Ways to Let Go in Your Art

Hi guys, happy Friday.

Today I posted a new bonus lesson in my RAW Intuitive Journaling Class. It is in an existing bonus section of the class called ‘Childhood Secrets to Your Intuition’ & this time is all about connecting with your Inner Child through the Raw Intuitive Journaling Process:

Click the image to be taken directly to the new bonus

I've added quite a few bonuses to the class now, I think this is the fifth...anyhow on a previous one I posted a student asked this question:

 'I am having a serious internal battle. When I am creating I am very analytical. Jennibellie do you have any tips for "letting go"? I've tried and it's really, really difficult!!!'

And I thought that the answer would be of benefit to everyone so I'm sharing it here. Of course the whole of the RAW Intuitive Journaling Class is really about this topic, but here is my response with a few tips I didn't share in the class - be warned it is long but hopefully worth it if you feel the need to let go more in your art, so here is my response:

I do actually have a few useful tips for letting go....but first things first, I want you to ease up on yourself! You cannot create something good from battling with yourself, and then beating up on yourself for battling with yourself (there, there is your first 'task' for letting go, release the beating up on yourself I hear all through your message; practising here will probably help you do it more on the page).

Second, I want you to acknowledge nothing is going wrong, and if you can, release that it's 'difficult'. I have realised over the last few months that I often come to the page with the same issues. They are cropping up over and over again, I was getting SO frustrated...but it wasn't till I released the idea that it's 'difficult' any shift happened. It isn't that I suddenly am no longer facing those issues, I am, it's just that I'm more ok with it. I understand now and it's part of the process. If we shifted through things at the rapid speed we often wish we could we'd miss what we are actually learning from them. So relax, nothing is wrong, it may be something that takes a while for you to work through, it's OKAY, have patience and appease yourself as much as you can with that (because that is how things speed up anyhow - Einstein said "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.", so let go of the 'difficult', you cannot see the solution when you're transfixed on the problem).

Three, I think is important to do for anything you want to 'be in the moment' with in a positive way, whether it be something angst ridden like an interview or simple like making an art journal page. It's really simple (but it works, don’t underestimate this!), and that is to get into the mental energy of being free/letting go BEFORE you even thinking of creating, or even step into your studio. Which means getting into the place of trusting, which means doing things that feel good and remove the mental chatter....because that's all your problem is honey, mental chatter, and don’t we all know it well lol. You are not deficient in any way, letting go is not reserved for others and you aren't lacking in talent to deal with it either. I think it truly comes down to focusing and practising, and the patience I just spoke of. Whatever it means to you to be in a happy, trusting place before you create, do – put on some music or meditate or walk or get the crystals & flower remedies you like or read…whatever gives you the good or holiday or carefree or non-work-day feeling juju to then take to your page. Abraham Hicks talks a lot about this if you want more, in Abraham terminology they’ll say ‘get into the Vortex and THEN…’ meaning get into your happy carefree place and then act from there, don’t attempt to create something you have ‘issues’/’resistance’ against and then try and get into your happy carefree place as you’re doing it as it’s so likely that you won’t. If you go to the page worried that you won’t be able to let go, because you couldn’t let go last time etc etc etc, you will be disallowing yourself to let go before you’ve even started. So basically in essence get into the energy of that which you want to create from, and then create, don’t leave it to chance that it may or may not happen on the page.

Four, give your mental chatter names (yep, you read right!). Identify them, so that when the mind starts overtaking the intuition you can acknowledge what’s happening and say ‘oh perfectionist percy is taking over, pipe down percy we’re trying this for now, we can always adjust it later…’ See? Might be crazy, but crazy might work. 

No.1 though whether you take any of my advice or not is to stop beating up on yourself, and especially in the moment when it isn’t going your way immediately. We’re all guilty of it. I have to remind myself of it too, then can beat up on myself for beating up on myself, it’s human nature…we’ve just got to do the best we can. You’re doing alright, better than alright, chillax and give yourself a hug more often! xoxo

As it happens today I also added 25% off of my RAW Intuitive Journaling Class price just for Journal Workshops members!! 

This class is about accessing and expressing your inner truth in your journaling. It is for those who wish to be more raw, more real, more connected in their journaling. 

