Some time ago last year, I received a beautiful, hand made card that was full of wonderful bits and pieces of ephemera, including printed tissue paper, music paper, a vintage receipt, and some clipped words and quotes from a magazine, as well as some other goodies. I say “some time ago” because these past twelve months have been a blur for me and through a lot of it, I was going through the motions of each day and pretty much hanging on for dear life along the ride. I have no idea when this card showed up in my mail, but I am every so grateful it did.

During my studio cleanup last week, I discovered her card and safely tucked it in the basket of current journals. I kept seeing it there beside me and one day I knew. I finally knew that it was time. It was time for me to start creating again. So, I opened that card up and really, really looked at each piece and was almost brought to tears as I flipped through them. It was very obvious to me that each and every piece had been especially chosen to be sent to me. Each one had special meaning, especially the words. “Ready for Anything” and “believe”. Yes, yes I was. Yes I am.

My video camera was set up and I knew the only thing holding me back from creating was me and I wasn’t going to let myself do that to myself any longer. When I first looked at the ephemera I thought I would turn them into ATC’s (artist trading cards) and I even got out my stack of pre-cut ATC papers. Then I looked at them again and realized that the last thing I wanted to do was to cover up these treasures with paint and glue, plus I really wanted to use the front of the card, because it was so beautifully painted.

I looked at the words again and instantly saw them on a page in my junk journal. I saw a photo of myself surrounded by these layers and layers of pieces of paper. And I saw it as the first page. The first page in the new junk journal that I had just placed in my “working journals” basket earlier that week. A fresh new journal, ready for a fresh new start. By a fresh, new Me.

I wanted to be sure to use the two quotes that had been clipped from a magazine and the best way for me to make that happen, was to make a little tag and place on on each side. So, I trimmed down a piece of paper from what I was sent and added scraps that were left over from creating all of the layers around the photo.

The last sentence of the second quote did not have a period at the end and as I was working on that side of the card, I saw the word “believe” on my table. “Life has an interesting way of opening” is what it says and as I kept working, I new I needed to finish that sentence to make it apply to Me. Out came my paperback, fiction book and the search for “when” and “I” began. A few snips later and it was ready.

Life has an interesting way of opening when I believe.

It felt wonderful standing there creating this page. When I was finished, I stepped back and realized I had effortlessly fallen into that place of creating when I feel no time or space. It’s just Me and what I’m working on.

One of my biggest fears during my almost year-long, creative dry spell was that I had forgotten how to create. How to be creative. I hadn’t. It’s been in there all along.

I just had to be ready.

And I am now.

I am ready for anything.

Creative blessings to you,
-di