Right Brain Planner

She could only realize that she herself – her present self – was in some way different from her other self. That she was seeing with different eyes and making the acquaintance of new conditions in herself that colored and changed her environment, she did not suspect. ~Kate Chopin’s The Awakening

Leah Piken Kolidas chose “Mixed-Media” as the theme for the month of March. This is a playing card that I covered with Gesso for texture and to prepare the surface; and then added color with Derwent Inktense pencils and red-glittery nail color; a portion of a postal sticker; text from an altered book and a junk mail flyer; a target from a receipt.

Wanna join in? Here are some ideas and prompts. ♥

we share the warmth of each other. this is (commune)ity. ~rain

These are first words I read this morning … ♥

And after my brainstorming / planning session yesterday — the one where my toes gripped the ledge over the abyss of the unknown — each syllable of rain’s tweet was like a stitch in the parachute I am sewing this morning. The one I shall strap on tightly during the moments before I jump into that darkness of the unknown.

... the weather was cold and dark here yesterday; I was in need of warmth and light. I needed to sit across from a friend over a steamy mug.

So. I did. In-spirit. In (commune)ity.

Instead of wrestling, I found myself (rest)ling with the words of friends: warmth and light.

i just want five minutes. five minutes to sit and write – anything, really – just let my imagination take me places. ~Elora Nicole, {five minutes}

Five minutes …

That felt comfortable. It would be enough.

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I sipped my warm cuppa, and waited for my Rocket Man to arrive home, I sat with that five minutes … then five minutes more. And before I knew it I was softly wrapped in the comfort of (commune)ity.

I was not alone; I was in the midst of (commune)ity. They knew what I was feeling; we were together in spirit, passion … Kindred.

steeling myself for another year, and the urgency to do brave things pulses before me. ~rain, unafraid

Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show. ~Andrew Wyeth

i will pull up my sleeve
and bare light to the scars
the chapters of my life
that were healed but still part of my story.
~Heather, Why I Write

This morning, I journaled and jotted the ideas streaming from my heart and mind. And I sat with another five minutes … then five minutes more.

Give your truth breath. Speak it. Say it. Offer it to the ears of the world. And to the ears of yourself. Declare it. Write it down. Breath it out to someone else. Make it real. Make it alive. Make it full of breath. Put your breath–your exhale–in it and send it on it’s way. ~Mandy Thompson, How to talk to yourself so you can be heard.

There is a deep yearning within us all to be healed, to be more of what we were intended to be in the first place. ~Rick Beerhorst, What Doesn’t Kill You Can Become Your Art

Again reminded: I am not alone; I am in the midst of (commune)ity. They know what I am feeling; we are together in spirit, passion … Kindred.

There are stepping stones to our dreams. The question is whether you’re willing to use them. ~Mandy Steward, Tomorrow’s Dreams Today

I have been wading in the deep waters of my “reasons not to.” Baby steps count — especially when one is in deep waters. Mandy’s e-book sorta freaked me out when I first began reading it. In a succulent way. As I read each paragraph, her words are like a spotlight in the dark auditorium where I stage my dreams. This morning, I realize the star of The Perfection Excuse is me; and that I am also the producer and director.

Do one thing every day that scares you. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

… I see an artist. And, with all these years of self-wrestlings and askings and hopings and diminishings, I can’t help but wonder if that’s who I’ve always been. ~Mandy Thompson, You are who you are

Bold starts with a single red piece. And {living red} kept me from dying just a little bit. AND that’s who I’ve always been.

It is not the result of broken relationships, or hardship, or chronic illness.

It is who I am. And I am ready to Live. Red.

Don’t diminish the impact of your words because you’re struggling to believe in yourself. ~Jeff Goins

♥ Reminder: Regardless of how you feel or what “they” say … People need to know what you know: your discoveries, your doubts, your inspirations — and fear is gonna be swirled in every moment of that. It will keep you sharp. But it is not a reason to minimize your gifts — or for you to feel guilty — because you may appear arrogant for proclaiming what you know.

• Opinions do not change who you are.
  

• Someone needs to read what you have to say.

• Be in (commune)ity.

If you believe that community is not available to you … Think again. Relationships take time and begin in the simplest of ways. And do require that we permit ourselves to be vulnerable.

But here is the deal: We are vulnerable whether we risk anything or not. We are fragile and we need warmth and light for growth. And when we fall, we can always rise again. We can believe and bloom and live red.

Don’t diminish the impact of your words because you’re struggling to believe in yourself. ~Jeff Goins

The past year has been a twisty, windy adventure of zooming spurts away from my comfort zone. Perennial health challenges had a role in creating tighter boundaries — which became more restrictive than protective. And I slipped into old patterns of behavior paused in my progress of new and improved.

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Despite my self-inflicted wounds {and a few sniper shots}, said pause was in fact, due to some extenuating circumstances {sorta like once in lifetime stuff}. In other words: I had my hands full dealing with my day-to-day stuff; no energy, space or time for Next — so it was paused. Temporarily.

Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

My intention was change; to be different, to handle situations in a less familiar manner. But those months became a trigger, a field of realities to be explored and embraced and evaluated … despite the seemingly bad timing. {Besides, there were some beautiful moments.}

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I journey and do life with an amazing group of women. Without them … I would have deemed this time {pause} as failure. A setback. Again. I would be totally convinced that what is true for me in my private heart is not true for other women.

I would not believe that I am an artist, or {ethereal} — or that I could write a novel!

I would not fully realize that the ease and familiarity with regard to what I say and write is my gift; and that guilt {both self-inflicted and imposed} fueled the {crippling} self-doubt within — unnecessarily and without valid cause.

Guilt {conviction} need only be a momentary click of conscience; to be noted and reset. Guilt requires intention, and is not a valid response to unintentionally being at the scene of another person’s action {reaction} — their point of decision. My intentions cannot cause the actions of another person. 

Another person’s decisions are not my fault. I didn’t completely believe that until recent months. Months when {living red} was the only way to keep from dying just a little bit.

I would not know that I am at my best when … I am “walking in the belief that I CAN do all things — and let myself just do it.” ♥ #secretmessage

Maybe it’s not always about
trying to fix something broken.
Maybe it’s about starting over
and creating something better.
~Unknown

♥ Reminder: Regardless of how you feel or what “they” say … Guilt is not a valid response to unintentionally being at the scene of the actions of another person.