Ah! The Blank Page. It can be so daunting! Whether your blank page is a sketchbook, an open laptop or a canvas, the “just starting part” can be paralyzing. I think my biggest fear is that I’ll waste my precious time and materials on something that won’t turn out like I want it to. But,…
Did you know art makes parenting easier? It really does! And today I’m going to tell you how. Here are ten different ways ART (either appreciating or making) has helped me become a better parent and helped my kids with life. Quick Note: Before I start I want to invite you to the Lily and…
So you want to start a Nature Journal? I’m happy for you! Keeping a nature journal is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those you love. We all know that there are significant benefits in keeping any type of journal. Benefits like better mental clarity, boosts in both confidence and…
Do you long for time to be creative? Maybe even dream of supplementing your family’s income using your creative gifts? I often feel that my relationship with deep, uninterrupted creative work is elusive. So close – yet so far away! It’s like we are at the same party but on opposite sides of the room. Close enough…
I swear some of my best ideas happen when I’m hunched over the toilet bowl with a scrubber. Maybe it’s because I subconsciously want to be in another place? I’ve thought about this phenomenon (while cleaning) and wondered why for me, cleaning and creative epiphanies seem to always go together. Cleaning aids creativity? So I…
Sometimes life is just plain old BUSY. But creativity doesn’t have to suffer! Sure, it would be great to have a whole day to devote to your creative practice of choice, but there are seasons when that is just not possible. So, I thought I’d share some ideas of things you can do in…
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitation.” – Orson Welles. This is for you, artist moms. Do you need some good news today? Let me tell you about an artist I just discovered on the TED screen. His name is Phil Hansen, and he is pretty dang incredible. As an art student,…
This is one of those subjects that makes me want to find a rooftop and a megaphone. 🙂 Nature journaling is something I fell into when researching the Charlotte Mason method for our homeschool. We are at the end of our fourth year of homeschooling (phew!), and I can say in all honesty that nature journaling has…
Am I the only one who spends hours reading toy reviews and guides at Christmas or birthday time – determined to find the ultimate toy for my kids and my pocketbook? I’m always sure I’ll find that perfect toy that will engage my kid’s minds and bodies and make them magically want to leave their ever…
We all want it. That deep assurance that “today I truly connected with my child”. That knowing smile between mother and child; the shared experience carved deep in our hearts and minds. It can be so elusive in our distraction-filled world. But I have found a secret to making those moments happen more often…
I hear myself saying to my daughter for what feels like the sixty-fourth time today, “You need to practice. The more you practice, the better you’ll get”. I stop in my tracks and listen. The voice in my head says, “Dear Hannah, YOU need to take your own advice”. Making Art a Priority As moms, we encourage…
From the Archives January 2012 The twins just had a birthday. Four years old now. I will spare you the “I can’t believe they have grown up so fast” commentary because it has gone fast but in a lot of ways it has been slow too. Today I have been thinking about what my…