I’m going on (virtual blog) tour!

One of my very first online friends, Kelly, invited me to participate in a virtual blog tour. (Her post was published last Monday.) I met her in one of the first online photography courses I took and we have enjoyed each other’s posts and photography in the years since.

I am to wow you all with my answers below and then have you waiting with baited breath for answers from three friends who I’ve tapped to follow me next Monday.  So, without further ado…

1. What am I working on?

My schedule was thrown for a loop when my daughter got a virus last week and had a high fever for 5 days straight.  I am a bit behind on my classes at the moment because as soon as she improved, we left for Costa Rica.  (Sounds like life is so tough for me, right?)

Anyhow, I am finishing this piece from Christy’s monthly art workshop,

designing a header for my friend Karen (here’s the one I did for Renee),

filling my Etsy shop with artwork, and beginning Danielle Donaldson’s CreativeGIRL workshop.  I am also participating in two big events this month:

• The Inspired Mama Project: Lit From Within, a free 21-day e-course for moms, full of soul-nourishing resources and encouragement for moms.  I am one of the phenomenal mamas who were interviewed to share their mama wisdom.  I hope you’ll join us as we come together to encourage one another, lift each other up and cheer each other on, as we seek to reconnect with the very best of who we are.  You can sign up here.

• Mixed-Media May, a month-long annual blog celebration of mixed-media artists and their creations hosted by my friend Cindy, culminating in huge giveaways on May 31.  I’ll share my publication date as soon as I know it.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’m told it’s got a child-like innocence and whimsy to it.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I really can’t NOT.  I always feel like I write to know how I feel about something.  I notice the same with my photography and artwork.  It’s a process of discovery, uncovering who I am beneath the surface.  I’m almost always comforted by the artistic process and what arises for me.  I love the feeling of flow that comes when I’m immersed in something artistic.  My type-A mind shuts off and I can express myself intuitively.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

In my mixed-media pieces, I begin with an intention.  What is the message or feeling I’m trying to convey? Usually there’s a phrase or quote that I’ve come across that inspires me, so I will envision what would visually make that come forward best.  I sketch it on paper or canvas in pencil and then start playing with paint and background layers.  Then I add ephemera, rubons, stamping, and doodling until it’s delightfully busy while still balanced as a whole.

In photography, I just feel it out.  Once I’m snapping away and looking at nature or people through the viewfinder, I sense where to go next.  I love nature macro work from different/unusual perspectives and candid photos of people when they are naturally being their beautiful selves.

For this blog, honestly the words just flow out of me.  I’ve thought about cutting back to posting two days a week, but I have so many projects and ideas to share with you all! I have always loved writing as a method of communication much more than speaking, which is why I hardly answer the phone anymore.  🙂

I’m passing the baton to these lovely ladies, who will post their answers next Monday, May 19.  We can all look forward to hearing what they have to say.  Please accept my apologies that there are two rather than three.  I finally had to accept that not everyone wants to be part of it and stop asking people!

• Kelly McKenzie: Kelly McKenzie, one of my very first blog friends from my Momoir writing class days, delights in writing about the minutiae of everyday life – particularly from a mom’s perspective.  Visit her blog for humorous stories and reflections.  
• Debbie Goode: Debbie is a new friend from my Inspired Blogging group.  She is an acrylic artist with a deep love for nature and critters of all shapes and sizes.   Visit her blog for a glimpse into her ever-changing world as she travels in their “home on wheels.”
  

I’m ready to be an inspired mama, are you?  The Inspired Mama Project:  Lit from Within is a free, uplifting e-course designed just for you.  I hope you’ll join us for this soul-nourishing journey as we come together to encourage one another, lift each other up and cheer each other on, as we seek to reconnect with the very best of who we are.  I invite you to sign up and join us today.