Sometimes, this word calls me to respond quickly; sometimes physically and at times vocally. Other times it calls me to do the most simplest of things; yet, it is something that is the hardest to vocalize  out loud. So I do what is the least vocal on the outside for me, but the loudest cry inward of my soul.

Often it is the simplest thing that get the tasks and job done the best.

Find your peace and live it courageously.

Image: (c) 2012 Indigene Theresa Gaskin

“Body of Days – Courage Art Journal Page”

I journal daily and it takes a lot less time to create something in my journal than it does to create something large (which my art tends to be). I can go to my journal, doodle, sketch, collage and write, to create a page and voila! It’s therapeutic, immediate and I don’t need retail therapy!

Have an amazing weekend as we all go forth courageously in a world where good things are always possible. In peace to you and yours.

©2012 Indigene Theresa Gaskin – 2012 Courage Journal-Mixed Media Collage – Pg. 4.

Why is that so frightening to say to yourself or others?

I think because it’s shame-based, to the person who admits it and to those who hear it; or it feels like you’re admitting to a character flaw. Many people don’t know what to do with the feelings that come with struggles.

Neither do I, but I do know that getting it outside of myself, helps me to see it in front of me and allows me to do something about it, instead of letting the struggles roasts me like meat on a rotisserie!

I don’t need to get in the specifics of the struggles, it is safe enough to say “I have struggles or I’m struggling”. I am no different from other people who struggle, except maybe, I’m saying it out loud today and writing it for all to see, if they want.

I think that people are always willing to share the wonderful and beautiful things of life, but never the shades or shadows of one’s life/self. It makes us vulnerable and open. Yet, I have always found the greatest lessons, in the messiest parts my life. It shows that we are all apart of a zigzag journey, that calls us to the same place in the end.

Believe me, I’m not trying to be deep, philosophical or depressing; it’s just a real thing for me now. It is in this part of the journey that I have find, I am human, not in a theoretical sense, but in the daily grind of life. So it’s not important that I share the exact struggles, but that I struggle. I share my happiness here all the time, so today, it’s struggling, that I’m sharing and everyone, and I mean everyone struggles. To not acknowledge that feels dishonest, so today, I share this and to let someone know…that we are struggling together.

It may not apply to you today, but maybe it will one day and you’ll remember this post and know that you’re never alone in it. It is in the struggles, that shows me that I am alive…living in the shade…coming to light daily.

Hibernation is almost over, Spring is coming…more light…more hope!

My rituals and spirituality keep me nurtured. My family keeps me cocooned, safe and loved. As always in the dark nights of the soul,  the light comes through, reminding me that there is balance and that fears will always be there, but it is the moving forward in those fears that the courage comes.

Love is the strongest engine of survival, life’s calling and I’m moving forward with the light of courage.

Peace to you and yours.

(“Life’s Calling” Collage/Paper-5″x7″ - ©2012 Indigene Theresa Gaskin)

My image, “Gabriel’s Horn” (30″ x 40″ – Oil/Canvas – Sold/Private Collection) is on the cover of Dream Network Journal.

Yes, I’m shamelessly happy and wanted to blog about it. I often write about the creative process, post the end results and let you know how I’m feeling!  So, it’s only appropriate to share my glee here, also!

What makes this so exciting is that this painting, marked my ten years of being a professional artist! Much of my work has been derived from dream experiences.

So, this weekend, I’m doing the thankful happy dance, anyone want to twirl around with me in thankfulness and happiness?

Have a fantastic weekend, mine is off to a great start!

Peace to you and yours!

P.S. The quarterly magazine is sold at Barnes & Nobles – $7.00

©2001-2012 Indigene Theresa Gaskin– Image: “Brave Warrior”)

This year my intention is Courage. I did not come to this intent quickly or lightly, but through…the power of daily meditation, prayer, silence and deep listening.

So what does this mean?

This means I will not wait for fear to go away before I move forward with new ideas and dreams that need to be realized. The only way I can dissolve fear is to begin to move with it.

I have heard, that the thing that stands in the way of us creating the life we want, will only go away, if we start creating it. Yet, this is the most fearful aspect of beginning that life!

So like a brave warrior, I am empowered by my first step…setting my intention. Intent needs to have action to follow it…so I have posted my intent, in various place in my home, in my studio and I have found a visual for my intent. (See image). So by blogging this, my intent is in the world!

These are the steps for me to build a foundation grounding myself in this intent.

These baby steps of intent and action, will give me more courage to take many more steps, as I give myself time and space to experience the voices of my fears, moving with purpose, while staying aligned with my intention and fiercely committed as each day poses its challenges and rewards.

The Highs and Lows of my 2011 year:

1.) I RESOLVE TO PROMOTE MYSELF SHAMELESSLY.  (Those of you who read my blogs, encountered me on Facebook and Twitter know this is true! :) I also handed out many business cards and postcards during 2011.

2.) I RESOLVE TO CULTIVATE A GREAT WEBSITE. Well, it’s great website to me! My wonderful webmaster son and I spent an enormous amount of time on it, updating it!

(© 2011 Indigene Theresa Gaskin – Frontview of my 2011 journals).

3.) I RESOLVE TO CONTINUE OPERATING WITH COMPLETE INTEGRITY.  This was done a 100% of the time and gave me great satisfaction, since this is one of my values, to act and serve with integrity!

4.) I RESOLVE TO CONTINUE EDUCATING MYSELF IN THE BUSINESS OF ART. I did this through workshops on and off-line! I made it through 9 workshops this year and in the midst of completing the last one now! I’ve read over (120) books this year, with thirty (30) of them being about art business and marketing (My bookstore receipts state I’ve purchased about 250 books, I still haven’t read them all yet)!

