Celebrate Life With a Challenge!

The lovely and talented JanetDavies has opened the, Lilac Cafe. It's an amazing, thought-provoking blog that you simply have to visit. Her most recent post got me thinking and her link to the Superhero Journal post made me cry. I was so moved by the entire experience that I am posting about it here and inviting you to join me in a self-challenge.

What words do you most need to hear right now?

Sound like a strange question? Please visit the Superhero Journal to learn more. Read and review the pictures. I guarantee it will make sense and move you. Then, read about Janet's experience.

For Janet, the words seemed to bubble to the surface. For me, I heard them but held them down which is something I am trying to understand and explore. What words do you hear within? Did they rush to the surface or bubble up slowly?? What words would you want to see on the surface of your skin? What would they look like?

On Tuesday, September 8th I will post photos of my words along with yours or if you prefer I will post a link to your blog. As Janet said to me, "I was so incredibly blown away by writing words on the body!! I wanted to see if I could get a chain of bloggers or just people doing that and maybe linking to each other (?) Not sure how it could work. I want to see what other people would do, what would the words be? Where would they be?"

Let's challenge ourselves, make Janet's idea come true and keep the amazing work of the Superhero Journal going...what do you say??? Are you in??

Artist PlayDate: Spend Some Time With a Phenomenal Artist Whose Work Is A Celebration of the Magic In All of Us

Janet Davies was one of the first people I met when I joined this arts/crafts online world. Despite the fact that we were speaking through an electronic medium, I had the distinct impression that I was standing in warm sunlight. That's what Janet does as a person and in her work, she selflessly lets all of her warmth, joy, love and tremendous imagination shine upon you. It is one of the most striking gifts I've ever received. Janet's work is an invitation to enjoy all that is good in this world as each piece she creates is overflowing with joy. When I read her words or view a new work, I feel as though my imagination has been given a passport to explore and there is no greater freedom.

Recently, I had a chance to talk with Janet about imagination, creation and battling gremlins. Janet's words reminded me of the important job we all have in exploring inner landscapes. I'm so thrilled to present a piece written by Janet as well as some of her incredible work.

"I’ve always been a creative of some kind or another," Janet begins. "As a small child I was in constant communion with animals, trees, rocks, water, all of the elements really. I always lived in a world that was so much larger and more vibrant than the one we can experience with just our five senses. There were fairies in the forest that came to have acorn tea parties and I had long silent conversations with all my animal friends. I had a mad love for beauty from the time I was very young. My early elementary teachers pulled my mother aside to show her my gigantic, vibrant suns that clearly existed beyond the page. I would love to recapture and share that world now.

As an adult, creating jewelry, fiber pieces, painting, and even cooking and gardening allow me to explore that rich world, it’s there that I am most comfortable, more at home. I enjoy opening up to possibility, in fact I think it’s the job of the artist to bring possibilities to light. Surely these inner worlds exist somewhere or we wouldn’t “see” them so clearly. As artists we are given the responsibility to explore the invisible landscapes of who we really are, as individuals and as a species.

Bringing these innermost parts of ourselves to life can be really scary! I often see here on the TST artists that begin to make something for the weekly inspiration, they have a well thought out plan firmly seated in their comfort zone. Then for some reason it falls through and they take a risk maybe by trying a new medium or being spontaneous. I think it’s here that we find our best stuff, right on the edge of the desire for exploration and our fear. Here we find something out about ourselves, we do something that scares us a little, post it for the entire world to see and are paid well in the courage we find and the feedback from a community that has longed to see what’s really there. Like the Wizard hiding behind the curtain I automatically go to the medium where I am most confident, but I am able to find a real sense of accomplishment and self-acceptance when I expose my self in the place where I am least comfortable. I find it’s like a navigation tool guiding me to authenticity rather than to stay where it’s most comfortable where habit and repetition can easily take over.

Some of the insecurities that I face are that people will think I’m NUTS! I hear the gremlins in my head say, “Aaaaaack, Look at that! What makes Janet think she should put those colors together?!!? NOBODY does that!” Eventually I find that it matters little what the gremlins say and often the things I think are goobers, someone else likes. Go figure. Sometimes I like the pieces myself eventually. This happened recently with a painting I did in my mixed media class. I decided I really didn’t like the painting at all and I pushed it to the far recesses of some closet until, that is, a fellow student asked to buy it. The piece had spoken to her! Suddenly the painting was dear to me and I had to keep it. It may eventually end up in the hands of my friend but for now, it serves a reminder of who I really am."

To view more of Janet's work, please visit Janet's shops.

Etsy shop: http://janetdavies.etsy.com/

Second Etsy shop: http://lilacwoman.etsy.com/

New Artfire shop: http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=14325

Thank you so much for sharing with everyone, Janet. Your exquisite work and incredible heart are an inspiration ...keep creating and creating and creating!

Spectacular Artists Create New Works!

To those who joined this project after it started and felt they did not have time to complete a new piece of work, do not worry. Please feel free to join the next project which will begin tomorrow.

Drumroll please! I am proud to unveil the incredible creations of these talented artists. These pieces of artwork were created in response to Theme 1: Enchanted Night. (See the previous posts). I applaud all of these individuals for challenging themselves and producing such beautiful, stunning, thought-provoking work. It is truly an honor to be able to talk, laugh, create and learn from these inspiring artists!

Our first piece is the Enchanted Night - Moonstone, Moon and Star Silver Ox Pendant created by PinkWaterFairy. PinkWaterFairy has a great Etsy shop at http://pinkwaterfairy.etsy.com/

Our next piece was created by Salvaged Expression. When a "silly little comic type thing" got stuck in Salvaged's head, this artist decided to create "The Moon Gets Lit." Salvaged Expression has a fabulous Etsy shop at http://salvagedexpression.etsy.com/.

Our next piece of artwork was created by Janet Davies. After spending time in the White Mountains of Arizona with a friend this summer and experiencing the true beauty of the sky and the moon, Janet was left with memories that will last a lifetime. This memories combined with this theme to create this necklace which has little paintings on hangtags. Janet has an amazing Etsy shop at http://janetdavies.etsy.com/.

The next two pieces were created by Lorrie Veasey of Our Name is Mud. Lorrie's playful, thoughtful spirit comes through here as it does in all her work. Lorrie's incredible work can be found at http://www.ournameismud.com/.

Our next piece was created by EarthDeva who posted a fantastic blog post about this project and finding inspiration for it at http://the-earthdeva.blogspot.com/. EarthDeva's dazzling Etsy shop is located at http://earthdeva.etsy.com/.

Finally, here is my piece. This image is what developed after having a conversation with my husband about this project. He was excited and for the first time we collaborated. He created the little boat. My Etsy shop is located at http://doodlestar.etsy.com/

Please stop by the stores or blogs of these amazing folks and share some love. Please share your comments and thoughts here. And if you are feeling inspired, please join us for our next project which begins tomorrow, Friday, January 16th.

Hats off to all of you. What incredible work!