Crap, I've Got Man Flu

We've all got our quirks.

One of mine is that I turn into a complete sook when I get sick.  First sign of a sore throat, foggy head or mild cough and that's the end of me.

Thankfully Ms L's only got a cold and should be able to take good care of me!

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By the way, there's an interview with me over at CurlyPops today, if you'd like to know more about me apart from the fact that I'm a big sook.

Bird Love

I Listen To Birds

Acrylics and Mixed-media on canvas

24 x 24 inch

I pray to the birds because

I believe they will 

carry the messages of my heart upward.

I pray to them because 

I believe in their existence,

the way their songs begin and end each day,

the invocations and benedictions of the Earth.

I pray to the birds because 

they remind me of what I love

rather than what I fear.

And at the end of my prayers, 

they teach me how to listen.

                                      -Terry Tempest Williams-

I'd Be Lying

see-saw via judah_reynolds

If I didn't admit:

• that my balance feels completely out of whack at the moment
• that adjusting to my new life is kicking my ass
• that some days I feel like my dreams are just too big for me
• that I'm completely intimidated by Photoshop
• that I'm overwhelmed by getting my creative business off the ground
• that I pretend to be lots of things - OK, happy, balanced, sure, confident
• that trying to remain positive all the time takes ridiculous amounts of energy
• that knowing I'll feel better tomorrow often leads me to be dismissive of how I feel today
• that there's so much of my story that remains untold
• that authenticity really matters to me
• that community is what I need
• that I feel afraid
• that I'm exhausted
• that I need to rest
• that I need to paint
• that everything is better when I paint
• that I'm learning, always learning, to listen to my whispers, to listen to my heart, to be braver, ever braver
• that I know it's going to be OK

All The Fish...

...are swimming in the water,

swimming in the water,

swimming in the water.

All the fish are

swimming in the water.

All day long.

More creative spaces here.

A Race To The ... Starting Line

I've been super busy getting ready for the exhibition and the re-opening of my Etsy shop.  I've got a great big to do list that involves all sorts of logistics, research, planning and doing.  It's a big list, but one that I'm more than happy to be working through.  I think it's my favourite to do list ever.

Late last night, when I was tired and wanted to stop, I thought "gee I'll be so happy when I get all this work finished.  Just a few more weeks and it will all be done".

And then it occurred to me!  This isn't a project that will be finished shortly.  This is a beginning.  The beginning.  This is the start of my creative business.  This is a race ... to the starting line.

So today I grabbed my to do list and I added some things for late July and early August.  A few things that will give me focus and keep the momentum beyond the starting point.  Don't worry, I gave myself some time to celebrate and unwind after the initial sprint.  I just wanted to help myself move into the marathon part of my journey with a sense of purpose and some direction.

Oh, and just to clarify, because I've seen a few people mention the wrong date around blogland.  The opening night for my exhibition is July 22nd.  I don't want you to get all rugged up and come out tomorrow night.  There won't be anything to see except a closed cafe.

Note To Self, But Maybe For You Too

Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

Dear Tinniegirl

It's OK to ... rest ... cry ... hibernate ... put your needs first ... be scared ... feel uncertain ... take a break ... listen to your whispers .... curl up on the couch ... surrender in the deepest of ways ... acknowledge that the growing and changing is taking up so much energy ... eat pizza and icecream ... turn off the computer ... tune out the world.

It's OK to carry all those feelings and thoughts, and still be ... excited ... positive ... hopeful ... dreamy ... optimistic ... ready ... certain ... energised ... busy ... active.

It's OK to ride the wave of your life with all it's contradictions.

It's OK to be who you are right now, to accept where you're at right now.

It's OK.  All of it.

Love 

Your kindest self

xxx

How about you? How does that sentence end for you?  Today?

It's OK to ...

The One In Which I Have Nothing To Say

More Creative Spaces at Kootoyoo.

Things Happening In Threes

Work in progress

It is cold, cold, cold in my corner of the world at the moment.  Not cold like snowing cold.  It doesn't get that cold around these parts.

I am busy, busy, busy getting ready for my exhibition.  I have a photographer coming early next week to photograph all my work in readiness for having fine art prints made.  I can't wait to see how they look.

I am snuggling, snuggling, snuggling under hand knitted blankets.  My Mum makes the most beautiful, colourful hand made blankets.  We have two of them, which means everyone gets to snuggle under their own blanket with their own cat.

I am cooking, cooking, cooking comfort food.  Sausages with cauliflower cheese and baked tomatoes for dinner.  Lemon Delicious pudding for dessert.   Hopefully tomorrow I'll get around to making the pea and ham soup.