So if you are interested in joining us for a mere £30 (yep, I've paid much more for singular video workshops & this is a WHOLE class with lots of content) then click the image below to be taken to the Class Homepage (and from there you just need to click 'Join' at the top right):

Or to join the class simply go here:

http://journalworkshops.ning.com/group/rawij

& Click the ‘Join’ button that appears at the top of the page.

Once you click the ‘Join’ button you’ll see a Premium Content message, which will already have the 25% discount included & where you can choose your payment method. Once done you will receive instant access to the class and can get started straight away.

FYI: I don’t know how long I’ll leave this discount up, but it will certainly no longer than a week so please do not to linger if you want this class.

Much love & have a great weekend

A Look into my Everyday Hartbags (Art Handbags) & Journals

Hi guys, a quick video post today to share a peek at my everyday Hartbags & take around journals. 

Click on the image to be taken to Youtube, enjoy:

Do you have a Hartbag or take around journals?

Share in the Gallery on Journal Workshops.

Creative Hangover

I'm bouncing off of the walls. I'm elated. I'm exhausted. I'm figuring out what's what. I'm having trouble focusing.

I've had an incredible week, an incredibly creative week. 

It's wonderful, beautiful things are happening. I can't tell you what they'll turn into yet...I've no idea.

I only ever feel this way, this INSANELY creative intense way, may be once or twice a year. 

It's delightful, and glorious, and wonderfully surprising, and humbling, and exciting, and blissful. It's also all encompassing, and addictive, and inconsiderate, and reckless, and completely draining. 

The past three nights I have had may be four hours sleep total. The intensity threatens to deny any and every peaceful second that may so happen to stumble unsuspecting upon my path.

So tonight I'm going to give it a limited time and tell my creativity 'once that times gone, so am I'. 

'I'm off to watch a movie and paint my nails and think on things NOT related to you, so please be good and respect my boundaries. You may continue to work on things, but please keep them to yourself until tomorrow.'

It's bizarre to me that we could ever need a self-care hiatus from something that fills us up so completely as what our creativity does. But creativity comes in many forms - sometimes it's the thing that IS the hiatus as we knit, or glue & stick, or paint away our crappy days. Other times it's the thing that pokes us awake again at 4am after it's only just let us close our eyes.

So I'm curious what other peoples replenishing self care practices are (whether to give yourself a break from creative rampages or something else). Share below if you want, a recent one of mine, believe it or not, is bird watching...those happy little chirpers going about their day relaxes me completely! Actually now I come to think of it I think that's one I've always had, but then it's only when you really need these practices you realise how useful they are (much like journaling itself).

As I don't have any goodies yet to share despite how busy I've been this week this is an old pic, but you can click on the image if you want to see the video on me painting it.

Have a great weekend

PS there's three days left to join the new Art Swap that's happening on Journal Workshops. Click the image below to get sending and receiving some fab art 

(it's free, go on get swappin')

Shadow Work Journaling – My Biggest Project This Year

Last night I made a discovery in my journal. I realised a lot of things, mainly why I’ve felt a lot of resistance to creativity….2015 has been the year I’ve done a lot of, what some people call, ‘shadow work’. 

Essentially I’ve spent more time looking at areas within myself that play a part in holding myself back, even sabotaging myself & my creative endeavours. The main reason why I’ve been doing this is as a reaction to the fact that they have been popping up all on their own – Jenny the Procrastinator, Jenny the Fed-up, Jenny the Fearful, Jenny the Lazy, Jenny the Angry, Jenny the had a Bloody Nuff - they’ve all been tea-guests recently! And I’ve learnt, thanks to a lot of journaling, that if you don’t compassionately identify with all of these (so-called) ‘ugly’ parts of yourself when they arise, then they will still arise, just not as your allies! 

Jenny the Sullen

We tend to look at these areas of ourselves as problematic, or even as the problem – for example ‘oh if only Jenny the Procrastinator would get out of the bloody way I could just get on and do this project’. But really, out of cause and effect these ‘shadow’ sides are never the cause, they are the effect; they are the by product, the response our personalities have to whatever the problem actually is. Think about it, there are thousands of reasons why we procrastinate – worry over what others will think, worry over whether we are good enough to fulfil our vision, fear of failure, fear of success and on and on it goes. Procrastination is not the problem (though it may feel like it at the time), it is the response to all the other problems (real or imagined) that are popping up around our projects. 

