Crafting an Authentic Life - My September Issue

Right now,writing this, I'm listening to Gavin DeGraw's Follow Through.  I used to be really good at this 'doing what I say I'm going to do'.  Lately I've realised that I'm no longer so good at it.  Blogging is good for calling you out on that one because one week you blog that you're going to re brand your blog, your shop, smarten everything up and weeks if not months later you still haven't followed through.  Now my habitual reaction to such a revelation would be to beat myself up something awful.  Then to do that big deep dig and ask myself - did I not do it because I don't believe in it or me, because I know it won't work, because I'm kidding myself that I can make a difference.  You know what, sometimes shit happens and we kind of let it take over and find we're constantly on the wrong end of a shovel.  We lose sight of our priorities and values and just focus on the shit.  Well, you know what else, we get more of what we focus on and, you've guessed it, if you focus on the shit you get more of it.  I've reached the time for throwing down the shovel and looking up and seeing the light, because it's up there, it always has been I just forgot it was there.

This week I watched a fabulous documentary on Channel 4 - 'Fabulous Fashionistas'.  If you haven't seen it yet I thoroughly recommend that you do.  It tells the story of 6 women, with an average age of 80, who live the most authentic lives.  I took the front end message to be that 'style keeps you young'.  And there were some strong messages 'people notice what you wear more when your older' And hitting our screens in the midst of the fashion world's fashion weeks it had some powerful messages for the fashion industry.  The strongest message was in the lives lived by the women.  Every one of them authentic, with a zest and gratitude for the life they have. Definitely all living in the now.  And definitely something worth a whole post of its own.





I'm continuing to enjoy texture art and focusing on the Paisley Pattern.  I've completed another canvas and have been doing some drawing.  I found a tutorial for Lace Skeleton Leaves at How Did You Make This. I'm thinking this will be a great way of putting together some Paisley pieces.  And hope to be showing some of those off very soon.  And popping over to Handmade Monday to see what all you other crafty folk have been up to.





I had intended to have a folio of work together by now and be well on my way to living that authentically fit and happy life.  But life happens, there have been a few hiccups.  And whilst we're still in the thick of it I am shifting focus.  We do get more of what we focus on - and from here on in I intend to focus on the sugar.

My aim from here on in is to put more of my art out there, to use what I've got and to add texture.

Namaste

Catherine

xxx