I've been rising early, early, early in the mornings.  I'm training myself to get up with the birds everyday.  I like it.  It's peaceful and a little bit magical somehow.  I drink cups of coffee, and write, and paint.  Somedays I go to the bakery and buy gorgeous fresh bread still warm from the oven.

I am twittering, twittering, twittering and having so much fun.  You can find me on Twitter at @tinniegirl.

I am crossing, crossing, crossing my fingers and toes that chunkychooky wins the feeling stitchy rainbow of stitches contest.  Did you see the amazing piece that she submitted.

I am loving, loving, loving my life these days.

In Retrospect

1997

1999

2007

 2010

It's always been about flowers.

Lucky Bird, Or The One In Which Tinniegirl Finds Herself Living The Life Of Her Dreams

Lucky Birds

Acrylics and ephemera on canvas

6 x 6 inch

(Fine art print available late July)

It was Tuesday of last week when it came to me.  

Riding my bicycle to the gym mid-morning, the rest of the day spread out before me, I suddenly realised it.

Here I am living the exact life I have been dreaming of for the last 10 years.  My time is my own. I control when I work, how I work, who I work for.  I have time and energy for my creative dreams.  I have enough money to pay the bills.  I am free.

And in that moment, the briefest of moments, I made my decision.  To say YES! to this life, to fully commit to it from here on in.  To surrender my heart and soul to the deep sense of knowing that this is my time.

Saying yes was so simple.  Without fanfare or angst my life changed forever.

BUT, this living of dreams is not for the faint of heart.  The decision was easy, living it a different matter.

Balance has been so incredibly elusive.  The freedom has been overwhelming.  Whole days go past with nothing to show.  I flit from one task to another, often starting a myriad of different things, paying due attention to none, and finding myself lost in a sea of chaos.  Stress levels rise, worry and angst creep into my days.

For a moment I became so completely afraid.  After all this time I thought, I'm not going to make it.  I don't have the fortitude.  I don't know how to create the balance.

And finally, just in the last few days, came the knowing.  It's going to be just fine.  I know what to do.  I know how to do this.  Trial and error, some fine tuning and finessing, a little bit of looking ahead and planning, and the foundation of my new life is built.

I have arrived.

I Glanced Over

and there it was.

Exactly as the picture shows it.

The undeniable evidence.

That an artist and writer resides in this space.

Visit Kootoyoo to see who's residing in other Creative Spaces.

That's Great News

You heard it here first.
  

An exhibition and an opening night to celebrate.

  Do come and have a glass of bubbles with me.

My Etsy shop reopening in late July with fine art prints, affirmation packs and originals.

Yep, that's the good news.  I am so excited.  It feels so right, and I feel so ready.

Oh, and I'm pretty chuffed with this little bit of mischief that I got up to today.

Aqua Wins The Day

Homecoming

Acrylic on canvas

10 x 12 inch

I finally got to deciding between aqua and purple.  It's taken a good couple of weeks for the answer to come to me on this one.  Thanks for all your help, by the way.

It's all quiet over here at the house of Tinniegirl.  A stomach bug has stopped me in my tracks.

It's such a shame.  There's all sorts of goodness happening in my life at the moment and I have much I want to share and so much I want to do.  I've got major exciting news too.  Alas, it will all have to wait.

I'll be back soon.

All In The Detail

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again.  I'm utterly convinced that our lives are lived in the finest of detail and the smallest of moments.  

My life is changing so completely and so significantly at the moment.  When I step back and look it's the minutiae that has changed everything.  A brave email that has completely changed the course of my employment situation, a date marked in the calendar to open my first exhibition, an investment of $100 in an e-course.  Tiny, small steps that change everything, forever.

And perhaps the most profound of these small moments is the one where I glimpsed the possibility of living the life of my dreams. 

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Edited: If you're stopping by from Kelly Rae's Flying Lessons, hello and a huge welcome.  Would you like to join the {messages from the universe} Flickr group, a place to share words and affirmations found randomly in the world?  I'd love to see your finds.

Rules Of The House

1. The cat is not allowed in the house.
2. OK, the cat is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.
3. OK, the cat is allowed in all rooms, but must stay off the furniture.
4. The cat can get on the old furniture only.
5. Fine, the cat is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.
6. The cat can sleep on the bed, but not under the covers or on the pillow.
7. OK, the cat can sleep under the covers and on the pillow by invitation only.
8. Well, OK, the cat can sleep under the covers every night and on the pillow too.
9. Humans must ask permission to sleep under the cover with the cat; only the cat can sleep on the pillow.

It seems the cats of Australia are welcoming the arrival of winter.