JoDee Luna's Blog, page 5

Time Management for the Creative Change your Mindset

It’s as if the two sides of my brain collide; the artistic, unrestrained, go with the flow crashes against my responsible self. 

Do whatever you want whenever you want wars with organize thyself. 

Chase after every idea butterfly as opposed to schedule a time to clean your toilet. 

Elya loves to paint butterflies!

Paint away an entire Saturday in contrast to stop and cook a meal. 

Sometimes I can combine the two—like right now I’m taking a much-needed walk while typing thoughts into a note on my phone. 

Mindset

Perhaps it’s all about changing one’s mindset.

I used to think that writing only visited if I journaled every morning. And then I retired and sat across the room from a husband who wanted to have coffee first thing. 

Now I know writing can magically appear at the oddest times: in my dreams, during a morning walk, while driving in my car (that’s when recording on my phone at a stoplight becomes handy). 

It’s similar for art. Often ideas grace when I’m vacuuming the floor, pulling weeds, or playing with my grandchildren. 

It doesn’t matter whether I’m in the flow. The flow finds me. Maybe it’s because I’ve dared to change my mindset about creativity. 

Sure, I’ve followed the guidelines of brilliant creatives, but I’ve also learned an important lesson: 

Each one of us is unique in terms of how we need to make time for creativity and how inspiration graces us. 

What works for someone else might not work for us. Just talk to a mom of young children who’s had to find creative ways to paint or write while child rearing. 

Time management for the creative must be creative, flexible, doable.

Time management for the creative requires a change of mindset!

If you’ve convinced yourself that writing can only happen at certain times, you’ll rarely write.

If you’re sure artistic inspiration only graces when you have a free Saturday, you’ll rarely create. 

I challenge you to change your mindset about creativity. Grab those free moments here and there to push your projects forward. You’ll be amazed at what results over time. 

The Rose Blossoming in the Father’s Love

Artist and writer, Diane Bailey, posted a painting on Instagram of a woman with angel’s wings, holding a red rose. The descriptor read:

“The Soul of a Woman – and when she believed she was loved, she began to bloom.”

When I read this, I instantly remembered a promise the Lord had given me when I was a youthful missionary.

While walking through a forest in the Netherlands, I envisioned a red rose blossoming as these words drifted through my mind: I will blossom you into a woman of God—wrought by many thorns, watered by your tears. 

He promised His nature would form in me like a rose, opening to reveal beauty and fragrance.

Yet it wasn’t until I read Diane’s words that I made the connection between the rose blossoming and my believing I was loved by my Heavenly Father. 

“The Rose” is my tribute to that promise.

The thorns came, the tears flowed, devastating losses tore my heart apart.

And yet, in the midst of the pain, “…the beauty of the Lord exudes from the wounding,” as my dear friend, Roberta Smith, expressed upon seeing the painting.

I create resources to ignite creativity, overcome obstacles, and help you develop your God-given talents.

If you’d like a monthly infusion of inspiration, links to free resources, and tips for making art easy, sign up for my newsletter: Release your Full Artistic Potential.

You can also connect with me around the web by selecting this link: https://linktr.ee/jodeeluna

Become the Artist and Writer you Want to Be!

Years ago, I bemoaned my lack of artistic talent. Impatience percolated until the pour oozed with bitterness.

I wanted to be further along than I was. I longed to be a published author, an extinguished artist, a person of influence, but the road ahead was long and rocky, and I was impatient.

Then from out of nowhere, words wafted through my thoughts: Become the artist and writer you want to be!”

An awareness permeated my being, a knowing that I was entering a long season of working hard at painting and writing.

Taking art lessons onlinePainting, painting, and painting some moreWriting regularlyOrganizing my writing into manuscriptsLearning how to build an author’s platform

The Lord seemed to be saying that even though He’d gifted me with talents, I needed to hone those talents, invest years working to become the artist and writer I dreamed of being.  

https://ginamariewilson.wordpress.com

During these long years of becoming, I’ve often thought of Jesus’s words in the parable of the talents:

“…the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.  But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. –Matthew 25: 14-18

God graces us with talents but it’s up to us to work hard at the skills necessary to improve and share those talents with others.  

