Moving a post I made in my Morgan Muses Blog from last year.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

This spring has had its ups and downs for me but I must say that I am very thankful for the downs as in retrospect it is those times of trial that spur me on to growth, expansion and illuminating who I truly am. Several lessons have come to light in the past few weeks including the realization that even though you may think you are not feel the Cycle of Healing very much this time around issues are being worked out with or without your direct awareness. I am just now seeing that some of the issues I have been struggling with in past cycles have evolved this cycle.

 In late 2010 I had started with Seminary work full of enthusiasm and determination. I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to follow through with the first year at the very minimum. I loved working on the lessons but found as the months went on my enthusiasm waned as I felt that I was spread too thin and at about 3/4 of the way through I made the heart wrenching decision to drop out at least at that time. I was more than disappointed with myself as I had so wanted to finish for many reasons. Determination to see things through to the finish, not wanted to waste the tuition money I had paid etc etc.. But I was exhausted, burnt out and was not at all satisfied with the work I was submitting. Not my best effort or ability by far.

Though it was through my work with Seminary that my love for creating artwork was re-ignited. Soon I was researching not only Celtic art but new techniques and the use of colour in my work. This journey into art led me to a wonderful community of artists who encouraged me to start a weekly art stream on Ustream called Morgan's Fancies, a Youtube channel and a blog. I am having a blast that is for sure and my bedroom loft is now partially an art studio!

I have found that some issues that I was dealing with in Seminary have been popping up for me within my art journey as well:

• Constantly comparing my self and my work to others. 
• Not believing that my own artwork is as good or as worthy as others in the community.
•  Hesitating/Procrastinating the completion of projects even though I really want to.
•  Avoiding working on what my heart truly wants to work on in order not to offend anyone or lose viewers. 

It took an incident within the art community (more about it here) to finally put my foot down and stand up for myself. Something I had not done very often in this lifetime and over the last few cycles I have become more and more aware of this. All this finally drove home to me how one cycle builds upon another. It also gives me pause to look back and see just how far I have come and be amazed at just exactly who I am.

 It is just now dawning on me that I am just as I am meant to be.. Unfolding all that I am instead of endlessly struggling to change my basic nature. There is no need for me to be better. Period. I am worthy just as I am and as time goes by more of who I am is already is revealed not just to myself but to the world at large. I attracting those lessons, people, places and things that will help me along my journey of revelation rather than surrounding myself with verbally, mentally and spiritually toxic people, places and things.

 Currently two books have had a huge impact this cycle and I am devouring every word. They both in their unique ways have hit me like no other books have in the past couple of years. Here they are:

 The Dance by Oriah and The Bodacious Book of Succulence by SARK

Both of these books have so much of an effect on me that I find myself constantly in tears reading them. YES THAT STRONG! The strong passionate feeling that you get in your heart and in your gut when you know intrinsically that something is the truth and is right for you.

So what has come of all this in this past cycle? A new passion for positivity in my life! Working on new art projects and books with a renewed sense of enthusiasm! Life is certainly more energetic and fun these days as opposed to feeling a bit detached from the Cycle of Healing and truthfully with life in general. I needed this as a wake up call as I truly feel like I was living life on auto pilot for a bit too long.

This has been a bit lengthy I know but I sincerely appreciate you for taking the time to read through to the end.

Much love to all my sisters both in the SOA and in the ART World!

Bendition

 Kathleen

To My Own Spirit Be True

An Open Letter to the Art Community on Ustream and Elsewhere:

Hi There Fellow Artists!

I feel the need to share a bit about my current goings on about art.

I love the Ustream/Youtube Artistic Community.  Both my show on Ustream and my Youtube Channel are named Morgan's Fancies where I have in the past posted artwork videos on topics that struck my fancy.  Well I am a time and a place on my journey where my fancies lay in continuing to explore my own path without fear or the need to limit myself or my art. 

I am a spiritual creature and that spirit is Pagan wild and free through and through.  Unfortunately for the last year or so I have let that spirit slowly wither away as I struggled to contain my spirituality, to cage it so to speak.   I have come to realize that my struggle to contain my art and my spirituality  came about because of a struggle I had encountered within the art community I belonged to (and still do).  In this wonderful community of artists the subject of religion is taboo and people had problems with the subject matter of my art.  I ended up making a short video which I posted both on Ustream and Youtube about this.












Anyway I find looking back that I was severely triggered by this incident  and much I would love to say that I have moved on I have to be totally honest with you all and myself  and say that old issues have reared their nasty heads and have not been effectively dealt with.  So here I am longing for my fire, my inspiration and my enthusiasm but these truly are all currently out of reach because I let my shadow issues pull me away from everything and everybody. 

I have been really busy at work for the last month or so hence no streams.  I have also used this time to re-evaluate some things and have come to some conclusions.

I will continue to stream but my stream will be religion friendly.  I welcome discussion on the topic of religion.. no matter what the religion but there will be some ground rules.

1. Respectful Discussion is welcomed and encouraged.  We do not all believe the same things all that I ask is that people be mindful of their words and attitudes when it comes to a differing opinion than their own.  If you find yourself unable to do so then by all means do not attend my streams.

