De eerste nieuwsbrief!

Twee maanden geleden schreef ik mijn eerste nieuwsbrief. Dit was wat ik daar schreef. "Ik kom echt woorden tekort om te omschrijven hoe ik me voel nu ik deze nieuwsbrief aan het schrijven ben. De ideeën zwerven al zo lang rond in mijn hoofd, en eindelijk is het dan zover. Het is nog het beste te vergelijken met het moment vlak voor je aan een reis begint naar een land waar je nog nooit bent geweest. Je heb je voorbereid, boeken gelezen, je in gedachten al zien lopen in de mooie omgeving waar je straks zult zijn. En daar sta je dan, met je koffer bij de voordeur, klaar om te gaan. Het is een mengeling van prettige vlinders in je buik en een gezond gevoel van spanning: wat zal de reis me gaan brengen?"

Ga je met me mee op reis? Ik wil jou graag meenemen op die reis, je bijpraten, foto's laten zien. Schrijf je in om de nieuwsbrief maandelijks te ontvangen.

Experiments in aquarel

I had some fun with some aquarel crayons. They were lying in my cabinet for a while now, but I didn't really know how to use them. Until a week or so back I went to a big fair for all kinds of creative hobbies. The kind where you can buy anything from scrapbook supplies to wool, clay & beads. The kind where you can easily get addicted to at least three new hobbies :-)

There was a lady there, she was demonstrating new markers, water color markers. I admired her work, and since it wasn't that busy yet we started talking a bit. I told her about my tangling and the markers I have. She told me that I should try using a pen-brush to dilute the colores. She showed me how to do it. Well, needless to say, I went home with that 'pen-brush'. It's an easy thing, looks like a big ballpoint, has a fine brush tip, that I can fill up with some water.

Keen to see how it works, I realised I could use the aquarel crayons to do so. Using some simple Zentangle patterns this is what it turned out to be.
It was a nice experiment. The diluting I needed to get a hang off, trying to see how much crayon I needed to add. I like how the major lines didn't really fade, the diluted color acted like a shade.
Something to repeat, that's for sure, more experimenting, more fun :-)

Wishing you a colorful day,

XO
Maureen

Swirly Owl

This owl was born yesterday, sitting on his swirling tree. Still sleeping (or is he meditating?).
At peace, that is for sure.

Again, the owl mirrors me. When I drew the owl I was very much at peace. After a few days of being very busy. Well, in my head.

Too much thinking... Too many sensations from the outside world.
I do realise what is going on sooner now though. A few years back it would take me weeks before I started to realise what was going on. Now it may not even be days before the bells start ringing.
That is a good thing.
The unwinding and finding my way back to myself... well, that still can be, let's say a challenge.

Yesterday music was the key. My headphones on. Beautiful music. Soon I could feel how the uneasyness in my body started to flow out.

The owl is on the table, I smile when I look at it. Feels good to see it. I can be pleased with my creation.
That is a big thing. No self critique, no doubt. My owl is beautiful.

How about you? Have you taken some time for yourself these past days? Do you ever feel like music is the key to feeling better?

Wishing you a peaceful day,

XO
Maureen

Dit uiltje werd gisteren geboren, zittend op zijn wervelende boom. Nog in slaap (of is hij aan het mediteren? ) Hij is tevreden en rustig, dat is zeker.

Alweer weerspiegelt de uil mijzelf. Toen ik de uil aan het tekenen was, voelde ik me rustig en tevreden.
Na een paar dagen van heel erg druk zijn. Nou ja, in mijn hoofd. Teveel denken ... Te veel prikkels van de buitenwereld.

Ik besef nu wel eerder wat er aan de hand is. Een paar jaar terug het zou me weken kosten voordat ik begon te beseffen wat er gaande was. Nu is het vaak al binnen een paar dagen, of zelfs binnen een dag, dat er een belletje gaat rinkelen.
Dat is een goede zaak.  Het weer loslaten en het vinden van de weg terug naar mezelf ... nou ja dat is, laten we zeggen, nog een uitdaging.
Gisteren was muziek de sleutel. Mijn koptelefoon op. Prachtige muziek. Al snel kon ik voelen hoe het ongemakkelijke gevoel uit mijn lichaam begon te stromen.

De uil ligt nu voor me op de tafel, ik glimlach als ik er naar kijk. Voelt goed om hem te zien. Ik kan tevreden zijn met mijn creatie.
Dat is een groot ding. Geen zelfkritiek , geen twijfel. Mijn uil is prachtig.

