My art table after finishing the journal spread.
I woke up tired & grumpy again, due to being woken up early by my cat scratching me on the head. Then I discovered that my blog was hit with a LOT of spam, and that took up most of my morning dealing with it (more of that later). I was worried it was going to be a bad day, but it ended up being really fantastic.
My focus right now is self-care. I know I need to get back to taking better care of myself in all ways. I used to do yoga & meditate on a regular basis, but really haven’t done it most of this year because I’ve been so busy. I decided today was the day that would change. After walking my dog, I did a little yoga and did a little meditating. I was starting to feel not-so-grumpy and tired. When I checked e-mail, there was one from a site that I subscribe to about EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques, AKA tapping–you go through a short routine of tapping on your meridian points to heal the “emotional roots of disease”). If you aren’t familiar with EFT, it can seem a little out there, but it’s really interesting, and it does help. And hey, Deepak Chopra & Cheryl Richardson practice it. A massage therapist friend introduced me to it as a way to help deal with my chronic pain.
Anyway, in the e-mail was a blurb about a video with Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul. I thought I’d watch it while I washed the dishes. You know, multi-task. It was really inspiring, and was exactly what I needed to hear—he talked about how limiting beliefs can keep you from achieving what you want, and he talked about EFT. Something really clicked for me. I mean really clicked–as if I opened my eyes after having them closed for a really long time. I hadn’t done EFT in awhile, so I googled for a video on EFT & limiting beliefs, and found this one. I followed along, and by the time I was done, I felt really great. I’ve been going through some personal things for awhile that have left me feeling not so great. So after this, I felt on top of the world. It made me realize that getting back to my self-care is super important for me. And all of this really made me realize that my limiting beliefs are what’s holding back in many areas of my life.
And that became what my journal page is about. The timing is really interesting because yesterday when I started my journal page, I felt it was going to be about how I need to get back to self-care with meditating every day and doing yoga. The groundwork was being laid for my discovery today. Now, I’m sure I’ve had this discovery before, which is why I work with affirmations. But sometimes we have to discover things and work with them and through them multiple times. The bottom line is, I feel great and haven’t felt this great in long time. So I’m going with it.
Since I charged my camera battery, I decided to take pictures as I worked. Here’s what the journal page started out like from yesterday. And here’s the progress of it becoming the final journal spread. Above my self-portrait is a packing tape transfer I made of Ganesh.
I’ve had an unopened package of twinkling H2Os for years. I decided to try them out around the border. They are yummy! Now I wish I had started using them sooner. (I think I never opened the package because I was afraid I might lick them. If you have ever seen them in person, you understand what I mean.) I don’t know if you can see it in the picture, but on top of the twinkling H2O border, I put my favorite thing, glitter glue!
About the spam. I don’t know what changed since I hadn’t been getting any, and my spam plug-in was working. But I obviously needed to do something because I had a crazy amount of spam, and kept getting it while I was trying to figure out what to do. I installed a new anti-spam plug-in called Sweet Captcha, and it seems to be doing great. You’ll notice that instead of typing in a captcha phrase, you’ll have to follow the directions, and drag a small icon over to the right. You might not have to do it depending on if you are logged in. But if you get an error message, make sure you didn’t skip that step.
I’m so happy that so many of you are still participating and posting your work! YAY! I know it helps to have a group to share with. Even though I’ve got a list up of participating artists, you can still post links in the comments of what you’ve done.
You can see the rest of my posts for this project here
damn spam! always sucks, your journal is stunning and Im jealous of ur H20′s they are delish, I’m yet to get any but one day, its on the wishlist.
today I did a video of my art journal work and a blog post, all whilst cleaning my house booyeah!
http://ravenscauldron.blogspot.com/2011/07/get-your-art-on-day-7a-vid.html for those who are a little lazy to click the linky up the top..(like me)
xx Courtney
Thanks for the video link! And you cleaned while making the video?
I can so relate to your feelings!! Got to check those videos out later.
Anyway today I posted my day#7 on my blog:
http://h2u6a2n6a4.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-7.html
me again…;-)) I just noticed I am not on the list of the participants. Would you please add me? My name is Anke Humpert and my Blog is called AnartIsland http://h2u6a2n6a4.blogspot.com/
I would prefer to be listed with my name please…;-) Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!
I added you!
Oh, Traci, good for you!
I can sympathize, we need to learn to not forget about ourselves, as creative souls we are always problem-solving with good intentions to be good and do good for others but I know from experience if you forget to take care of yourself everyone suffers. My work in the public school system is three fold 1)school social worker, 2)after school program coordinator and 3)community program liaison/facilitator.
