JoDee Luna's Blog, page 22

Masquerade Masks: Ideas for Decorating

Whether you make your own masquerade mask or buy a blank one online, decorating your mask is a fun creative project packed full of potential for self-expression.

Recently, my daughter, Andy, decorated some masks for her dance group.

She used acrylic paints, glitter glue, ribbon, and feathers. Here is a photo of Andy applying glitter glue.

I enjoyed watching each mask emerge with its own unique look.

Here is a side view of the mask and feathers.

Some of the masks were already painted by my other daughter, Elya, and just slightly altered.

The vibrant colors of this mask flow into spindly feathers.

This mask is decorated with gold glitter glue and gold leafing.

Andy used maroon ribbon to create a theatrical effect.

Yes, decorating masquerade masks is a fun activity, which can provide hours of entertainment. Here is a photo of the finished masks Andy gave to the members of the dance group she performs with. She later told me that they were ecstatic to receive such treasures.

If you are a multi-faceted creative person in need of inspiration and tips for developing a creative life, check out my book: Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics.

Check out these posts for fun diy mask making ideas:

How to Make a Masquerade Mask Part I 

How to Make a Masquerade Mask Part II

How to Make a Plaster Cloth Masquerade Mask

How to Make a Vintage Mask

 

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Word Gardening…and her words blew over the wall…

We writers often fantasize about our words blowing over the wall of our word gardens we work so hard to cultivate. Beth Reekle’s amazing success with her novel, “The Kissing Booth,” is an incredible example of this, and a real pick me up for any aspiring author.

This teen writer decided to craft a book about teen romance because “She just wanted to read something that didn’t involve vampires, werewolves, or fallen angels,” contributing writer, Nina Mandel, explains in her article for Today News: “Teenager lands 3-book deal with record-breaking romance.”  As the Kissing Booth” storms the e-book market, another writer’s dreams come true.

I often imagine my words blowing over the wall of my writer’s life. When they do, the results are far from Beth’s success, but I still feel the warm fuzzies that happens when someone thanks me for something I’ve written. I don’t quite know how to describe this feeling you get when your words encourage and inspire someone, but anyone who has experienced this knows what I’m talking about.

The challenge for the rest of us “Word Gardeners,” whose seeds blow over the wall in modest amounts, is to continue tilling regardless of how many readers we have. We write first and foremost for ourselves—to get the streams of dialogue and diatribes out of our brains and onto paper or into word docs and blog posts.

We write because to not do so would surely result in our brains imploding, and the mess would be far grislier than any zombie attack.

We write because we are madly in love with words, and we relish the results we see in others when our words land in fertile soil and burrow deeply into hearts and sprout new ideas that eventually blossom.

We write because God has crafted our genetic code with the desire to capture the human essence into explanations and poetry and dialogue and any number of other written expressions.

We write because we feel closer to ourselves and to our Creator when we plunge the spade of the wordsmith deep into the soil of possibilities.

So if you need a fresh breath of encouragement, read about Beth’s success. I know doing so has empowered me to pick up my word gardening tools with more vim, vigor, and vitality than I have in a while.

Today I give a shout out to Beth Reekle and to all of the writers out there that are tending to their word gardens. May your words blow over the wall of your personal life and into the gardens of others, and may you enjoy the rush when they do.

Because it is Easter Morning

It’s Easter morning and I feel disconnected from myself and from my Savior. Perhaps rushing has taken its toll; there never seems to be enough time to get everything done that I need to do.

Call it modern living or just a disorganized creative eclectic, but this is my reality—one that discourages pensive pondering and a worshipful presence.

But then I remember what day this is, and because it is Easter morning, hope flutters in my heart like a tiny sparrow testing new wings.

Whether I sing out this hope in the midst of a worshipful throng or whisper “Thank for giving your life for me,” while alone, hope blossoms anew.

