Art Therapy Ideas (from another source)

Emotions

Deal with emotions like anger and sadness through these helpful exercises.

1. Draw or paint your emotions. In this exercise, you'll focus entirely on painting what you're feeling.
2. Create an emotion wheel. Using color, this activity will have you thinking critically about your emotions.
3. Make a stress painting. Choose colors that represent your stress and jab, scribble and paint your problems away.
4. Put together a journal. Journals don't have to just be based around words. You can make an art journal as well, that lets you visually express your emotions.
5. Make sock puppets. Sock puppets aren't just for kids. Make your own and have them act out scenes that make you upset.
6. Use line art. Line is one of the simplest and most basic aspects of art, but it can also contain a lot of emotion. Use simple line art to demonstrate visually how you're feeling.
7. Design a postcard you will never send. Are you still angry or upset with someone in your life? Create a postcard that expresses this, though you don't have to ever send it.
8. Create a sculpture of your anger. For this activity, you'll make a physical manifestation of the anger in your life.
9. Paint a mountain and a valley. The mountain can represent a time where you were happy, the valley, when you were sad. Add elements that reflect specific events as well.
10. Attach a drawing or message to a balloon. Send away negative emotions or spread positive ones by attaching a note or drawing to a balloon and setting it free.
11. Paint inside a heart. Using a heart as a pattern, fill in different parts of the heart with the emotions you're feeling right now.

Relaxation

Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Consider these exercises if you're looking to feel a little more laid back.

12. Paint to music. Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out feelings and just relax.
13. Make a scribble drawing. With this activity, you'll turn a simple scribble into something beautiful, using line, color and your creativity.
14. Finger paint. Finger painting isn't just fun for kids– adults can enjoy it as well. Get your hands messy and really have fun spreading paint around.
15. Make a mandala. Whether you use the traditional sand or draw one on your own, this meditative symbol can easily help you to loosen up.
16. Draw in the dark. Not being able to judge what you're drawing or having to worry about whether or not it's "right" can be very liberating.
17. Draw something HUGE. Then something very small. Getting your body involved and moving around can help release stress as you're drawing.
18. Use color blocks. Colors often come with a lot of emotions attached. Choose several paint chips to work with and collage, paint and glue until you've created a colorful masterpiece.
19. Let yourself be free. Don't allow yourself to judge your work. After all, there's no way to fail and no right way to make art. Just draw, paint or sculpt until your heart's content.
20. Only use colors that calm you. Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find calming.
21. Draw in sand. Like a Zen garden, this activity will have you drawing shapes and scenes in the sand, which can be immensely relaxing and a great way to clear your mind.
22. Make a zentangle. These fun little drawings are a great tool for letting go and helping reduce stress.
23. Color in a design. Sometimes, the simple act of coloring can be a great way to relax. Find a coloring book or use this mandala for coloring.
24. Draw outside. Working en plein air can be a fun way to relax and get in touch with nature while you're working on art.

Happiness

Art can not only help you deal with the bad stuff, but also help you appreciate and focus on the good. Check out these activities all about reflecting on your personal happiness.

25. Draw your vision of a perfect day.Think about what constitutes a perfect day to you and draw or paint it. What about this drawing can you make happen today?
26. Take photographs of things you think are beautiful. No one else has to like them but you. Print and frame them to have constant reminders of the beautiful things in life.
27. Make a drawing related to a quote you like. Take the words of wisdom from someone else and turn them into something visually inspiring.
28. Create a drawing that represents freedom. This activity has you think about the concept of freedom and what it means to you, creating a work of art that showcases just what it means to you as an individual.
29. Document a spiritual experience. Have you ever had a spiritual experience in your life? Draw or paint what it felt like.
30. Make a stuffed animal. Soft, cuddly objects can be very comforting. Use this project to create an animal that means something to you.
31. Work on a softness project. Using only soft or comforting objects, create a work of art.
32. Build a "home." What does home mean to you? This activity will have you create a safe, warm place– it doesn't have to be practical– that feels like home to you.
33. Document an experience where you did something you didn't think you could do.We all have to do things that we're scared or unsure of sometimes. Use this activity as a chance to commemorate one instance in your life.
34. Think up a wild invention. This invention should do something that can help make you happier– no matter what that is.
35. Make a prayer flag. Send your prayers for yourself or those around you out into the universe with this project.

Portraits

Often, a great way to get to know yourself and your relationships with others is through portraits.

36. Create a future self-portrait. This drawing or painting should reflect where you see yourself in the future.
37. Draw a bag self-portrait. On the outside of a paper bag, you'll create a self-portrait. On the inside, you'll fill it with things that represent who you are.
38. Choose the people who matter most to you in life and create unique art for each.This is a great way to acknowledge what really matters to you and express your gratitude.
39. Draw a portrait of someone who changed your life. If someone has ever helped change your path, for better or worse, draw this person.
40. Create an image that represents how you think others see you. Then, have someone in the class draw a portrait of you. Compare the results.
41. Draw yourself as a warrior. Start thinking about yourself as a strong, capable person by drawing yourself as a warrior in this activity.
42. Create a transformational portrait series. This project will help you to see how you've changed over time and represent those changes visually.
43. Imitate Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Using objects that have meaning to you, create a portrait of yourself.
44. Create a body image sketch. If you have issues with your self-esteem and body image, this can be an interesting way to see how your perceptions match up with reality.
45. Draw a mirror. This activity is based around a Piet Mondrian quote: "The purer the artist's mirror is, the more true reality reflects in it." You'll need to figure out what is still cloudy in your own reflection of yourself, drawing a mirror and depicting those elements on paper.
46. Draw yourself as a superhero. If you could have a superpower what would it be? This project asks you to depict your own image as a superhero with these powers.

