping to feel its warmth. To turn my face to it. Close my eyes. Enjoying the joy of the sun is a simple and yet, powerful thing.

So my friends…

Lick the beaters.

Feel the warmth of a steaming cup of tea in your hands.

Turn your face to the sun (or even the rain) and FEEL it.

Walk slower.

Be deliberate in everything that you do and you will not only find JOY but you will be able to practice really, enjoying your JOY.

Blessings my friends,

Until next time,

Beloved-Reborn

Supplies used:

Liquitex Gesso, heavy gel and matte medium – See Basic Mixed Media supplies below

Door Image – Unsplash.com – https://unsplash.com/photos/WjIB-6UxA5Q

Blue Butterfly – Maremi Small Art Facebook Group – PERSONAL use only – Don’t have a link since I am no longer on Facebook.

Golden High Flow Acrylic – Hansa Yellow Medium, Transparent Burnt Sienna – https://www.amazon.com/Golden-0000954-0-10-Color-Transparent-Multicolor/dp/B00K5F6PVI/ref=sr_1_6?crid=DV8TYSQGHUUT&dchild=1&keywords=high+flow+acrylic+paint&qid=1614455013&sprefix=high+flow+ac%2Caps%2C477&sr=8-6

Golden Fluid Acrylic – Anthraquinone Blue, Quinacridone Nickle Azo Gold, Manganese Blue, Iridescent Gold Fine – See Basic Mixed Media supply list below

Daler & Rowney Acrylic Inks – Crimson & Marine Blue – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daler+rowney+acrylic+ink&i=arts-crafts&crid=1NHN3B8JS4NQ&sprefix=daler+%2Carts-crafts%2C325&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_6

Shawn Petite Collage Packs – http://Shawnpetite.com

Etsy Printables – https://www.etsy.com/shop/iralamijashop?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=75912261

Stencil – Carabelle Studio – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RD9F84H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Shawn Petite Stencil- Numbers Jumbled – https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Numbers-Jumbled-stencil-8×10-p155121087

Ranger Black Archival Ink – See Basic Mixed Media supply list below

Decoart Crackle Paint – Decoart.com – Can’t get it on Amazon currently

Golden Glazing Medium – See Basic Mixed Media supply list below

Script Stamp – See Basic Mixed Media supply list below

Liquitex Heavy Body Paint- Titanium White – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=heavy+body+acrylic+paint&i=arts-crafts&crid=248MP8A7788CS&sprefix=heavy%2Carts-crafts%2C380&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_5

List of basic mixed media supplies:

TCW Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=light+and+fluffy+modeling+paste&crid=3PFDSLJUPLGOO&sprefix=light+and+flu%2Caps%2C272&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13