Art Slam

Seriously. I am about to explode from excitement. I am headed to BlogHer next month as part of the BlogHer Chevy Carpool with fellow carpoolers Shannan (Mommybits) Jennifer (Playgroups Are No Place for Children), Amy (AmyInOHio) and Andrea (Udandi and the Craft of Money) in one of those cars above! We already have planned an opera sing off, punch buggy and I am sure some other insane car games as we roll to Chicago extra early in the morning. The conference does not start until Friday, July 24, but Thursday will be full of parties and meet & greets. Amy has already said we can sleep when we get back home. We have entirely too much we must do. If you are going, do stop me and say hello, I love meeting new people and I am looking forward to seeing old friends and this is sure to be one of the best BlogHer conferences ever.

I always hear a word when I really need it.

Lately, I have been in a self-induced holding pattern. Waiting for things to happen and waiting for people to happen. Feeling like I need to justify some decisions I am ready to make even though there could be some fall out from them. I have been preparing explanations for things that have not even happened. Then I read a post today on Christine Kane’s blog about explainers and saw things from a different perspective.

While I do not think of myself as an explainer, I have, at times, been more concerned with other people’s opinions instead of my own. I have put “feelers” out there waiting for someone to react or respond or whatever and when they don’t, I am disappointed. Part of me wanting to be pissed at them because they did not “get it” or get me. People can not read your mind…no matter how many hints you throw their way. Sometimes, you have to be bold and speak your truth if you want to see something happen.

When we take responsibility for our lives and the decisions we make, we focus on the happiness only we can bring to ourselves. Nothing external can make you happy. Where you are right now is what you have created and do you realize you can un-create and re-create anything? I loved how Christine drove that message home on her post.

I am done living beneath my infinite potential. I used to think that when an opportunity is lost it is gone forever, but that is not the case. As Marianne Williamson pointed out in her Miracle Thought for today, Your Birthright, the energy represented by that opportunity is held in trust for you until you are ready to receive it. That is so powerful. It calls us to be bold and get right with ourselves so we can receive all we have been promised. I have declared I am ready for some new things and situations to come into my life and it is happening. I have been experiencing an openess that has me feeling things deeply…amazing how the most unexpected people can be a catalyst for that. Situations I thought long gone are no longer that way. There is opportunity in everything and everyone if you are willing to take a chance. Especially those things and situations that seem so impossible. While not knowing exactly where this journey will take me, I do know I will have no regrets. So, here’s to boldness, being open and the adventures that go along with it. Enough waiting…it is time to live.

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I picked up my guitar a few weeks ago and it completely captivates me. I have always loved the soul stirring sound of acoustic guitars. A couple of people have asked why I wanted to learn to play now. I replied, “Why not right now?” Before, I had put off pursing things I wanted to experience. I found “reasons” to not do it and each time a part of who I was becoming…retreated.

You can not deny who you really are. Actually, you can, but eventually something inside is going to erupt and demand that you acknowledge and pay it some attention.  I have been paying attention to that stirring inside. I have had to ignore the voices of others and follow what is in my heart. Today, I am honoring myself, my spirit and who I am becoming.

Some opportunities have presented themselves to me in the most unexpected ways. Some making me wonder why these things are happening right now. Some of them are new experiences that promise a window into even bigger things. Others are second chances that promise to be nothing short of magnificent. They take my breath away.

All of them, promising me the experiences of a lifetime if only I believe. And, you know what? I believe.

I am so excited to share the news that Renee Pearson is offering her first class at reneepearson.com. Those of you who are digital scrapbookers know Renee well as a frequent contributor to Digital Scrapbooking Magazine and the wonderful books she has written,Digital Designs for Scrapbooking and Digital Designs for Scrapbooking 2.

Here’s a little more information about the class and the great deal Renee is offering for her first class:

Digital expert Renee Pearson debuts the new digital scrapbooking class, “Just the Basics, Ma’am” at her training site, reneepearson.com, beginning June 25th. Pearson, former editor at Digital Scrapbooking magazine, is the bestselling author of the Digital Designs for Scrapbooking series. An in demand speaker and teacher at scrapbooking events around the world, she is the acknowledged expert and “go-to” person for digital scrapbooking training.

“Nearly four years ago, when I wrote the first Digital Designs for Scrapbooking, computers were not yet an essential tool for mainstream scrapbooking,” says Pearson. “As the popularity of digital scrapbooking has grown, so has the need for easy-to-follow instructions. That’s why I developed this workshop.”

