2020 showcased the “art of the spin.”
We learned that anywhere, anytime, we can put our own spin
on a situation, shifting our perspective to see things differently.

 I became aware of the power of thought 35 years ago when I read an article
on the impact negative thoughts and words have on our emotions.

I read the book, “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought,”
and began to do what I call “practicing the flip.” 

When this painting began, it was titled, “Reach for the Stars.”

 “Practicing the Flip” is one of my favorite tricks to keep my sunny attitude.
The idea is that for every “negative perspective,” there’s a correlating “positive perspective.”

For example, instead of saying “don’t forget your sweater,” say “remember your sweater.”

Try saying both phrases out loud.
Did you emphasize “don’t,” “forget,” “remember,” or “sweater?”

That’s the word that sticks in your brain.

To practice the flip, “Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions,”
becomes, “please email me if you have any questions.”

You’ve successfully removed all hesitation!

 It takes conscious awareness to “practice the flip.”

Good news! With practice, it comes more easily.

At this stage, the painting was known as “Reaching for Possibilities.’

How far away do your dreams feel and how do you feel about that distance?

If they feel near, you might feel eager anticipation.
If they feel far, your feelings might vacillate.

 Which perspective feels better?

How can you flip your perspective to feel even better?

What if it’s a good thing that your dream isn’t about to come true tomorrow?
What would you do if it were? Are you really ready for that possibility?

What can you do today to prepare yourself for that inevitability?

You might not be aware of ALL of the things that need to happen to make your dream real.

How could you? Your dreams aren’t static, they morph and evolve as you do.
No worries, you’re finding and making your way toward your dreams.

Practice living as if your dream is getting closer every day.

Fuel your dream with the joy of anticipation and preparation.
Make room in your heart for the changes your dream will bring about.

Start to make those changes.

You are growing into your dream. It is within your reach.

Remember your ever-present ability to flip your perspective. 

“Within Reach” reminds us that no matter how far out there our dreams may feel, they are within our reach — or we wouldn’t have them!

I depend upon grace, beauty, and inspired words to keep my emotional life, and therefore my physical and creative life, on an even keel.

I look for, and find reassurance from the world around me, reminding me that I am loved no matter what. Daily, I see hearts formed by tree roots, rocks, and leaves. Hearts peeking out to remind me that I’m mot alone in the massive world.

Still, I often forget — that’s why I need daily reminders!

I'm okay with that because I’ve learned to seek out reminders on my daily walk. In this way, I actively participate in my physical and emotional well-being.

I’m not looking for Big Leaps forward, although that might be a good idea. I look for little things, the things most people don’t notice, to guide my way. That’s where I find inspiration to begin again with each new day.

Yesterday I shipped four paintings off to my photographer/printer (he’s been on Maui during the pandemic). Wow! Four paintings all finished this past week.

Which means, it’s time to begin again, from scratch, on something new.

Tentitive titles: “Miles to Go” and “Exponential Potential” Do you have a preference?

Having more than one painting in progress at once, allows time for me to “get stuck” if I don’t know what to do next or my energy flags. It permits time for me to allow one painting to dry while I work on another. It eliminates delays if I don’t know what to paint, but I have the time, and want to paint!

No matter how many paintings I seem to have in progress at once, they often finish up at the same time — or near-enough the same time that they get shipped off together, leaving me with a blank sheet of paper.

Colors of Love

Then it’s time to look for fresh inspiration to paint my way forward once more.

Whenever we begin something new, there’s a learning curve. Sometimes it’s steep, sometimes it’s just a bump in the road.

Learning to paint is no different — except some of us have horror stories of harried teachers being brutal regarding our youthful creations.

So, we try harder. We focus, we clench.
We hold the brush as if our life depended on it.

Back when we were little, our parents encouraged us to color inside the lines.

It took time, but we successfully filled in lots of coloring books.

What if you’re taking a class, you’re learning to paint, and you have to draw the images to be painted?

YIKES!

It’s okay to be nervous. It’s okay to wish you could go back to coloring inside the lines.

Resist this urge! 

Beginning watercolor students often start by painting next to the outside lines of their shapes.

They paint the outside of things before filling the inside.

This gives them a sense of security that the painted shapes will be clear, crisp, & recognizable.

Their shapes will be “just right” (cue Goldilocks & the Three Bears).

Did you know that watercolor paint begins to be absorbed into the paper as soon as the brush makes contact?

It’s true.

While you’re busy painting the outside edges, the inside has begun to dry.

By the time you paint the inside, it doesn’t match the outside.

Instead, start to paint inside your shape.

When you begin to paint from inside the shape to the outside edges, the inside stays fluid and matches the outside.

By keeping your brush in contact with the paper for as long as possible, you achieve a smooth application of paint.

Smooth paint helps us feel the gentle, serene flow of the painting.

Sometimes, when you start to paint the inside and work your way to the outside, the edges get a little sloppy.

That’s okay.

The more often you paint from the inside out, the faster you’ll understand that the inside doesn’t need finessing.

Paint your inside with the confident speed of anticipation & joy.

By quickly painting the inside, you’ll have more time to give to the outside.

The outside edges respond well when we slow down to give them the attention they deserve.

We’re not so very different from our paintings.

When we care for our inside, our outside — the bits that interact with the world — can relax.

Our Inside provides a solid foundation for our outside.

Ever since painting “Hitch Up to Your Own Special Star” I’ve been collecting “tropes” about stars.

The painting feels like it belongs on the cover of a book of star stories.
Please let me know if you have one to share.

I’ve yet to write a successful star story — other than my own, and that one’s a work in progress. Still, I’m enjoying the collection process and am hopeful something fun will come of it.

Recently, I woke up with this in my head:
”Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.”

With that, I knew it was time to begin a new star painting.

I’ve long said I’m a “hearts and stars kind of gal,” meaning I like all things related to hearts and stars.

These iconic images are my personal symbols.

To begin, I sketched several stars on watercolor paper. Then I added texture and paint and let it dry.

Each painting is an experiment. I never, and I do mean NEVER know how it will turn out.

I have a keen awareness of color, which helps me keep them bright.

I learned how to design a page in my previous work life — another key component.

Color and Design are two essential elements I stress in ALL of the classes I teach.

This painting was created with the intention of turning it into a jigsaw puzzle.

That’s why I kept painting and painting and painting, finding more and more stars (and hearts) as I painted.

One of my very very good friends reminded me of a song this morning that illustrates why this kind of painting feels important to me.

On the surface, it’s a sweet little painting, a painting without much substance — different from some of my other paintings.

Please enjoy this version of “Accentuate the Positive,” music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Remember:
We’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
And don’t mess with Mr. In-between.