A Retiring Year of Uncertainty (& How I've Stayed Certain) - Daily Behind the Scenes Blog 2

Hi love

This is my second daily blog behind the scenes post, you can view yesterdays here. I'm summing up what I've been up to lately all in one week! (Yep, it's a mission! lol)

In this post I'm going to pretty much sum up my entire year. 

A couple of days ago I received a message from Connie the creator of 21 Secrets, letting me know that the class I contributed to last year is retiring. This got me to thinking, I thought about all the projects I did last year, including this one. Then I thought of all I've done this year, while still a lot it has definitely been a retiring year for me, and my creativity. 

A few months ago, perhaps even a few weeks ago, I would have said I would be ready for 2016 to be over. 

Not much had gone my way, my creativity while I wouldn't use the used 'blocked' was certainly lacking. Inner critics dug their claws in early on, replacing my usual creative angels and muses. To someone who has been used to creativity being a faithful companion for years now (with a few little hiccups occasionally along the way) it is quite a heavy loss to feel! I also lost some family members, one of whom I loved beyond description, and I cannot even type this now without tears taking over (while I am through deliberate intention a happy person and I celebrate his life more than his death I still get caught unawares but my emotions welling up like this and sticking in somewhere around my throat). I have felt stuck and uncertain as to where my future lay, a feeling that soon becomes overwhelming and chocking all in it's own right.

journal page from one of the....well you can guess what kind of day!

So yes, not long ago I'd have told you to 'take it away' if you'd have brought 2016 up to me (in an 'off with it's head' Queen of Hearts tone)

Now though, as I shared in yesterdays post, things are changing. Creativity has returned. Clarity is everywhere. Passion is back. The murkiness has lifted as I stopped focusing on the obscurity of 'the future' and decided to concentrate on now. Want do I want now? A new studio*? Sure! To create a new class? Righto, let's go! Some of that gorgeous chocolate cake? Oh just one piece then! Find the right biz coach? Oh err, okay! To plan an adventure? Lemme get my planner! To create some new DIY embellishments? Whoop whoop! A cuddle with my bum bum**? Come 'ere boy *smooshies*!

I now don't want this year to end! 

I feel there's so much I still want to do! I stopped being wrapped up in what had gone wrong (which just continues the spiral) and took notice of what great things are happening now.

I'm sharing this because at some points this year I really was at a loss, really was at my lowest, but I feel better now and wanted to share how I did it. 

Things are still as uncertain for me as they were before...

but what has shifted is my attitude towards that. In truth aren't things always uncertain. Isn't certainty just an illusion we make up? Something we pretend is there to feel safe, but something that doesn't really exist. I think many people have felt their illusions shift with the political shocks this year. I felt it with Brexit. The world as a whole appears to be feeling it with the US Presidental Election results. What I noticed though is that after this year, a year of personal uncertainty, the mass uncertainty could not keep me in fear for very long - not even for a few minutes. 

Things are uncertain right now. Things will always be uncertain. My job is to be okay in spite of this, in spite of whatever is going on in my life, or in the world at large. 

Tears may well in my eyes at times but I stay in my knowing that all is well. I stay certain, because it is not the job of the world to do that for me. Our emotions, our lives, our achievements and our desires are our own responsibility. 

And as this year retires I thank all the uncertainty that presented itself in my life for teaching me how to stay certain; 

how to create, and live in, my own stability. 

Till Tomorrow

* more on my new studio in tomorrow's post!

** my Sweepie-pie-bum-delicious -

PS

As the 21 Secrets 2015 Classes are retiring this is the last chance to get some amazing classes from some of the best mixed media artists around (yep, including my humble self lol)

For 21 Secrets Spring click here

For 21 Secrets Fall click here

If you use the code 'RETIRE' you will get $30 off!

Happy Creating!

Remembering My Creativity: A Personal Share About 2016

I've spent the last couple of hours searching old sd cards of my creations for an art project I'm doing. It was a bizarre feeling to look through these teeny tiny things that hold the entire history of my connection to my muse. 

It left me very reflective over many things I've been dealing with this year, a battle (or perhaps several battles in a larger war) that has been raging between my creativity and I. (I also stumbled across some pictures of a half naked ex boyfriend which I suppose didn't help my mood either lol). 

You see I've had a tough year emotionally. I've had a lot of gremlins come up internally and some hard changes externally. 

I cannot always lay my finger on what has been wrong but this year unlike any other before my creativity has not always been there for me, in fact some times it has been the source of my pain. It is really scary to share this, because I have always been an advocate for using your creativity to process tough emotions, never to use it to be the cause of them!

It is wrong to say my creativity has not always been there for me in the sense that I 'lost it' because that's not the case, it's just some times I've just not wanted to access my creativity because of how I'm feeling about it. 