I LOVE IT! But it is demanding work and the most demanding part is the huge government budget cuts which has me on layoff for the summer (my second summer – this happened last summer and then I was called back to work in Sept). The only thing I can do is be adaptive and use my creative talents for good – to reflect on my personal character and my purpose in my community thus, my art journal “Process of Becoming” and a big factor that has kept me caring for myself is this blog of 30 days and the great people I have met through this process so far. It is so great to wake up in the morning and have purpose (to make art and blog) … seeing the positive in my soon to be short lived layoff and engaging in art making and sharing on a global level are the reasons why I feel great today!
Traci, I can tell you are a true Renaissance woman (all multi taskers please stand up, okay now relax and do some yoga;-). I am so glad I found your blog – for you do not only share beauty through your artwork you share your pain and suffering and triumphs so we may all benefit from your process lived. Keep up with the yoga (I do a practice twice a week and it works) and keep up with your art you are touching so many lives in such a positive way – for that you should feel great everyday!
Much love and care,
Sandra
PS
Here is my post for Day 8 http://alchemy-artmemories.blogspot.com/
Sandra, your comment was so sweet, and really warmed my heart. Thank you. At times I wonder if I am exposing myself too much publicly and question if I should stop, or have more of a censor. So hearing things like this make me feel great about what I am doing.
I’ve recently found your site/blog, and have been lurking and admiring. (Your book is on its way to me, and I’m compiling a shopping list of supplies so I can get with a journal of my own.) I will not bore you with all the many (many!) ways your post was so relevant or meaningful to me today, but it was. Thank you.
Stephanie, I assure you, you wouldn’t bore me with how my post is relevant to you. Some people ask me why I’m so open in my journals (and share them) and am also so open on my blog–that’s why. Because I know other people feel the same way. And it always feel good to know someone else is going through the same thing or can relate. I’m glad you found it meaningful.
I love the colors on your page! I had a question for you- do you always write on your pages right after you’ve finished them and they’ve dried or do you sometimes leave them blank of writing and then go back and journal? Just curious what others do. Thanks
shawn
The answer is . . . there is no right or wrong way of how to do it or when to write. I work several ways, and sometimes it depends on the journal I’m working in. In my everyday journal, that you’ve been seeing here, I usually do it all in one sitting, or sometimes I start and finish the next day. In other books, like the one where I used up some paint so I wouldn’t waste it (I can’t remember which day that was), I collage and paint the pages. Then I go in and journal on them, and add more collage and paint as I journal.
I really like how your spread turned out – and the cool message! I will check out the link to the EFT.
You’ve reminded me that I must get out my twinkling H2o’s… I haven’t played with them for awhile.
Here’s what I worked on for day 7
http://hhcampbell.blogspot.com/2011/07/30-days-july-7.html
I will definitely be using my twinkling H2Os a lot, now that I finally saw how great they are.
Thanks for sharing your in-process pics. It’s so helpful and inspiring to see the steps you take along the way. I’m in awe that you took all the photos and videos for your book and DVD. I’m great with editing software, but I have a difficult relationship with my camera.
I’ve seen a couple of videos about EFT, and I’ve often wondered if people who tap out of habit…pens on the table, fingers on surfaces, etc. are really getting a benefit from the activity, as opposed to the theory that it’s a place-filler, like uhs, and hmms, and ummms, durning speeches. I know that type of tapping has nothing to do with EFT, and that EFT has to do with where and how you tap on yourself. But I still wonder if finger and pen tapping isn’t some form of kinesthesia that might be sending a message to the brain which helps a person to focus and concentrate…..just sharing a thought stream….
Here’s what I did on day 7: http://artiphytheheart.typepad.com/artiphytheheart/2011/07/july-8-day-7-shenanigans.html
I’m not sure (about the tapping of a pencil, etc), but it seems it must be doing something for the person. But for me, a repetition of sound or motion like that drives me totally crazy (when I see someone doing it). I did some research years ago, and found that people who suffer from migraines (I do) are sound sensitive, even when they aren’t suffering from a migraine. So, I can be somewhere and if I hear a dripping faucet on another floor, it can drive me crazy–it’s a combination of super-sensitive hearing (with weird things) and the repetition. Which, really has nothing to do with EFT, or people tapping fingers. So I digress.
Excellent journal pages! Sorry you are being spammed! Ridiculous! Hang in there my friend!
Hi Traci,
I recently bought your Art Journal Workshop book and wanted to send a note of thanks. HUGE thanks! Bigger than huge . . . GINORMOUS! I found it right when I needed it most. The exercises have been so helpful to me in so many ways. . . the process itself, the reminders to take better care of myself, just everything! So, thank you thank you thank you!
Thanks Cathy! It always makes me feel good to hear things like this. Would you mind posting what you just said in a review on Amazon? I get a lot of e-mail saying how much people love the book, but don’t have many reviews. I’d really appreciate it.