They say everything changes and yet, some things never do. Do you have any creature comforts that go back as long as you can remember? I do, so let me paint you a picture… and since elephants never forget it seems an appropriate example!
“The Ele-tent Adventures” by Kristy Fae
If you haven’t guessed it; stuffies, stories and blanket forts would be the correct answer. And if taking a trusted plush friend on a cozy adventure from the safety of your living room isn’t your thing, what is? It’s been a tough few years for most of us, and as such, this is an especially important time to get creative and to dive into your creature comforts. See if you can make some time for one of those things this week. Mine was a new plushie elephant who I’ve named Penelope 😉
Thanks for reading and remember to follow your creativity! Also find me @artofnonsense on Facebook, Instagram and YouTubeor visit the Art of Nonsense Shop for adoptable monsters and other products!
Living in Western Canada has me feeling extra blessed lately as Spring has begun to grace us with Her beautiful presence! The Cherry Blossom trees have outdone themselves, painting the streets and parks with inspirational fragrance and colour. I couldn’t help but create something in their honour, and these playful petalled pixies proved just the thing— I call them the Cherry Blossom Bluxsoms! And fear not if Spring is not abound in your local, for nature’s inspiration is always bountiful in any season. What has provoked you to get creative, playful or otherwise inspired lately? If you’re needing a nudge, I suggest taking a peek outside of your window.
If you liked these nature-inspired creations, stay tuned for my upcoming whimsical Self-Love Oracle Deck that will feature more of such flowerlings along with other magical creatures and monsters. Subscribe here or follow @artofnonsense on Facebook, InstagramandYouTubeor visit theArt of Nonsense Shop
Until next time, keep an eye out for those impishly fleeting inspirations and, as always, Follow Your Creativity!
Hi monster fans! Just dropping in with a little reminder and a touch of inspiration this Monster Monster. For those of you who have been trying to do too much, yet feeling more worn out and “less than” the more you do…this post may be for you!
If you’re anything like me, you have plenty of creative ideas as well as a never-ending list of to-do’s on multiple lists. If so, let’s just take a pause. Breathe. Seriously, just take a few deep ones as though you’re gathering up your fiery breath to roar it out at a gigantic marshmallow OR it could be a gentle subtle breath, like the breath of a fly, peaceful and easy. Do it in whatever way feels good to you right now and most importantly: enjoy it, savour it, like a delectable treat. Because it is one.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve adored dragonflies. With their enlarged, inquisitive, reflective eyes, thin bodies, and delicate wings, they truly strike me as something from out of this world. When I was young, I would take the dinghy out into the bay on the lake and rescue the dragonflies that had swooped too low for a fresh fly and gotten their winged waterlogged. I would retrieve them from the top of the lake’s surface, set them on the side of the dinghy, and watch as they would flutter their wings in the sunlight until they were dry enough to transport their bodies back into flight once more. Me, sitting in blow-up raft in the middle of the lake surrounded by bugs: and I couldn’t have been happier.
What magic comes to us when we are willing to pay attention to the small things around us? To sit still and hear our heart’s longing? To act on those gentle, shimmering impulses… like a dragonfly’s wing…?
So that’s where I’ve been and why I haven’t been keeping up with this blog lately. I haven’t been on the lake with the dragonflies, but out in the sun, at my drawing desk and craft table, with the little inspirations that come, trying to enjoy each minute of it all. And I don’t pretend that it’s easy to do less, slow down, and pay attention… but I guarantee, it is worth the effort to try.
If you’re having a bad day, I’m here to say, That you aren’t alone, and it’s ok! When you need a little pick-me-up, Remember the Down-Upper and his down-going butt, Who, no matter how much his bottom might weigh, Holds his head high, always scouting the way! Because if you go down and forget to look up, You might miss out on the most beautiful stuff!