When discouragement descends, I think about the faithful ones who invest time and energy into developing their talents. I marvel over the gifts they share with others. 

Seasons of becoming are long with dream fulfillment only a distant mirage. 

My Artist’s Prayer keeps me grateful for God’s provision along the way. 

What are the talents the Lord has gifted you with?

What skills do you need to hone to improve them?

How do you dream of sharing them with the world?

I create resources to ignite creativity, overcome obstacles, and help you develop your God-given talents.

If you’d like a monthly infusion of inspiration, links to free resources, and tips for making art easy, sign up for my newsletter: Release your Full Artistic Potential.

A Divided Heart

I’m a creative with a divided heart,

I love writing as much as I love art!

“What must it be like,” I muse, “to be single eyed toward one focus? It must be wonderful to concentrate fully on one discipline.” 

I marvel over other’s Instagram homepages filled with a solitary love, unlike mine checkered with so many different projects from writings and paintings to salt dough sculptures and mixed media. 

This multiplicity of creativity so befuddled me that I wrote an entire book for people like me: Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics. 

“This book is a gift to those who are trying to understand their eclectically creative souls. I write it for artistic types who wish to reconcile this tug of divergent desires.”

As frustrating as artistic multiplicity can be, there are some perks:

You’ll never be bored.If you hit a block in one area of artistry, you just move on to the next art form.Your artistic eye helps envision your writing, and your writing helps find words to describe what you envision.You’ll connect with a community of us creative eclectics out here who might not move projects forward fast but are oddly interesting with all our intricacies. 

I believe you have a unique destiny, and I hope to be a part of your journey! 

I create resources to ignite creativity, and help people develop their God-given talents.If you’d like a monthly infusion of inspiration, links to free resources, and tips for making art easy, sign up for my newsletter: Release your Full Artistic Potential.

Sometimes Life is Like a Game of Chess

Sometimes life is like a game of chess. Watch the animated video:

You don’t know the next move. 

Your mind strategizes any inkling of direction, but all you hear is silence.

So, you pray for wisdom, insight into the unseen, and imagine all the possible outcomes.

But direction is shrouded with confusion, lack of clarity, hesitation.

You’ve chased so many dreams down rabbit holes that, this time, you want to be certain, or at least more cautious. 

I think God is ok with the waiting…because in the wrestling and doubting relationship is born.

You commune with your Creator over possible purposes, life decisions, and next moves. And He smiles because you’re spending time with together. 

Are you a creative in need of ongoing encouragement?

The creative life is often like a game of chess.

It’s easy to get discouraged when your anticipated moves don’t turn out like you’d planned.

I offer a monthly newsletter that features inspirational posts, free inspirational frameables, and a free Chosen to Create guide to help you navigate your artistic self.

Select this link to subscribe: JoDee Luna’s Newsletter

Fresh Starts Await!

There are times when your life’s canvas gets wiped clean.  

You find yourself faced with a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to do things differently. Maybe you’ve graduated from college, gotten married or divorced, lost your job, or changed jobs. Perhaps a loved one died, or an unexpected turn of events left you undone.

Whatever your particulars might be, you find yourself peering into an uncharted future that is kind of scary and yet percolating with possibilities. 

Fresh starts… 

can’t be rushed…

should be savored…

allowed time to ruminate…

prayed over with requests for wisdom…

Retirement was a fresh start: no more purposeful career; paints packed and stored; writing journal hauntingly blank; blog posts embarrassingly outdated. My husband and I spent months on house repairs and staging to sell, packing, and storing our stuff, living out of suitcases with different children. 

I waited for the urge to hit—the desire to write, paint, do anything artistic, but weeks turned into months and without a creative space to call my own, I just didn’t have it in me.

Sure, there were beautiful sights seen and possibilities pondered. Even a couple of speaking engagements in the field of education. But creative inspiration seemed far away like the boats bobbing up and down in the port of Puerto Vallarta we visited. 

One would think, “Ahh…. those must have been the best days of your life,” but for this artistic soul, finding fulfillment went deeper than strolling along beautiful beaches. 

I pressed into my Creator in search of His best for my life:

Praying, “Lord, I want your will, your plan, your purposes!”Examining what seemed right and the willingness to make changes Sifting through the good to find the best.Waiting for creative desires to return.