Trauma and Unhappiness

These activities will ask you to face some unpleasant aspects of life, but with the goal of overcoming them.

47. Draw a place where you feel safe.The world can be a scary place but in this project you'll create a place, draw, painted or sculpted, that makes you feel safe.
48. Create a mini-diorama. This diorama can showcase an important moment in your life or some trauma that you've experienced.
49. Create a collage of your worries. What worries you in your life? Cut out pictures from magazines to represent these worries.
50. Draw something that scares you. Everyone is frightened of something and in this project you'll get a chance to bring that fear to light and hopefully work towards facing it.
51. Turn your illness into art. Facing a potentially terminal illness? Turn your illness into something beautiful by creating art about it.
52. Paint a loss in your life. If you've lost someone you love or something, paint it. This will help you to remember but also to recover.
53. Make art that is ephemeral. Sometimes we have a hard time letting go, but this project will teach you that it's ok if something doesn't last. Use materials like sand, chalk, paper or water to create art that you will destroy when it's done.

Collaging

If you prefer to cut and paste rather than draw or paint, these projects are for you.

54. Create a motivational collage. You can hang this collage somewhere you'll see it everyday. Filled with images you find motivating, it'll help you keep pushing on.
55. Create a face collage on a mask. We all wear masks of some sort. This project lets you showcase what's in your mask and the face you put on for the world.
56. Create a clutter collage. Are there things cluttering up your life? In this project, use words and pictures to show the clutter in your way.
57. Create a calming collage. Choose images that you find soothing, calming or even meditative and combine them to create an attractive collage that can help you to relax.
58. Collage a painting. To complete this exercise, you'll first need to create a simple, abstract painting on paper. Then, tear this painting up and create another. Think about how you felt when you had to tear up the first painting and which you like more.

Self

Examine aspects if who you are and how you see the world through these amazing art projects.

59. Draw images of your good traits. Creating drawings of your good traits will help you to become more positive and build a better self-image.
60. Draw yourself as an animal. Is there an animal that you have a special interest in or feel like is a kindred spirit? Draw yourself as that animal.
61. Create a timeline and draw the most significant moments in your life. This timeline will be the story of your life, with the most important moments highlighted visually.
62. Put together a jungle animal collage. Choose jungle animals that you find the most interesting, draw them, and then reflect on why you've chosen these specific animals.
63. Sculpt your ideal self. If you could make yourself into the perfect person, what would you look like?
64. Paint the different sides of yourself. In this project, you'll paint the different aspects of your personality, giving each a visual representation. You might only have one or two, or maybe even twelve.
65. Make art around your fingerprints. Your fingerprints are as unique as you are. Use ink and paint to make art that uses your fingerprints.
66. Draw yourself as a tree. Your roots will be loaded with descriptions of things that give you strength and your good qualities, while your leaves can be the things that you're trying to change.
67. Design a fragments box. In this project, you'll put fragments of yourself into a box, helping construct a whole and happier you.
68. Paint an important childhood memory. What was a pivotal memory in your childhood? This activity asks you to document it and try to understand why it was so important to you.
69. Write and illustrate a fairy tale about yourself. If you could put yourself into a happily ever after situation, what role would you play and how would the story go? Create a book that tells the tale.
70. Design a visual autobiography. This creative journaling project asks you to look back at your life and make a visual representation of it.
71. Create your own coat of arms. Choose symbols that represent your strengths to build your own special coat of arms.
72. Draw a comic strip about a funny moment in your life. Enjoy a moment of levity with this exercise that will focus in on a comical even that happened to you.
73. Build your own website. Websites are very versatile ways to express yourself. Build your own to express what's most important about you.
74. Create a box of values. First, collage or paint a box the represents you. Then, place items inside the box that represent the things you value the most.

Gratitude

Here you'll find a collection of projects that will help you be happy about what you have and express your gratitude for it.

75. Document your gratitude visually.What things are you grateful for in your life? Paint or collage a work that represents these things.
76. Create a family tree of strength. This exercise honors those around you who support you. Paint those close to you who offer you the strength you need.
77. Make something for someone else. Making something for someone else can be a great way to feel good and help someone else do so as well.
78. Make anchor art. Who are the anchors in your life? In this project, you'll make an anchor and decorate it with the people and things that provide you stability and strength.
79. Draw all the positive things in your life. Everyone has at least one good thing in life, so sit down and figure out what makes you happy– then draw it.
80. Sculpt your hand in plaster. Once it's dry, write all the good things you can do with it right onto the hand.
81. Paint a rock. This project is meant to offer you strength. You can approach it in two ways. One option is to paint the rock with things that empower you. The other is to paint it with struggles you overcome.
82. Write on leaves to create a gratitude tree. What are you grateful for? This project asks you to write those things on leaves to construct a tree or banner of gratitude.
83. Map out the connections in your life. Draw yourself at the center of this project, then map out how you're connected to everyone else in your life. It will help make you feel much less alone.
84. Create a snowflake out of paper. Write ideas about how you are unique on the snowflake.
85. Build a personal altar. This is a highly personal project that will help connect you with your spiritual side and honor your resilience.

Inside the Mind

Take a look inside your mind to see what's going on with these projects.

