I have had the BEST week!  For the first time in three and a half years, I took a whole week off, and it was wonderful!  I spent the first five days with Brian, and the last two and a half in a creative frenzy.  I’ve also been getting incredible amounts of sleep–I usually average six hours a night in order to get up at 5:15 and go to they gym; but this week I’ve gotten 9-11 hours every night, and it’s been heavenly.

Brian hurt his foot sprinting in Vibram five fingers shoes, so we had a lot of down time. While he played games on his iPad, I immersed myself in art videos, getting filled with inspiration, which I unleashed when I got home.  Yesterday I spent almost the whole day painting, then started working on my first digital photo book in years, then went back to painting.  This morning, I woke up blissfully late, and was flooded with creative ideas that forced me to jump out of bed so I could get started!

Today I’ve been feeling sort of panicked all day, as I try to cram as much fun and freedom into the day as I possibly can, knowing that it’s back to the grindstone tomorrow–early wake ups, long days of work, and little time for creativity.

My One Little Word for the year is Freedom, and for the first time in years I actually got a little taste of it.  It just makes me greedy for more.  I have to say, I’m dreading tomorrow.

Just 4 Fun and the Illuminated Mushroom were both based on 21 Secrets Workshops. Both involved experimenting with new techniques and new media in my art journal.  Just 4 Fun was my first time painting on a black background and incorporating random marks and symbols.  The Illuminated Mushroom gave me a reason to dig out my little-used fluorescent oil pastels and practice creating light with color.  Both workshops were taught by Ardith Goodwin, an artist whose work I LOVE!