Thrive

Finding my voice… my song

Beat to your drummer, your own heart.  Dance your dance, sing your song.  Be YOU to full!  Thrive.  Time for me to fly…

This piece of art and creative process was very much about finding my voice, my song.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.”
– Maya Angelou

I had been thinking about the Documented Life Project Week 27 challenge for several days and lacking much motivation or inspiration to add an actual word search or crossword.  By the end of the week, I finally realized that I had been on a word search all week long!  As part of Tamara LaPorte’s free Art, Heart, & Healing online video course week 1, I had been working on creating my first girl. Part of the week 1 project is to think of a specific word for your girl/self to guide or comfort or represent a personal desire/need/affirmation.

After much thought and “searching” for an appropriate word, I finally chose “thrive”. This is my wish for myself and for the world around me. I have lived too long in fear, guilt, pity, insecurity, lack of confidence, comparisons, etc. This past January on an art journal page, I wrote the words “Let Go” of guilt, pity, and grief. Now, I want to focus on the idea of thriving in harmony. The purple heart is symbolic of the medal given to brave and wounded warriors.  As my girl evolved, she brought confidence, joy, love, wisdom, peace, beauty, vitality, and hope into my heart. She is purposefully left naked to represent the way I feel as I embrace vulnerability and choose to keep an open heart and share so much through my art, blog, and social groups. The remaining words about beating to your own drummer came to me one evening before sleep and I wrote them in my journal as a reminder to self. I had planned to write them fancier on the background, but as part of the “word search” challenge, I chose to rip out the notes that were jotted down quickly that night when completing this piece. This message is one that I need to remind myself of constantly!  The dragonfly is strategically placed on the throat to represent the voice emerging like a dragonfly growing it’s wings. I’ve been aware of how much symbolism seems to always be a part of my art, but I’ve just realized that symbolism is part of my voice/style. It’s nice to feel that I actually have a voice of my own!

The background was done using recycled tie-dyed paper towels. Then, I used a star shaped stencil from a bit of punchinella happy mail from Victoria Fischer – thank you, Victoria, it is one of my favorites! The lace on the left was from something of my grandmother’s. The lace representing something old from my roots and the dragonfly representing wings for the future (reminding me of a favorite quote about roots and wings: ‘There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings.’ by Hodding Carter). The stars also remind me of something I once read about a person requesting the words, “the stars still shine” be placed on their grave. I think my mom would have loved that attitude so the stars and dragonfly (from a story I read at my mom’s memorial) both remind me that my mom will always be wishing that I thrive. The words “it’s time for me to fly” wanted to be present as part of finding my voice and guiding me to soar. At the end of April, I invested in Kelly Rae Roberts‘ ebook, “Flying Lessons” and invested in myself. That week in April, when I was debating whether or not to buy the book, the line “it’s time for me to fly” kept playing over and over in my head. After a lovely, but quite over priced, anniversary dinner with my husband, I decided that if we could spend that amount on one meal, I could buy the book and invest in my dreams. I am so glad that I did!  Honestly, I haven’t even finished the book yet, but making that decision was a big deal for me.  Becoming part of the flying lessons group and art 101 group has been so encouraging. The first half of the book lit the spark that led to this blog, a facebook page, and shop. I am grateful to be finding myself along with my voice and many kindred spirits!

I sincerely hope and pray that we may all thrive together with mutual respect and harmony.