86. Create a blot art. Like a classic Rorschach test, fold paper in half with paint or ink in the middle and describe what you see.
87. Map your brain. Make a visual representation of your thoughts to figure out how your mind works.
88. Make a dreamcatcher. Having bad dreams? Create this age-old tool for catching your dreams with a few simple tools.
89. Draw your dreams. You can learn a lot from what goes on in your dreams, so keep a dream journal and use it for inspiration to draw or paint.

Miscellaneous

If you're still looking for something to empower, help or soothe you, these projects may fit the bill.

90. Use natural materials. Leaves, sticks, dirt, clay and other natural materials can help you get in touch with the natural world and the more primal side of yourself.
91. Build an archetype. Check out this series of projects to build a set of archetypes, or ideal examples, that can help you explore how you see the world.
92. Use your body as a canvas. You don't need paper when you have you body. Paint on your hands and feet or anywhere else to feel more in touch with yourself.
93. Sculpt spirit figures. Connect with those that have passed on or your own spiritual essence using these sculpted figures.
94. Make art out of recycled items. You can reuse old items that have meaning to you or just re-purpose something you have laying around. Either way, you'll get insights into how you can reshape and reevaluate your own life.
95. Collage or draw on top of old photographs. If you're uncomfortable using old photos you can make copies, but with this project you'll draw out one characteristic you see in the person in the photos.
96. Create your own interpretation of a famous work of art. How would you have painted the Mona Lisa? Using a famous work as your inspiration, create your own work. It could help reveal more about your lens on the world.
97. Work collaboratively. Art can be better when two work at it together, so find a partner and collaborate on just about anything.
98. Use a found or made object as a paintbrush. Whether it's something sharp or something soft, make your own artistic tool and use it to express what you're feeling.
99. Make crayon stained glass. Reflect upon your spiritual side with this project that lets you create your own stained glass window.
100. Paint a window. Windows let you see in and see out. Paint yours with things you want to hide or show to the world.

Getting Up. The Whys and Hows of it All.

life.
Sometimes it just seems like an endless parade of calamities. One thing following another like little toy soldiers.
It is so easy to get knocked down. It is the getting back up part that takes endless conviction and stamina. Making sure that everyday, you rise. You put one leg in your pants at a time, then shoes, bra, top. Then on to the bathroom to put on you facial facade of the day. You strive to be the best person that's in you at the beginning of everyday.
The tests we are made to undertake though can mount a significant amount of stress and a longing to just disappear back under the covers and stay there. And yet everyday, you get up. You march in line with all of the other little toy soldiers. Onto the daily troubles and turmoil that is dangling like vines before you.
How is it we keep moving on? Why don't we just give up? Stay in our own tranquil scared space and not give into the drama? Can anyone answer that?
It can be heartbreaking. The smallest thing can set off a deep and dark mood. A song on the radio sends a looming cloud of memories. So tormented is our soul." I miss you!" your heart cries out. Sometimes the tears are there to follow.
Someone who is said to love you can take a bat to your knees Nancy Keregan style. They can be so cruel and abusive that their love is difficult for you to fathom let alone believe in.
So why.... Why do you get out of bed?
I get out of bed because I deserve to be happy. I deserve the tranquility of my sacred space to follow me throughout my day, a radiant luminescent cape that drapes over my shoulder. Making me into the superhero I believe myself to be. I get up because I have little people who depend on me. That look to me like I am their superhero and I choose not to let them down. The sadness, lonelyness, hurt and turmoil are still there. But more as a dark shadow on the peripheral. I get up because I choose to. Because I have to. Because I need to. I ask again, why do you get up?

sorry

My mind is shredded. My heart sewn together with delicate silken threads. My soul, perched on the precipice of denial. I hurt. So confused, thoughts rush in like a maddening white water river pushing at the steel that holds me together. What do I do? Who am I? Why? So layered in questions I don't even know myself. Its got to stop. This pulsating desire. For it is tearing me apart. Ripping at the seams my fragile existence crumbles. With shaky steps, child-like in their instability , I walk towards the future. Unknowing. Black in the mirror of my eyes. I can not carry on on these weak limbs. With this weak soul. My heart seeps tragedy. I am sorry.

What's New?

Well, it has been a busy couple of weeks all in preparation for my future. As we speak, or you read and I type, I am waiting for the owner of Kelly's restaurant on Main St. to interview me for a cooking\waitress position. Pray for me.
I also went by CSI this week and picked up my class list and credit requirements for my Associates of Arts degree in Psychology. Next is to apply for my FAFSA and scholarships and to enroll. Which I will do Sunday at Billy's house.
On top of all of that, I am making more and more jewelry for all of the shops I am in and signed up to do the Arts on Main St during the music on main on Wednesday night. We will see how that goes. Its 20$ per week so I will see how much I make this week and decided from there where I want to go with it. Wish me luck in this as well and make sure you come by my booth to say hi if nothing else ( meaning supporting your local struggling artist and buying something!) lol.
I hope all is going well with all of you. Is there anything exciting going on in your life? Let me know, I am interested!
as always, love and light to all, Danielle.

you....

I think about you everyday, and miss you with an heartache so vast and unexpected. The emptiness in my heart like a plague. Slowly decaying the fragile organ made to keep me alive. Death sometimes seems a blessing, for the pain would vanish into the clouds and I'd sink into oblivion. You.... I never knew. Until it was too late to say everything you needed to hear. To ease your soul and scream out how much I truly love you. Time though, was not on my side and now all I get is silence. Met with a deafening yelling in my head over the injustice of words clouding my mind left silent and alien to your ears. I miss you. Everyday. I pray for you, for your eternal happiness without me. Maybe you see me. Maybe I am there with you in the recesses of your soul. I will never know. I love you, still, always and forever.

