an open letter

the art of ... hope

Dear wonderful soul....

I woke up this morning thinking about my life and why I find it so enchanting these days. I wondered if you feel the same way.

This time of year there seems to be all these songs that speak to living fully, appreciating even the smallest things and our sentimentality seems to leak out all over the place.  I am not saying this is a bad thing, but perhaps it should be more a way of life, and not a seasonal sort of thing.

that said -

I hope that you have found a way to work, that feeds your soul. It doesn't have to be your job- sometimes  it cannot be. We work to support ourselves, our families, for health insurance, for the ability to put food on the table. Sometimes our passion and our forty hour a week job cannot be the same.... but I hope, I pray you have found a way to find some time for the work that you love, for the work that inspires you.

I hope that you are surrounded by those you love. Sometimes life is not easy- I certainly understand that. Relationships can be a challenge- but I pray that you are surrounded by love, the kind of love that you know will sustain you when the chips are down and celebrate you when you are riding on top of the world, the tough love that is honest with you when you are on the wrong path, and the tender love that holds your hand when your days seem the darkest.


I hope that today- you felt the difference that you make in the world. I pray it is positive and you can easily see in the reflection of life why you make a difference... if you cannot- I pray you find the courage to change and grow- and truly make a difference.

I pray for your wonder- the awe of the world around you, the deepest peace in your heart  and the greatest joy in your days. I hope you have countless entries of gratitude and endless moments of laughter...


Have a beautiful, wonder filled day
in peace-
Susan

simple and sweet

I am going to keep this simple and sweet. No fancy type or photos- just plain words.

Thank you- thank you from the bottom of my heart. Create Art 4 Good is working- Without you- it would NOT be working, and it is.  For me, working on Create Art 4 Good feels like Christmas every day- I love everything about this. (well maybe not the books and legal stuff) - this is truly a joy- and your help and support have meant everything to me.

I am grateful- so INCREDIBLY grateful. Create Art 4 Good has been the culmination of my life long dreams. The amazing thing is after a few short months of being in existence it is progressing nicely. There is more art in the world, people who need it are being supported. It's happening.

still - I have to remember to be patient- I have to continue to work hard and check in with each of you- and let you know how it's going... but I am here to report- it's working. Thank YOU!

So I promised you, short and sweet-
Thank you. Thank you for helping my dreams to become reality-

in peace & gratitude,
Susan

the Art of ... Gratitude - part II

The Art of Gratitude- Part II

So? How did your month go? Were you able to consciously be grateful every day?

It's not always easy, I know. Already in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, this month was not the easiest for me. I attended several wakes, tended to sick family members, got sick myself, stressed with deadlines at work, broke my finger (which is a treat when you use your hands actively for a living)... and - well, you get the idea.

Yet, I WAS able to be  grateful every single day. Some days were easier than others- but I was grateful and continue to be.

I hope you were successful as well. I hope you learned that gratitude changes your perspective even in the darkest of darks- I pray that you were  thankful for the simple things and found great joy in them. I truly hope that your gratitude gave you hope, even when finding hope might have been a challenge.

I saw a quote today- "when it is the darkest, the stars shine the brightest" 

How powerful these words are- how true. What if you had the power to be a star in someone's darkness?

You'll never walk alone....

Guess what? you DO have the power to change someone's day- perhaps even life with your gratitude-

I have another challenge-
take your gratitude from your notebook or journal, your facebook or that back corner of your mind and make it active.

Make a call, send a note, write an e-mail, bring flowers- just be grateful... actively
be thankful actively- make a difference to the person who made a difference to you


 I dare you!

in peace-
Susan

Share the love

 I would like to invite you to support my newest project – Holiday Mail for Heroes. 


With any purchase made through Create Art 4 Good from now until December 3rd- this card, especially designed for our military will be sent to a soldier for the holidays. 


Thank you as always for ♥ sharing the love! ♥

checking in....

Dear friends...
How goes your thirty days of gratitude....?

mine, has been life changing

I will check in again soon-
In peace,
Susan

The art of ...preparing for Christmas

The art of preparing for Christmas

I am sure you have noticed that the stores have been decorated and are all plumned out for the holidays. Many have complained that it happens earlier every year. BJ’s wholesale club actually had Christmas decorations out in AUGUST. Yes, you read that right… August.

To those of us who hold this as a sacred time this seems to take away some of the specialness of the holiday. For me, Christmas is not just a day to join with my family and friends spoiling them just a bit with gifts and goodies, it is a Holy day.

