Family and Art

I've been sending myself into my art room in the morning to do just a "little bit" in my art journals before other things distract me! It's becoming a satisfying habit that really helps to ground me and makes me feel good. I think it must produce the neurotransmitter Dopamine. I've read it is a key component of the brain's reward system, triggering feelings of pleasure and reinforcing behaviors. :o) No wonder I feel happy when I'm creating. 

We visited my mom early this morning, then came home and grabbed Beda for a quick walk before Steve had a dentist appointment. I decided to make some zucchini-banana bread and then I had the afternoon free. For the moment, I've gone back to working in the handmade journal from week 10 of the Wanderlust course because I really enjoy filling up the pages of it. I like looking through my collage papers and choosing things that appeal to me, laying them out where I can see them and then figuring out what might work on the blank pages. The process of going with my sense of what might work, adding or subtracting until it feels complete is so fulfilling.

The page I'm sharing that I created today feels special to me. My Nonie and dad have passed and my mom is 90 with health problems. I used a paper copy of a photo of the 3 of them at obviously some fancy occasion they were attending. My guess it was taken in the early 1960's but I'm not sure. I just love the image of them huddled together talking. I have written about my family's support on my website on my "About" page and have talked about it before, but it felt really good to add this photo and writing to one of my art journals. I know how lucky I am.

I've done a lot of pages now in this journal and added more to the earlier ones I've shared, to complete them in my eyes. I think I'll wait untill I finish all the pages to photograph the whole journal. If you've read this far, thank you! I also really appreciate all your kind and supportive comments about my mom. xox lenna