One Year Later, Happy Blog Birthday!
On August 13th, 2021 www.CherylWhiteArt.com was born, and one year later, I look back and remember the journey. I had recently switched from working full-time to part-time and was pouring my creative self back into art.
Desire, ask, believe, receive.
Stella Terrill Mann
One Year Later, Something to Celebrate!
Looking back, I find many things to celebrate… 2 art sales, 20 posts, over a dozen sold paintings, many welcomed women to my home for art nights, and countless happy hours spent in my studio. My blood pressure dropped 10 points along with my stress level and I had margin in my life to focus on some health needs and spiritual soul care that had been pushed to the perimeter of a hurried life.
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.
Martha Graham
One Year, A Milestone to be Grateful For!
Counting gifts I receive is nothing new. I started this habit many years ago when I read Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts and it completely lifted me from a self-focused heart posture of disappointment and complaint to an outward-focused posture of joy. After spending one year writing a list of 1,000 gifts I received, I couldn’t stop and I did it again. This has become a practice in my life that keeps me grateful for whatever I receive. I won’t list all 2,000 from the list here, but 12 of them that are specific to my art journey this year are below; one for each month.
- Learning to embrace the process of creative expression without fear by reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
- Exploring mediums I wasn’t used to through my Draw Awesome art course.
- The amazing support and encouragement of the Art Kula online art community.
- Art nights at my blue table, where hands were busy and souls unfurled to reveal beautiful things.
- My studio… the light, the space, the comfy chair that was given by a friend, and the wood laminate on the floor that is so easy to clean paint off of.
- People who buy my art. Thank you! All of you!
- My blogging buddy and prayer partner, Nancy Gibson,without whom I would not have embarked on this journey.
- My husband, Duke, who gave me the gift of time and space for this process.
- My friend, and amazing life coach Jill Hawkins who taught me to have a growth mindset full of curiosity, face fear, take risks and be open to new possibilities.
- My great Aunt Dixie, a beautiful soul, and a loving adult in my life who always gave me space and freedom to embrace the creativity inside me and inspired me to be that person for others.
- Pastel pencils by Faber Castell, one of my new favorite mediums.
- Renewing my love of art journaling with my high school friend PJ!
Looking Ahead to Next Year!
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I love this quote because it takes away the power of past pain and failures, and lessens the fear of the unknown future ahead. It helps me recognize that what is inside me is powerful, full of potential, and something to embrace and act upon. What lies ahead in the next year to come is impossible to predict. CoVid taught us that. I do know that I will be taking my own advice from my previous post, to keep creating and not quit and see where the adventure leads. Won’t you join me?