Inspiration finally flowed, a home purchased, a business started, Luna Arts & Ed. Creativity returned. 

So, if you find yourself in a creative limbo when nothing seems to motivate you to start a new project or finish an old one, know that there’s someone out there who understands!

Are you in need of some encouragement to weather what life throws your way?

Are you interested in resources to help you along your creative journey?

Sign up for my monthly newsletter that features fresh inspiration, links to free resources, and tips for overcoming creative blocks.

Creative people are happiest when creating!

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Overcoming the Obstacle of Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is an obstacle that plagues even the most successful creatives. Feelings of uncertainty about your abilities, purposes, and plans are quite common.

So, if you’re called to be a creative, get ready to battle this enemy of artistic ambitions.

Inspiration comes in waves with periods of calm when ideas recede. During these down times, self-doubt convinces us we’re not artists or writers or any number of artistic identities we’ve developed. 

I, for one, find myself doubting my creativity’s impact instead of organically creating what comes to me. The mental dialogue debilitates:

Few find your art or writing inspiring.

Your social media sucks! You’ll never build a platform to sell your manuscripts in progress. 

Why try? Give up now. 

When self-doubt descends, I find myself in a fog of purposelessness. 

Yet, it’s during these times that I become aware of my human limitations. I need God to breathe life back into the gifts and talents He’s designed for me to develop and share. 

“…“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

1 Corinthians 12:9 

Self-doubt also appears when facing seemingly insurmountable tasks. What you envision accomplishing is out of your reach right now.

Self-doubt creates despair. 

Despair clings to shoulders like a dark, dismal freeloader who whispers, “You know you will never succeed so why try!” 

Only sheer determination to believe in ideals beyond one’s lack drives the climber forward and up.

The creative must summons inner strength to begin the ascent, one hand grasp and foothold at a time because self-doubt doesn’t leave during the climb.

The determined and stouthearted that persistently plod ahead will excel beyond their wildest dreams.

Antidote: Adjust your expectations.  Modest victories build self-confidence, providing hand and foot holds like climbers use to scale sheer cliffs. 

Self-doubt is a formidable foe for the creative. One that must be slain with faith and trust in a Creator who calls, equips, guides, and sustains. 

If you find yourself riddled with self-doubt, ask Him to confirm your calling, inspire your creativity, and empower your progress. 

Ask the Lord for grace to accomplish His purposes:

Be assured, He will! 

Do you doubt your creative abilities? 

Tap into the truth about your creative potential and learn how it can breathe life into your soul in this workbook that has helped over 200 women take simple steps to making art and finding joy. 

We are, after all, chosen to create! 

Sign up with this link: 
Chosen to Create Workbook

Connect with me around the web https://linktr.ee/jodeeluna

3 Questions to Move from Crisis to Creativity

If all else fails, distract thyself!

Some of my worst times of crisis resulted in my most prolifically creative seasons. That’s right. When I couldn’t find any more therapy appointments that worked or Twelve-step principles to apply, I simply dove into what I loved and transformed my worry, grief, and angst into art. 

I know God’s perfect, but sometimes I still wonder whether He made a mistake when he gifted us women with words. We talk incessantly. If you don’t believe me, just linger on the periphery of some women chatting and you will soon agree. We need to process everything from annoyances with husbands to hair coloring. Talk, talk, talk, talk…we seem most happy when gabbing.

Then the crisis hits! Kabaam…our fixation with words turns on our minds with unrelenting torment. In Twelve-step recovery, they call this obsessing, circular thinking that never goes anywhere productive but just keeps rehearsing the hurt. Round and round we go making ourselves crazy without solving one blasted thing. 

During these times of obsessing, my Twelve-step sponsor used to ask me targeted questions to help me identify the source of my mental madness. Her questions always perplexed me because they seemed so far from the thoughts playing tug-o-war in my mind. I wanted to obsess the current person I was so sure was the source of my misery and she kept directing me back to the only person I could change, me. Here’s 3 questions she would ask:

Are you taking care of yourself? The right answer to this question encompassed eating well, exercising, and using the tools of recovery: journaling my feelings, calling people on the telephone list to get the crazies out of my mind, and attending meetings. 