A BIG Thank you!

I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of my followers and readers! I've hit over 1600 page views from all over the world and am so thankful to have this medium to work in. I hope all of you enjoy my writing and information. Again, a huge thank you to the U.S., China, Canada and the Ukraine. Blessed be all of you.
with love and light, Danielle.

Shadows of the Past

I asked a friend to give me a blogging prompt since my block to my brain seemed to be firmly in place as of late. Shadows of the past is what I was told. So I'm going to run with it and see where this leads. I have no idea, so it will be a surprise for all of us!
The shadows of the past seem as anchored to our feet as our own shadows are. They follow us with a ferocity that can sometimes make you want to run. Sometimes their quiet presence its almost like a warm blanket. There to keep us safe from mistakes and held tightly around us as security.
The magnitude of ones past seems lost at times. A fleck of lint in your pocket. Then a song will sound in the background. A heart will erratically beat its jazzy rhythm. Back into that moment you are thrown with no cushion to break your fall. Years can seep out. Anger can come slithering in. All on a note. A word. A feeling of helplessness of things gone by.
The wave subsides and life carries on. The past cannot hurt you. Its your thoughts and words about it that cause the pain. The more time and attention you give something the more meaningful and damaging it can become. One must learn to treat ones everlasting shadow as a friend, a companion. To see it as the dark that is only seen due to the light that shines around it. If one can focus on the comfort of the things ones gone through and have survived though one will know that you can always make it through. So far your track record is 100%. So don't be afraid of the darkness that follows you. You are the light that shines through. Without your shadow of reminders you would not be the person you are today. You would be someone different. Hold onto the night. There's always tomorrow.

Paganism: a beginners guide or a page for your Book of Shadows

"The point of Wicca, the real mystery behind it all, is to remember the divinity within our selves and all things, to manifest our God and Goddess all the time, everyday, every moment; to love as they love, to give as they give, to serve them in perfect trust, and thus bring Their grace more fully into the world, to understand that we are the embodiment of the divine love and nurture, and to express that love into the world, to walk as God and Goddess. " - Dianne Sylvan 'A Circle Within'

That quote could not sum up what my faith is to me any better than I possibly could. The book it is from is truly a life changing book about how to live everyday with divine grace and purpose. It is beautifully written and one I suggest everyone own. I have given away numerous copies of mine whenever I find someone who needs it. It is worth the investment.
Next, I will be outlining just a few of the basics for the beginner witch. You can print off this page and put it into your book of shadows as is, or cut it up and make it your own. I hope you find the information helpful in guiding you on your path. If there are any questions feel free to comment and I will answer with the best of my abilities. Blessed be.

Color Correspondences
*red: passion, love and healing, the element of fire, the mother Goddess.
*orange: energy, action, communication, intensity.
*yellow: creativity, conception, studying, spring, the element of air.
*green: prosperity, healing, herb magic, the element of Earth.
*blue: peace, hope, healing, the element of water.
*purple: psychic powers, to increase personal powers and magic.
*brown: grounding, happy home, pets, and garden magic.
*black: breaking hexes, banishing negativity and illness, the Crone.
*white: all purpose, maiden Goddess, peace, calming and hope.
*grey: bindings, banishing.
*silver: the Goddess, womans mysteries, the moon and intuition.
*gold: the God, riches, wealth and fame.

"What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart is there to encourage it." - Thomas Carlyle

Drawing Down The Moon

I draw down the moon into my soul,
may it fill me and make me whole,
give me love and give me power,
these things I ask at this sacred hour,
shine down and into me,
as I will, so mote it be.

Recipes

Love & Calming ( good as potpourri or as a bath sachet)

lavender, rosemary, rosehips, juniper berries, skullcap, passion flower, drop of dragons blood and a rose quartz.

Inner Peace & Harmony Blend

1pt. Lavender
2pts passion flower
3pts rosemary

Strength in Spirit Oil
carrier oil such as coconut, almond, flax.
16 drops Patchouli oil
12 drops Amber oil

I hope you enjoyed the information I shared. All spells and recipes are mine, not from a book so feel free to tweek them as you'd like to make them all yours. This path can be an amazing one. Enjoy the journey. And love and light to all. Danielle

walk with me

Nature is the most precious gift there is that is so readily available for the masses to enjoy. It brings such peace and a feeling of freedom. Looking at the flowers, the trees, water and the fresh air can rejuvenate a tired soul.
You drive along a beautiful winding road marveling at the true unaffected beauty. You turn off at a little inlet surrounded by aspens and pines, smelling so sweetly of forever. The car door opens and your feet touch the rocky ground. A path compels you and you set off with your camera and water armed to take in and capture, for only a second that lasts a lifetime the magic of the forest. Up the gentle curves and slightly sloping soft dirt you go. Careful to not disturb anything. Water is running ahead of you and you come to a swiftly moving stream, a bridge and across a bench made from a fallen tree. Rest. Take in the cacophony of sounds, smells, sights. The thought that there is nothing quite so beautiful as this moment enters your mind. Fills your heart. Soothes your soul. Your rest is over and on you move up towards the crystal sky. Every so often you pause for an impromptu photo shoot with natures bounty. Flowers in a stunning yellow. Butterflies in an amazing lilac. Fallen trees of grey. And still on you move. Again you hear the sounds of water. Crashing this time. Followed by a trickle. Then you see it. Ahead is a beautiful waterfall, cascading through the rough jagged rocks down to smoothed out stones and trees covered in rich silky moss. The day is perfect. The slight breeze on your hot skin. The spray of the mist touching your face. It is a riotous feast for your senses. And at last, your soul is at peace.

