Blog - Page 42 of 60 - Sacred Healing of Grief Wounds

How I Started Writing Again

It’s been difficult to write during the stress of COVID-19. Yet I started writing again. Some would say it was coincidence that I saw an interview with Windy Lynn Harris, one of my writing mentors. I don’t believe in coincidence. Rather I believe in serendipity via Divine intervention, help from above, the hand of fate, or whatever words best describe a greater power for you.

A Little Background

My professional writing career began five years ago in May 2015. I had received an invitation to attend Julie Colvin’s Wellness Writer Retreat in Sedona, Arizona. Living in Colorado at the time, I drove, which is a favorite pastime for me.

Lisa Fugard and Windy Lynn Harris were featured authors, giving us writing prompts, feedback and incredible support. After the retreat, I continued studying with these two writers in Bootcamps. Both women continue to support and inspire me.

The Interview

Julie Duffy of StoryADay.org interviewed Windy about Flash Fiction, a type of literary writing that is usually a very short read, often under 500 words. The Tweet showed up in my feed and I clicked on the link. I delighted hearing Windy’s familiar voice with her excitement for writing. It inspired me to check into the StoryADay concept.

StoryADay Concept

It’s pretty obvious to me that I would be writing a story every day. You might think that would be intimidating to someone who hasn’t worked on their writing project in months. In contrast, I was excited about it.

This challenge began in 2010. Funny how so many great things start on the mark of a decade. I signed up and received a packet of information about this year’s StoryADay May Challenge. The rules are very loose, but the concept is still writing a story a day.

Since most participants know this is coming, Julie began building the excitement in April. I missed that, seeing Windy’s interview exactly one week ago on May 1st. My blog post from last week served as my first story. Then I began writing new stories everyday.

My Result Taking The Challenge

My deep desire to write was given a kickstart. The words flow without effort on the very first attempt. And with each new prompt, I find renewed excitement. It fills my day with joy and accomplishment.

“But I’m not a writer,” you say.

It doesn’t matter your call to action, your life purpose, your reason for being. What matters is listening, observing, knowing when serendipity enters your life. And then acting on it.

I’d love to hear what coincidence occurred in your life recently. Write a comment, or better yet, signup for my newsletter so you won’t miss a blog and you’ll receive extras I reserve just for my subscribers.

Loving Life,
Dawn

Use Watercolor to Connect with My Inner Child

Two unrelated events merged together last week showing me to use watercolor to connect with my Inner Child.

The First Event

My son asked if I had any recommendations for my granddaughter concerning learning the art of watercolor.

My first reaction was sending her some of my supplies, as I wasn’t using them. Secondly, I thought, her world is so different from my experience learning watercolor in the 1980’s. Perhaps I should see what new beginning watercolor books are out there. The third book that caught my eye won my purchase.

The Watercolor Book

Creative Watercolor: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, by Ana Victoria Calderon has everything a budding watercolor artist needs. The book is packed with recommendations for materials, and photographs, illustrating technique and method. Ms. Calderon builds an easy progression of skill into the hands of the reader.

As I looked inside the book before purchase on Amazon, a lightness filled my chest and a smile lit up my face. My memories creating paintings flooded my thoughts. I pushed them aside to focus on the matter at hand, finding the basic tools my granddaughter needs to pursue an interest that brought me so much joy.

Watercolor Tools

I found Strathmore 140 pound, cold press paper in a spiral pad, Windsor and Newton Cotman half-pan watercolors with the palette and one small brush included. My final purchase was a four-brush set of watercolor brushes from Cheap Joe’s. I felt that completed the basic equipment needed to learn watercolors.

Yes, they weren’t exactly recommendations. Hey, I’m a grandmother and finding something my grandchild actually wants led me down the empty cart path on Amazon.

The Second Event

Do you find it difficult to follow your gut feelings, your intuition? Sometimes, I do. It takes a lot of practice to tell the difference between what’s in your heart vs. thoughts of our mind. One of the tools that helps me connect with my intuition is Oracle Cards. I occasionally use them for extra clarity understanding my feelings.

The second event was pulling the card, “Imagination / Inner Child”. Sonia Coquette, the author of my Ask Your Guides cards, suggests this card is about honoring my Inner Child through inspiration, creativity, art classes or simply play.

The most playful way I could imagine to return to my watercolor was through the same Creative Watercolor book I bought for my granddaughter. I went to order another copy for myself and found they were out of stock in hard copy, but available on Kindle. Reading through this book on my iPad brings joy to my heart.

Now, where are my art supplies?

If you want to know more about anything I mentioned in this blog, contact me, or better yet, signup for my newsletter, where you will not only receive my blogs, you’ll also know about other opportunities to connect.

Enjoy this new month!

Dawn

Looking Back to December 2019

Looking back to December 2019, what did you think would happen for you in 2020? I’ll bet it was something pretty monumental, after all not only were we on the cusp of a new year, it was a new decade.

What Do I Know Now?

I realize a lot of the transformations I experienced in 2019 were setting the stage for this incredible opportunity of a pandemic, a worldwide virus that would change everything. Although many people have become ill, even died due to this pandemic. It could be so much worse. I’m so grateful it is not the typical Hollywood end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it catastrophe movie or as devastating as Stephen King’s epic novel, The Stand. Rather, in my life, it is like a stern parent, irritated with our behavior, who has placed us in the corner for a time-out.

What to do With Our Time-Out

The stay-at-home order has stripped away all non-essential activity outside our home base. However, we still have access to our digital world; smart phones, tablets, computers, smart tv, social media. We also can talk to friends and family even while seeing their faces in applications like FaceTime, Facebook Video or Zoom. Perhaps we even visit more now than before.

All these options feed two of our senses, vision and hearing. In contrast, we are feeling deprived of touch, taste, and smell. Do you know how we are feeding these senses? Yes, we are cooking our little hearts out; baking, roasting, sautéing, broiling, and grilling. Sometimes we feed our desire for creativity by pulling items out of the pantry and freezer to pull together a meal. I’m doing these things too, grateful we finally replaced our old gas range the first week in March.

Onto the Next Challenge

This flurry of cooking leads to the next challenge – exercise. Remember earlier when I mentioned my transformations in 2019? Hiring a personal trainer who comes to my home is one of those transformations. Little has changed on that front, except the use of Lysol on equipment and the six-foot distancing rule. I am so grateful for my trainer and our efforts to keep healthy and safe.

My new found yoga practice on Thursday mornings ended almost a month ago. Thankfully, a fellow Dream Creator Mastermind participant is helping me by sharing online gentle yoga like this video from Shelley Nicole. I still have to adjust some positions for my arthritic knees, but it feels so good to participate in yoga again. I’m so grateful for my online social community.

Do You Notice a Theme?

All the changes and challenges of the last months have upped the energy of gratitude in my life. I feel more free, centered, alive, and focused than ever before. Looking back to December 2019, I realize that everything good I expected in my life has come to pass or is in progress. I am grateful for everything and every person in my wonderful life!

Still smiling,

Dawn