The task is to grab any art medium and feel free to get messy. As Shannon from free spirit says, “Remember, there isn’t a right or wrong way, you are just being daring by facing the blank page.  Mess it up.  Play with color.  Doodle away.  Simply…begin.”

And so I follow her direction. It takes me a total of 2 weeks to get this simple task done. Good that free spirit is a course I can do at my own pace, being flexible with the few time I have as a new mom of an 8 months old. The good thing about needing so much time to get started, though, was the chance to let my mind wander and let my inspiration flower. When I finally sit down to do the task I have a clear idea of what I will be doing.

During my world hitch-hiking journey I spend some time in the Atacama Desert in the North of Chile. While staying at a local horse farm, a Swiss friend shared what the farm owner had once stated about life: “Life is a puzzle. When you die you are fitting the last piece. For those, that haven’t lived life fully and followed their path throughout, the puzzle won’t be completed upon death.”

This statement is my inspiration for this task. And so begin. I draw a puzzle with a pencil. I take my oil pastels (crayons), filling each piece of the puzzle with one of those 25 colors in the box. Naturally, I feel like picking only certain colors and repeating them endlessly. But my mind plays a role in this task. I am reminded that life is full of different experiences. Things happen that we often wouldn’t anticipate in our wildest dreams or imaginations. Good things, bad things, positive, negative, black, white and WAY MORE in between. So how on Earth could I just use a handful of colors when life is so varied, so colorful, so unexpected in many ways? Therefore, I choose to give every color a chance, but I have to say that red and black are my least favorite; they feel somewhat aggressive and negative to me, I use them only once each.

Once the pieces in the puzzle are all filled with color I begin spreading the oil pastel with a tissue. That doesn’t work well, so I am taking my fingers and begin rubbing and smearing along the paper. And Wow! I finally figure how to work with oil pastels! I have them for AGES, years, and they have even traveled with me through the world in an attempt to use them. But only now in this simple exercise I finally understand how to use them properly. This discovery delights my first artistic experience in the free spirit e-course.

As final touch I begin marking the edges of each puzzle piece with a black pencil, simply because I like clear lines. At some point I run out of color. I buy another black pencil, which unfortunately isn’t the same width and is darker than the one I had previously used. So I decide to leave the painting at the uncompleted stage, reasoning that this way it demonstrates my own life puzzle. Some parts are done and fit, others are still unclear and need to be found and fit in the right place. According to this puzzle, I happily have plenty of way to go in my life ;D

On top, I am making up my own statement, or let’s say quote: “Life is a puzzle. May You complete it in this lifetime.” And last but not least, I am adding the statement Shannon recommends to put somewhere into the drawing to remind myself of my intentions:

“I agree to consciously set an intention to become a BOLD explorer of my life, to listen more intently to my inner voice, to honor my unique brilliance and celebrate THE REAL ME.”

Suddenly, creativity hits me. I grab the empty metal egg shape that is laying on the table and fill it with snow. I take another shell doing the same. I also find two small egg shapes that I fill with snow, too. Usually, they are meant to be filled with sweets, such as chocolate. Well, this time… All of it goes into the freezer to preserve it for later. My decision for setting up an Easter Wonderland instead of the usual grass scene in which you find the eggs is firmly made. Now I just have to wait until my son’s morning break and pray that the snow won’t melt too fast.

Time has come, and I make the necessary preparations. I install the camera, lay out the material, and dress up for the cold awaiting me during the making of Easter Wonderland. In this moment I am deeply grateful to my mom, who had sent an Easter surprise package, which had arrived the previous day. She must have sensed what is going to happen. Thank you mom!

Creating starts, where I take in lots of snow from the roof, fill a tablet richly with it, and begin putting all things fitting into the scene. There are bunnies on a bench, a bunny candle, Easter decorations to hang on catkins, a chicken party, origami tulips made by my mom, some colorful eggs on sticks, and some plastic eggs covered with a nice Easter scene. Towards the end I include the snow eggs I had put in the freezer earlier that morning, decorating them with gift ribbon. Oh, what a beautiful arrangement!

