Moderation and Balance

1. The background was done with book paper, map pieces and part of a Jan. 2015 calendar.  I stenciled the cobblestone around the edge thinking about what path my life would take this year. I used craft and golden paint as well as gesso.  The girl is circus scrapbook paper. I thought her balancing act was perfect for what I hope to achieve in 2015. I also used my favorite Mr. Huey round stencil on the background. 

This page combine my first challenge for DLP,Goals, 

and Journal 52, Pathways.

MY PLAN FOR 2015

Every December I try to spend a little time thinking about the upcoming year. I look back and see how last year went and what I liked and what I might want to change.  

What I saw was that I'm still living in an old pattern of behavior. I seem to live in cycles. I get catch up in something and do it almost none stop for months on end. Then all of the sudden, I switch to something else. 

After a 4 or 5 year hiatus, I took up art again.  My life was in a huge transition and my mojo took a long vacation. I was learning how to survive in a totally different way. I'm happy to say, I did learn and my mojo returned. 

I felt like I was on fire with creativity. I worked at my real job so I could pay the bills but I lived for Art Journaling.  Sometimes I'd forget to eat because I was so involved in whatever page I was creating. I was also almost obsessed with blogging about my art work. I did this for almost 2 years.  

In October of 2014, I was told I have high blood pressure and put on medication for it. I now understand why people stop taking their BP meds.  The first one put me to sleep. I was going to bed at 2:30 in the afternoon.  The second one caused me to become depressed.  I dealt with serious depression in the past and that is not some place I ever want to go again. 

During October, November and December I kept up with the two challenges I was participating in but that was it. I wasn't having any fun. Other than those few pages, all I did for three months was go to work and read books. I love to read and reading is always my fallback plan.  I knew I was in trouble when I found I'd rather read than talk to my friends. That is a sure sign of depression for me.  

Finally, in the middle of December my BP medicine was changed for the 3rd time. I finally feeling like myself again.  All of this gave me pause, to think about how I'd been living.  I want more moderation and balance in my life.  I have to work so Scooter and I can eat and have shelter.  The rest of my life needed more balance.  I made a plan.

1. Eat out less often

2. Eat healthier

3. Organize my home a little each day

4. Do something arty everyday... it could be an art journal page or maybe just a doodle

5. Read for enjoyment but not obsessively

6. Blog once or twice a week instead of feeling guilty for not blogging daily.

7. Pray and read a Bible Passage daily 

8. Be kind to myself

9. Check on my friends more often

10. Do kind things for other people

It's been 7 days and so far my plan is working.  I feel more balanced. Some of things that need to be done at home are getting done. I'm creating but not obsessively. I'm reading but not to the point my eyes hurt.  I don't feel guilty if I don't art journal or blog every day.  A doodle or sketch is also stretching my creative self. The purpose of my art is to feed my soul. It brings me joy and removes stress from my life. I needed to remind myself of that.

Have you picked a word for 2015?  Something to guide you?

Links:  The Documented Life Project - The Journal,  2015 Journal 52, Art Journal Everyday, Paint Party Friday

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