Listen closely, your heart is trying to tell you something
It knows the work that is calling you
The work you cannot deny or run from
It has been infused into you and you must listen

Some are called to the spotlight
Radiating their heart and passion for all to see
Center stage
They boldly stand, carving a new path

For others it is a quieter journey
Amongst  colleagues and friends
Sharing bits of wisdom, listening closely
Opening up space for others to just be

Each is equally important
Adding truth, love, and kindness to this flourishing world
A thought, a moment, a word can make a difference
Spinning someone ever so slightly onto a new path

We are visionaries of connection
Seeking moments where the walls come down
The heart is open
And the truth spills out

When another opens up in this way, there is no judgment
Only a quiet understanding of walking a similar path
Empathy for the struggle
And a hand reaching out to say I will walk beside you and be here when you need me

We understand the weight that is lifted
When realize we are not alone in our pain
So we stand beside others
Sharing our hearts, listening, and looking deeply into each others eyes

We are all on this human journey together
Unsure of what lies around the next bend
Seeking out the next adventure
Dreaming, scheming, loving, being

Together we make the world a kinder place
Together we brighten up even the darkest of days
We cannot do it all alone
We must lean on one another and be together

With One Heart, Connected. A mixed media painting by Juliette Crane. Prints available at http://juliettecrane.etsy.com

I love it when a painting teaches me to go with the flow and follow my instincts.

These two bears were definitely unplanned. I don’t usually sketch two characters in my paintings, but sometimes it seems my characters just want to be in pairs.

For this piece, I pulled out all of my favorite new art supplies- water soluble oil pastels, children’s book pages, white gesso and acrylic inks. Then I really went crazy with my vintage postcard collection and pasted tons of ephemera in the background. On top, I added a few doodles from my sketchbook too.

My paintings always have a lot of layers, and I feel like everything I put into each layer helps to build my character and its story.

I’d wanted to paint a bear, but when the crown just sort of came out of no where, I realized there needed to be a second bear to help balance out the first. All of the whimsical butterflies and birds I’d added from the postcards in my initial layers then inspired the spirit for the little bear.

And from there the painting’s story fell into place…

Together these two bears stand with great concern and honor, knowing that wherever they are needed they will forever be WITH ONE HEART, CONNECTED.

For more art & inspiration, say hello at http://juliettecrane.com

splish. splash.
running along the warm shine of the nectarine sky.

splish. splash.

amber locks wave, pinwheels spin.

splish. splash.

gray peace trims away at the lamb’s ear.

splish. splash.

sweet potato begs the question.

precious. nectarine sky.

.     .     .     .     . 

written  at the FEAST retreat. 2013.

x0x0.

A great article from Kellie Wood, a holisitc kinesiologist that she wrote for Womes Fitness.

7-Reasons-to-try-kinesiology-By-Kellie-Wood

Welcome to this weeks “Joy Jam“! Which is now ALL WEEKEND so feel free to join in Fri, Sat & Sun

This week I have been in the UK, visiting friends and family and preparing for the first “Life Sparkle” weekend in the lovely English countryside. So excited to be spending a weekend with creative souls. (a sneak peek of one of the glamping tents above!)

Here are 3 joys from my week and I’d love to hear yours.

1} Being back in England and rummaging through my art supplies!

2} Catching up with friends and family

3} Seeing all the fabulous ‘glamping’ tents at our Life Sparkle venue and preparing for a lovely relaxing creative weekend.

Join us to radiate the energy of gratitude, bliss filled moments and celebration of everything that gave us joy this week. Together we will help send positive energy out into the world.

What were the 3-5 things that gave you joy this week?

Perhaps it was something you accomplished, a good piece of news, a kind gesture, something or someone that made you smile.

Feel free to pop your list into the comments below or add your blog post to the blog hop links.

Welcome to this weeks “Joy Jam“! Which is now ALL WEEKEND so feel free to join in Fri, Sat & Sun

The weather has really kicked into summer this week here in Spain and all my plants on the balcony are LOVING it. Everything is starting to bloom, its wonderful!

Here are 3 joys from my week and I’d love to hear yours.

1} Yoga at the beach bar….ahhhhh

2} Flowering tomato plants

3} Painting on my balcony

Join us to radiate the energy of gratitude, bliss filled moments and celebration of everything that gave us joy this week. Together we will help send positive energy out into the world.

What were the 3-5 things that gave you joy this week?

Perhaps it was something you accomplished, a good piece of news, a kind gesture, something or someone that made you smile.

Feel free to pop your list into the comments below or add your blog post to the blog hop links.

Take a moment and ask yourself, honestly and clearly: “What is bringing me joy today?” They are simple words, arranged in a standard manner.  For far too many people though, this plain question packs big time baggage for them.  

They say:

“What do you mean, what is bringing me joy today?  I have credit card debt, a bad back, my son is on drugs and I’m behind on the rent again! What’s supposed to bring me joy from all that???” 

 OR they prefer to respond:

“My job used to bring me joy, and my ex-boyfriend did before he left me, and that amazing apartment on the ocean I had before it burned down did, but what do you mean: What is bringing me joy today?”

Of course there is the classic:

“Nothing is making me joyful now, but when I have a Mercedes and a wedding ring on my finger, then I’ll be happy.”

Here’s the truth: it’s completely understandable that these experiences are causing you distress! Who wants to be in pain, feel loss, grasp to get by or have to wait for their ships to come in??? Not one human on Earth never has, does or will! 