Whether you’re currently out there dodging, seeking, or tending to cupid’s arrow, you’ve probably noticed that it’s February— and February is a month abundant in reminders of love, hearts, chocolate and otherwise festive symbols and gestures. Despite any prevalent customs, Valentine’s Day is still a very different experience for each and every one of us. For some, yes, romantic and exciting; for others sorrowful; and for certain people, dull or meaningless…and the list goes on. Like any other day on planet Earth, we don’t know what our fellow humans are going through, how they’re feeling, or what they’ve endured. May this time of year remind us to be gentle, compassionate, and loving: to ourselves; to our loved ones; to the strangers we pass throughout our day; and to all people and living things outside of our bubbles, our cities, and even our countries.
Love knows no bounds. And in order to celebrate LOVE from whatever position you’re viewing it from this February, I’d like to offer you this sweet and loving Heart Monster! Feel free to print him out, colour him brightly, and fill in the hearts with people or beings you’d like to send love out to this month! Let this Heart Monster be a reminder that love is in our own hearts first and foremost, and that we can extend it outwards into the world just by setting the intention to do so. I hope you enjoy this fun monster colouring page and I would love to hear about who you filled your hearts with (and I recommend including YOU!) in the comments below…
Happy New Year everyone! It’s 2021, woo! The monsters and I are sending you our best wishes for a magical year ahead…
Many of us are taking this time to look back on the past year and think about what lies ahead. Remember, in this “goal-setting time”, to set reasonable and healthy goals and be gentle and kind to yourself and others! It’s not so much about what you so to speak “accomplish” in any given year (which perfectionists like me need to be reminded of) as much as it is about who you are and what you put out into the world…
So while you’re reflecting back on 2020, be sure to admire how incredible, unique and individualistic you are. Look at how you shone just by being you. What did you share with the world? Whether you consider these things big or small, they all count! A kind gesture, a positive message, care, compassion, creativity, giving to others or to yourself?
Yes, even self-care is extremely beneficial as it sets us up to be our best selves. Every single one of us contributes to those around us with our own wonderful individuality! So in the name of celebrating ourselves and each other, I challenge you to share this post with someone you love, complimenting them on one unique thing you appreciate about them!
So I had a terrible week of sleep. In fact, I was so frustrated and miserable because of it, it was probably a good thing that my contact with people is severely limited right now. I apologize (and am grateful) to those who were subjected to the Sleepless Beast I became. It was glaringly obvious that some serious self-care was crucial if I was going to avoid literally biting heads off…
When you think about the term “self-care” it sounds super simple, doesn’t it? Oh, just take care of myself? Got it. Good. Great. For many humanoids however, self-care is a bit more of a feat than an easy or natural tendency. For those of you who have it down, awesome work— please keep it up and share your wisdom! For the rest of us, we’ll keep fumbling along, learning as we go, trying and sometimes succeeding sometimes failing, and that’s also awesome work, because we’re doing the best we can.
We’re in an interesting time right now where self-care may be needing an extra bright spotlight upon it. For some, added financial stress, for others isolation, perhaps deep loss and grief, health challenges, a hiatus of usual resources, a complete change of routine (including bedtime)… Whatever the struggles might be right now, self-care is likely ONE tool in the kit that is worth dusting off, or even taking the time to shine with an old rag.
Alas, many of our usual ways of practising self-care may have been bumped, shuffled, or knocked completely off the shelf in the midst of the planet’s turmoil. What is one to do? Self-care was hard enough already, and now we have to (almost if not) start from scratch in developing routines, practices, and whatever else to soothe ourselves? Here are my humble thoughts as I fumble through this journey myself. Also to mention, all of this can be applied to any situation or circumstance that alters life’s routines— not just during a pandemic.
Take inventory of what worked before. What were the things you relied on for stress-reduction, mindfulness, health, peace, joy, fun, connection etc. If you can’t remember, try tracing back through your previous routines, maybe even consulting friends and family, or scanning back through social media pages or old agendas to jog your memory. What are you missing the most? What were the biggest pieces for you? I suggest you brainstorm it on paper…
Take a new inventory of what you need now. A lot has changed, so your needs may very well have changed too. Maybe you used to consider “quiet-time” a necessity for self-care because your calendar was so full of social events you had to schedule in your well-needed you-time. Now, maybe the opposite is true, and you’re needing to more actively find ways to connect with others because the you-time is ahhhh-plenty. What is your heart, mind, body, and soul needing right now? Try keeping a journal throughout a day or two to note what you are lacking, needing, feeling, frustrated with, enjoying, etc. What thoughts are you noticing? What sensations are happening in your body? What are your tendencies and how do they make you feel? These noticings might give you clues to your deeper longings. A mindfulness or meditation practice may also be very helpful in revealing what your needs truly are. In any case, really notice and feel in. Dig deep!