It's a new level of understanding this complex relationship that seems to hold more layers and nuisances than any person-to-person relationship I've ever had.  

Looking through the sd cards today I saw times when I had no clue what my creativity and I were doing together, but we did it anyway. I saw times when I knew exactly what I was doing and still got surprised by the outcome. I saw times when I did not think I was showing up at all but my creativity still took itself for a spin anyway. 

I saw a really thick and rich history, and it was gorgeous to remember it all, first mentally, then emotionally and then through my hands with this RAW Intuitive Journal page:

RAW Intuitive Journaling is all about connecting with your creativity through your intuition and a useful tool for process emotions through art. I have a class on this which you can find out more about it on my art community here:

http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/raw-intuitive-class

(or if you're not a member of my community site you can read about it on Etsy here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/221489763)

In doing this RAW page I was reminded that I know this thing that is creativity, I know it, well. I actually know thousands of techniques and sooooo many processes. I can run rings around any magician for tricks up their sleeve.

It's kinda hard to see the layers via these pictures but through the surfaces of quickened scribbles and scraped on gesso I focused on what it was that I was really feeling and was ready to write with my paint markers.

The words on the page say

Wondering:

I'm beyond where I thought I was

And I'm wondering where to take that.

What's coming is kinda sorta amazing.

And it'll teach me right for forgetting to be amazed.

There's also something in there about getting my confidence back, so I guess what I'm really happy to say is...I finally think I see the bright colours of my creativity through the thick fog of emotions again! 

And on top of that understand what this new twist to my relationship has taught me (for one thing: to remember to be amazed!). 

I remembered that when I want to meet my creativity it is never as hard as I've been making it out to be. In fact it's easy, because... well I know it, 

I know it well. 

I hope if you ever are at this juncture of your relationship with creativity you'll remember this too. What helped me get here is following the steps I shared in this article I recently wrote about 'Dealing with Creative Demotivation'.

Thanks for reading

Love, an artist who just re-remembered her creativity

Finishing Your Art Journal Pages New Video Series!!

Hello my creative darling

This week I'm sharing the first in a new little video series, about taking your pages from backgrounds to complete pages. 

Each video will focus on a different theme to do with finishing your art journal pages, the first is on the art of listening to your gut, so I talk a lot about my class 'Raw Intuitive Journaling' as that is where a lot of this is from/where I mainly teach the process. You can take my Raw Intuitive Journaling Class either by going to my online art community

http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/raw-intuitive-class

or you can buy it through my Etsy Shop: 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/221489763/raw-intuitive-journaling-class.

So here is the first video 'Finishing Your Art Journal Pages #1 - The Art of Listening', click on the image to watch enjoy =) 

Come back next week for the next video where we may deal with other themes to finishing your art journal pages such as the different overwhelming factors that can stop you finishing an art journal page or focusing on ways to mix written journaling and words into your art. See you there!

Weekly Ramble's are blogposts I put out on Friday just to share whatever is happening in my art world, regardless of where I'm at in a process, or in my creative flow, or my studio etc the posts are more about capturing a glimpse of the middle than they are showing the shiny finish...though sometimes the shiny finish might be just what you get!

Black Friday Loveliness?

***Black Friday Sale, All My Classes Now 50% OFF***

I see this year Black Friday has split people totally down the middle. Some see awfulness, others see loveliness...and (I think seeing as I'm an online, rather than in person, shopping kinda gal) I fall on the side of Loveliness. 

I LOVE how I can indulge in bunches of art supplies that normally I would consider a little too pricey or frivolous (why do I need another set of pencils when I have several sets barely touched? etc). 

And I LOVE how I can get education products for things that normally I wouldn't buy just because I'm slightly interested in the topic (for instance this morning I brought a podcast class, not because I'm definitely wanting to start a podcast, just because I'm interested in the subject and would like to learn more). 

I suppose what I really LOVE is the options Black Friday gives and the PERMISSION you then give yourself to allow yourself to experience new things you may not have be open to before (basically if you were paying full price - because, you know, we all love a bargain).

So in light of this I wanted to add to this feeling and offer 50% off of all of my Classes.

or click here: http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/sale

Want to learn how a new way to make a journal? I got you covered. Want to learn how to put more you in your journals?  I got you covered. Want to experience how to connect your emotions to your art through things like symbolism?  I got you covered. 

Give yourself permission to have the new experience you want.

Click the image or link above to check out the classes on offer and enjoy 50% off each class

(all class are crazy prices starting at only £10 but just for this weekend only!)

I’ve never offered this huge reduction before, and to be honest I’m not sure I’ll do it again so now is the perfect time to stock up on the classes you want.

