Monday Inspiration: MLK Day

Hey all!

It's been a while since I posted and it's good to be back :) I have been thinking a lot about roadblocks in my life (inspired by our recent series at church). I think that sometimes we/I forget or stop seeing roadblocks that stand in the way of pursuing dreams or even just doing things we enjoy. Its almost like we let things become a normal part of who we are... We let things like fear and doubt make a home in our brains and they consistently hold us back. I know for me that even posting on my blog gets roadblocked... I have thoughts like I don't have time, I don't have anything interesting to say, i don't feel like putting myself out there,etc etc.

Thats when I began thinking about MLK Jr.

As i was reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr this morning, I realized a lot. Yesterday in church they played a short video about what he has done. Basically what I got out of it was that at 26, he led the Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian leadership conference, that he gave his "I have a dream" speech at 33, And that at 34 he won the Nobel peace prize. I don't know about any of you but at 26 I could barely spell my name. It was probably the most confusing year of my life. I didnt know what i wanted to do (okay, so i still dont know what i want to do), i didnt know where I wanted to live or where I was going half the time.

And here we have a man who faced some SERIOUS roadblocks, yet he made things happen. Nothing was on his side. Because of the boycott, his HOUSE was BOMBED and he was ARRESTED. I don't know about y'all, but for me that would be enough to throw in the towel. But he kept GOiNG. He put one foot in front of the other and believed so passionately in what he was doing. He was one man who changed the world forever. When you are young, you believe you can do anything and change the world. As you get older, something happens and all of a sudden you stop believing in yourself or that you can make your dreams happen or that you can make a difference. I'm sure that we all want to change the world at least a little bit, but it can seen overwhelming. Where do you start? What if this happens and I might fail and people might not like me or my idea, and on and on.

There will always be a roadblock, the key is breaking through it. We may not all win a Nobel peace prize, but if we continue to put one foot in front of the other, who's to say what we can and can't accomplish?

I'm thinking about framing a picture of MLK and hanging it somewhere to see everyday, for real.

Photos of the day: Merry Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I can't believe it is here already.  Time is just flying.  It seems like Thanksgiving was just yesterday.  I hope that everyone has a blessed day with family and friends!

Creations by Flossy George Designs - New Pics

This weekend I was finally able to take some pictures of a few things I have been working on. 

The picture frames are handmade made from 200 year old pecky cypress wood.  Pictures are suspended between the glass in the frame.  The jewelry box is one of a 3 piece collection - they were purchased from thrift stores, sanded, and painted.  All items are available in my Etsy Shop.

 

 

Photo of the day: Paris for Inspiration

Street Scene, Paris

Photograph by Brian Yen

I was searching through pictures to share with you, and it took me a while to get to this one, which just took my breath away.  At first glance, there isn't much to it, but if you look closely, you can see why Paris is a dreamy city.

Look at those buildings.  I just love the architecture (not that I know much about architectural terms or anything).  The buildings are old, yet have character and charm.  They are what I think of when I think of Paris: old yet delicate, with beautiful detail.  The city has a romantic aire to it, like you could walk around all day and feel in love.

This is the kind of art I want to create: old, yet delicate, with beautiful detail.  Pieces of furniture, photos, decor, that evoke emotion. My dream is to bring that to life.

Does this call for a trip to Paris for inspiration? Yes please! ;)

Picasso Thursday - Keeping your Creativity

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  

~Pablo Picasso

I love this quote.  How true is it that the older we get, the less creative we are?  I remember when I was kid I made things out of everything.  Thinking back I am pretty impressed at stuff I created.  I made little sculptures out of aluminum foil.  I remember taking cardboard toilet paper rolls and making them into birds. I handmade cards for my parents out of every material you can think of to create little masterpieces. 

Nowadays, I can barely put together an outfit. Why do we get so (sorry to say it) boring as we get older? Is it because we have taxes and house cleaning and all those serious (insert very serious face), grown up things to worry about? And if so, how can we get our creativity back? 

When we are kids, we spend most of our time in a creative mindset.  We are always seeing new things and making up stories in our heads.  We live in our own little creative world.  So it's no wonder we can get those creative juices flowing! 

Maybe as adults, we need to cut out some time to just be free to think and explore and discover and create. 

Here are some exercises to get the creative juices flowing: 

• go somewhere that inspires you - the beach, woods, etc.

• music!!

• free writing: get out a piece of paper and write down the first things that come to your mind.  let your mind go free and see what comes out (also very therapeutic)

• work on at least one creative project a week, even if it's small