“Just the Basics,” is a 4-week beginning digital scrapbooking course. Each week’s lessons are delivered via high-resolution video modules. In addition to the videos, students will have access to free digital kits, scheduled live chats and discussion and support forums. Students will also have lifetime access to the training videos.

Renee is known for her easy-to-understand writing and teaching style. She promises fun, fast and easy lessons designed specifically for the beginning or occasional digital scrapbooker and crafter. Topics covered over the four weeks include:

Introduction to Photoshop Elements
Using quickpages and layered templates
Creating quickpages and layered templates
Adding digital embellishments
Understanding brushes and layer masks

To celebrate the debut of her first class, Renee is offering a special $40 price until June 19th. Sample project images and video are available at reneepearson.com.

Contact: Renee Pearson
renee@reneepearson
http://www.reneepearson.com

I have this overwhelming sense of restlessness surrounding me lately. And, it is in those times when I am anxious, wanting things to hurry up and happen or restless that I could use a reminder that everything is going to be alright and will happen in due time. I just have to keep the faith. I have found by doing the following, I am able to stay centered and maintain the patience I need while everything around me comes into order:

• Be grateful for your life. Look at your life with gratitude and appreciate where you are right now. An attitude of gratitude is contagious. People are attracted to people who are confident and positive. Every morning when you wake up, you get to choose how you are going to approach your day. You can decided to bring more good into your life simply by shifting your thinking. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself because what you want is not happening as fast or the way you want, you can be excited about the anticipation of how good it is going to be when it does happen.
• Accept your perfect imperfection. One of my favorite things to say is, “I am a work in progress and as perfectly imperfect as I am suppose to be.” We all have something special and unique to offer. Your job is figuring out what your “special” is. No one else can define or validate you. You must do this for yourself.
• Allow your spirit to resolve past issues. Seriously, this is huge. How much of your past garbage are you allowing to affect you right now? Does it affect what you think of yourself or other people? If so, you need to let that crap go. I am reminded of the story about the jar being filled with rocks, pebbles and sand. The rocks represent the important things, the pebbles represent important things we can live without and the sand represents the things we do that get in the way of doing important things. Past garbage is like the sand. When you allow your past garbage to affect and fill up your present, you are not leaving room for better things to come into your life. Let that mental clutter go and you will see your life change.
• Know yourself. You have to get to a point where you like being with yourself because you know who you are. When you are cool with you, you have few doubts, you are full of faith, you believe that impossible is nothing. You love who you are evolving into and the possibilities of what life is bringing your way thrills you. Know yourself. I can’t put it any plainer than that.

Be, Accept, Allow, Know…kind of sounds like surrendering, doesn’t it? And, we all know there is power and strength when you truly let go and surrender.

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I’ve been feeling rather poetic these days. Extremely poetic. So much so, I picked up my notebook and words seemed to flow over the page faster than I could write them down. A dear friend challenged me to top a scenario they sent to me and at first, I was not sure I liked what I wrote. Then I read it again and it completely captured what I wanted to say.You never know who or what is going to inspire you, and inspiration can sometimes be fleeting.

So, I would like to know, what is inspiring you right now and what are you doing with that inspiration?

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“That which you create in beauty and goodness and truth lives on for all time to come. Don’t spend your life accumulating material objects that will only turn to dust and ashes.” – Denis Waitley

How true is that statement? Do your “things” accurately reflect who you are? I can say many of my things do not accurately reflect who I am now. Maybe they did a few years ago, but not now…hence my constant need to purge. Clutter suffocates me creatively. I am not one who particularly likes bugs, but I would rather be out and about in nature because it is what it is.

One of my many goals for the rest of the year is to purge all the material things I have accumulated that do not thrill me or represent who I am right now. It is not easy letting go of things, but it is necessary if you want something better to come into your life. I for one, love new experiences, relationships…stuff. It makes me giddy. And, I have to tell you, letting go is not that hard. We get caught up in the sentimental value of our possessions or we allow other people to tell us what we should be thinking or feeling instead of following our hearts. So, I choose to follow my heart. It has not led me wrong so far and in the end, I have no regrets. That’s a huge bonus.

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“As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Love this quote and the message…

Many things going on, throwing me off center and making life rather exciting and unexpected. I am going with the flow. Seeing where the flow takes me and being ok with that…no matter how scary it seems at first. Wondering if being off center is a bigger blessing than it may seem at first. I like to think it is.

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