Hoe zit het met jou? Heb je wat tijd genomen voor jezelf de afgelopen dagen ? Heb je ooit het gevoel dat muziek is de sleutel tot je beter voelen?

Ik wens je een rustige dag ,

XO
Maureen

Brightening up my day

I thought I might share this with you. Since it is a feeling I'm sure most of you are familiar with. A feeling of being confused and a little stuck in my creativity. 

Maybe there are too many things I want to do... they jam inside my head. 

Maybe it's because I've looked at too many beautiful, gorgeous art other people make.... which gets me back at: How will I ever achieve that? Insecurity, my dear old friend and enemy. 

So, I'm trying to find my way today. 
Where shall I start? 
Do I dare to start, make something, when it might turn out 'awefull' or not what I want it to be.... 
Oh yes, letting go of that control...

Or give myself a rest. Turning inward completely, to find Me, deep inside of me. 
Washing clean of the expectations (my own) and high standards. 
Letting my light shine. 
Asking the Universe for a little sign and some energy.

I'm taking a deep breath. 
That is always the best start, that is something I've learned over the last years.

Thank you for being there, thank you for listening.


This is what I shared with a group of creative friends on Facebook this morning.

Just telling them about my feelings made me feel lighter.
Sharing is powerful.
That sign from the Universe, oh, it came. Almost immediately. Through the loving voice of one of the friends.
She said: "Take some time for you.. 
as much as you need and then delve right in. 
Create something that makes your soul sing. 
Do what makes YOU HAPPY each and every day"

My energy flow changed. I thought about what makes ME HAPPY? On my desktop sits a picture from a beautiful animation movie I watched last Saturday "The Secret of Kells".  
A fairytale like story of a boy called Brendan. 
That is what makes me Happy. 

So the cute little owls, that Brendan comes across on his journey, looked at me from my screen. 
I knew what to create. I had to draw them. 
So I did. And it felt GOOD.

That is what I wanted to share with you too.
I feel blessed that I could turn my weary feeling around, if only for a few moments. 
To a point where I can breathe again.

XO
Maureen

PS: curious about the movie? Here is a Youtube trailer.

Key 2 - Inspiration

Inspiration hit me in the shower, this time. It happened after my first 'session' of using water color markers. Trying them out, getting a feel for what they do, how to use them. Taking baby steps, no rush, no pressure. That little corner of yellow and pink was the result.

First baby steps...

The next morning, while taking a shower, it was the shower curtain that caught my eye. Not that it is a new one... it's been hanging there for a little over two years. Having used the water colors, it occurred to me that, this was something I might be able to create too...?!

More baby steps...

Back to my markers, more babysteps, but no magic. I felt myself getting more frustrated by the minute. Not a good mood to be in. I stepped back from it for a while, retried, just experimenting again. Wetting the paper first, then applying the color. Even wetting the marker itself. The frustration level started to decline, I must say, yet I didn't feel that good either yet.

As it was dinner time that was a good moment to just let it be. Literally feeding myself with nice food got me over that bit of a cranky feeling that was lurking to get me.
There was time left for me to get back to it after dinner. Watching the paper with the water color experiment, fighting the urge to just throw it away, I took the middle way: I turned it over...
Then took a few minutes to breathe, get to that more peaceful state of mind, to listen to my inner whisper, looking for a little nudge in the 'right' creative direction. From this meditation I started all over again. About an hour later there were these: water color papers.

They are digital works, reminiscent of the water colors.
You see, the whisper from my inner voice was: "do what you love, use what you know, go back to where your heart lies".
In my case, that means I turn on the computer, fire up Photoshop, switch on my hard drive full of my pictures (flowers, clouds, trees, landscapes, rusty things, textures.....).
Using that, I can let go of everything. It's like taking out brushes, paints, stamps, papers, blending brushes, scissors. They are just not physical, they are in my computer.
So I flipped through the contents of my treasure chest, picking gorgeous blue hydrangea, soft pink tulips, deep pink peony. Added sunset pictures, with fluffy big clouds set on fire by the sun.
The flowers, clouds and scanned in papers I layer, rearrange, using different blend modes, so they eventually melt together, Soft brushes take away the harsh edges. Little by little the 'magic' then happens.

After this exercise I finally felt peace again. Filled with energy. Bubbling with ideas for more papers...
Isn't it beautiful how this all works? I mean, without the water color markers, without Bonita's e-course, these papers may very well have never come alive.

And the water color markers you may ask? Well, more baby steps to take. I'm sure that I will learn lots of new things from my friends in the e-course. I haven't given up on them, or should I say: I haven't given up on me?

Wishing you lots of inspiration for your creative undertakings

XO
Maureen