Hope you have an awesome weekend

PS 'ALL my classes' really does mean ALL MY CLASSES, so my Brand New Journal Playdate is also included in this offer! Pretty crazy, but he'd feel lonely if I left him out =)

The Creative Instinct

Hi guys

I was going to write a post today (as mentioned in the video I made instead below) continuing on from the 'marinating' post I did last week and my Creative Instinct. 

Then I realised while I've spoken of the Creative Instinct a lot on this blog (I even have a tag for it on the right, and I'm not very good at keeping up the correct categories on this blog so I think that says how important it is to my creativity) I'm not sure I've ever fully gone into depth about what it is. I mean I might of given a description when I first started writing about it, but I never brought it up properly as a 'thing' to you guys, and yet I think it might be able to help one or two of you to identify this aspect of your Creative Self, so here's the full video version of 

The Creative Instinct:

click the image to be taken to the youtube video

I hope you have an awesome weekend 

PS If you would like another vid from me tomorrow be sure to open my email if you're on my newsletter list for an exclusive 'Ask Jennibellie' video all about writing in your art journals. 

If you're not on my list click on the image above to sign up or here: Jennibellie's Newsletter

 (it's free & I'll even gift you lotsa goodies for joining)

PPS If you are intrigued by the RAW Intuitive Journaling Class you can click on the image below to be taken to a page of the full details, watch a video, see what's included etc:

 Happy Halloween weekend 

xoxo

Where YOU Meets YOU: Making Meaningful Creations from Your Journaling

Hello

Today I want to share how wonderful it feels to create art pieces that feel incredibly meaningful to you before you've even begun creating them. 

But how can to you get a significant connection to something before it's brought into being? Before you've seen it, touched it or even thought of it? 

By pulling meaning directly out of your mirror, your reflection, your giant holder of all things meaningful to you - your journal, and smushing it together with your brilliant creative ideas of course. 

I'm working on a new class (well actually I'm working on several, and several other projects of all kinds, all at once - not very clever of me as it then takes aaaaeeeooonnns to get anything ready but my excuse must be that I have to go wherever the creative energy does, as you probably know by now if you've followed me for any length of time) and one thing that came up is how much I create from what appears in my journals - and how much those things mean to me as they hold SO much significance before my hands have even created them.

For instance I shared this dragon I created this week on social media:

and when I think about it creative dragons have come up a lot in my journaling lately (and blogposts too - click here to read 'What a visit with a Fake Famous Artist Taught Me About My Creative Dragons'):

When you create this way there is a connection already present between you and the creation and it is so POWERFUL it's palpable. So in the hopes of inspiring you to take up making some really unique and personal items to you, I thought I'd share some of the things I have made from my journals. 

So first up here's something I made a couple of days ago that is really easy to emulate...

as it is simply an atc I created (with scrap card I keep cut and collaged ready for when I want them) with a message on it that comes directly out of my written journaling (see my written journal right there underneath?)

These are great to keep around your journaling space as reminders of whatever is important to you at the present moment; right now I'm owning my power! We are insanely powerful beings, and through my journaling I've learnt to forego any thoughts of unworthiness that hinder that tremendous and beautiful brilliance from coming through. It's satisfying to say 'no' to all those pesky, niggly (and boring) useless thoughts & feels so good to whip out an atc, black pen and crayons as soon as those gems come up in your journal. 

Within couple mins BOOM: you have a lovely meaningful reminder of something profoundly important to you.

FYI: this journal space above is a big part of one of those new classes that'll be on Journal Workshops soon enough. Shhh! Don't tell!

Another creation was this doll I shared when I got a 'Creative Download' (aka My Raw Intuitive Journaling Class):

here's the journaling counterpart:

I actually covered this whole 'Creative Download' process/story/development in a couple of other Weekly Ramble blogposts with videos which you can find here:

How to Receive a Creative Cosmic Download

& Cosmic Download Chronicles Part 2 (aka I'm flyinnng!)

And finally I also realised one of the projects we did on Journal Workshops for my Birthday Bash (the 'Community Flag' project to be precise), also came about from the journaling I was doing back at that time about creative living (hence 'Creative Life' being on the flag):

If you want to see a video of the flag being created (and some other art technique vids thrown in too) then you can still check them out in the Birthday Bash Group [here] for free. There are many more creations I could share but hey, gotta hold something back for the class! lol.

So I hope sharing these projects has given you some inspiration. I really cannot stress enough how wonderful it feels to create art that feels significant to you before you even start. I realised writing the 'pull meaning directly out of your journal and smush it together with your creative ideas' sentence at the beginning why it feels so meaningful...

because it's where the unique meets the unique:

Important things in your journal = unique to you. 

Your brilliant creative ideas = unique to you. 

It's such a meaningful process because it's where YOU meets YOU!

