Unlock and Burst Through

Today, I finished this art journal page, which is very inspired by the amazing e-class I am taking, Bloom True.  It says, "I will unlock, burst through or shatter the containers I have made with my mind."  I don't know if it's a little depression from closing the lake house or the transition into the school year and all the "to dos" that are cropping up, but I have had a very negative soundtrack running in my head.  It goes something like this:

• I'm a bad mother - I am often irritable and critical of Samy (my 11 year old).   I don't bake, do crafts with her, and so much of the time I just "vant to be alone," to quote Greta Garbo.   Is it horrible that what I really want to do is spend time alone painting?
• I'm a bad daughter - I am so often short-tempered with my mom.  I don't cut her any slack at all.  I feel bad about that, because really -- we're so much alike (which is probably why...)
• I'm a bad friend - I forget birthdays.  I don't stay in touch or reach out enough.  Is it horrible that what I really want to do is spend time alone painting?
• I'm not a "real" artist.  So much of my work is commercial - I don't trust my process, my intuition, my materials.  I'm not original...

Wow - just writing and re-reading this makes me gag a little!  When do I feel best?  When I am actively engaged in helping others -- like in our volunteer work in Guatemala, or when I am lost in my artwork.  Clearly, to be indulging in all this self-criticism, I have too much time on my hands.   ENOUGH!  As my friend Marcie would say, get out and walk the dog!  Burst through this container of self doubt and judgment and find some joy in nature!

Two good quotes for today:

"Life does not accommodate you.  It shatters you.  It is meant to, and it couldn't do it better.  Every seed destroys its container or else there would be no fruition." (from ThinkExist.com -- no attribution)

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."  Peter Marshall

Linking up to Artists in Blogland Show & Tell Saturday, Moxie Fab Jars of Joy challenge (although my jar is not quite filled with joy!),  Ronda Palazzari's prompt to use the word "Unlock," Illustration Friday's challenge to illustrate the word "Burst," and Inspiration Avenue's dragonflies prompt.

And reminding you about Fall Fearless & Fly - a challenge I am co-hosting beginning October 1.  I am so looking forward to it!

Question:  Do you have a negative soundtrack?  How do you turn it off once it starts playing?

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.

UPDATE - I saw this today on FB and had to add it to this post.  It seemed written just for me.

It's a Fab World

 Today's the last day to post a design for the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger, so I wanted to get this design up.  Here's the trigger design: 

 

The colors are definitely "manly," hence the name for the Tuesday Trigger - "Mantastic."  The shape reminded me of both raindrops and flower petals.  So here is what I came up with.  For the Walk, Dance or Just Get Wet design, I created a stencil from a silhouette I found on the internet.  I used the part I cut out as a mask, and sprayed red and blue ink to create a positive and a negative design using  Balzer Designs' blazonry stencil.  Then I stenciled the man using black acrylic, and wrote on him with a Sakura silver gel pen.  It wasn't enough, so I stamped a little, doodled a little, and eventually was happy.  I like how the colors and the shape of the blazonry stencil echo the beautiful rug.  These are color combinations I don't often use.  So I was happy for the challenge.  And I love the saying -- make the best of every situation!

For Run With Scissors June 9 prompt (what would you shout out loud today), I made a background using the colors in the Tuesday Trigger, taking my cue from a great Art Journal Cafe tutorial.    I love this saying.  We can't just sit and wish and dream about our future -- we have to go out and make it.  Seize the day!!