Whenever we plan to start or try something new, stuff happens — often a natural result of adding one more thing to an already busy life.

Like a seedling pushing the dirt out of the way before it can break through to the sunlight, whenever you embark on a new thing — be it a painting, an exercise routine, a new recipe, a new class — a new way of doing anything in a new way, some part of you rebels.

If you hear yourself think “I don’t want to!” or even “NO!”
you can be sure your inner 2- or 3-year-old has a different opinion.

Some part of you feels uncomfortable.

A new honu (turtle) painting begins. The honu on the left is going down to eat.

Depending upon the change you’re making to your daily routine,
you might feel excitement, trepidation, or anything in between.

Habits and routines are great. They act as on- or off-ramps,
helping to ease you into, through, and out of your days.

Habits help create your comfort zone
— and sometimes they lead to boredom & inactivity.

As a creative, consciously evolving being, you crave change.
You want to mix things up a bit, try something new, certain this
new thing will put some spice or pizzazz into your life.

Then, right before, or at the onset of your adventure, you realize the
ramifications of what adding something new to your routine really means.

OH! The disruption!

You might feel an internal earthquake, or a tsunami
of emotions flood your bloodstream.

When adding something new to your schedule, trade-offs
have to be made. Something has to go!

You’re uncomfortable. What you were thinking when you added “xyz” to your schedule?

The honu are more visible as the painting evolves. The center honu is turning around.

15 years after earning a degree in Art Education, I took classes
in graphic design at the local technical college.

I was SO excited to buy fresh supplies, set up a new drafting table,
figure out which classes would fit into my work schedule, and go to class.

Imagine my horror when toward the end of that first class,
I heard the instructor tell us what our homework would be!

Homework?

I’d completely forgotten about homework
and hadn’t factored it into my schedule!

I ended up dropping one of the two classes out of necessity
and learned a valuable lesson — something’s got to give!

Fortunately, the class I kept led me to my next, better job/career,
which is where I stayed until moving to Honolulu to paint in June 2000.

You are resilient.

Simply remember that “freak-out moments” are transitional phases. They pass.

Lean into your transitions to really FEEL them (emotions only last 60–90 seconds).

Then BREATHE, before reassessing your situation.

Your breath is your doorway to your
calm Inner Wise Self & to your Future!

Breathe — that’s what these honu do … they dive down to eat & rise up to BREATHE

Comfort zones are meant to be stretched,
not snapped into submission.

When you stretch them incrementally each day, you’re more likely to weather
the bigger stretches that circumstances beyond our control require.

Please do something new today — just for a stretch of it.

Then breathe and give yourself a hug for stretching.

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.