Today I will smile when little children rush for hidden eggs. I will hug my loved ones tightly and enjoy the feasting and fun interwoven through the day. But most of all, I will remember the sacrifice Jesus made so that I might have eternal life, whether or not I feel on top of my “To Do List.”

Yes, because it is Easter morning, a smile will creep over my face and these words will echo through my mind and spirit, He has risen.

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Deep Cauldron of Emotions: Lighting the Way through Personal Expression

When we dare to connect with and share our feelings, we light the way for others to do the same. This is the gift of writing and the glory of words.

Have you ever read someone’s insights and felt the pouring of warm wax over the candle of understanding hidden within your soul? The writer’s words flow past your mind and stir longings so deep inside of you that you gasp. What was foggy becomes clear, and what you could not set right in your own mind and heart starts to make sense.

Each scoop of expression forms another layer of understanding, and with the right spark, the darkness glows with serenity.

I use writing to process my feelings and to work through my struggles. When I take the time to pen my most pensive self, confusion clears and truth surfaces. What I must let go of or grieve becomes apparent. Writing lights the way out of the dark nights of the soul. So when someone else reads my writings and benefits, this warms my heart and makes the entire struggle even more worth the effort.

As believers we are called to “let our lights shine” so that others might glorify our Father who is in heaven; yet our potential to shine, like the candle, forms one layer at a time. When we dare to expose our most vulnerable selves through the words of our testimony, God strikes the match.

 

 

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Relinquish the Unrealistic

When life plucks feathers from your expectation’s wings, relinquishing the unrealistic helps you to land safely and walk in contentment.Here I sit on the fourth day of my Spring Break with a “To Do” list far longer than the remaining two days I have left to accomplish my goals. The inner agitation finally forces me to reevaluate my plans and to readjust my expectations.

I’m a type A personality—raised by a hard-working father who repeatedly reminded us children, “A job worth doing is worth doing well.” And although I’m grateful for the work ethic Dad instilled in my siblings and I, I often find myself taking on far more than I can do.

The image in my mind is that of those early aviator innovators who made wings and then leapt off high buildings in an attempt to fly. I often do the same, metaphorically speaking, only to discover, to my dismay, that life quickly plucks out the feathers.

Although I hate to give up, relinquishing my lofty ideals keeps me grounded.

How do you know whether your expectations are set too high? Look for feelings of annoyance, disappointment, and depression. Do you find yourself focusing on the remaining items on your “To Do” and “To Be” lists instead of what you “have done” and “have become?”

I’m reading “Simple Shine” by Jill Blashack Strahan, the founder of “Tastefully Simple,” a very successful direct sales company. Jill is on Inc. magazine’s top CEO All Stars list and has accomplished more in one lifetime than I could hope for in ten.  I’m inspired by this amazing woman’s story and focus:

 “Looking for what I’ve done that’s right and reflecting on my victories is celebrating the simple, day-to-day things. And that gives me power.”

 So today I’m going to take Jill’s advice and pass on her wisdom to you.

If you also feel overwhelmed, join me in taking time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and to identify some items we can check off our lists. Let’s relinquish the unrealistic.

*For more tips on how to develop and maintain a creative life, read Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics.

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Why I Create Art

“I love your art work…it is truly an expression of your soul at this time.” My friend Donna’s words expressed one of the many reasons why I create art.

When the soul rumbles so deeply inside that I can’t express feelings with mere words, I disappear into my art room and make something. Sometimes I have an inkling of what I want to do, but more often I don’t overthink what I choose to put into a mixed media piece.

If something moves me in the moment, I add the item. Sometimes I like the result and sometimes I don’t, but it doesn’t matter because I always feel better after an artistic binge. In fact, the very act of creating provides the release I so desperately need.

