A New Year A New Journal

Before Christmas I went to one of my favourite book stores and bought myself a few presents. I have never done that before - buy myself Christmas gifts. It felt fantastic and I am so thankful that I did it. One of the gifts I gave myself was a new journal. It is made by one of my favourite artists Sabrina Ward Harrison. It is called The True and the Questions. It is a beautiful combination of her drawings, collage, and writing. It gives insightful and soulful prompts so I am not left staring at a blank white page wondering which neurotic thought I should start writing about. The pages are thick, colourful and silky. I have been writing and sketching, adding my own thoughts and dreams to hers, taking her prompts and letting my own messy life flow into it.

Here are some highlights.....

I love the last line...."and trip holding your hand because I am listening so closely".

I'm not sharing my top kisses with my darling readers....but I am looking forward to flipping back through the kisses of my life so far, and filling this page in.

I changed this one to "I Want to Show The World...in 2011", I thought it was fitting since we are nearing the new year.

And one of her many beautiful drawings.

Sabrina has many other beautiful art books that she has published. You can find them all on her website www.sabrinawardharrison.com

2011......Lets do it. xoxo

You Are A Beautiful Freak

I have had some great conversations with some amazing women in my life this week about risk taking and embracing our unique selves.

I have always felt a little bit like a freak. I have never chosen the easy path in life, the straight road, the road that society feels comfortable around. I have been a vegan for 12 years. I worked for 5 years of my life in feminist women's centres. When I was 28 I took a giant leap and went back to school to pursue a career as a jewelry artist.

There are times when I am at a restaurant trying to devise a vegan meal from a meat and dairy heavy menu, when I will tell the server that I am allergic to dairy. For some reason, I think that I will be taken less seriously as a vegan. In my mind I see the server going back to the kitchen and snickering to the chef that there is a freaky vegan in the restaurant tonight.

I am often told by people that the way to make money as a jeweler is to cast everything. To mass produce. To come up with a simple design, make a mold, and produce it over and over again. Yet, still I continue to make every piece with my own two hands, too make pieces that are one of a kind, and to push myself to continuously come up with unique, original jewelry designs.

What I have learned in the past few months of my life is that I need to trust who I am. I need to embrace my freak, not apologize for it. I need to to trust my instinct. Trust that there is many other people who embrace the unique, who want jewelry that is one of a kind, who will buy jewelry that is authentic, and made by hand. Trust that other people are also embracing what is freakish or different about themselves and honoring it.

On my living room wall I have these two Papaya Art panel prints with a mirror beside them. Every time I look in the mirror, I am reminded that I am a beautiful freak. A big thank you to all of you other beautiful freaks out there! You inspire me!



For some more beautiful and unique inspiration this week check out Papaya Art Designer Anahata Katkin's blog.

It's all secretly perfect.....

I am taking great strength from words these days.

I have a chalkboard on my bathroom wall where I have written, "The cracks in your heart let the sun shine through". I feel slightly sheepish telling you that I read the quote in Oprah's magazine in an interview that she did with Ellen DeGeneres, and Ellen actually was quoting something that Diane Sawyer said to her. All three very strong successful women, so i'm not sure why the sheepishness is there.

On my bulletin board beside my computer I have written the words, "GO. Where will you leave your footprints?, What marks are important?, Make the targets clear." These words came to me from Lori Koop's upword of the week email, which i gleefully open every Sunday morning.

In my bedroom I have some new Papaya Art with the words "You can fly if you want to" and "fly". If I could own one of everything from Papaya Art I think I would know what bliss felt like. I am also madly in love with a sketchbook they do with the words "It's All Secretly Perfect" written on it.

I believe that It's all secretly perfect....It has to be doesn't it?







Images from www.papayaart.com.