Create Your Life

Bohemieannie Art Journal Page.  Used with permission.

 The unmarked page is always a challenge.  It holds all the possibles in the universe which can be wiped away by the first touch of pen or pencil.  I'm trying to look at it like teaching...  You labor all day and focus on the ones who don't get it forgetting that you may never know how far a student may travel on the slightest word of encouragement or unintentional inspiration.  Without trying the possibles have no chance and the unheard words remain still.

"Create your life."  That is what my friend Annie always says.   She is an amazing artist who always causes me to think about things in new ways.  Each time I visit her blog I am challenged.  Today I stopped by and found a post loaded with pictures of her latest journal.  An absolutely beautiful work created with things she found.  Things she found after leaving her house on a trip.  She put together a beautiful book made from things that most of us would consider to be trash.* 

Almost at the bottom of the post, Annie talks about her hesitation to actually write in the journal.  She expresses what I think is a common insecurity.  I wrote about it in my second post on this blog, (Sweating Blood.)   I am constantly trying to talk myself into starting a project, putting the first mark on the page, cutting into the piece of fabric, sewing the first stitch.  It is the challenge of rising to the possibilities.  The quote at the top of the page is what I wrote in response to Annie's need to practice her handwriting before starting to write.  I wanted to paste it here so that I could think about it some more and perhaps learn to live it. 



* This is a project concept I am turning over and over, trying to figure out how I can adopt it, adapt it and perhaps share it.  As I said, Annie always makes me think.