Now time is running. I have to be fast, not only for the snow melting rapidly, but also my son soon going to wake up (who is now sleeping in the carrier on his fathers belly). I dive into the photo session. Then I follow my husband’s advice to take the whole setting outside onto the window sill. This is tricky, as I am so small I cannot reach the outer window sill with my hands. Quick thinking and looking around, lets me take two belts, binding them around on each side of the tablet, and finally being able to lift it outside. I anyway have to climb onto the tiny inside window sill, in order to undo the belts and take them out of the Easter Wonderland scene. A further quick photo shoot for the outside scene, and here we go with the results.

Happy Easter to all of you out there, no matter the weather!

I have done gluten-free cookies before, and generally use following recipe:

• 250g gluten-free flour
• 125g margarine
• 60g sweetener
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 a teaspoon Xantham Gum (ususally I forget, so this time that I remember I think it’s a sign to share it with the world ;D )

Then I would add anything I find, such as raisins, cacao powder, carob powder, cranberries, chia seeds, hemp seeds, dried apricots etc. The outcome always was tasty, yet out there in the world some companies always manage to atop this tastiness by bringing something onto the market that blows my taste buds away – in a positive sense

Inspired by this and the wish to make the cookies even healthier, I came up with adding beet root and carrot to the cookies. As there are carrot cakes, why not carrot cookies, I thought. So there I went. I decided upon two different versions, which I list here:

1. Version – Beetroot-Cranberry-Carob cookies

• add 1/2 fist-size grated beetroot
• as much cranberries you like (I didn’t make them smaller, but it would be good to cut them maybe a bit tinier)
• carob as much as you like
• I used sugar beet syrup (and I guess more than 60g, just didn’t measure

2. Version – Carrot-Raisin-Cinnamon cookies

• add 1,5 grated carrots
• as much raisins you like
• as much cinnamon you like
• rice sirup or agave or any other

And now, the most important part. Usually I don’t even consider to put it, but somehow God seemed to know where to lead me and brought baking powder into my hands. I added to each cookie version 7 g baking powder. And THAT! made the magic! ;D

Of course, as usual, I mixed up everything first. This time it was actually my dear husband who took over and put his positive energy to get the dough together (don’t blame me if your cookies won’t work out; in that case I guess it was the hands of my husband who made the cookies come out magically tasty). Then I wrapped them in foil, forming sausages, which later on I would put in the fridge. Usually, it’s enough to keep it half an hour. This time I left it overnight, as with my little son in the arms there were more important things to attend.

In the morning I couldn’t wait for my husband to rise, so I put my son in the carrier on the back, and while he fell asleep I baked my delicious cookies. I put them in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius upper and down heat. Oh dears out there, what a treat! I was blown away by the deliciousness and in order to give you a slight idea of what I was putting in my graving mouth that morning, here goes the picture:

So, you can imagine what filled my stomach that morning, and not only morning, that whole day! ;D Okay, I admit I ate also something else, but big part was occupied by these treats.

What I need to mention, though, is that the next day the cookies get dryer. The beetroot one not as much as the carrot cookies, but they do dry out like all gluten-free cakes or breads I am making. Probably, I would need to add some moisturizer, but I have no glue which. If you have an idea, feel free to share! Nonetheless, I am enjoying this cookies, and so does my husband. He admitted that with these cookies he could finally wean from the gluten version. Isn’t that a great compliment?

I did get an idea how to revive the yummy-ness from the baking day. I put them like my gluten-free bread, which I usually freeze to keep it fresh for longer, in the pan and heated them. The outcome was very tasty, and the heat gave them some special feeling to savor upon. They don’t turn out exactly as on the baking day, but are VERY close and get even a bit crunchy through the re-heating. Oh, I love them, and I hope you, too! Enjoy the spring coming!

That art is easier discovered in the web is probably due to the nature of internet users, and the vast implementation of the digital world in our modern lifes. I myself am driven by curiousity. It’s so luring to follow amazing images. Just a click and I am entering other people’s world. It’s so inspiring and nurturing for my creative soul. I could spend ages travelling to different domains I wonder how much time for exploring other sites would be left once I began intensively spreading the word about my own art. What about gaining great reputation online with few effort? I am in favor

Shall I exhibit my art work in a more professional way on the web? Where? Two of my inspiring friends – Katwise and Kate use Etsy. Others use DeviantArt, Flickr and Tumblr. These for me seem a better platform for photography. I love photography! I am constantly thinking of taking pictures, no matter if old ladies’ faces, babies, bugs, flowers, junk, shoes, hands…. I even consider my husbands poker gatherings as great opportunity, where I could catch the player’s faces, hands, cards, and emotions with the advantage that nobody would pay attention to my camera!

