Shame

 

Pippi playing hide and seek....

“The way to fight shame and to honor who we are is by sharing
our experience with someone who has earned the right to hear it.”  

 

“Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story.
It hates having words wrapped around it- it can't survive being shared.
Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.”  

 

 ― Brené Brown

 

Being real

" Harley" the  grungy snowman

 

“Vulnerability is not weakness...

Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability

determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose;

the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable

is a measure of our fear and disconnection.” 

 
― Brené Brown

 

*****

 

Giving and recieving

I love the love-worn primitive look
and the lovely smell of cinnamon
after I bake them.

 

“One of the greatest barriers to connection

is the cultural importance we place on "going it alone.

Somehow we've come to equate success with not needing anyone.

Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand,

but we're very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves.

It's as if we've divided the world into "those who offer help"

and "those who need help."

The truth is that we are both.”  

― Brené Brown

 

  *****  

 

Being vulnerable

 

“To love someone fiercely,

to believe in something with your whole heart,

 to celebrate a fleeting moment in time,

to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees –

 these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain.

But, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort

 of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude and grace.”  

 

― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

 

*****

 

Feeling worthy

 

“Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul
I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs
to venture far out into the uncharted territories of my inner truth,
in search of what it means to be genuine
and at peace with who I really am.
I have abandoned the masquerade of living up to
the expectations of others and explored the new horizons
of what it means to be truly and completely me,
in all my amazing imperfection and most splendid insecurity.”  
― Anthon St. Maarten

******

 

Making changes

 

Making primitive dolls is time consuming 
because there is a process to making
them look old and love-worn.
It's called "grunging". You mix coffee,
cinnamon and vanilla together,
spray either the material
or the finished doll, then bake it in the oven.

Before and after

We can't be afraid of change.

You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in,

but if you never venture out of it,

 you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea.
Holding onto something that is good for you now,

 may be the very reason why you don't have something better.”  

― C. JoyBell C.

 

******

Creative healing

 

 

For me, creativity is great therapy, as well as, fun. 

I love experimenting with colors and techniques.

I love the challenge of learning something new.

I love the way creativity nourishes my spirit.

I love how the solitude nurtures my soul.

Everything I create pushes me deeper...

 into my imagination and determination.

Creativity teaches me to take risks...
and to let go of outcomes.

It teaches me to be okay with making mistakes.

It teaches me to accept disappointment.

I don't always end up with something I'm happy with.

When this happens, I just put my the project aside...

and often come back to it later with a new plan for it.

 
I enjoy the anticipation of what's coming next...
though I usually have no clue what it will be.
 I guess I'll have to wait and see...
 

*****

Being real

Our deepest wishes are...

whispers of our authentic selves.
We must learn to respect them.
We must learn to listen.

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

*****



Friendship

for the holiday...

 

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us,

we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion,

who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement,

who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing

and face with us the reality of our powerlessness,

that is a friend who cares.”  

― Henri J.M. Nouwen

 

*****

Being inspired

I finished Raggedy Ann yesterday. She's a classic.

 

Twenty years ago I went to craft fair in my area. There was a woman there who sold handmade dolls; angels, raggedy anns, snowmen... I feel in love with her things. It was her creations that inspired me to go home and create my own. She has no idea how she changed my life and how grateful I am. It made me think how we all probably inspire people at different times, perhaps even change their lives, and we don't even know it. Here I am 20 years later, still making dolls....

 

*****

Hiding shame behind perfectionism

 

"Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system

that fuels this primary thought:

If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly,

 I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of

shame, judgment, and blame.”  

 

― Brené Brown

 

*****



A sense of belonging

My second attempt at drawing on ceramic dishes...
using more detail this time.
 

 

“Because true belonging only happens when we

present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world,

our sense of belonging can never be greater

than our level of self-acceptance.”  

― Brené Brown

 

******

Supporting others

 

My first time doodling. It's kind of fun!

 

“I just believe that us as women— should not criticize nor pull down other women. And why? Because we’re all just trying our best to be beautiful! We all just want to be loved, we want to be beautiful, we’re all trying to leave our own legacy! The good news is that the universe is unending and that means there is enough space for each woman on earth to leave her own mark and to be her own legacy. To be her own kind of beautiful. So why spend even a second on trying to take away from another woman? Trying to steal, trying to criticize, trying to oppress? There is enough space for every woman and every kind of beautiful, in this vast cosmos!”   - C. Joybell C.

 

 

 

******



Letting the past go

more ways to draw faces...

 

"Let your world be lit by miracles" 

-A Course in Miracles

According to A Course in Miracles, a miracle is merely a shift in perception. You either see the world through eyes of love or fear. You either see your difficulties as a call to heal or you feel victimized by life.

 

If you have a wounded child in you, you may see the world as unfriendly. It's essential that you resolve all the hurts from your past so you can see the world with a fresh perspective. When you make peace with past, you will then, see God in everyone and everything.

 

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
― Anais Nin

*****



Self-disclosure

 

 

Learning to gently reveal who we are is how we
open ourselves up to love and intimacy in our relationships.
Many of us have hidden under a protective shell,
a casing that prevents others from seeing or hurting us.
Being vulnerable can be frightening.
Little by little,
we learn to take the risk of revealing ourselves...
Gently, like a flower, we can learn to open up. 

Melody Beattie

*****