How Often Do You Laugh in Bed?

I didn't do a great job of getting to bed at a decent hour last night as I had planned.  Thus, getting up was a struggle as well.  There was one positive about not waking with the sun and that was the gift Kaylie my dog brought back to bed with her.  It SO made me giggle and laugh and smile.

While laughing I had the thought that I need to find a way to capture this rare laughter when it happens.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't laugh enough when depressed.

Here is the result of me finding a way to capture my laughter.   Mr. Duckie is who Kaylie brought back to bed and this is what was left of Mr. Duckie when Kaylie was done with him.  It is now 8 hours later, and the memory and now this photo still make me smile.

Part of my creativity today was to take this photo and then edit it online.  It is now a sweet memory that will bring a smile to my face when I need it.  I edit my photos online at www.picmonkey.com by the way.  It is free with no registration and very easy to use.  And it is fun.


Kaylie

Here is Kaylie.  I took this photo a few days ago and did the editing today.  I enjoy adding text to some of my photos.  Its creative and allows me to express my sense of humor.  Isn't she a sweetie by the way?  All though I'm sure Mr. Duckie doesn't think so : )

Continued Sketchbook Play

I also continued playing in my sketchbook/journal today.  Here is one page I did.  I think I will add some text to it at some point...probably using a stencil or wording cut out of a magazine or something.  We'll see what I find to go with it.

This photo doesn't do the nice green color justice, but it gives you an idea.  I rubbed the page with oil pastel chalk first and then painted over it with Mod Podge.  Next I cut out the floral circles and leaves from fabric scraps I get from my neighbor who loves to make aprons.

I adhered the fabric flower and petals also with Mod Podge (you want to put Mod Podge on the paper and on the back of whatever you are adhering to the page).  Then I drew the flower stem with more oil pastel chalk.  And that's it.  Simple but I like it.

The other page I played on was this one...

I guess today was a play with fabric day, because the butterflies and flowers I cut out of fabric scraps also.  The page is painted with acrylic paint (I just poured some green and white paint on the page and the paint mixed while I was brushing it on).

I then used Mod Podge to affix the fabric butterflies; and finally drew the wording on with Oil Pastel Chalk.  I like the oil pastel chalk because it is not so...well...chalky as the regular pastel chalks.  You get less chalk dust is what I'm trying to say.

This page didn't turn out as whimsical looking as I had hoped.  I wanted the small lines to make it look like the butterflies were flitting about here and there, but I don't think I accomplished it.  Oh well....practice.  Maybe I'll add something else later to cover some of that, who knows?  I'll look at it for a few days and then decide.


Its Okay to Be in Process

I am learning a lot from playing in this sketchbook.  Here are a few things:

1.  It forces me to let go of perfectionism.  It is not easy to do something and not do it well "enough."  I want my pages to look like all these artist pages I see online and in the art books.  But I'm not there yet.  And I am trying to let that be okay.  Not to mention I'm showing my non-art to you! 


2.  It teaches me to play for a bit, walk away and come back to it.  Sometimes we think, "Well I can't do that because it would take too long and I don't have that much time."  The reality is each step of these pages only took me a few minutes each; because each step had to dry before I could move on.   So I have to move s-l-o-w-l-y.


3.  Since I have to move slowly I am also learning self-discipline.  Because of my depression I sometimes work/play only when I feel like it (except for the obvious things that HAVE to be done of course).  So when I start to do something, I force myself to keep doing it because I'm on a roll.  Who knows when I will FEEL like it again.  This can also result in exhaustion.

This kind of art play in my sketchbook invites me to go back to it time and again whether I feel like it or not.  That is a good practice for me.  It is a skill I forget when I am battling depression.

Keep Trying to be With People

I am going to keep reminding me and you to be with people even when we don't feel like it.  I am going over to my mom's tonight to hang out and watch some tennis.  We were a big tennis family and love watching the big tournaments like the French Open.  I believe the semi-finals are tonight.  So I am going.

And don't forget...when depressed apply wet paint; or fabric, or oil pastel chalk or.... oh, and capture your laughter when you can : )   You are not alone.