Mother's day

Happy mothers day to all of the mothers out there. Today is a bittersweet day for some. Having lost my own mother, it is difficult to make it through today without tears and heartache.I miss her everyday and today makes it harder. How many of you out there go through the push and shove of emotion today?
I have three wonderful daughters that make my life bearable, and sometimes hair pulling adventures along with their own brand of heartache, being teenagers. I am thankful everyday for the blessings I have and for my wonderful life with my husband and children. So many people don't have the things we take for granted. Sometimes due to just not wanting it. I can't imagine my life without my girls. Like I still can't imagine my life without my mother. Though its been years since I've heard her voice or felt her arms around me. Make sure you take the time to be grateful for all of the wonderful people who bless your life and make every morning worth getting up for. Someday they wont be there any longer and it will be too late to say how much you love them and how much you really care. If you'd like to do a shout out for the special persons in your life, leave it in the comments below and send them the link!

Today

Today has been a difficult day. Full of mind numbing stress and anxiety. My heart has felt, more than once, like it was going to trip right out of my chest and cascade to the floor. My mind seems to be a jumbled mess of colors, thoughts and emotions causing a riotous display to repeat in my head.
What can I do when things get so out of control its like I'm hanging from a tight rope by a thread around my ankle? Where is the peaceful, centered me amidst this chaos?
If I reach deep, deep down in my soul I am still there. Playing with my crayons and humming a song happily. The trick is finding that inner me and bringing her to the surface without too much shock and trauma. Letting my inner self know I will survive. I always do. I am capable of making it through today, just as I was yesterday.
Those worries that weigh so heavily, pressing down on my chest cannot be fixed in this moment . It is a waste of energy trying to resolve them in my head when I, myself, can do nothing at this second to help. They will be there tomorrow with bells on and the evil parade will begin again. But I have to keep telling myself everything will get better. This too shall pass and I will be stronger for it. The love I carry for myself is stronger than the situation I now face and I can never give up faith. So for today, I will play with that inner child and paint my worries away. Blessed be my lovelies and have a magical night.

Helping Depression with Meditation and other Coping Skills

      Depression affects 121 million people all over the world. 80% of those are undiagnosed and going without treatment or medications. There are factors that increase your chances to have depression at some point in your life. Being obese, having heart disease, a stroke, sleep disorders, lack of education and less access to medical help may all cause depression. Those who are unemployed or recently divorced tend to go through a period of depression as they go through their struggles. Women are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men,mostly through the ages of 45-64.

      Sometimes medication is the only answer to help with your depression especially if it is clinical like bi-polar or manic disorders. There are many alternatives to medications or things that you can add to your medications to help make your life fuller and more meaningful. Having depression can lead to thoughts of worthlessness and that life is just not worth living. Through these methods, you can make your life more worthwhile and fun again. 

Some of these methods are:

1- Resist the urge to self medicate

2-Watch your diet. Cutting back on caffeine, adding fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish can provide your body with the vitamin and nutrients to boost your mental state.

3-Get out and enjoy the sunshine! soak up the vitamin D and raise your serotonin level.

4- Get creative. Spend at least half an hour doing something to wake up your creative side. Color in a coloring book, paint a picture, make a collage of where you want yourself to be in the future. Anything as long as it makes you smile and feel like a kid again.

5-Listen to music. Blast the radio, sing like you're putting on an Oscar performance. Let the music flow through your heart and soul.

6-Dance. Wiggle along to the radio as you are sweeping or doing the dishes. The freeing feeling will lighten your mood and get your endorphins running.

7-Attend a group. There are plenty of self help groups available in your area that offer help and coping skills. Sometimes it is enough just to have someone to listen to or to hear someone else's story to realize you're not alone.

8-Keep a journal.

9-Spoil yourself. Give yourself a facial or a manicure. Pampering yourself will make you feel special.

10-Change your point of view. Turn the negatives into positives whenever you can, You can even make a list of things you are grateful for and put them in your journal.

      Many therapist suggest other things like art therapy and meditation to help with the depressive states people go through. In art therapy, you are given a prompt, like your childhood or your self worth and asked to make a picture of what that means to you. You can be asked to keep an art journal which you fill with many different forms of art such as collages, pencil drawings, paintings mixed with words, quotes and feelings. 

      Meditation and breathing are very helpful forms of therapy. Paying attention to your breath and making a conscious effort to slow your breathing and heart rate can lower your anxiety and depression almost immediately and have long lasting affects. Because it is so easy to do and you need nothing but yourself to accomplish this therapy it is ideal to do many times a day whenever you feel the need to let off some steam. Below is a simple meditation you can use at anytime.

A Typical Meditation

1. Sit upright in a straight-backed chair, with your spine about an inch from the back of the chair, and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Close your eyes. Use your mind to watch your breath as it flows in and out. Observe your sensations without judgment. Do not try to alter your breathing.

3. After a while your mind will wander. Gently bring your attention back to your breath. The act of realizing that your mind has wandered - and bringing your attention back - is the key thing.

4. Your mind will eventually become calm.

5. Repeat every day for 20-30 minutes.

I hope this information is helpful to you and that you are able to utilize thesse coping skills to improve your life. Remember this is not meant to be used as medical advise. Please consult your doctor if you believe you may have anxiety or depression. If you are feeling suicidal, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). I hope you all have a magical day. Blessed be.

