Artists are different.
Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist.
_______________________________________________________________________
“We can’t control the world. We can only (barely) control our own reactions to it. Happiness is largely a choice."
~David C. Hill
♥ Small Gestures of Thoughtfulness
In the past few months we've experienced a global pandemic, race riots, the collapse of the stock market with a considerable shutdown of our economy, and the shut down of every group gathering from school, the 4th of July fireworks, Mule Day, and weekly church services. Nashville experienced a devastating tornado. Columbia witnessed a terrifying Derecho wind storm. If ever we had a thimbleful of understanding of what Old Testament Job went through, it has been these past few months. Still, blessings abound.
The thoughtfulness and generosity of family and friends in this time of crisis has been overwhelming. Some of the gestures were GRAND, and to the scale that I can never repay, but only vow to pay forward. And some of the gestures were small in comparison but still touched me deeply. One small gesture was when a friend came to visit with the gift of toilet paper.... beautiful, thick, name brand toilet paper. NONE could be found at the market, not even the rough, one-ply, gas station restroom tp, and I had resorted to hoarding survival Kleenex. That gift of toilet paper couldn't have looked prettier if she had tied a pink ribbon around it.
Another example is when a neighbor learned I was planting a shade garden under my bedroom window as a memorial to my little dog Max who passed away suddenly in April, and gave me two dozen Lenten Rose plants from her own garden for the project. I wanted Lenten Roses and looked everywhere to purchase some but found none in the local stores, and here they materialized in the sweetest way.
Thank you all for the kindness!
“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
~Denis Waitley
♥ Daily Rituals
The first few days of pandemic self-isolation were fabulous! It felt like a "snow day" and all I had to do was pad around in my jammies, bake cookies, and watch old movies. Ok, I never did any of those things, but it was the prevailing attitude... a much needed, unexpected, and welcomed break. But then the reality hit. If I was going to survive this, I was going to have to work harder than I ever have in my life, and in a new way. Pivot. And if I was going to be able to live with myself, I needed to make sure everyone in my line of vision was happy, healthy, and had plenty of soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Can you feel the A*N*X*I*E*T*Y??
Yet even in chaos, there are those who are calm and collected, even happy. So I set out to define the common denominators to peace and happiness and was not surprised to find at the top of the list Faith, a deep seeded understanding that God loves you beyond measure and is in control. But being the sassy, recalcitrant child that I am knew in my heart this to be true, yet God still let the Israelites spend centuries in slavery and forty years in the wilderness. I've seen The Ten Commandments. Charleton Heston wouldn't lie. So what else was there?
It turns out that little snippets of daily rituals and habits bring a modicum of peace and happiness to every day life that add up over time, starting with ...
- Gratitude and starting your morning counting your blessings, even keeping a gratitude journal,
- Planning your day, even your week, and work in something fun or full of self-care,
- Being with friends, even if it's outside and six feet apart,
- Instituting a routine for a treat, like tea at four or order in pizza on Friday nights or only turning on the TV during the day to watch your favorite YouTube Vlogger while eating lunch or at night to watch a movie, (Favorites are Bigelow's Salted Caramel Tea, Papa Murphy's Pizza Take & Bake, Chateau Diaries vlog, and movies such as Hamilton on Disney+ and Radioactive on Amazon.
- Get into nature, Walk in a garden or on the River Walk, Explore,
- Do for others and give back, like buying school supplies for those in need, or donating food and egg cartons to a food bank,
- Organize and declutter,
- Exercise, even if it's just a twisting balance board while listening to 1950s Rock n' Roll,
- Take time to reflect, ponder, dream, write down your thoughts, illustrate them with colored pens, and
- Combine two or more suggestions.... tea with friends, explore nature with friends, pizza and gratitude journal.
“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”
~William Morris
♥ APTA
If you live in Tennessee, here is a little known fact. An annual membership to the APTA, the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, is only $25. Benefits include free admission to any and all historic homes associated with the APTA, including the Belle Meade Mansion in Nashville. If you were to walk up to the ticket desk at Belle Meade to purchase a one-day adult ticket, the price is $24. Would you rather pay $24 for the day or $25 for the year?
