Keep it simple 2016

Welcome 2016!

Okay, I know I am late to the welcoming party but I have been bouncing from place to place within the last few months. I just checked and realized that it has been almost a MONTH since I last posted  on this blog (come on jules get it together).

 Well I can officially say that I have been struck with a bad case of  U.C.D. (uninspired creativity disorder)... I literally just made that up right this second. 

Seriously though I have been lacking the inspiration to paint, write, or even read. The last full book I read was over month ago, the horror I know. Sometimes I find that I just end up locked inside of my head with no key in sight. The thought of creating something just seems so distant and unrealistic. Its times like these that I literally fear, I have always been a creative person and knowing there are times when I cannot get my body to create anything is fucking sad. My entire being feels down when I don't do something at least at little creative. Explaining this to people can often lead to weird looks and the "oh yeah I know what you mean" nods when in reality they have no idea and probably never will. Whatever, I don't do it for those people, I do it for myself, my sanity.

 Not everything about my U.C.D. has been terrible, I find that it gives me time to reflect, I see the good, bad and fucking weird things that go on in my life. I have come to realize that I am always surrounded by things, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional... just tons of shit. Its time to clear some of this out of my life. I totally know it will take time since I am a lover of stuff, I'm not saying I want to get rid of all of my belongings, I just want to be surrounded with my most favorite items, people & thoughts. The rest have got to go. 

With the beginning of each new year the feeling of "oh crap what the hell will my resolution be" sets in. The scramble to "fix" what was wrong with the last year just leaves me stressed the hell out.  

So in 2016 I say FUUUUCCCCKKK THHHHATT business. I don't want to want to mentally write another unrealistic set of resolutions, instead I want to create a list of obtainable goals, big and small. I want that amazing feeling of crossing things off the list and knowing that hell yes I did that. With that being said I propose that the year of 2016 will be the year of Keeping it simple.

I now proudly present to you my very first obtained goal of 2016.

xoxo Julie

Early week blues.

Hey guys!

I know how the early week blues can totally affect your moods and feelings. When I was working Monday through Friday, Monday and Tuesdays were by far the hardest! It felt like my soul was being drained sitting in traffic for hours on end. The beginning days of the week felt like staring up at the workweek mountain, knowing that you had a while until you would reach the top. On extra bad days I would MAKE (yes I mean force) myself to write down three reasons why the day was nice, or what I was grateful for. 

I did a quick watercolor for you guys to remind you to do the same! I hope this can help you take the time to at least find three beautiful things about today. Each day brings something new and special.

I saved this on my iPad so that I could open it up and write on it in my Sketchbook program whenever I needed a reminder myself. :)

Use the hashtag Owbblog if you decide to post it online. I love seeing what beauty everyone finds in the day.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, wait until friday and add excess amounts of vodka!

Sacred Spaces: Alters

Hey guys! I hope everyone is having a kickass day today. I wanted to share one of my Sacred spaces that I have around the house, a few of my alter spaces.

I have always been an avid collector of things that make me feel good. For as long as I can remember I have always had little alters around me. From my childhood room and clearing out bookshelf space to my current room which has much more space to work with. I love these little sacred spaces, they help me to reflect on myself and have constant reminders to smile and love the natural world around me.

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to collect all different shapes and sizes of rocks. No matter where I was I would walk looking down between my feet, not because I was shy, but because you never know what little treasure you would find. Well, I have no shame in saying that I have not outgrown this, but instead added to it!

CRYSTALS, dude crystals have a special place in my heart. I could just stare at different types of crystals for hours. To know that mother nature created these beautiful things is beyond me. Crystals are one of my staples when creating one of my alters, they not only add so much beauty but also so much spirituality to my alters. Each crystal has a different look, meaning and color. Auh-ma-zing. 

I also like to add different types of earthy things that I find in my travels. I have shells from Hawaii, rocks from Greece and Turkey, lonesome feathers found while walking along outdoors and gold that I have picked up with my own two hands from many places all over California. I keep small meaningful objects that were gifted to me from amazing people, the small green bird was given to me in Jamaica from a lady whom said its good luck to receive one of them. The golden pomegranate came from a small winery in Greece, Brandon surprised me with it, such a special gift. I try to keep things that remind me of the beauties of the world and people out there. 

I like to have things that smell good, whether it's an amazing scented candle like the one from JaxKelley or some Essential oil blends I made from Young Living products, having something that makes you happy is key. 

I like to keep books, journals, and spiritual cards around my spaces. Having one that you are currently vibing with is good for when those moments come that you just want to reflect and relax.