The reality is though that it will happen at some time (to each and every one of us) and the way you choose to experience it will say volumes as to how quickly you will be freed from the potentially destructive emotions attached.  As we have brilliantly heard time and time again:  “Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.”  So I ask you:

How prepared are you to release suffering and accept AS TRUTH that joy comes not from how much stuff you have, but from how much consciousness you have?

YES! Joy comes from the love of a partner.  It does! IT FEELS GOOD TO BE LOVED BY ANOTHER! And yes! Joy comes from having a deeply fulfilling job that inspires you to hop out of bed in the morning and get to work.  And I know firsthand that for me, joy definitely comes when going from 0-60 in five seconds in my brand new Mercedes Benz. 

All of these things BRING you joy, but it’s when you ALLOW the carrier of this joy to do its job that you actually feel the bliss! 

• The Benz is there…but it’s the act of letting myself to feel excited that brings the joy home!  ALLOWING is the carrier.
• The job is there…but it’s because you’re grateful for purpose that makes it so rewarding! GRATITUDE is the carrier.
• Your partner is there…but it’s because you appreciate the love in your life that makes it so important! APPRECIATION is the carrier.
• Your health is there…but it’s your mindfulness of how marvelous perfect health is that matters! MINDFULNESS is the carrier. 

So you can see how at the end of the day, it has NOTHING TO DO with the Benz, or the house, or the man, or your corner office, or the labels on your clothes, or your health, or your family.  It has EVERYTHING to do with how these realities in your life MAKE YOU FEEL!

You can feel excited in a Benz or a clunker, you can feel purpose with or without a job and most importantly, you can ABSOLUTELY have love in your life with or without a partner in it, because you love yourself, which trumps all others.

So I ask you…again…What is bringing you joy today? 

Positively and energetically yours,                      

Thomas Dunleavy, CPC

www.declarecoaching.com

Welcome to this weeks “Joy Jam“! Which is now ALL WEEKEND so feel free to join in Fri, Sat & Sun

Sorry for posting a little late this weekend! Friday just got away from me and I was out having too much fun! The weather this week has been AMAZING! So I have been enjoying the outdoors much more and painting lots. Friday I had such a wonderful time painting….

Here are 3 joys from my week and I’d love to hear yours.

1} The constant sunshine in the morning

2} Replanting my zucchini (they are going to pop soon!)

3} Painting in a beautiful place with some lovely talented ladies overlooking the ocean.

Join us to radiate the energy of gratitude, bliss filled moments and celebration of everything that gave us joy this week. Together we will help send positive energy out into the world.

What were the 3-5 things that gave you joy this week?

Perhaps it was something you accomplished, a good piece of news, a kind gesture, something or someone that made you smile.

Feel free to pop your list into the comments below or add your blog post to the blog hop links.

mixed media painting by juliette crane. prints available at http://juliettecrane.etsy.com

by turning off my inner-critic, i allow myself to truly express my feelings and play. from there, everything else falls into place.

inevitably, whenever i paint, i find myself feeling like i’ll never be able to create anything new. but i’ve learned, if i just stop trying and connect with what i’m feeling, i’ll push through and uncover the beauty.

for this painting, my intention was to express the joy and ease i felt playing in my backyard between the ash trees as a child. i wanted my owl to resemble the carved wood statue i had growing up. and i had this vision of endless blue-green with cadmium red tulips.

so that’s what i started to paint. but i wasn’t happy with the way those red tulips floated in midair.

i tried painting white stems on them, but that turned into me spreading the white out all across the canvas. and here i was trying to give the owl dark, round eyes like the carved wood statue, but that all resulted in this weird spiked owl.

i knew it was weird as i painted it, but i operate with the philosophy that you have to express and let go of whatever is inside of you.

so, i kept on painting what i felt.

i knew i didn’t like what i was seeing in that face. so i covered it up. and this was the part where i felt like i had no idea what i was doing.

so i painted over all the parts i really disliked, leaving what i did like and filling back in the blue-green and cadmium red i so desired to see on canvas.

i didn’t know what to do next.

whenever i get this feeling, i ask myself, “am i still having fun?” and i realized i was totally set on the end result of having a beautiful painting rather than enjoying my process.

so i took a break.

and when i came back, i got out my stencils and played.

i don’t know if you can see the difference here, but to me, there’s such a different energy.

i gave up my attachment to making something perfect and beautiful and i just started playing with paint.

whenever that happens, something beautiful seems to arise.

and that’s when i began to find my owl.

i got out my pastels and started drawing. i went ahead and just put this big bold red stroke down for no reason. and i found that lovely scalloped blue edge along the top-and i went with it.

i was so busy painting and being totally into it all that i stopped documenting my process and critiquing it all.

and from that, this owl got it’s title and story… WITH YOU, I AM WARM.

the feeling of warmth and compassion radiates from this owl’s heart and reflects it all out into the world through the light in the sky, knowing that in sharing what most inspires us, we inspire others.

xoxo, juliette

For more art and for online classes visit Juliette at http://juliettecrane.com

I was recently introduced to this video and wanted to share with you all.

Remember you are enough, you are beautiful and all that you seek outside can be found within you. Thank you to Mike for making this video.Visit Mike’s website: www.nothingsayingthis.com

You do make a difference, your heART makes a difference