Back to art online. What platform should I choose? The range is so big. Besides choosing the network, I would probably need to put effort in spreading the word. Is it necessary to be present in as many different sites possible to draw attention? If so, I am pretty sure the effort would grow over my head. I better just focus on one. So far I like Etsy. Spreading tools like Twitter I somehow don’t really consider suitable for me.

Whatever. For now I prefer to follow the stream of happiness I am currently in by simply doing what I like. I love sharing, I love inspiring, and whatever else comes along, will only have one purpose – to make me happy Thus, I will continue to share with you my artwork, the stages it goes through, my thoughts and ideas behind it, and hopefully inspire you to be creative. Who knows, maybe it is you at the end who shares with me your experiences with those different platforms, networks, and spreading tools and tell me what works best.

Spain, October, 2003. My creative nature gives me a brilliant idea. I decide to organize a quiz about Vilnius as a Christmas present for Augustas, with the price being a most special one: me myself prior to the date and time he’s expecting me.

Spain, October-December 2003. An intensive Internet research on historical sites in Vilnius helps me to compose a wide array of questions. My Lithuanian friend J. in Zaragoza assists me in choosing the right amount of questions with an acceptable level of difficulty. Being from Vilnius herself she can estimate best what the average person knows about the city, the distances on foot between the sites, and thus the approximate time the quiz is likely to take. Last is essential for planning the outcome of the quiz – the receiving of the gift (me) at the right time.

Lithuania, December 2003. Following, I involve J.’s sister C. She lives in Vilnius and helps arranging everything physical involved in this quiz. She makes the print outs, seals and names the envelopes, and delivers everything to Augustas. She furthermore places ribbons on each historical site Augustas is supposed to find.

Augustas receives following package. A big A4 envelope stating, “Open first on Christmas Eve“. Inside he finds: one A6 Christmas Eve message, eight A5 envelopes, and one A6 “Where to go” envelope for the end of the game. Each of the eight A5 envelopes contains three A6 envelopes named QUESTION, RIBBON FOR QUESTION, and JUST IN CASE. The right answer to a question will lead Augustas to the historical site where the ribbon is fixed. He is supposed to cut the ribbon and carry it along to proof he has been there. In case he finds the site but cannot find the ribbon he is allowed to open the RIBBON FOR QUESTION envelope, which points out the exact location of the ribbon. If the ribbon was removed from someone unknown and therefore is a missing proof to the right answer, he is allowed to open the JUST IN CASE letter, which confirms if he is at the right place. Augustas is instructed to open the next question only when the first one is solved. Besides the Christmas Eve message, he is allowed to open the other envelopes only on December 27th, the day of the quiz. He has to seek permission for starting out on the quiz by making a missed call to C.’s mobile phone number and wait for a missed call in return.

Vilnius, Lithuania, December 27th, 2003. I arrive early morning with the night bus from Germany. I meet C. in the city center, where we go to a small café near the Cathedral Square, and give finally the “GO” for Augustas quiz. We are chatting joyfully until 3 missed calls from Augustas phone indicate that he has solved the last question and opened the letter “Where to go“, which reveals the location of his “present”.

Now it’s my turn to position the gift on the miracle stone “Stebuklas” in front of the Cathedral Square. It is situated about halfway between the Cathedral and the bell tower, and marks the end of the 2 million person human chain leading from Tallinn to Vilnius (650 km) in a peaceful protest against the Russian occupation on August 23, 1989. A symbol of freedom and hope, Stebuklas is believed to perform wonders. One has to stand on the miracle, turn 360 degrees clockwise, and make a wish.