One of the final things that I have been keeping at my alters lately is jewelry. I have special Mala necklaces that go straight to my spaces when they are taken off. These help to remind me of the person I am seeking to become. We all strive to be better whether its physically, emotionally or spiritually, these guys are there especially for that reason.

I read a quote once that said:

"Sometimes, you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are and who you want to be."

That shit resinated with me, I would like to believe that my alters work just as well as outside does for me.

Do you guys have special Sacred Spaces? I love to be nosey and see pictures! #Owbblog your pictures so I can take a peek. :)

Feeling stuck.

It happens to the best of us, Life just happens and the plans we hold so highly just seem to get pushed      back. I feel like I'm in this place. I am determined  to get through it, as much as I love to write for my blog and record for my YouTube channel it seems like sometimes they get pushed behind. 

Within the last few weeks I have been doing a so called routine to help me feel in a creative mood, maybe some of these will help you if you ever feel in this place.

Step One: Put on some PJ's now this may sound silly but seriously think about when you feel the most comfortable and relaxed. For me this is when I have cozy, comfy pants on!

Step Two: Light a candle. Right now I am feeling fifty shades of festive so I am constantly burning a cranberry/cinnamon style one. The smell and look of a burning candle just makes me feel so happy.

Step Three: Make a little nest of a spot. I am all about how I feel in certain places, some people might feel content to create anywhere... not me! For the most part I need to feel like the spot that I choose is the perfect little nest of warm vibes for me at that time. Find this spot, don't feel weird if it happens to be in the corner beside a bookcase. Just go with it.

Step Four: Warm delicious beverage. Dude, is there seriously anything better than a big mug of something warm and delicious to drink during fall? Nope.

Step Five: Force yourself to just jump into whatever you're doing at that time. Whether it be painting, crafting, recording, or writing. Do first think after. This leads to tons of "wtf" things but it helps me to break through what I am going through.

I know I can't be the only one to feel stuck at times....right?! I hope not. It literally pains me to think that I am letting this happen and not doing things that I enjoy because of it. As of now I am going to just keep doing and hoping that the fog will soon clear...

New Moon Intentions

Guys, yesterday was this months New Moon!! Yay!!........oh.......you're not as excited as I am? Well you should be! New moons happen once a month and with them comes a chance for a new beginning and clean slate. It is a time for planting little ideas and goals, really thinking about your monthly intentions and recharging your previous goals. Whether you know it or not, we all put out intentions, lust over our dreams and deepest desires. New moons give us a chance to do this consciously, a chance to sit down and write these intentions somewhere safe. I have a small faux leather book that I have created to do just that! There is something so powerful about consciously taking time to sit down and really go over your dreams, goals and what you want your life to look like. Everyone is so different from one another so all of our intentions will look different. There is no wrong way to do this.
Now I know a lot of you may not want to do the same "ritual" as I do for this process, thats okay! I like to burn sage in the room where I am going to write down my intentions. Yes, I do this while my BF is in the room inhaling this amazingly cleansing  smoke hehe can we all say GOOD SPORT!

I take time to find a quiet place and meditate a little, if you haven't started meditating yet... dude you are missing out! Its like a magical silent cotton candy land inside of your mind. It centers me like nothing else (not even wine) and we all know I love me some delicious red wine. Usually after I mediate things seem to become a lot more clear, the time after I meditate is when I like to focus in on my intentions for the month. So lets say, you don't have sage and you don't meditate? Well, FAIL.... just kidding you don't need these things to plant your intentions. You just need a quiet comfortable place for a little while and a few of your favorite things. Things that help to calm you, help you focus, create you own perfect little sacred space. I love crystals they help me to feel calm, safe, and relaxed. I always bring them with me when I need a little comfort.

                       
So now you are sitting in your little calming space and you are feeling inspired to write down these little monthly gems, take out a notebook of your choice and begin to write down as many or as few as you would like. Since there is a new moon every month make sure to allow yourself some smaller goals, not everything has to be a life changing or major.

After you have these written down it is time to send these out into the universe! Close your eyes and one by one imagine what it would be like to have these desires be truth. I'm not talking imagine wanting them, I mean imagine that these are happening now, you have them. What does it look like to you? See the sights, smell the smells, hear this sounds. Now that you are consciously aware of your intentions, make sure to keep imagining these, keep them on your mind throughout the month. Every New Moon take our your journal and begin to examine what has changed, cross off those on the list that need to be. I hope you enjoy this process as much as I do! Time to get this damn ball rolling. I believe in you.