So getting to know my shadow sides has been the biggest project I have really done this year, and when I consider all the other projects I intended to do but am very behind on, my discovery last night that this is what I’ve actually been doing (& not just ‘flapping around’ as previously thought) makes a lot of things clearer, and easier! I now have a foothold, an understanding, a way to move forward.

tonights page - done by Jenny the Lazy

So if you've had the 'wading the treacle' feeling as I often call it (aka the 'I'm trying so hard and getting nowhere' feeling) recently yourself and want a journaling exercise to do this weekend that may just be illuminating ask yourself, & do some art around, these things: 

What areas of yourself have you may be looked at as problematic, or tried to hide behind the ‘good' parts, or ignored completely? 

And if you were to look at it differently & see it as an effect instead of a problem what might it actually be handing you a golden torch to look into?

If you're brave enough look into this I'd love to hear your findings below, feel free to share 

& have a happy journaling abundant weekend

Come be a part of my gorgeous Art Community:

 Journal Workshops:

(New Art Swap happening in 3 days, come join in!!!)

TWO New Videos... and TWO (free right now) Must See Movies for Artists

Hi guys

I bring you two new videos today, one I just finished editing and the other I just finished recording (haha nothing like being prepared hey?).

The first video is relating to a question that got asked recently on my current giveaway post on Journal Workshops; 

Ways to Deal with Creative Overwhelm and Idea Paralysis.

Here's the off the cuff, coffee chat type video. 

Grab a cuppa and relax:

The second video I *just* did, again off the cuff (yep, I'm developing a theme in how I work nowadays I think lol) to tackle the issue of resistance, particularly that has come up around the new Monthly Challenge with several Journal Workshops members:

Openly Visiting with Resistance in this Challenge

If you haven't seen the new challenge, don't worry still click the video link above (or the image) and it will take you to the page where the original Monthly Challenge, and this new video, are both held.

Okay onto the movies, which isn't something I would normally write about in a blogpost but these just had my artistic senses tingling so as both free right now online (but only for a few days so ensure you carve out some me time asap if either calls to you) I thought I would share them here.

The first is 'That Day We Sang' available on BBC iplayer for 15 more days. Unfortunately I have no clue how bbc iplayer works around the world, I'm just hoping it will work for everyone but I know some video sharing sites don't always work that way, so I'm sorry if this is the case for your country & I've just dangled a carrot lol. If it is working though then you are in for a TREAT! It is a musical (a distinctly British musical) set in Manchester in 1929 and 1969 - the sets are FABULOUS, the writing GLORIOUS (written by Victoria Wood, who has been writing amazing comedy since before I was born in case you don't already know her) and acting SUPERB (Imelda Staunton, who is one of my favourite actresses and Michael Ball, who surprised me very much - in a good way, head the cast). It is a feast for the eyes, emotions and as I said before your artistic senses. It's a film you cannot help but appreciate as total work of art, enjoy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04w7sp3/that-day-we-sang

The second is being shared by Hay House for free just for a couple more days in honour of Dr Wayne Dyer, who died last weekend. It's 'The Shift', starring Dr Wayne Dyer, based on his teachings and it feeds your artistic senses in a very different way to the one above - it does have beautiful sets too, and good acting, but it is more about understanding the reason why we do art on a deeper level in the first place: our connection with Source. If like me you have listened to/read Dr Dyer for years then there probably isn't anything you haven't already heard before in this, but it's still nice to receive it in an artistic format rather than a lecture or a book. I don't often talk about how making art has become more of a spiritual practice to me in recent years, but it has & it feeds my work so much more than what just trying to 'do it alone' ever could. If you feel you might need to nourish your spiritual creative practice then this is a good place to set some time aside for and start:

http://www.drwaynedyer.com/the-shift-movie-watch-now

That's all for this ramble, 

Have a happy (& artistically nourished) weekend =)

PS I'm giving away some of my painted pebbles and my Bumper Bundle of Goodies (limited number currently available via Etsy) below in the giveaway on Journal Workshops, winners picked 7th Sept 2015 so get your name in now:

Journal Workshops Giveaway (< link)