Be Grateful: day 14

1) that I have kept this up for two weeks
2) mod podge
3) my pretty new skirt
4) oatmeal
5) wonderful people in my life

The Eternal Quiet

Pent up irony residing
in my tormented soul.
Tiptoeing across lacquered planks
Suspended above the endless twilight nights.

I hear nothing but soft, panicked
breathing and frantic
tripping heartbeats
seeming too loud to deaf ears.
Tragedy above as below, surrounds.

The Gift of Life

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind you how precious the gift of life really is. I am blessed to live one more day. To be able to wake up and breathe every morning. Remember to be thankful for every single day you have on this planet with the people you love.
No one knows when it may be the last breath you take or the last sun set you see. So cherish every waking moment. Even if life is stressful and kids are screaming or your husband and you are fighting be thankful that you are here to witness it.
To those who didn't make it till tomorrow, may you rest in peace and be with those you love. May your family be watched over and protected through this difficult time. Blessed Be.

Be Grateful : day 13

1) white paint
2) anti anxiety meetings
3) a glass of wine
4) magazines to rip up
5) life

CPS

I am quite excited! i just finished my application to be a Certified Peer Specialist for the state of Idaho.
It is a position that employs those with mental illness to mentor and teach others who are going through recovery. It would certify me to work within the state teaching others about recognizing their triggers and managing their illnesses with various coping mechanisms.
I just found out about this position recently and think it would be the perfect occupation for me. I absolutely love to teach and am already doing my art therapy classes. This would give me more tools and chances to expand my reach of people I can help. Please pray that I get accepted! Its a five day training in Boise and only two people from each district are chosen. So the competition is fierce.

Be Grateful: day 12

1) crystals
2) smelly dish soap
3) black pens
4) yogart
5) life changes

Be Grateful: day 11

Today has been a stressful day full of negative worry-some thoughts about the future. Unnecessary, since nothing I do today can help. I shouldn't obsess over things I cannot readily fix and waste a day on worry, but somedays it cannot be stopped no matter how many times I tell myself to. So today, I am going to come up with what I am grateful for and strive to focus on that tomorrow.

1)the rain
2) tulips
3) my home
4) my health and that of my family
and 5) my husband for cuddling with me.
I love you babe. You make life bearable.

Be Grateful: day 10

"Acknowledge the good that you already have in your life, it is the foundation for all abundance" -Eckhart Tolle

1) my doctor
2) false positives
3) beads
4) dicks pharmacy
5) Dead Like Me show

Be Gratefu: day 9

1) my family
2) my second family
3) homemade dinner
4) Easter eggs
5) pineapple upside down cake

Be Grateful: day 8

1) kids
2) egg dye
3) green tea
4) Maggie
5) time

Be Grateful: day 7

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for. -Epicurus

1) Lisa and Tara and Cathy
2) my jewelry business
3) Frisbee golf
4) Odin
5) warm weather

"Poetry is the devils wine"- St. Augustine

Poetry surrounds us everyday even if you don't realize it. Set to music, the poets of the day fill our ears with their messages of love, pain, death, dispare, joyfullness and magic.
A poem can change ones mood just by hearing it. They can open your mind and expand your thoughts taking you to new and foreign places. We have been blessed by the English language and the ability to have so much information at our fingertips.
Surfing through the masses of junk on the internet can clog your brain at times. Try searching out a poem and see if it brings peace and clarity. If it alters your perception of the world.
Some of the great poets wrote prose that is equally captivating. Their power over words transferable to any medium. Like magic on a page. A work of art made only with the use of 26 letters.
I have compiled some of my favorites for you to read and a list of some for you to Google to see if you can find your own poem. The one that speaks directly to you soul as these do mine. Enjoy your poetry lesson and expand your horizons.

Body of a Woman
Body of a woman, white hills, white thighs,
you look like a world lying in surrender.
My rough peasants body digs in you
and makes the son leap from the depth
of the earth.

I was only a tunnel. The birds fled from me,
and nigh swamped me with its crushing invasion.
To survive myself I forge you like a weapon,
like an arrow in my bow, a stone in my sling.

But the hour of vengence falls, and I love you.
Body of skin, of moss, of eager and firm milk.
Oh the goblets of the breast! Oh the eyes of absence!
Oh the roses of the pubis! Oh your voice, slow and sad.
Body of a woman, I will persist in your grace.
My thirst, my boundless desire, my shifting road.
Dark river beds where eternal thirst flows.
And weariness follows, and the intimate ache.
-Pablo Neruda

"Witch Wife"
She is neither pink nor pale,
and she never will be all mine;
she learned her hands in a fairy tale
and her mouth on a valentine.

She has more hair than she needs,
in the sun tie a woe to me!
And her voice is a string of colored beads,
or steps leading into the saw.

She loves me all that she can,
and her ways to my ways resign;
but she was not made for any man
and she will never be all mine.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay

"For it is not inertia alone that is responsible for relationships repeating themselves from case to case, indescribably monotonous and unrenewed. It is shyness before any new unforeseeable experience with which one does not think ones able to cope. But only someone who is ready for everything, who excludes nothing, not even the most enigmatical, will live the relation to another as something alive."
-Rilke

"Stretching out on the rock, body taunt, then relaxed, on the alter, I felt I was being raped deliciously by the sun, filled full of heatfrom the impersonal and colossal god of nature."
- Sylvia Plath

list of poets
T.S. Eliot
Dylan Thomas
Theodore Roethke
William Blake
Oscar Wilde

Be Grateful: day 6

"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge to overcome evil and welcome good." - Maya Angelou

1) the Lord and Lady
2) poetry
3) inspiration \ my muse
4) Pandora
5) my grandmother

Be Grateful: day 5

1) my therapist Traci
2) my medications the keep me from crossing the line to insanity. Crazy is good enough for the moment.
3) the ability to breathe
4) my long hair
5) cream filled donuts brought to me by my loving husband. And the fact he doesn't mind the will go straight to my ass.