5.) I RESOLVE TO CONTINUE CONNECTING WITH OTHERS AND SHARE INFORMATION. I joined a guild and participated in meetings and continue to mentor others.  This was really big for me, since I am incredibly introverted and enjoy my solitude greatly!  These were all the resolutions I made in the new year of 2011 : (See http://indigeneart.com/happy-new-year-happy-birthday-to-me/)

Additional highlights included winning an award in arts and culture and participating in (2) Art Fairs!

So I feel so incredibly wonderful that I accomplished all my resolutions and lived in true abundance that I gained this year.

(© 2011 Indigene Theresa Gaskin – sideview of all my journals completed in from 2011)

Wonderful highs, also come with lows. The lowest points of 2011 and which will make 2011, unforgettable is that I lost my Mom (August 22) and my sister, Renee (June 27). I can honestly say that I have been in the abyss and on the mountaintop in 2011. I was blessed with the abundance of kindness from strangers and family. The outpouring of love from my internet friends still continue to overwhelm me and kept me held in the abundance of hope and warmth.  I learned so much from this heartbreaking ordeal and I still continue to learn from it. I realized what true friendship meant during this time.

So, 2011 brought me a fire of grief, a rainstorm of love and true growth and will never, ever be forgotten by me.

So with the old year, only a few hours left, I wish you all a very, wonderful, peaceful, spectacular, loving, prosperous, healthy and loving New Year!

I will see you in the New Year, with my intentions and resolutions and I hope to see yours as well! :) Peace to you and yours.

©Indigene T. Gaskin - "Food Celebration" - 10"x10", Mixed Media/Paper

I have a brigade (the Home Love Brigade), aka “My peeps, my tribe, my love buckets, my family” and the nick names go on and on. No matter how I’m feeling or who I’m yelling at, my brigade is my stronghold.  They love me fiercely and I them! :)

The last few weeks were extremely busy, holiday stuff, school work, household junk, workshops, sales, art fair preparations, holiday studio tour preparation, marketing and creating (my only grip on sanity)!!

My brigade has been there through the thick (which is me) and the thin (my patience)! But, they still love and support me! So this is my special way of giving them a shout out and absolutely begging them to continue…:)

So meet the Home Love Brigade:

Jon: Commando, BBQ-Meister, Security, Confidante, Framer, Baker, Kindest man in the whole world and my Go-To Snuggler!

No. 1 - Radical Son: Web Meister, Great Cook, Creative Buddy, Listening Ear, I have to beg to snuggle him and who now can say no to me, with no repercussions (except Mom-guilt, it still works)!!!

The Baby: The Love Bucket, Assistant Baker, Chief Eye-roller to certain demands of mine; Major Art Fair Helper; aka: “messy-haired girl” and a sweet snuggler!

I love and have absolutely the best brigade in the world!!! (Uh, love brigade, you are going to be helping at the next two events, right?!) :)

Loving your people, makes life pretty spectacular!

In peace to you and yours!

P.S. I am so in the dog house for putting their pixs on my blog! It’s holiday time, maybe they’ll forgive me…again?!

This is an extremely busy time for many people, running round with end-of-year activities and holiday stuff, me included!  So, I’m happy to offer some beauty and words to live by.

Here is the first of (18) inspirational card series, I’m launching:

Dream Sequence #7  - Inside Text: “You soar above life’s chaos“ ©Indigene Theresa Gaskin

Price: $5 per card – 5″ x 7″ Card

Shipping is Free in the U.S.A. and Canada

I will be featuring all (18) cards through my blog posts, Facebook and Twitter.  All cards are $5 each, the messages are inspirational and the art is frame-able, they’re great as a keepsake or as a gift.

I’m really excited to be able to offer my art and words that I live by to you at an affordable price.  For now, the cards can be purchased directly from me.  Purchase can be made through me with PayPal, credit card and/or with check by approval first.

Email: indigene (at) indigeneart.com    (Write in subject line: Card Purchase Only)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigeneart

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Indigene1

All (18) cards will be available, plus many other beautiful items at the Holiday Open Studio Tour – 212 Wakefield Road,  Rosemont, PA  - December 9 – 11, 2011. Please stop by can view my art and the art of five other amazing artists/artisans. You can pick up a map from the aforementioned location to all the other studios involved as well!

So let me get back around to my chaos and remember to breathe, life is good and you’re alive!

In peace to you and yours.

]]> http://indigeneart.com/2011/11/28/soaring-round/feed/ 12 http://indigeneart.com/2011/11/19/vanity-or-confidence/ http://indigeneart.com/2011/11/19/vanity-or-confidence/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:43:34 +0000 Indigene http://indigeneart.com/?p=2307 Illustration Friday‘s prompt for creating this week is vanity. It got me to pondering whether confidence is sometimes mistaken for vanity.

Of course, I know the definition of vanity, but there have been times when I’ve mistaken someone for being vain, and after getting to know them, I realized that they had a confidence of self, that was enviable. Which brings me to my next pondering…do we see vanity because we envy the confidence of an individual?

The lesson learned for me, is not to judge, since it is only when I get to know the person, do I begin to see the true self, and there have been times, when I would have missed out on knowing a wonderfully confident and loving individual.

(Image: “Da Bronx” – 9″x12″ Mixed Media/Paper)

I captured this beauty sitting on a stoop in the Bronx. My first thought was “what a vain young woman.”  She exuded confidence, beauty, which many took as being vain. I glad I got to know her, she had a mighty story, where vanity had no play in it.

How do you know when you’re dealing with vanity or confidence?

How do you know the difference? Have you ever mistaken one for the other?

Does culture play a role in your viewpoint of vanity of another?

Have you ever dismiss a vain individual without getting to know them?

Love to hear what you think!

Peace to you and yours.