Finishing My 10 Year Painting Celebration with Gratitude

Bright sunshine and warm breezes. Clear blue skies and crisp snow. Cold, dark, wet days. This month I’ve tried to be present for it all.

November has been a gift. A strange month, but a gift, too.

Sharing my 10 Year Painting Celebration with you, my dear readers, has been a gift, too. I know I’m not the only one who struggled through November. My month began with mourning my sweet Charlie and awaiting election results while the pandemic cases continued to skyrocket.

Yet somehow I came back to myself this month.

Celebrating 10 years of painting with you reminded me how fortunate I am to be living a life I dreamed of for so many years. Even though I can’t call myself a beginner anymore, I AM still a dreamer. I AM still a lifelong learner.

I go through ups and downs. My creativity ebbs and flows, but my journey is never-ending.

I am so grateful.

Gratitude. Perhaps it’s the most important lesson of all.

Nine years ago, still early in my creative journey, we’d first put to sleep a beloved cat and then our beloved dog. My dreams of living in the country had unraveled. My fantasies of supporting myself with creativity were turning out to be just that, fantasies. My marriage was crumbling and even my relationship with my parents was stretched and strained. I felt hopeless.

Through it all I painted. I sewed. I crocheted. A little spark of hope caught and began to glow in my heart.

And then I started writing Joy Lists.

Joy Lists were my way of reminding myself that beauty and wonder exists in each day, even the darkest.

Joy Lists were my way to say “thank you” to the universe.

Writing them helped me turn things around. They fanned the flame of hope and brought me back to myself.

One of my first Joy Lists from December 2011

Seeking joy intertwined with my art practice. It fueled not only my hope, but my creativity as well.

Joy Lists are about being present. Being aware of the beauty of the world. As a botanical painter, the beauty of the world directly inspires my art. If I’m not aware and open to the beauty around me, I have no art. And in my heart, I feel empty.

It’s hard to be constantly aware and open. We face so many distractions all the time. They pull our attention and keep us from noticing the magic around us. Writing Joy Lists, taking time for gratitude helps keep us aware. It’s meditation. And a way to honor ourselves and our creative spirits.

And so, my last gift for you this month is a reminder to savor each glimmer of beauty in your day. Keep Gratitude and Joy Lists and honor your creative spirit.

I created this new set of printable Joy and Gratitude Lists to help you get started:

Yes, November has been a gift. And as strange as it is to say, 2020 has been a gift as well. Its challenges have helped me remember my purpose and recommit to my dreams.

As we embark on the winter season, I’m making a commitment to myself and my art. To be present each day. To notice magic and beauty and joy.

One more thing that will help me with that? Recommitting to my sketchbook practice.

If you want to join me, I’ve opened up 10 free spots in my class Explore Winter in Your Botanical Sketchbook (as with the other posts this month, just follow the link and if you’re one of the first 10 people, you’re in. You can also always try Skillshare free for two weeks if you need more inspiration).

Oh, and one last bit of celebrating. The winner of last week’s giveaway is:

Congratulations, Leslie! Send me an email with your address and I’ll get your art supplies wrapped up and in the mail.

My gratitude goes out to each of you for celebrating with me this month. Here’s to the next 10 years!