You cannot legislate morality

The 1920s was a time of extreme extravagance and "loose" morals. Though the government fought a hard battle to tighten the strings of control of the seemingly delinquent young adults of the time, they failed miserably.
Making alcohol illegal only spurned a frenzy of drunken nights and memorable parties due to the price of alcohol being driven down.
This wild display of a free life became evident in everything from dances like the Charleston and the Breakaway, to the mass produaction of vinyl and radio so everyone could tango to the sensuous beats anywhere.
Some of the most prolific writers and critics burst out onto the seen to capture all of the glittering sights and made their mark with the stunningly translucent pieces of the social stigmas of the time. T.S. Eliot, Hemingway and Gertrude Stein filled their words with astounding pictures and social commentary.
F. Scott Fitzgerald penned the book that captured the romance and suffrage of the decade with The Great Gatsby. A whole hearted lyrical tale embodying what the 20s were truly like. Fitzgerald later died believing he was a failure. He will never know just how wrong he truly was. Gatsby captivated a nation. Then and still to this day the book is reguarded as an incomparable masterpiece.
NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST.

New York, Chicago, Paris, London, New Orleans and Los Angeles blew up. Streets being filled with the lost generation looking for their next extravagance. The loose morals of the infamous flappers took the world by storm in a glittering whirlwind of high kicks and high fashion. Their short styled hair and flowncy indiscreet short dresses, overflowing with sparkling elegant jewels stole the show and turned heads everywhere they went. Makeup became a staple. Avon would have had a hayday if it had existed back in the glory days of self improvement.

Every new building erected bore the marks of the time of change as well. You can see the stamp of a decade even now in the art deco style that turned boring buildings into interesting masterpieces.
Other masterpieces included the talents of the new artists. Expressionism and surrealism became rampant making the world look at the ordinary with new eyes. Dali, Matisse, and Picasso shocked us all by the views that resonated in their minds that they put down on canvas. The world through warped glasses.

All in all it was a decade to be somebody...
to let all inhibitions fly in restless wonder and be who you truly felt you were. The roaring 20s still seems to be roaring today, almost 100 years later.

Be Grateful: day 4

Gratitude is infectious...
1) wise women
2) long meaningful conversations
3) cupcakes
4) breakfast in bed
5) music

Be Grateful: day 3

1) feathers
2) bouncy balls
3) swings
4) beer
5) my vices

A Bad Day???

Sometimes you just have one of those days. Nothing seems to go accordingly and it seems the karma fairy has a stuck up her ass and you may have put it there. I have had one of those days. Normally, this is where I would wax lyrically about calming and centering or taking a hot herb infused bath. Something magical to soothe the day away right?
Tonight.... I say, "@#*$ it. I'm having a beer."
Stay tuned for what I could possibly be grateful for today coming next. And if you need to, I give you permission to just say screw it and relax like you choose.
Blessed Be my pretties.

Be Grateful: day 2

1) my husband
2) Game of Thrones
3) comfy pajamas
4) peppermint tea
5) chocolate

Be Grateful: day 1

I read somewhere that listing what you are grateful for everyday will improve your life. So lets give it a shot. I'll do 5 things everyday and you can list yours in the comments!

1) another day alive
2) my children
3) friends and coffee (together)
4) my plants
5) art and writing

what's yours???

Cleansing Your Sacred Space

Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth and growth. It is a sacred time full of possibility and wonder. As the days lengthen we need to make room for positive energies to flow our way.
Your thoughts and your environment create your life. So now is the time to let go of the dusty forgotten baggage that's cluttering your home and yourself.
Try this freeing exercise and see what manifests in your life. Once you make space in your world, positive energies will have a new place to call home.

Go through one room, one closet or one drawer (whatever you're comfortable starting with) and throw away or donate anything that doesn't hold a special place in your soul or serve a purpose in your life. Once you finish this task move one to the next place and so on and so on. As each item leaves your home, you will feel a "lightening" not only in your home, but in your spirit as well. Please let me know how this works for you and any positive changes that come about due to this spiritual cleansing.

HARMONY IN THE HOME FLOOR WASH
1 bucket or sink
4 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops patchouli essential oil
1 tbs. Sea salt
Mix the ingredients together stirring in a clockwise direction, thinking of all of the peace and harmony you wish to be brought into your home. As you wash your floors keep this image in your head as clearly as possible. Do the entire house this way and you will notice the benifits immediately.