26 things to do before 27

        For the past few years I have been keeping a sort of bucket list for the upcoming year in one of my handmade journals. I started on my 22 birthday and decided that I would write down 22 things to do before I turned 23. I had this vision that I would do all 22 items on the list no problem, wrong. Life happens and before I knew it the journal was tucked away in a drawer where I would come across it every now and then. A few birthdays came and went and before I knew it I was adding items and changing the title. It went from 22 things to do before 23, 23 things to do before 24, 24 things to do before 25, 25 things to do before 26, and finally now 26 things to do before 27. Man writing that was a little painful. Where did all the time go?! Granted I have mostly completed the list with only a few stragglers left. I also am adding another one for this upcoming year. Guys I am determined to finish this list, that way this time next year I can create a whole new list! Are you with me? .... Well either way I am finishing this damn list!

                                     

                    

                    

1. Get moved into a house I love

2. Begin to write/illustrate my first children's book

3. Complete a scrapbook for someone

4. Have my very own craft room

5. Get a new job that I love

6. Get on a plane, fly, survive

7. Make at least 15 journals

8. Learn to sew

9. Make an inspiration board

10. Stretch my own canvas

11. Ride my bike downtown

12. Sell a piece of my art

13. Make a series of plates, cups, or teacups

14. See someone, talk it out (anxiety)

15. Blog/vlog

16. Start to recycle (lower my carbon footprint)

17. Learn to change my cars oil

18. Learn a song on a piano

19. Let go of the negative

20. Fill 3 large jars with buttons

21. Organize

22. 15 paintings 

23. Ride on a motorcycle

24. Yoga

25. Go to another country

26. Meditate at least once a day for at least a month straight. ( I'm hoping to make this an everyday occurrence later on)

I bolded the few off the list that I still have left to do. Also, I decided I need to add one for this up coming year. My goal is to start meditating more, to really put it in front of other parts of my day and realize that it is like a muscle that I must work out. I have found that having this list throughout the year has really helped me to remember my yearly goals. :) Challenge accepted! 

Soul growth

I am in such a new phase in my life right now, I hear people talk about mid life crisis, but what about quarter life crisis? I wouldn't say that I am in a crisis per se. I don't feel the need to run out, down a bottle of jager while at a wild house party like in my younger years (sorry mom, I know I was a crazy child!) I just feel that  since I will be turning 26 next week a quarter of my life is officially over. Done, I will never get that time back and I hope I used it wisely. That's If I make it to 100, which lets be honest I don't want to be 100, saggy and pooping on myself. You know you just cringed at the image of that, me too haha! Most people don't even make it to their 90s, we all thinks we have much more time than we actually do. I have been doing so much soul work as I like to call it. Really getting to know me, my body, and soul. I might come off sounding sort of hippyish, thats fine lets be honest I own more crystals than I do pairs of shoes. All this intense inner work has me at times feeling just plain lost. Some days my heart just aches from what I have yet to do and where I imagined Id be. I don't ever say that I regret anything that I have done, for if not those mistakes or triumphs I wouldn't be who I am today and dammit I like who I am! I just imagine myself right now standing on the edge, being still a little too scared to jump out of my comfort zone and into the unknown of who/where I will end up. 

                                                               

Recently, I have been been practicing meditation, self healing, and have started to read tarot cards. I found that the universe stuck just the right people in my life to make me feel good. I have those whom have always been there, and those whom have come into my life like little shimmers of light in the dark sky. I really appreciate them all, they know who they are :).  I like where these new practices are taking me, I feel a different type of happy I can't explain it, I just feel calm. Now if you know me in person, you know I am usually a crazy ball of spazing energy it has always been that way. I am figuring out the right combination between extreme and calm, its still a work in progress. I have come to realize that you attract the type of people and energies into your life that you put out. If you are constantly negative and grumpy, I'm sure you notice that you have begun to attract like minded people around you. I don't want that, I refuse to be surrounded by negativity I demand love and happiness.

Think only what you want to exist is the bottom line. If you put out there that you want to be happy, be successful, be loved, whatever it might be, over time you will notice that these types of things have been willed into your existence. I need to work on figuring out what it is that I want to ultimately end up with. I know I want to travel the world and soak in as much as I can everywhere that I go, but like with everything in life there must be compromise. I must work, I must make money to afford doing this. Its just the wanderlust that is aching at my soul right now. I am constantly changing, like all of you are and I hope that over time I will begin to grab hold of what my life is meant to be.

                                                 Until then, I just am and that is good enough for me.