Let me know if you give it a go, or if you already do this what have you created? Fill me in the comments below.

Have a wonderfully arty weekend

Much love

PS Did you see my latest video?? 

If not click the image below to watch:

Join Journal Workshops Art Community

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

Exclusive Class Video Share

Hello my loves!

I won't deny to you that I'd forgotten it was friday and therefore time for my usual Weekly Ramble post sooooooo I'm going to share an exclusive class video I shared earlier today via email as I have nothing else prepared lol (there I was earlier today sending out emails high-fiving myself and thinking 'yeah! I got something 'Jennibellie' done' & completely forgetting all about this). Because this shows my scattiness I also won't deny I've been feeling a little swamped lately, you may have noticed that I've been posting less online, it's not through any particular and I'm not looking for sympathy I'm just in a 'need replenishment' phase I think - and that's okay. We all need it those times. And that is what I shall be doing for myself this weekend! How about you?

So the video share is from my RAW Intuitive Journaling Class & I'm sharing it because it's all about how to deal with any 'icks' that come up through your art journaling - whether that be something deeply emotional or simply that you don't like how your page is turning out. This is something I get a lot of emails about/see get mentioned a lot so if this is something you're dealing with I hope this is of use to you. Click the image below or [here] to watch or download the video:

Please note: as this is obviously part of a class I mention other sections and tools that are available only in the classroom so just be aware of this if I talk about something you haven't heard of/know about. If you want to join class then it's still open and available for lifetime access, all the details of the how's & what's are here: http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/raw-intuitive-class

Much love

Happy Weekend

Jennibellie

PS want to know what specifically what I'll be doing this weekend to replenish? I'll finally be carving out some me time to dive into my 21 Secrets Workshops, which is timely if you want to too as there is a fabulous sale of 40% off of 21 Secrets Spring 2014 & 21 Secrets Fall 2014 over this weekend

You can purchase both of these workshops for $58 each (regular price: $98) or buy the combo pack at $111 (regular price $170). Sale is only over the weekend, ending Monday I think so click the images or [here] to get them at this great price & spend the weekend with me creating secrets in our studios!!

Wish to be a Better Blogger

A couple of this weeks RAW Journal Pages.

The bottom is one I just finished in my outdoor studio. I'm feeling very philosophical this evening and like I'm searching for something. If I find out what it is, I'll let you know. For now though this ramble is going to be a kind of weekly sum up, as apart from a couple of random pages such as above I haven't done much art this week due to being under the weather. 

The said under the weatherness prevented me doing a tutorial I reeeeeeeally had my heart set on doing for the Art Swap Group on Journal Workshops. Fortunately however I felt well enough yesterday to be able to still do some sort of video, so I'll post it for you here in case you haven't signed up to the Art Swap yet and might want to - I think you should, you'll enjoy it =)

If you'd like to join in this months Swap click here, or on the image below:

http://journalworkshops.ning.com/group/art-swap/forum/topics/may-art-swap-2015

A couple of days ago I also posted a Facebook Giveaway to win free access to four of my classes, you can enter yourself by clicking on the image below:

A book was delivered today, that I'm in...or at least my art is. I like hundreds of other awesome artists have had work published in Dawn Devries Sokol's new book:

A World of Artist Journal Pages

here's my art journal pages (sorry for the bad pics - it's a mobile only post today apparently lol):

On receiving it I felt quite bad, as I've been feeling a terrible pull lately to post more on my blog. Especially when I think back to when I made these pages in the book (they're probably over two years old now) & how much I used to blog, and be part of a blogging community - joining in blog hops/linky lists and such (for instance I know there's like a million that happen on a friday that despite doing a Weekly Ramble blogpost every friday I just don't link up with....so perhaps this week for the first time in a few years I'll link with Paint Party Friday & Art Journal Every Day to dip my toes into the waters again). I suppose that's what happens when you create an online community, you then lose access to others when you realise that just because you've added more to your days the cosmos still sticks to a solid 24hr regime. But no repining, Journal Workshops is my biggest online achievement & perhaps a biggest one in general & I would not change it for the world. I shall just resolve to do better at blogging!

Thank you (once again) for reading my rambings, 

much love

[Private Video] You Are All Right

Hi guys

Hard pushed for time today, so I took the intuition and did a video, which is right .......... 

.................

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here......................

Much love

Jennibellie

Wanna RAW Journal?
Click the image below for further details
(or this link: http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/raw-intuitive-class)

RAW Intuitive Journaling is a class about accessing and expressing your own inner truth in your journaling & unlike anything I have shared before. Class is open with instant access to the classroom, downloadable content, work-at-your-own-pace lifetime access and a very affordable price, click here for full details and preview etc:

 http://journalworkshops.ning.com/page/raw-intuitive-class