Beauty: a thought paper

Beauty is the sky turning a shade of yellow in the evening as the sun defends into the night. Beauty is the way a child embraces its mother in a time of hardship. Beauty is a woman of difference. The little things in all of us are those that make us beautiful. No specific color of hair or shade of eyes, no figure, no tall, no short, no thin, no fat. Just Beauty. Peace, beauty. Hand in hand. The ugliest rock has a stripe of beauty running through its being. No way of dress or speech. Love shows the beauty each of us possesses. We unleash our feelings by the beauty that pulls it from us. The purest dream, the wildest fantasy. Beauty. The grass growing after the harshest winter. A river flowing after the longest drought. Beautiful. Unmasked, no specific meaning. Pure and from the heart. The way a man looks at a woman. Not as a piece of meat, but as a beautiful flower. Why is being beautiful so important? Why do we always yearn to be beautiful? Beauty, "a way of life". A way of life that has existed for eternity and will in our forever to come. No real form, just the restless heart needing pleasure. The eyes want to see beautiful not ugly. Bright and cheery not dark and gloomy. Beauty rests inside as well as out, but respect only lies within. It lies with its beauty waiting to be noticed. Needing to be noticed. A waterfall that drifts into the deepest spring. An array of wildlife all around. Beauty? A steep rock protruding out of water deprived land. Beauty?

written at 16 as a 5 min writing exercise.

the Plague

when life gives you lemons and all that, yep. When it gives you an awful cold, flu or other sickness what exactly do you do about that? I have been battling pneumonia for the last two weeks. And many others of you have been down for the count as well. What has gotten you through? Do you have any remedies or recipes that save the day? How do you keep yourself resting and not charging on with the chores and all that life has to offer?
My biggest problem is I refuse to admit I'm sick and therefore will not let it get me down, to rest, that is. I must keep plugging away even if its not in my best interest. If I stop, I'm done lol. So I'm asking for your input. Help a girl out guys. How do I get better without becoming depressed and totally behind? HELP! Sincerely, The Plague.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust

"In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust"

What does this saying mean to you?

How does this painting make you feel?

Jewelry at Carpe Noctem Studios

Carpe Noctem Studios *Teaser*

a spring teaser

pearls, vintage bling and shells

gold and jade wings

crystals and gun metal

carnelian

amethyst and jade

These items will be available for sale along with many others at the Twin Falls Farmer's Market which begins May 10th 2014 9-2pm. I hope too see all of you there and please support your local artisans and farmers.

100 to go!

as of this moment, I have 900 page views on my blog! 100 more and I will reach the 1,000 milestone! Thank you all for your continued support and love. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I love writing. More insights, photos and inspiration to come. Thank you, with light and love to you all and blessed be my lovelies!!!

2014 artwork

Artwork of 2014

(so far)

 "in the starry night"

 "Billy's Fallen Angel"

"My Conscious Binds Me"

The "Sacred Circle", the Mandala

Mandalas 

"sacred circle"

 " Indian Rose" Mandala

"goddess" Mandala

Mandala means "sacred circle" in Sanskrit and many eastern cultures have specific mandalas for different visual meditations. Working within a circle is the most natural form in which to create meditative artwork.

The mandala has been referred to as the reflection of one's psyche at the moment and a representation of a potential for change and transformation. They are a form that often emerges spontaneously in peoples artwork and can be seen as a sign of change.

If you are interested in making your own mandala, take a large piece of paper (81/2 x 11 at least) and use a plate to trace the size of the circle you desire to work within. You may also choose to take your mandala outside the lines of the circle extending all the way to the edge of the paper. I personally begin in the center of my mandala and work out from there. This is a completely personal project though so you begin wherever feels the most comfortable.

Draw and fill in your mandala, either inside the circle or all of the paper. Keep drawing until the image seems complete to you. 

You will instinctively know when it is as it should be. 

Colors are very important in a mandala so make sure to finish it off with colors that please you and make your mandala stand out. 

I hope you enjoy making your sacred circles and feel free to post pictures in the comments sections or email them to me to post at carpenoctemstudiosdk@gmail.com

as always light and love to you all and 

Blessed Be.

top 10 music loves of 2014

of mice and men
phaeleah
30 seconds to mars
kings of leon
lorde
mumford and sons
Gavin degraw
mgmt
counting crows
Katy perry

enjoy looking them up on YouTube!!!

anxiety and depression: the daily fight

I live daily with anxiety and bipolar 1 disorder. Its something I have, not something that I am. Living with anxiety is like being trapped in an electrified body walking on a tightrope. The feelings of helplessness that come from the inability to breathe or have clear concise thoughts can be debilitating at times.
if you live with these things you fully understand the extent it can affect your life. If you have never had to go through a panic attack or the bleak depths of a seemingly endless depression, you will never begin to grasp the hold it can have on a person.
I want all of you to know that I am here and available to you if you need support. If you desire someone to reach out to. There are amazing support groups for anxiety and depression, and I can point you in the right direction if you are ready to not feel so isolated and alone. As always I wish you all light and love and offer my hand to help you up and strength to help you stand. Blessed be my lovelies.

new beginnings from old starts

sometimes the best place to start is where you left off from. Life can lead you down endless rabbit holes winding and plummeting to depths unknown. There is a light in the familiar, the comfortable places you were once a part of. My blog was and is that way for me. Now that life has gotten back on track and seems to be making a semblance of sense, I hope to once again become an avid blogger. For better or worse.
what is new with me? You may ask, or perhaps not lol. But I'm going to tell you anyways. My jewelry business Carpe Noctem Studios is off and running!!! Business cards are in the mail as I speak and the website on fb has been open for a while. Soon, it will be farmers market time and you will be able to touch, try on and marvel at your beauty in my wares.
also, my first art class on art journaling for healing begins next Thursday. I made up my kits today and am very pleased with how they turned out and am working on smoothing out my lesson plans. So all in all, everything is looking up and going in the direction of my dreams.
there is a little update for you all and I will be speaking to you daily I hope in the future. With love and light to all. Danielle