In the last week I’ve colored AND painted for the first time in decades! I’ve got to admit, I didn’t imagine it would be 
as much fun as it has been. I found myself getting lost in activities that I wouldn’t have even considered doing even a year ago. It seems to have lit a fire – I’ve even reconnected with my love of music in the last few days.
The coloring I’ve been doing is part of my planning for 2016. I’ve got to hand it to Leonie Dawson – she knows how to get a girl excited about goal setting! Her life and business workbooks provide great exercises to reflect on the year coming to an end and get clear on the goals for the upcoming year. Each section offers you a chance to color in activities you are interested in doing, and boy have I been having fun!
My next artistic endeavor was at a sip and paint event at a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation that was hosted by Canadian Small Business Women. Before getting there I played around with the idea of actually doing a painting and decided to give it a try. The instructor was great and the subject was a seasonal one and I had a lot of fun doing it. I even played some Adele as the background music while we painted 😉
There was a time when I wouldn’t have considered myself a creative person. The fact that I can call myself a published author and writer would say otherwise. This isn’t to say that I’ve mastered the writing craft, or that I am now a visual artist extraordinaire. What I have realized is that these activities have been joyful. I am enjoying playing with color in my workbooks. In my sip and paint project (see to the right), the original snowman had black buttons and no scarf. I decided to make some blue buttons and add a purple scarf just for a bit more color 😉
I can’t wait to play more with other creative outlets. It’s helping to clear my mind and relax. Music is next on my list. I just started really listening to music again. Not just on the radio, but actually getting an album and taking in every song. I’ve always wanted to sing, and I think I’m going to play around with that a bit in 2016. Don’t worry; you won’t be seeing any music videos any time soon!
If there’s an artist in you that’s itching to come out and play, let it! I’ve only just begun and I’m loving it. You don’t have to be a professional, you can color outside the lines. Make your sky green and your grass blue. It’s not about perfection; it’s just about finding another way to express yourself! ♥