Catalyst seventy-five is up: What’s the hardest decision you ever made?
Karen says:
I’ve written about Teach For America before and I will be writing about it again. This is one of the few things in my life where I still need a lot of personal therapy. It’s unfinished for me. I haven’t made my peace with it yet. I am closer than I’ve been but not there yet.
I used a digital page for this because I don’t have any good photos from that time in my life. I used this photo of me and my students but blurred out their faces. Thank you for your patience with me as I work my way through this.
Journaling Reads:
i wish i could say that i feel 100% confident it was the right thing to do. that i don’t regret a moment of it. yet, here we are, six years later, and i am still unsure. i am still sad and it is still by far the hardest decision i ever made.
i have never ever quit anything in my life.
ever.
i try hard to think things thoroughly before i commit to them, and once i do, i don’t walk away. i see it through. all the way. it’s not a competition. it’s not about looking good. it’s just about integrity. i believe in seeing things through.
so, while i know deep down that i had no other choice, i still regret quitting teach for america. in my thirty-four years, i have never made a decision that was harder.
This week’s question is: “Why did i do that?”
I thought about this one for a long time and then decided to do it about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. I seek validation from so many people. Oftentimes from sources where I’m unlikely to get it. And I don’t trust myself or my abilities and this is something I need to get better at. Each time the validation doesn’t come I find myself asking “why did i do that to myself?” because it hurts so deeply.
I did this tag to remind myself that I need to “trust me” and my ability to judge my art, my writing, my photography, my coding, etc. and not seek validation elsewhere.
I looked down my list and realized hand-stitching was one of the few things I hadn’t done so I stamped a few hearts and hand-stitched them.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
This week’s question was: what 3 words would someone use to describe me?
I asked Jake and he said: intelligent, persistent, and genuine. So I used a heart tree for love, a clock for persistent, and a chinese coin for intelligence. I used distress ink on my background. I stamped with black ink. Added some perfect pearl-like shiny paint and restamped. I then used my pencils and gamsol to blend the red in and then added dimensional elements. A little bit of bling and the mini letters and that’s it.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here. <
Catalyst seventy-four is up: Tell us about somethin you feel obligated to do (daily or regularly) why do you feel obligated?
my words:
I take photos. I take A LOT of photos. As far back as I can remember, I always took photos. I was the yearbook photographer and the yearbook editor. No matter where we were and what we did, I always took photos. And then I had a son. Whatever photos I took before seemed a tiny amount compared to anything I took in the years before. I have a photo for every day of my son’s first year. And then my second son was born just three months ago. I’m a second kid so I know how they don’t get as much attention and as many photographs. So I swore to myself that I would take a photo of my second son every single day for his first year as well. So far, so good. And he’s luckier because in the meantime I have become a much better photographer.
This week’s prompt at creative therapy is: Tell us about a recent ‘dream come true’ it can be big or small as long as it was a dream for you.
here is my journaling:
I still remember the first time I read about Big Picture Scrapbooking. I was incredibly inspired by the idea and couldn’t stop thinking about it. A few months later, I was taking a course on accomplishing your dreams and on my list, I wrote down “submit a proposal to BPS.” I had no idea if they took proposals or what I would teach, but I didn’t care, I would find a way to make it happen. As it turns out, they did take proposals and I wrote mine up and sent it over to Stacy. A phone call and a few months later, my class was up and I finally got to accomplish my dream. And, honestly, it was better than I ever could have imagined. I loved writing the course. I loved teaching the course. I loved every bit of it and I am so lucky that I get to do it again and again.
This week’s question was “who do you need to thank?”
This one was obvious to me. I need to thank my parents. They have been incredibly generous and it allowed me to have a huge dream come true recently. Thank you mom and dad, I love you!
I used sticky back canvas with acrylic paint (used like water color) and some pretty hero arts stamps. I played around with stamping on ribbon. And I added some dimensional pearls. That’s it.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
Catalyst Seventy-Two is: Tell us about your best friend or the effect of friends in your life.
My words are:
Maybe it’s odd that my best friend is also my husband. Maybe it sounds like one of those cheesy Hollywood movies. However it might sound to you, all I can say is that it’s the truth.
No I don’t have the best marriage in the world. Yes, we have ups and downs. Many of them. Some days, I’m not even sure it won’t all fall apart. But even on those days, I am sure of one thing.
He is my best friend.
He is the person who knows me best. He is the person whom I want to call when I have something big to celebrate. He’s the one I call when I am so deep in sorrow that I want to curl up and disappear. He’s the person I want to experience new things with and celebrate old memories with. He is the person who knows me best. He is the person with whom I don’t have to fake anything.
Ever.
I don’t know how it happened that I found him. SAnd there are times when it’s rough that my husband is also my best friend. There are times I wish I had a different best friend. Someone with whom I could talk about my husband and my worries. But the rest of the time, most of the time, I am so glad that I found him. That he’s my husband. My love. And my very best friend in the whole wold.
I love you, my love.
This week’s question was: “Do you have a recurring dream?”
Since Nathaniel’s still not really sleeping much at night, I don’t dream much so I decided to make this about how I stay up at night and love him. I put a love tree, lights for staying up, a clock that shows how I’m awake at 4 in the morning and how he’s my #1 and this beautiful quote which I love.
I used stickles, distress stickles, liquid pearls, distress inks, embossing, and a lot of stamps.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
Catalyst seventy-one is: If I had one day to do over and over, what would I want to do with it?
Here are my words:
On this day that I’d like to live again and again, I wake up before everyone and enjoy a warm drink and some solitude. Then, slowly, my household wakes up and we have a delicious breakfast as a family. Then, we take a car trip to the beach or forest. We take photos, we have a picnic, and we play together and laugh. We drive back home and we take quiet time as we read and relax. For dinner, we cook together and eat something delicious and healthy. Then we snuggle up and read or watch TV together. After some kisses and bedtime words, the kids go to bed and we have some us time just my husband and I. That’s about it. Maybe it’s ordinary to you, but I can live this simple day over and over again and always be so so happy.
This question was: “What are your favourite days of summer/winter filled with?”
My days lately have been filled with dreaming about the life I want for myself and for my family. About making my dreams come true. So I decided to dedicate this card to that.
I painted the card green because I decided I didn’t have enough green cards so far. I then used clear embossing powder to stamp dream over and over again. I highlighted one and embellished around it and ta-da!
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
This question was: “What have you found lately?”
This one took a long time. In the end I decided to make it about freedom. I feel freer and happier than I have in a long long time. So here’s to my newfound freedom.
I cut a transparency in a tag shape and used a collection of alcohol inks on it and some copper mixative. I then stamped it with a music stamp and put some butterflies and a few letter stickers. I don’t really like how it turned out but honestly I can’t ever get the alcohol inks right no matter how much I try. These tags are for experimenting after all so I am letting this one stay.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
This question was: “On my walls i would write… ”
I can never remind myself this enough. Before David was born, I literally put this on my wall “Give up that there’s something wrong.” I need to live life happier and less worried.
Fabric, some leaves, a frame, buttons and a little baker’s twine with some pretty trim and some small letters.
I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.
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projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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