Things are coming together for my art now, things I couldn’t figure out before. It’s difficult for me to write and do art on the same pages, but now I think I’ll go ahead and take some of my Biblical paraphrases from my regular journal and put them in my visual one with drawings and beautiful colors. They’re just the ticket when I need something to remind me of God’s love and lift me out of the doldrums.
I have several unused, mixed-media visual journals, Strathmore makes different sizes. I’ve used the “8” x “12” and the “8” x “5” trying to decide which one I like best, and I’m now getting ready to use the “8” x “5”. They will receive wet or dry media, so they’ll be fine for what I need.
Meanwhile, as I wait for my new books to come in the mail, I’m reading one I didn’t really like too much at first. After I’ve read a few pages I have to jump up and get to work (I mean get to playing). I’m so excited and so happy. I’m going to have a bit more vacation, and when I get back into the Go West drafts, I’m going to have visual journaling as a well-established habit so I won’t lose it again. Oh, and here’s really good news. I’ve prayed for years to be able to give up TV at night, but I had to watch just about everything I could find on Netflix at least twice before I got bored enough to give it up. I felt in my bones that I could spend my time better doing art or just about anything in the evenings including reading and going to bed earlier. I’m loving it.
Here’s a page of paraphrasing from my regular journal. You’ve probably seen things like this before. Some call it personalizing, others call it dialoguing with God. This kind of writing comforts me and lifts me.
Beloved:
Anyone who signs up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times. I’m here, helping you through them – getting you out of them, and making you stronger and making your faith stronger as you go. You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased. I am with you all the way.” I believe that is the Holy Spirit talking to me, and it’s not about whether to write or paint, but about my relationship with Him.
After I wrote that I went on to write about the beginning of the day.
“The light out here on the porch is gorgeous today! There’s a kind of gold in all the green. A pileated woodpecker flies over cuck-cucking his loud call, and then, as if he needs more notice, wings over again seeking attention by flapping around and making a lot of noise.
Other than that, the morning is still except for work-time and tourist traffic up on I-95, a blue jay’s “swearing,” a squirrel’s “purring” itself back to sleep, the AC, a train, and a private airplane overhead. I have my own Classic Solo Piano station going (Pandora) and the music is so beautiful, I feel expansive and grateful. Thanks for reading this blog.
Funny how things turn out. For a while after Bill retired I felt I should do everything he wanted me to do and go everywhere he wanted me to go. But, although we got along well, I harbored secret dissatisfaction with our life together. Eventually we worked it out so that we were both free to do what we really wanted to do, even you might say, what we were born to do. Him to travel, me to stay at home. Now he plans trips and goes on them. Now I stay at home and write, and live a very pleasant life. He doesn’t go for very long and he only makes two trips a year, but we’re both happy with the new arrangement, and guess what. As it turns out we are both writers. Who would ever have thought it?
An avid reader, Faith Blum started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, leading on the Holy Worlds Christian Writing Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?). As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have.