Advent is a time of prayer and preparation. Christians believe that this is the time of devoted preparation before the birth of our Savior. It is not about the stockings hung by the chimney with care, (although that part is fun too) it is about the anticipation of the Christ Child.

I have often wondered what it must have been like to be any one of the humans who were in attendance at the birth of Christ. Mary’s head must have been swimming, a virgin, unmarried, and without her mother or any other female support system giving birth to the Savoir of the world. Joseph- engaged to an honorable woman, yet she is pregnant and certainly not by him, what trust he must have had. The Wisemen… they left their homes, their safety to worship this infant whom they KNEW was the Savior- the shepherds, the Inn Keepers, even the animals- what a profound event. I wonder if they could have truly understood on any level what was really happening, or the magnitude of it. 

These thoughts are with me pretty much every year at this time. I remember my mother asking me once when I was a rather young child what gift I was going to give Jesus. 

This question left me perplexed. What did Jesus need? How could I possibly give him anything? How would I wrap it? 

These and many more questions puzzled my young brain. 

Through the years, Christmas has taken on many meanings. Rich with tradition and full of love; rarely are there years that I don’t learn something or grow in some way. This year, yes, on November fifteenth, before the turkey has even been carved or the Macy’s day parade has been aired – I have learned something. 

The greatest gift I will receive this year will be the adoption of three wonderful families. (Of course I will appreciate anything I receive from my family and friends- however their true gift to me is their presence in my every day life.)These families NEED. I just want. They offer ME the opportunity to give something that will actually make a difference, and they remind me of just how much I have to be thankful for.


For me- these families represent the Christ child. My childhood frustrations are calmed as I am able to actively do something for someone else. It is clear to me that this is yet another bit of proof that we are all in this together. 


Before you think I too- am jumping the gun- suggesting we prepare for Christmas before we celebrate all we have to be grateful for, I will remind you that this is ALL about the gratitude- Adopting these families is an opportunity for ACTIVE gratitude-


Open your heart, just a little to someone else- it is the greatest gift you can give YOURSELF. It doesn't take very much- a few dollars in a red kettle, adopting a family in need, volunteering at a shelter. There are countless opportunities to be kind to your fellow man. Do it, I dare you... 


In gratitude & in peace
Susan

The art of...the journey

The art of... the journey.

The art of... the journey.

August began a most wonderful journey for me. I say wonderful, and I truly mean wonderful, but I do not mean always "happy".


Like any journey, there have been a few overwhelming moments on this path to "Create Art 4 Good" and yes, you guessed it. I am grateful for them. 

You see, if this road were easy or without challenge, well, then one might question my conviction. While this journey seems incredibly directed and progressive, it is certainly NOT moving as fast as I would like it to, (note to self, patience is a virtue!) and there have been a few glitches here and there.

Regardless, or maybe BECAUSE of this I KNOW I am on the right path.

For years, I have pondered how I can use my art to make a difference in the world. I have never been the artist who sought fame or even fortune; more desirable to me has been a meaningful way to use my talents for good. I have worn the typical artist hats -displaying my work in galleries, weathering numerous art shows, and even had the honor of teaching the wonder of Art. Art has tremendous power for me and it is clear to me that art should have a strong presence in my future.

Evident to me was that I must listen to the experience from MY journey. I had to know what MY success was, and not attempt to give in and  pigeon hole myself into the societal view of success.

After months of preparations, business plans, research, advice from experts, more research and re-writing the business plan I launched Create Art 4 Good- I was energized that what I was doing was the key in the door to my future. It answered all the questions that had been swimming in my head for decades. 

I am amazed at this. Each day I wake up and I KNOW what I am supposed to do next. I don't always know WHY at that very moment... but typically the reason becomes fairly clear quickly. I suppose that is where faith enters the picture. Without faith the more difficult days would be too dark, the potholes might swallow me up and the joy of the journey might not be as rich.

Faith gives me the ability to trust the journey and while I certainly have an end goal, I have no real clue where I will wind up. The blessings I have witnessed as a result of this fairly new adventure (if you don't count the thirty plus years of preparations) have been countless. Artists who have been worn by their own professional journey have found new motivation to create, strangers have contacted me to ask how they can be a part of this, positive efforts have flourished, and there have been countless unexpected surprises along the way.

 I am so very blessed.

My point? Trust your journey. in this amazing process of doing what I NEEDED to do, I have found that my process has affected the journey  of others  in ways  I could have never anticipated. It seems very simple - You will find the answer if you listen carefully... put good out in the world, you will get it back tenfold.

I pray you are enjoying your journey- I am so blessed by this life and mine
In peace-
Susan