Here are a few other reasons why I make art:

Reflection: Art helps me to reflect upon the state of my emotions and thoughts and to discover my deeper desires. When I craft my reflections into art, they become clearer to me. I made this mixed media after a disappointing experience I needed to process.
Healing: The act of creating something is therapeutic. It’s like breaking open a bottled up soul and releasing the flow. In this piece, the bird in the bottle represents my trapped soul.
Worship: My art is often an expression of those faint faith whispers, the subtle impressions I hope are messages from my Creator. I try to craft them into art in hopes of capturing their essence so I can remember to thank the Lord for all of His goodness and blessings.
Comfort: Art comforts me and helps me to comfort others. Sometimes I find myself praying for a person and then think of making something to express my concern.
Giving: I enjoy giving my art to people who seem to match certain pieces. My online friend, Cheryl Smith, writes a blog about abiding, so I made this piece with her in mind.
Teaching: I make art to teach others. When I was a classroom teacher, I had a dough sculpture day with my struggling literacy students. My intent was to recreate what I grew up enjoying around our family’s table.
This day is always a favorite. While students are sculpturing, I share more than the needed supplies and skills for the craft; I touch upon the secrets of developing a creative life. Their creations warm my heart. I also teach others how to make and decorate masquerade masks through posts. These are viewers’ favorites:
How to Make a Masquerade Mask Part I
How to Make a Masquerade Mask Part II
How to Make a Plaster Mask
How to Make a Vintage Mask

Often readers ask questions about art techniques, and I enjoy answering them through comments. You can find all of my arts and crafts lessons by selecting the link on the home page titled “Creative Projects.”

Would I enjoy making lots of money from my artwork one day? Sure I would, if I could part with the pieces. But often they are connected with a particular struggle or experience so dear to me that I have a hard time letting them go.

Recently, I’ve decided to make some mixed media pieces based on my favorite themes to sell on my Etsy store. I figured this would be a way I could develop my creativity business and share my art with others. I sold a vintage mask that a customer bought because the message really hit her, “Freedom to Be.” She was at a turning point in her life and the message empowered her to choose the path she really wanted.

 

I encourage you to create for the sheer pleasure of making something to express how you feel. Who knows, you just might find yourself encouraging someone else along the way.

*Check out my book for tips on how to develop a creative life, Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics.

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Immeasurable Love

Have you ever loved someone so much that your heart hurts when you part? You know they need to be free and immeasurable love asks you to release them so your own pain does not hamper their joy.

I took my daughter to the airport early yesterday morning so she could travel throughout China and teach English in Phuket, Thailand for a year. After work, I came home and poured my pain into this mixed media piece I titled Immeasurable Love. 

The dandelion blowing in the wind is one of Elya’s favorite themes, so I added this to the mixed media piece.

Her painting, “Be Still,” has been repinned on Pinterest more than any of her other paintings. In fact, people from around the world have pinned “Be Still.”

Today this scripture comforts me. She is like a dandelion, blowing to the far corners of the earth. I remind myself of God’s immeasurable love for her and whisper, “I know you will take care of my precious girl.”

Elya is my delight–this young woman who lights up the world with a smile.

Her carefree soul and wanderlust propels her to travel and live overseas. She’s got the same genetic predisposition that propelled me to move to Europe when I was only twenty. So I think: How can I not extend the same grace to her that my parents extended to me?

I placed the travel ticket in the top right corner of the mixed media piece as a symbol of her great love of travel. The ticket reminds me to be thankful for a daughter who opens up other lands to me through her vivid accounts, artistic photos, and Skype conversations.

Immeasurable love. That’s what parenting takes when your offspring longs to leave home and go far, far away.

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Vintage Purse Strings

A small, worn travel suitcase with the silver strings of a vintage purse draped over the side appeared in my dream as if a photo shoot. The image captivated me—camera shot hugged up close and angled towards a vanishing point. I rolled over in the dark and groggily sketched a crude reproduction onto journal pages.