2. No One Way is better than the other.  Agree to disagree in a respectful manner.  If you are uncomfortable with the vies of others do not watch.

I will return to streaming soon but will hopefully be much better prepared with themes and projects posted before hand that way if you choose to attend you are well warned ahead of time.

Here is a list of possible projects in the near futre:

• Goddess Wish Box
• My Favorite Things Mixed Media Mosaic
• Faery Tags and other projects
• Wheel of the Year Cards
• Clay Censor
• Clay Goddess Statue
• Goddess Stones
• Elemental Bottle
• BOS Covers and Pages

I will be posting on my blog(s) more information, inspiration, thoughts and poetry  pertaining to my own pagan path.  I welcome you to join me on this journey or not as you so choose.  I myself have made a commitment to never again try to contain my spirit into someone else's idea of what I should or should not be.

Thanks so much for sticking with me this far..  Many Blessings to You!

Please pray for my 18 year old best feline friend Griffin. He is crossing over and I dont know how much longer he will be with me here on earth. I have him here beside me so quiet so still hardly breathing .. he seems peaceful like he waited for me to come home from work and just wants to be near me. Two days in a row I have gotten home and he parked himself on my shoulder and around my neck like he did when he was a wee kitten. I have had Griffin most of my adult life.. we have gone through everything together.. a team.. be it through moves, break ups etc he has been the one constant and true companion of my life. I knew I could trust my husband Harvey when Griffin let him near me and in fact let Harv become his daddy. I love you Griffin there will never be another cat like you!

What has happened since my last post.. Well my computer fried itself and I spent two months getting it back with little to no access to the internet.

I did make the box deadline but do not have any stills.  I will however share the link to the video my secret sister Laurie posted on her youtube of her opening my box.

I have also uploaded my art pieces for 2011/2012 on my photobucket account

So what about goals for 2013?  Follow my art journey wherever it may lead.  No guilting myself no putting my art down just the pure joy of creating art my own way with my own voice from my own perspective.  I am so looking forward to where my art journey and my life is going in the year to come.

Lets Art!

Love and Laughter to you All!

Kathleen

FREESPIRIT SECRET SISTER CIGAR BOX SWAP

I was privileged  enough to be invited to a new group of cigar box swappers that my friend Freespirt aka Lisa was starting up.  While I am anxiously awaiting a box of my own to open I thought I would share some stills of the items I made for my secret sister this month Terri.

July's Theme was The Secret Garden

I must say I had an absolute ball creating items for my secret sister and for this theme!  I love the movie The Secret Garden and this was my inspiration going into the box altering/making process.

This a shot of the top with the secret door closed.

A shot of the top of the box with the secret door open

 With the lid closed the front panel

 A shot of the side with the hinges.. learned my lesson never use grunge paper for hinges use only grunge board!  Avoid the headaches I had with your next set of hinges! :D

A shot of the lined interior.  The top is a green tapestry fabric from my scrap stash and the bottom velveteen material is not black but rather a very deep forest green with just a few sequins here and there that was leftover material from my wedding dress.  There is a very special part of me in this box!

We had a few other challenges like an altered dress form and a 6x6 layout here they are below

I made a few more handmade goodies for my secret sister here are some picks of them:

 An altered book

 An ATC with the word dream on the little metal piece

 Bookmark front

 Bookmark Back with inspiring words that I can not recall at the moment

 File Folder Postcard Holder front view

 File Folder Postcard Holder interior with postcard backgrounds

An original piece of art by me saying "OPEN THE SECRET DOOR TO YOUR DREAMS"

I hope you enjoyed your time here at Morgan's Fancies and as always I welcome any comments, hints, and suggestions that I can get.

Happy Arting

Kathleen

The Great Secret Sister Box Exhange March 2012

I was lucky enough to participate in this first round of the box exchange graciously hosted by:
Laurel of Paper and Scissors Rock!

Here is the link to my ustream show where I featured myself making a box for my secret sister Lynne


Here is the link to the youtube video I made showing the contents of the box.






Thanks for watching

2012 Goal: Finish it Up!

Happy 2012!!

This is my first post of the year Ok first of all I must thank my friend Fran aka Ladyoflosttimes for the inspiration for my own self challenge. On her blog she is challenging people to not buy stuff until they have used their stashes up. To in fact Use it Up.

I had a flash of inspiration during today's stream to have my own take on things and actually challenge myself and anyone else who would like to join me to:

FINISH IT UP!
I do not know about anyone else but I have bucket loads of half finished projects lying around my craft space and I am challenging myself to get these projects done.

I am in the bad habit of starting backgrounds for things but never taking it any further. I have unfinished journals in the making, paintings half started etc etc the list goes on and on. So for the foreseeable future I am endeavoring to get at least 1 project done every two to three days.. but time is flexible.. at least at the very minimum 1 project done a week.

I am almost finished with a mini album that was a free make and take that I got back in November. I just need to bind it together. So there is one less project on my plate. Once it is finished I will take pictures and post them here. I am so excited about this and the use it up challenge from Fran!

Happy Arting!

Kathleen