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| Spring Mandala |
I’ve been away from blogging since January. I got a paid writing gig — ghosting writing stories for children for a toy company. The themes of the stories are the values that aren’t taught in school. It’s a wonderful project and I’ve been enjoying the work. The great thing about it was that I got the job from a man who reads my blog — so I felt really good about the time and care I take for this blog.
At the same time, I got an opportunity to work with Dean Brantley Taylor of the band Mad July on paintings for a video, which will debut soon. With the illustration work, the writing work, my work with children at Bridge Meadows, I just didn’t have the creative juice left to keep writing the blog. It’s good to know when you have reached your limits — if you go too far, the quality of your work suffers and you drain the creative reservoir.
In the midst of my break from blogging, I got a nasty flu which took almost 5 weeks to fully recover from. I missed a few deadlines with my writing and illustrating projects, I had to cancel a storytelling gig, but I’m working with very kind people, and I got back on track as soon as possible.
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| Flying Turtle — one of my symbols |
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| Turtle in the style of Walter Anderson |
I’ve missed blogging but have mostly kept up with reading my favorites. I dearly love that we have this form of media populated with everyday people. I’ve always believed that every person has a creative spirit, and I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to help people express themselves. I believe we need a chorus of all voices in this world. All these stories and art forms may not clear up the confusion, but they will add to the magic of life on earth — especially mine.
While I’ve been on blogging break, I did keep my journal. I made a commitment at the beginning of the year to stop resisting and write every morning. I’ve succeeded in writing every single day this year! I keep the journal right by my bed and write first thing. It’s not always coherent, but it sets a creative tone for the day.
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| I did a lot of writing on God because I decided to join the Unitarian church |
I’ve been illustrating the journal when I get a chance. I draw in margins in spare moments during the day. I’m drawing a lot more from imagination than drawing from life. I sometimes start with drawing an object or person and then just wander off into my imagination. Most of my journal drawings have been decorative. I’m enamored of the artist Walter Anderson. I hope to draw from life a little bit more and illustrate my days better. Now that it’s Spring, I want to spend more time sketching nature.
But I’m a wanderer. I’ve noticed in these past busy months I’ve used spiral symbols a lot. I think I act in spirals — I get an idea, I start, I wander round and round, then wind up somewhere parallel but some distance away from where I started. This may not make sense to anyone else, but it does to me. The reward for journal writing is I get to know myself better. I get to rewrite bad days, soothe scrapes and bruises, celebrate the daily comforts and kindness.
Thanks so much for reading my posts.
I’m linking this up to Paint Party Friday, where you can find a lot of everyday artists sharing their spirits.
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joy murray art~stories~life 
Hi Joy. Sounds like you are having lots of “Joy” in your work right now as well as in you artistic talents. Thanks for stopping by my PPF post, it's appreciated. Congrats on the writing gig, I'm sure it's the best. Love your journal work too. Best of luck in all you do.
Gloria
shininglife1.blogspot.com
congratulations Joy on your many successes. Love the journal pages. Happy PPF, Annette x
http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks so much!
Glad you liked the journal pages!
so exciting your career is, I'm so sorry you have been so ill, 5 weeks, thats a long time, your work is beautiful, the pages are wonderful, such a lovely peek in your world, thank you so much for sharing an I hope you are right as rain soon,
What a lot of beautiful work. Love those turtles, and the journal pages. Hope the flu is really over now! Valerie
AMAZING ARTWORK!
welcome back to the blogworld.. we missed you!
Joy I am so glad you are back to blogging, you are such an inspiration to me. Your art is full of depth and life. the sun is shinning today after three days of fierce wind and rain. Glad you are better with your health.
Your package for the kids was sent today.
Have a happy weekend
Nicole/Beadwright
Seems you've been very busy. Time to get those creative juices flowing again. I love your flying turtle and so glad you're feeling better. Happy PPF
Your work is simply amazing. How wonderful that with all your successes and busyness you take the time to journal just for you.
Lovely to hear from you Joy and that you have been doing well (besides the flu). Lovely art and pages.
Thanks so much. I'm pretty much over that horrid flu and now only have seasonal allergies :), but I'm loving the spring. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
I love turtles and consider them my animal symbol. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm glad to be back! Thanks so much.
Nothing like a flying turtle to help make a good day. Thanks for your kind words.
It's important to me to work in my journal — it helps ground me and also helps me be more outgoing. It's magic like that. Thanks for your kind words.
Thanks for stopping by and for your encouragement.
You came by and visited me at dkatiepowellart, that is how I found you. I too was sick for five weeks with that nasty bugger! Love the blog, love art journaling and am an artist. Happy about your success!
Thanks so much. Glad to “meet” another art journal lover. Glad we both survived the flu and thanks for the encouragement.
I am so pleased for you that your writing and drawing talent is being recognised. What a lovely and satisfying project it must be to know that your writing may influence and nurture a child's values and imagination. Your drawings are fabulous. I admire your stamina to continue journaling everyday and being a watercolourist I understand the need to keep in practice. Keep enjoying your wonderful creativity.