In the morning, the accompanying message “purse strings” still reverberated through my mind. The photo shoot couldn’t wait until I had found a similar purse and suitcase as those I saw in the dream. As soon as the morning sun peeked over the horizon, I shuffled into my art room to set up the image from the dream with items from my art room.

Purse strings…hmmm….where have I heard this before? Purse strings…what does this message mean?

 My computer search led me to this post, “Purse Strings of Trust,” I wrote on July 28th of last summer. I re-read my writing and sighed. The words were as real to me today as they were seven months ago. Yet the one change that has occurred since then is a growing desire to create vintage-style mixed media art, and the beginning of a desire to one day travel and teach creativity classes for others.

I often ponder the meanings of my quirky little dreams. These unexpected messengers appear in the night and set in motion life changes I never would have anticipated on my own. Call them mere coincidences or my subconscious rising to the top, but whatever they might be, I have a sneaking suspicion my desire to develop my artwork and someday pass on tips to others just might happen, if I loosen those purse strings.

 

Do you have a dream you’d like to share? Perhaps a secret desire to do something you wonder whether you could ever pull off in this life. Maybe your purse strings are life’s challenges that cause you to tighten up your creative life. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and recollections.

Gratitude for my Son, Josiah

This morning gratitude nests in my soul as I remember my son’s entrance into the world 29 years ago.

I ponder what possibilities await his life, this magnificent young man who lights up the world with his smile.

I also remember the words of wisdom my great-grandma spoke: “The first step your son takes will be away from you.”

With parenting comes vulnerability; you can’t control this independent soul nor protect your offspring from the dangers that lurk about. And my son happens to have one of the most adventurous spirits I know so those dangers are many. It’s difficult to love someone so much and yet feel so powerless.

So with all of the sad good-byes, when Josiah travels the world, and the happy reunions, when he returns, I’ve grown to trust in the God who nestles us under His wings…and smiles when Josiah rests on elephants.

The anxious heart and fretful mind of a mother are difficult to quiet. Yet gratitude rests so sweetly in the soul; the very existence of which seems a miracle, the merging of our fragile human nature with God’s mother hen-like love.

If I could only remember to quiet my anxious soul on those troublesome days, I muse, and trust in God’s faithfulness with my children, now and forever. But stilling my worry-prone mind long enough to believe also comes as a gift of grace.

So this morning I once again say, “Thank you. Thank you Lord for giving me such a precious son. Thank you for watching over him when I am powerless to protect him. Thank you for the joy he brings to me and to so many others.”

Josiah is fun-loving, but he also has an old soul, evidenced by the endearing words he writes on cards to me. He has learned to move beyond just loving life to reflecting upon the meaning of living and upon those who give his live meaning.

I love my son more than life itself. He forms a melody in my soul no other can create. He is a precious person, and I am honored to be his mother. Happy birthday Josiah!

 

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The Heartbeat of His Love for Me

Have you ever grown weary from trying to figure it all out?

I’m so directionally driven. In fact, I often wake up with these words on my lips, “Lord, what is your direction for my life?” And then I knit my brow in consternation because I still haven’t a clue as to what God would have me do.

But this morning another thought rushed in behind my usual malaise, “Why is it always about going somewhere instead of being with someone?“

This new perspective temporarily twisted my tongue, and got me thinking.

What if life was about enjoying our relationship with God versus trying to further our personal purposes?

What if I awoke every day and prayed, “Lord, help me to enjoy you today.”

Last night before falling asleep, I read these words by Teresa of Avila, which Ann Voskamp included in her inspiring book, One Thousand Gifts:

 Just these words He spoke

changed my life,

“Enjoy Me.”

What a burden I thought I was to carry–

a crucifix, as did He.

Love once said to me, “I know a song,

would you like to hear it?”

And laughter came from every brick in the street

and from every pore 

in the sky,

After a night of prayer, He

changed my life when

                      He sang,

“Enjoy Me.”

This morning I decided, This is the way I want to live!

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