Belle Meade Plantation is the home to the beautiful, antebellum mansion and out-buildings, but it also has a lovely garden, horses, restaurant, gift shop, winery, and ice cream parlor. They also have picnic tables suitable for travel illustration journaling and well, picnics. And that's just one of the locations free to tour to APTA members, with a half dozen more including the Athenaeum in Columbia, the Ramsey House in Knoxville, the Buchanan Log House in Nashville, the Woodruff-Fontaine House in Memphis, just to name a few.
To purchase your membership, contact the Athenaeum at (931) 381-4822 or better yet, stop by at 808 Athenaeum Street, Columbia. They have been closed for a year completely renovating the place after receiving a generous donation from a county resident and history lover. The Grand Re-Opening is July 31.
♥ A Note from the Universe
Every morning I check emails as part of my morning routine, and every morning I look forward to receiving a personal note from the Universe. Some days the message is thought provoking, other days it's silly. Every day the message is positive and uplifting, and personalized. Try it.
To subscribe to A Note from the Universe, click here.
♥ Pareidolia
Pareidolia is the phenomenon that makes our brains see faces or other recognizable objects in random or otherwise unrecognizable shapes and patterns, like finding the face of the Virgin Mary seared into your grilled cheese sandwich or a dog howling made up of random clouds.
It is also one reason why I love impressionism style painting with it's loose shapes and subtle variations in value tickle my brain to see detail that isn't really there.
If you would enjoy a giggle, follow this link to see 40 humorous photos of pareidolia.
“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”
Check it out... susanejones.com
I've been working long hours to design a new website that does not use a pre-designed template like my former website through Fine Art Studio Online. This resource was an excellent one and served me well for a decade, but now I wish to showcase a little more of my personality and connect the dots between my vintage lifestyle and the subject matter of my paintings.
Let's Paint!!
The new session of Creative Spirits painting classes in acrylics starts August 6 at 10am in Spring Hill. Join us at 563 Maury Hill Street, lower level. Registration required, 615-668-8263. (For August 6 only, we will be in a different location still to be determined. I will email current students temporary location once we have one confirmed.)
Green is the color of renewal, growth, and hope. It is the color of harmony, freshness, safety, fertility. Green is understood to be the most restful color for the human eye to view. Green is soothing, relaxing, and youthful.
Green is a healing color. “Nature in her green, tranquil woods heals and soothes all afflictions," said John Muir, father of America’s National Parks.
In August, the students in the Creative Spirits painting class will continue their deep dive in studying the effects of Green in painting by studying paintings by the old Masters of French Impressionism.
Here are a few paintings we completed in Creative Spirits painting class in July.
To keep everyone safe, we will be observing social distancing, and the wearing of masks is encouraged. Class fee is $100 for four in-person sessions. Or you may prefer to watch the instructional videos from our classes at home on Patreon. Visit my Patreon Channel to subscribe.
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for class:
615-668-8263
Here are a few of the paintings we create from the Instructional Videos in the Patreon Library....
The Watercolor Painting Classes at Southern Springs in Spring Hill continue to be postponed until the threat of the virus has passed. We are all praying that day will arrive quickly.
Please continue practicing at home. A few watercolor videos are available on my YouTube channel.
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
and
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Do you enjoy receiving a personal, hand-written card in the mail? Do you know someone who would, maybe a friend or family member away from home or now living in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe is my Etsy shop that offers a subscription of 1-, 6-, or 12-handwritten cards, one each month, depicting an object or scene from my hometown, Columbia, Tennessee, aka the Dimple of the Universe or from around middle Tennessee, and delivered in a colorful envelope with a delightful US postage stamp.
It's a charming and unique gift for yourself or someone you love.
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Creative Spirits Soar! blog.
Great newsletter, I loved every word of it. inspiring too.
Posted by: Dianne Tant | 08/01/2020 at 07:08 AM
Thank you Dianne. You are too kind!
Posted by: Susan Elizabeth Jones | 08/01/2020 at 03:16 PM