The stone’s history and it’s magic power are in my opinion the perfect place for Augustas to find his Christmas present. Highly excited I await his arrival. Once spotting him I face a challenge in staying put on the stone. I can’t wait wrapping my arms around him, and would have loved just to run up to him. But maybe then the magic would have been gone. And thus I wait, until… what follows I estimate unnecessary to describe

Just a couple of months ago I had accomplished the task of a wellness photo shoot at Monte Vista on Ko Phangan island in Thailand. It went so well for being my first shoot that I feel confident I can help out Genevieve. The good thing in her case is that I don’t need to prepare anything. There is no fixed setup, no expectations, just the wish of making her new designs shine in the limelight.

While Genevieve dresses her young model, I check the possible locations outside. Depending on the outfit I choose different locations. We try many things and create what universe intends to be. With lots of fun we bring about marvelous results.

I remember vaguely that I intended to create something perfect. A great but false intention because “perfect” things only happen when I can let myself simply be and turn of my mind. In those moments creation is upon perfection simply because I follow the energy flow, the anything that is meant to be, that is supposed to evolve. It seems as if doing art switches my mind off automatically. It feels like jumping into a lake of cold water, bringing me easily into the state I enjoyed when receiving Dave’s rain-stick massage. It’s a “letting myself go”, like being a tiny particle swirling around freely in the universe. There is no thinking, there is only being. And when I began drawing this marvelous fellow here, even though I had this “perfect” intention, setting down the pencil onto the paper switched my mind off instantly. When a couple of hours later I look at this man, this figure, I see only one thing all life is about – ENERGY.

Making business cards I especially enjoy. The first one I created as a member of the European Student Association AEGEE. As far as I remember I even created them for other members of my working group. Before heading on to my African journey, I designed business or rather visiting cards each for myself and Augustas. This way it always felt easy to part from friends and other wonderful people I met.

During my recent journey through the world I decided to create a logo because I wished to have something that symbolizes this spectacular experience in my life in one image. I began scribbling in my notebook, coming up with following sketch after many trials. With the help of Jasc Paint Shop Pro I managed to put it in digital form, ready to be printed on any material.

I had several versions of it, depending on the purpose (books, t-shirts, website, business cards) – and the background required (black, white). For the making of our visiting card I included the name of our website, and after lots of fiddling I came up with this design for our “business card”.

For the first 1,5 years of our journey we were dealing with my self-printed postcard in the attempt to say thank you to our drivers. When we got out of the car we would quickly get the postcard out of our backpack, and add a personal Thank You! message and our contact details before handing it over. During hitch-hiking, especially when leaving the car, time is sparse. We usually need to be quick to avoid traffic jams or other uncomfortable situations for our drivers. That’s why we later came up with the idea for our own “business card”. It was a good move for it cheers up our drivers, inspires them to follow their dreams, and makes them remember us with a smile. And some drivers might even have great fun with the fact that also hitch-hikers have business, well, visiting cards.

Time comes when I am ready to draw the head-hand figure. It goes surpisingly fast, as if it is given to me from a higher source. In the process of drawing I have the beautiful idea of colouring the head in rainbow colours, similar to another painting I did back in India called Human Flower.

Unfortunately, time is running short, and I don’t manage to finish the painting in Malaysia. Even in Thailand, where I volunteer for 3 months, I don’t find the right atmosphere to complete the painting. And so I carry the drawing on to Australia.

Adelaide, South Australia, February 2011. In Dave’s place I finally get the inspiration to continue – or rather finish – my head-hand painting. My imagination from back in Malaysia, though I see it clearly in my mind, turns out far different on paper. The colors I choose are not the ones I imagine them to be. A bit confused about the result I leave the painting on its own for a couple of days before I continue adding color. I start and stop several times over the one months staying in Adelaide. Only when I come to the conclusion that the experiences I have made in between my stay in Malaysia and now in Australia, as well as the magnificent personality Dave and his warehouse I stay in have on me, I can accept the change of appearance I produce on paper. Once content about this evolution of my painting I finish it with great joy.

Some things don’t work out the way I think of, in general though it doesn’t affect the fact that it becomes a fascinating piece of art. The magic of the painting completes with the name giving, which is all that I heard a thousand of times from out of Dave’s happy spirited mouth:

Faaa-n’Tastique!

[speak as written to get the essence of it]