Tag: process

Keep Smiling and Shining

Happy February! We made it to another year and I’m so glad it is 2022! Honestly, I’m happy to be alive any day, but knowing a new year is ahead is enough to make me smile.

Living the last couple years in a pandemic has been quite the ride, hasn’t it? We have learned how to navigate this new world of living with Covid unlike anything else we knew before. From wearing masks in public to being top online communicators, we have certainly taken this way of living to benefit us so we can continue to thrive.

I’ve also learned a lot about myself, too:

  • Lots of self-reflection
  • Discovering who in my life is truly in my circle
  • Finding new hobbies or interests
  • Learning more about my ADHD
  • Meeting new people through social media
  • Appreciating nature more
  • Knowing what matters most

Despite my mental health status constantly going through ups and downs, I can see that the last couple years have not been horrible, but really a blessing! How can I not smile?

Typically during the beginning of a new year, we decide to make resolutions or goals to live a better life. This usually entails losing weight, eating healthier or maybe giving up on bad habits. All these are admirable objectives and not to downplay them, but I think there are even better intentions in order to have a positive effect:

  1. GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO BE KIND to others and not pass judgment. I know…that’s a biggie, but so important! Plus, kindness is FREE!
  2. ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES and try not to let change in circumstances bring on stress. We all can be little creatures of habit and not deal with change well. However, change can be a good thing and if we focus on the pros, we can see all the possibilities as a result of those changes!
  3. MAINTAINING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE despite our circumstances. Not only is it helpful to keeping ourselves calm, but having a positive attitude can also be an example for others to follow suit.


Through all this self discovery, I recognize that I have gifts I can share with others. I have always had many interests and been a good communicator, which is what I used as the inspiration to start this blog back in 2020. I have always possessed an artistic side and spending more time with art and photography has enabled me to share some of my passions with others. Additionally, being with people, sharing experiences, making new friends is something I’ve always enjoyed.

I have also discovered there are many people that think just like me, too! I know that may sound silly, but when you surround yourself with the same circle all the time, you miss out on so much. I’ve mentioned this a few times, but the community I met through Tik Tok has been unbelievably amazing. Not only are there people who are inspirational, but are also funny, caring, and honest. I have made some special friendships that I wouldn’t change for anything.

Let’s circle back to change for a moment. recently, I have been confronted with some changes that will make a significant impact on me. At first, upon learning of the changes, I absorbed the information and went through a bit of an assimilation process… first came shock/surprise, second was a feeling of sadness/disappointment and then finally came apprehension/anxiety. Now I’m pretty much at the acceptance stage. I cannot change what is not in my control, so once I went through these emotions, I can now feel more at peace of accepting this news.

My logical part of my brain has been outlining all the pros to this change, but my emotional side has been a bit more “vocal” and has made me wonder more about future. I know I can’t predict how things will turn out. I can, however, take a different approach and embrace the unknown. Instead of a bunch of what ifs, how about more WHAT IF???

There’s a quote from Erin Hanson that I have seen with a Winnie the Pooh drawing of him in the air holding onto a balloon that says, “What if I fall? Oh my darling, but what if you fly?” I love this quote because it says so much in a simple way. It addresses our fear of the unknown, but then quickly assures us there are grand possibilities of success if we only allow ourselves to give it a try.

I suppose my goal in life encompasses many things. I need to keep in the forefront of my thinking that with change comes opportunity. And with opportunity, we can learn and grow. That never ends, unless we stop trying. And that isn’t an option for me. I might fall or fail, but at least I am experiencing life with some wonderful rewards.

Doesn’t that just make you want to smile? GOOD! Now pass it on!

Smiling and shining on a sunny day

The Creative Process

“Pitch that tent, camp for awhile and then head back down that path again.” – Dave Conrey

Sometimes you get stuck and don’t know where you’re heading and so you just kind of sit there and you just don’t move. After watching a video on YouTube from Dave Conrey, an artist from Long Beach, CA, I thought more about this aspect of being stuck and that no matter what, you have to keep moving. You can stop for a little while, but you really cannot stay there too long because once you stop, it’s very hard to get back on track.