The later was so that I could hear my obsessing coming out of others’ mouths and realize I wasn’t alone. Meetings helped me to acquire tips for handling my qualifier (the person who gets you into a 12-Step group), other difficult people in my life, or any situation I was obsessing. The last answer to the “taking care of yourself” question referred to what I was doing that I enjoyed. Giving myself permission to enjoy anything was difficult for me because I misinterpreted what it meant to a devoted Christian. 

What are you afraid of? 

This was always a biggie for me. She explained how codependents use obsessing as a smokescreen to keep their focus off the only person they can change, themselves. 

Mary believed that God had a unique identity and plan just for me, and if I thought through what I wanted to do, I could transfer all my negative mental energy into activities that would develop me as a person. 

In time, I discovered that she was right. I tended to obsess others when I felt afraid of the next-best-step that could help me to improve myself. Together we talked through what she called “my worst-case scenarios.” She used to ask, “So what is your worst fear? 

Then she would lead me down a mental path that always ended up with a comforting conclusion. 

“You don’t have to be afraid anymore, JoDee, God will be with you even if the worst circumstances you contrive come true.” She helped me to tackle the practical things I needed to do to care for my children and myself. These included developing a career that would pay the bills and taking my children to therapy so they could develop healthy self-care tools.

What do you want to do? 

Wow, this was always a zinger that initially spun me out. I didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to do. I had always lived my life as a good little codependent Christian ministry wife. Following my leaders and serving my husband and children defined my existence. It felt so terribly selfish to even think of what I wanted to do just for me. Little did I know that following the desires of my heart would lead me to pursue my God-given destiny: to inspire others to create, to hope, and to believe. 

Exercise: You’ve read this post because of a desire to become a more creative you, so why not start with a bit of journaling focused around these three questions?

Are you taking care of yourself? What are you afraid of?What do you want to do? 

Then select one item from each to post someplace you pass by daily. Choose one way to take care of yourself, one fear you will conquer, and one creative project you’d like to pursue. 

I guarantee you’ll move from crisis to creativity!

Sign up for my free
Chosen to Create Workbook

Tap into the truth about your creative potential and learn how it can breathe life into your soul in this workbook that has helped over 200 women take simple steps to making art and finding joy. 

We are, after all, chosen to create! 

Connect with me around the web https://linktr.ee/jodeeluna

Welcome Christmas!

Let the holiday season begin! A time to decorate, celebrate, and play.

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I enjoy getting out our decorations collected over the years. Every one of them reminds me of a memory I cherish.

Many of our homemade decorations come from the years my sister and I had an arts and craft business we called Heartwarmers because our gift lines warmed the heart.

Every year, I’d save some of my favorites and add them to our Christmas home-decorating collection.

Here’s some ideas to get you in the holiday mood.

Christmas decorating:

Creating magical Christmas scenes invites the child in us to peer into tiny windows and imagine what it would be like to go inside.

Creating Christmas scenes delights all ages and gets family and friends into the holiday spirit.

Candles enhance the holiday mood with their sparkling lights and aromatic smells.

Celebrating

Making and decorating Christmas cookies is a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. My sister is the queen of Christmas cookie decorating. She involves all ages in the adventure.

Play

Cookie cutter salt dough ornaments are an easy craft activity.

My sister, Gina, made these with her granddaughters.

Watch this video to learn how to make a gingerbread man using a cookie cutter:

You can explore more salt dough sculpture videos on my YouTube Salt Dough Art Sculpture Lessons Play List.

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Seedlings of Desire

Have you ever felt befuddled by desires that don’t fit into your plans? 

Or wanted something so badly but were hesitant because it wasn’t part of your life plan?

You set out to pursue one direction and another calls to you. 

Although this is can be disconcerting, I’ve learned to listen to the wooing of the soul. 

Often our Creator communicates changes in direction when we least expect. 

When we are convinced of a plan we’ve worked so hard to design.

We often want direction when God wants relationship. The direction will become clear when we draw close to our Creator.

So if another path is calling to you, stop and listen. Ask the Lord whether this wooing of the soul is from him. And if hope rises up within, dare to follow a new path.

Seedlings of Desire is available on my Fine Art America Shop:

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