Get creative. Now we’re getting to the (hopefully) really fun stuff. Based on what you discovered in the first two steps, you can combine old and new self-care options to do the best you can to fulfill your current needs. If some of your beloved go-tos are not available right now, what substitutes can be made? If you relied on going to the gym to stay healthy and manage stress, perhaps you can instead try some outdoor activities or a home workout routine (there are plenty online or using apps!). The point is, find new ways of taking care of you. And I’m not just talking about easy or common sense ways— getting really creative might be needed, or at least benefited from. Look at your unique skills and strengths, your outside-the-box thinking, your heart’s deepest passions. I can’t tell you what these things are for you, but try asking yourself questions like: “What really makes me tick? What have I always wanted to do or try? Why haven’t I made time to do x, y, or z from that dust-gathering to-do list? Why did I ever stop doing (fill in the blank)? How can I make even one step of a goal or dream come true despite any current limitations? What can I do to bring some peace into my life right now? How can I solve that problem with what I already have? What do I know deep down that I’m needing?” The list goes on…but get curious and start looking under rocks, so to speak. Unless you’re on the beach, then looking under rocks might actually provide you with some new insight or surprising discoveries 😉
Let’s get back to the Beast. After the sleepless nights had accumulated to a gruesome mass, I decided I needed to put my creative self-love problem-solving cap on. I was missing the water therapy of my usual pool visits, my mind was cluttered from being alone with them too much, my bedtimes were all over the place with a lack of any sort of schedule, and the changing seasons had brought sunshine onto my eyelids earlier than I could cope with in the mornings…I set about on a rampage to destroy (or rather gently resolve in a zen way) these troubling problems.
I planned an at-home spa retreat. I reorganized and decluttered my apartment. I started a routine of listening to zen meditation talks over morning tea. I set an alarm to remind me of bedtime. And I dug out my fabric scraps and quilted together enough pieces to make a “blackout curtain” large and thick enough to block the morning sun. The curtain proved to require a lot of creativity and effort, but was definitely worth it. Plus it also got me excited about a number of other sewing projects I have waiting for the needle and thread (including a puppet from last week’s blog, so stay tuned), which fulfills another need of mine— second only to sleep— the need for creating!
Black-Out Curtain Sewing Project
Now everything might not be perfect, but remember, every bit helps. I’m happy to say the Beast has been subdued and my sleep and ensuing moods have definitely improved. I encourage you to also look at what needs of yours are going unmet, and to creatively put them to bed as well. Please feel free to comment below to share how you’re solving your self-care feats during this time!
Today’s blog will be short. I had a busy week working on an illustration contract, which was awesome and challenging, and now it’s time for some self-care and play. In busy times, or in times of stress, us humans know that balance is hard to maintain. We can easily slip down the slope of not prioritizing our health, our joy, and our other priorities. In the middle of a pandemic, life is definitely challenging for pretty much all of us— very little is at its “normal” for us. So just remember, amidst it all, that you can’t expect to be at your normal either. Take care of you and keep connecting with those you love. Find joy in whatever small moments or activities you can. Be easy on yourself. Give yourself the gift of space and grace and now more than ever … the gift of nonsense!
Not everything has to be so serious. Last week, I had a great play date with Mother Nature, and it did me a lot of good. I’ve attached some pictures that I hope will also inspire you— to play, to create, to do something new or different or spontaneous. Whatever it is for you that feeds your body, mind and soul in a healthy way. This week, my goal (and feel free to join me) is to bring in more play. More arts and crafts with no end goal. More terrible “Glee” re-enactments from my living room. More laughing at myself or instigating smiles with silly selfies. What will it be that brings more light to your life this week? Feel free to share with a comment or photo! Best wishes, everyone.
Play. Create. Discover... 