Have You Found the Fun Factor??
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings! Today I'm sharing a new Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I chat about how you can stay more consistent and persistent with the things that matter most to you! We all want to spend more time doing what we love. So, what's stopping us?
Let's make time, make what we desire to do part of our lifestyle and make it fun! Journaling Prompt: Make a list of the activities you desire to engage in more. Choose one or two that you are drawn to most in your heart and make space for it today, even if it's just 5 minutes. How did doing that activity make you feel? Does it surprise you with its impact? Have yourself a delightful day and I wish you the Best of Beginnings!
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When Something Deeply Satisfies
Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings!
Today I'm sharing another Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I talk about the importance of Satisfaction in life and why I think it's important to do things that satisfy your soul. I give several examples of what satisfies me (which I show in the video!) I trust you will be inspired and determine how you can bring more Satisfaction into your life on a daily basis. Journaling Prompt: List off the activities or experiences you find or have found deeply satisfying. Choose one or two that don't require a lot of time and incorporate them into your life daily. You deserve to feel satisfied, so take that step today and don't delay! Creative Breakthroughs
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings. Today I'm sharing another Walk & Chat with Dawn video where I share strategy for getting a creative breakthrough when brainstorming. I give an example of my own experience with struggle and frustration and but worked for me in the end.
Journaling Prompt: Is there a project or something new you're trying to figure out? Are you meeting with frustration? Have you given yourself space to let it flow? List off ways you can give yourself a break. And Trust the Process. Don't Be Afraid to Make a Creative Change!
Hello and welcome back to Beginnings and to another Walk & Chat with Dawn video. In this one I share some nature based bird inspiration that I just had to include so you can see it too; plus I discuss some changes I am making with my sketchbook practice, with a bit of visual history of what I've been doing for several years and what I'm doing now. And I am having so much fun!
So, do join me for another Walk & Chat and you're welcome to share what changes you decided to make creatively or just with life in general. Sometimes we get so used to doing things a certain way, we don't realize we put ourselves into an unnecessary box that we can break out of at any time. We just need to be aware of it! Yes! Journaling Prompt: What box (creative or otherwise) have you been putting yourself in? Are you bored? Frustrated? Stuck? What step can you make to create change that can make a difference for you? Brainstorm in your journal what you would like to do instead. Take courage and break out of that box! I wish you well in your Beginning! What Will You Resurrect Today?
I'm Having FUN creating my new video series, Walk & Chat with Dawn, where I share behind the scenes what I've been up to and share reflections on what I'm learning in the process of my creativity while walking outdoors enjoying the weather while you come along with me!
Topics: Happy Easter, my bullet journal prep for April, our stray cat delight, watching an inspiring video, and I share a journaling prompt for your further reflection! Do join me and if you have as much fun as I do, please like the video and leave a comment! I appreciate your being part of my creative community here at Refresh with Dawn Herring. Have yourself a delightful day and the Very Best of Beginnings! You're My Inspiration: Art Journal Update
Hello my friends and welcome back to Beginnings! I've been doing something that I haven't done in a long time. I'm going for walks and taking you with me! Yep! I've started a new series called Walk & Chat with Dawn, and I'm sharing one of these videos in this post in case you haven't seen this one already and/or if you aren't subsctibed to my YouTube Channel....
Today I start with a chat about the weather and then I share about how you, my viewers, are inspiring me and I share some video of my art journal spread progress plus more! So, do join me! And you're welcome to share either on YouTube or here in the comments what is inspiring you and what Small Step you're taking toward the things you want to be doing! I'd love to hear from you and Celebrate with You! Thanks for watching, subscribing and giving my video a thumbs up and leaving a comment if you're thus inclined! I appreciate your support and interest in what I have to share as an artist and creative; having you in community just makes it more fun, satisfying and meaningful to me. Journaling Prompt: Make a list of what is inspiring you right now. What small step can you take to make a move in the direction where your heart is calling you? How can you support yourself in that way? I wish you a delightful day and the very Best of Beginnings! My Eagle's ViewMy Dad, Danny Bel-Tempo, loved eagles. He loved how majestic they were and appreciated their beauty. So much so, that back in 1989, I did a pen and ink stippled rendering of one for him for a Christmas Gift. He was thrilled when he received it. His remark was "Excellent." I recently came upon this photo as I was going through some older snapshots I took in my early years. This one was the year I married.
My father appreciated the effort I put in to creating such a piece of work that would touch his heart. I could feel how much it meant to him upon the receiving. He always told me how proud he was of me; it still rings true even with his passing over a year ago. I'm glad I have these images to remember such profound moments from our past together. Well, an Eagle's View comes in handy when we need it most. Sometimes life gets complicated, and an eagle's view can help us see the bigger picture; maybe that's why Dad loved eagles so much, so he wouldn't get mired in the details. Although he was very detail oriented, from the way he dressed to how his surroundings worked for him. He liked everything "just so." I feel that way about my art. I want what I create to be "just so." And sometimes it takes change to make that happen, especially when I've been doing something the same way for a long period of time. And when I get that Eagle's View, I can see and feel where an internal shift is taking place. And I usually have an idea of where I want to go; most times, it involves a challenge of sorts, growing my skill set to get to this new place I see and desire to reach, so I can get that strong sense of satisfaction with what I create. I must remind myself to Go Gentle, and take it one step at a time. I'm not looking for perfection but an up-leveling of sorts. I'm always looking to improve my craft, knowing it's time for a change, when what I've been doing is no longer satisfying me. As an artist, I must trust my instincts, knowing that where I want to go will open up to me; it's just a matter of crossing the threshold with confidence, the same confidence my father instilled in me by being so supportive and affirming in my journey as a young artist, only now, with many more decades of experience to support my growth as a creative. So here I am ready to embrace change and see where it takes me and enjoy the eagle's view every step of the way. Journaling Prompt: When was the last time you needed to have a birds'e eye view of your current circumstances in order to solve a problem? How did it help you determine your next steps? Is there a situation where a higher perspective might help you see things more clearly so you know what to do going forward? Be patient and gentle with yourself as you go. Thank you for being on this journey with me; I appreciate your interest and your desire to know what I have to share. It makes a difference to have you on life's path as we journey together as the creative people we are in community! You're welcome to share below when an Eagle's View has helped you in your next steps! I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! We’re Splashing Paint in the Studio!
Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings. We are having Fun in the art studio creating a new art journal spread. We started with cutting fabric for a new design. This week we’re splashing paint on the substrate! I’m thinking in terms of negative space and how I want it to look organic and spontaneous in the way it shows up in the design.
In the video I show what art supplies I used to make the fun marks, along with my plans going forward with fabric. I also share the positive aspects of following intuitive clues as I make my designs and have fun. It is my delight to be a source of inspiration to you in your own creativity! Do join me and leave a comment about what creative pursuits you are engaging in! I’d love to hear from you!
Journaling Prompt:
Do you pay attention to the intuitive cues that come to you through your curiosity? If so, what was the result? Did you have fun following what you were drawn to? Do you want to do it again? Explain how this felt for you and why you want to go back. Thanks so much for being a part of my creative journey with me; I enjoy sharing it with you. And I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! Prepping Fabric for an Art Journal Spread
Welcome back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Exploration, Experimentation and Creativity! This particular post is in two parts. The first part is focused on my Illustration Pic of the Week. The Second part is focused on the video content above and what I am sharing with you from my studio space. If you're interested in my illustrations from my personal journal and/or you would enjoy an inside look at my art journal process, then this post is for you!
Now on to the Illustration Pic of the Week. I create an illustration in my personal journal each evening as part of my daily journaling practice. So that's 7 illustrations to choose from for the Pic of the Week. This week I'm sharing "Prepping," an illustration to highlights the time I spent in my art journal, using a new tool for cutting fabric! I'm excited to experiment with using something other than a regular scissor to create a new design in my art journal. In the Studio with Dawn: Art Tools of the Trade
For this Part 2 segment, I am sharing a video of my behind-the-scenes activity in my Art Studio space, and I am showing some new cutting tools, my experience with each one, and I demonstrate how I am building a design for a new art journal spread. I'm excited to try new tools that might make my work with fabric easier, since I love using fabric as collage material, which I discuss in detail and show in the video.
I decided since the Illustration and the video cover the same topic, I thought it would work well together to put them in the same post, so you can see the process of my art journaling and how it translates into something worth remembering from my day! My goal and my delight is for you to be inspired by what you see that will lead to your own creative pursuits! It can be exciting to find a tool that really works to make creating easier and more fulfilling. I wish the same for you in whatever creative activity you enjoy engaging in. If you have recently found a tool in your creative trade that has made a difference for you, you are welcome to share in the comments below! I love celebrating with you in community! Journaling Prompt: What makes keeping your journaling practice easier? Is there a particular tool such as type of pen, journal or other accessory that you especially enjoy using? Why? Is there something you would like to experiment with that you have yet to try? How do you think it will enhance your experience? Thank you for being a part of my artistic journey. I appreciate your presence here. And I wish you the Very Best of Beginnings! Blooming in 2024: My First Art Journal Spread
Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. And this is my first blog post for the New Year of 2024, and I'm excited to bring you my first completed art journal spread, which I have titled: Falling Apart in Order to Bloom. I did the majority of this spread in 2023, starting back in July, when I was in the throws of grieving my father's passing in January (1/8/23 will be a year).
Now, what does that mean exactly? As of this writing, (1/5/24), I'm still contemplating. But in reflection, I think it speaks to the "falling apart," or breaking down phase when you are reckoning with a life changing event that correlates with some very deep rooted parts of your life experience that are foundational to who you are. And my father's passing certainly contributed to that experience. Somewhat of a metamorphosis, which entails a breaking in order to re-build and bloom. And this takes courage! And discernment of how to get from the beginning of this process to the beauty of transformation.
So here is my art journal tool and supply list used in this spread:
India ink Gouache paint oil pastel water soluble pastel colored pencil, both water soluble and non water soluble fabric in various prints buttons sequins leaf stamps in various types and sizes letter stamps gel medium matte medium magazine clippings Journaling Prompt: Have you experienced a "falling apart" in order to bloom in a new place? What was that like for you? What did you learn from it? What new undrstanding do you have of yourself now that you didn't have before as a result? How did you take care of yourself in the process? Thank you so much for being a part of my journey as artist and creative. Your presence is greatly appreciated. <3 I wish you the Happiest of New Years in 2024 and the very Best of Beginnings! |
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AuthorDawn Herrings is an Artist, Illustrator, Aspiring Musician, and Avid Journal Keeper. She enjoys spending time writing songs, composing for the piano, playing with all kinds of art media, including colored pencils for illustrating, exploring design and textures, having fun creating spreads in her art journal and writing about her day, her dreams and her vision in her journals. Dawn is also Office Manager and partner in business with her husband, Bill, of 33 years. Archives
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