In all creative outlets, it is really important to not have full expectations sometimes. In other words, don’t just say, “ok, I have to do this to get to that,” and then you just force it to happen. You may end up having a piece of work that is unsatisfactory. Dave talks about being okay with just accepting the fact that you’re not going to necessarily have an outcome right away, but that it is okay to be open-ended.

Creative people have a lot of expectations of themselves because once they create a certain piece of work that they are super happy about and feel extremely happy about it, the next piece that they work on whether it is a photograph, a written piece or artwork, the next one may not be as good and then you start over analyzing your creative process. With that mindset we end up being dissatisfied.

We need to be open to making mistakes and painting over those layers over and over and over again to keep going, to keep trying, to keep making over and over and over and not stop until you are satisfied. Sounds a bit repetitive, but stick with me here because there is relevance.

I am sort of new to this whole creative world in some ways, although I have always been artistic, creative, crafty. I never stuck to one thing and have explored many interests that I never really considered myself to be a relevant creator. Lately, I have surrounded myself with a community of artists and creators that are more free-minded and free-spirited. I am a free-spirit, however, I tend to put boxes around things and I do set my limits. I’m a realist more than I thought. I like things to be in order, but not in the sense you think. It’s more about me recreating something that is true to what I see.

This new exploration for me is a little scary. It’s like that path in the forest that you take that really isn’t a blazed trail, but there are a few blades of grass down. You say, “ok, sure, I’ll take a walk down here,” and have no clue what you’re going to encounter at the end of that path. When I was younger, I had no problem taking that unpaved path and just said, let’s go! However, in my later years of life, I am more cautious but I’m still curious and I think that’s the point. We cannot lose the curiosity. We shouldn’t lose our sense of wonder.

I think a big part of being a creative person is to never stop going, even if you don’t like the journey at that present moment. Even if you have to rewrite it, you may have to take thousands of pictures until you get that one perfect picture that you really love. You may have to paint layer upon layer upon layer on that canvas until you find the synchronicity of it. You may have to mold that clay several times until you get that piece just the way you want it to be. I think that’s how creative people are…they’re never satisfied, but what they keep doing is trying and they don’t give up. Once you give up, that’s when you’re no longer creative and you end up being an observer.

There’s nothing wrong with being an observer, however, if you are a creator, you tend to take what you observe and do something else with it and that’s the difference between an artist, creator, musician to those that are happy falling in line enjoying the work of others.

It’s crazy, but I have been so influenced by people I’ve interacted on Tik Tok and I know I have mentioned this a few times already about this social media platform. To all the naysayers out there, please read this carefully. Tik Tok has enabled people to connect with others around the world in a positive way. I have expanded my circle of people to open my eyes of how I can think differently or how I could approach things in my life differently. I have been inspired to do something I didn’t think I was capable of doing before pulling the trigger, so to speak. Just picking up the pencil and doodling just to get myself going…these people, my Tik Tok family, have really helped me by giving me that little push I needed.

I may not be the person that becomes famous for my writing or my photography or my drawings for that matter. But what will make me happy is that I’m throwing out into the universe my thoughts, my photographs, my writing and seeing how it inspires others. Maybe it doesn’t do anything or maybe my creations will be seen by one person and that person will then realize that they will try and do something they were afraid to do before.

That is the whole idea, the reason why I am doing what I do. To quote/paraphrase a person I follow, Shane Leketa (aka @liquidshano1973), he says the ripples we start become big waves eventually and so just dropping in that little rock and creating that little tiny ripple eventually will expand and will reach those that need to see it.

I truly believe that my purpose in life, right now, is to share all my ideas with others and see what happens, meanwhile knowing that all the thoughts that are in my mind are actually being put to use, as opposed to keeping them inside only for me.

What are some things you share with others?

Please comment below. I’d love to hear from you!