Hello Joy, lovely to catch up with your creative journey, I just love those little tortoise… like laura I too admire your ability to journal each day, your pages are beautiful.
You've done a lot of wonderful work in the past months. Congrats on the writing gig, and so sorry to hear about that nasty flu. Glad you are recovered enough to take up blogging again. Your journal looks awesome, and so good of you to do it every day!
Loved your sketches, Joy. What a bummer to have been sick with flu a long time as you were! It sounds as if your time off from blogging was very productive, however.
Welcome back Joy…so sorry about the flu but I'm so happy about the work you've been involved with! Good for you! So happy you are keeping busy with your creativity and for a good cause too! Love love love the turtles!! You've accomplished so much in a short time! Wonderful!! Wishing you more great things…Love the Unitarian church too!
Hugs Giggles
Sounds like life has been busy, but some excitement too. Love your sketches. Hope you come back to blogging so I can see more.
Glad you've now recovered – there's been some nasty bugs going around! But you certainly kept busy 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and welcoming me to PPF 🙂
beautiful and inspiring blog and art works! Thank you for sharing your creative journey with us!
All the illustrations in your journal are so attractive and interesting, if I absolutely had to choose favourites they would have to be the second and the fourth. Love your colourful turtles and your dramatic header.
I feel I have found a kindred spirit! I am a wanderer too and I know exactly what you wrote about in your post. I also use my journals the same way. I am glad you could find the perfect words and journal pages to describe the way you spiral 🙂 I never know how a finished project will turn out, no matter how I originally plan. Have a wonderful weekend and I am so glad I got to pop in and visit! Hugs
Lots of lovely illustrations and sketches! Really cool things to see. Sounds like the work you've been doing is very interesting, especially the writing. Glad to hear you've finally recovered! 🙂
I think the daily practice itself increases stamina. I've found putting the journal where I can access it at all time helps otherwise I'm too lazy to start the process. Thanks for your kind words. Your work inspires me daily.
Thanks for your kind words. The journal practice keeps me healthier and happier. I'm also glad to get a chance to share it.
I love that I can keep up with your work on facebook. I get so much inspiration seeing your work. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
The first two weeks were the worst, the rest of the time was congestion and recovery, but I could get work done. Love being back in the blogging loop. Thanks for stopping by.
I've always felt creativity and spirituality go hand in hand. Keeping creative helps me be healthier and happier. I think I'll do a big painting of a turtle soon. Thanks for your kind words and for your great blog!
I plan to blog weekly again, so I hope you come back, too. I'll link up to Paint Party when I can. Thanks for your kind words!
Glad you stopped by and I look forward to seeing more of your work. Thanks for your kind words.
Thanks for your kind words. I enjoy your work so much.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. It's enlightening to hear feedback and see what attracts people to the work. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks so much for your kind/kindred words. It's been a wondrous journey learning to express myself and find out new things and ways to describe what I see. Thanks for the visit and hugs back!
Thanks so much. I've enjoyed your work and am glad to see you again in the PPF loop. Thanks for stopping by and your encouragement.
Beautiful. xx
Welcome back Joy. Your art journal is wonderful. I totally understand about the spiral, I do the same only not as prolific as you : ) Congrats on the writing work, enjoy it.
Take care,
Annabelle
I am so proud of you keeping to the journal, you will enjoy looking back on it. Your artwork is wondrously unique and different. I love it. Thanks for visiting. Blessings, Janet PPF
It's good to hear from you again, and congratulations on your writing and illustration gigs. I love your fantasy world journal illustrations, which remind me of the illuminated texts from the Renaissance period. Blessings!
It is wonderful that your blog has led to new opportunities! Your pages are a delight to see and read! I really like patterns and colours of your turtles! They have such personalities!
Thanks for sharing,
Renee
Hello Joy, Congratulations on all of your writing opportunities. I agree that is good to know your limits. I find an ebb and flow with most of my endeavors in life. Your flying tortoise brought a big smile to my face and does seeing your journal pages. Journal is such an grounding practice for me. I appreciate it more as the years go by. Have a lovely week.
~~irene
Your writing and illustrations are wonderful! Love them 🙂
Thanks so much!
It helps me to have the journal in an accessible place and art supplies where I usually sit. Thanks for stopping by and your kind words.
I love Illuminated texts. Thanks for your kindness. Blessings!
It helps keep me going to get responses and opportunities through the blog. Thanks for stopping by.
I love the thought of a flying tortoise — it's an ongoing theme for me. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind response.
Thanks so much!
These pages are fabulous! I love the diversity and I just adore those turtles. 🙂
Thanks so much! The turtles are getting lots of attention. I have a feeling I'll be painting more 🙂
You have been busy…. Those flying turtles are simply wonderful and so happy you are back blogging again… Though the writing gigs sound like fun…xx
Your illustrations and jpurnal pages look so beautiful! And I love it to read these notes about all your interesting jobs. I hope you will get well soon.
Congratulations Joy!!!!Great to hear that you working on multiple projects, it keeps you busy and creative all along! Great! Super glad for you 🙂 Your journal pages are beautiful too 🙂
Best wishes dear!
Thanks Deepa!