Break Free: How to Be More Present and Enjoy Life!

This Cancer Full Moon (Jan. 12) was an emotional breakthrough moon for me. The theme that came through was BREAK FREE. How about for you?

Breaking free from social media's time sucking and time wasting was a biggie and it was also my first bargain with the Divine. Bargain Number Two (for this week) is to be the greatest artist I can be without doubt and fear as I give myself fully to the Divine.

I began by stopping my incessant checking of the Instagram feed and this has pretty much stopped me from going on it at all, other than to posta pic or two to go with my blog and at the new and full moon for my museletter..

Next I looked at all my dreams in my dream journal from 2012 until now and then put together a list of creatively soulful things about myself and my work. Here's my list:

• I create power objects and talismans.
• I create artists' books.
• I paint custom portraits.
• I challenge the status quo.
• I paint in many styles.
• I paint large (48"x48"), circular, layered, Japanese inspired paintings with clouds and trees.
• I do not sell my own art; galleries/stores do that for me.
• I give phone readings.
• I teach a watercolor class called, "Painting for Relaxation."
• My artwork sells out quickly at galleries and home decor stores.
• I'm a writer and illustrator.
• I work in a large industrial live/work space surrounded by other creatives, but also have a quiet space for spiritual work.

So far I'm taking my own advice: "Awaken Your Intuition".- see the tagline on my site? Well, I'm living it. Plus, I do most of the things above already although there are a few I long for: the live/work artist's community and selling out at galleries.

I can tell you that so far, cutting out all this social media and leaving behind fear and doubt so I can fully be the amazing artist I am has helped me be more present and it's simplified everything.  I have more time for me, my loved ones, my friends and in nature. Time that isn't co-opted by social media and being ON 24/7. I'm having more fun and enjoying life more. WHEW! How about you?  Why not make a bargain with the Divine right now?

More articles on addiction to social media can be found here.

Break Thru by Kathy Crabbe. Space Twins Story, Gouache in sketchbook, 2017.

I'll be posting more paintings like the one above here on my blog so please check this category to keep tabs: Space Twins Story.

To help yourself be more present and go more deeply into your own life please check out my Soul Readings, Past Life Readings and Astro Reports here.

Want to see what your Spirit Animal looks like? Then commission me to paint your portrait along with your Spirit Animal here.

Journey into Intimacy: Celebrating 1 Year of Process Painting

It's the one year anniversary of my Process Painting experiment - yahoooo! One year ago today I began a series of paintings to save my life...no joke! Getting started, I literally ran full tilt in search of painting supplies so that I could begin that instant. I HAD TO PAINT. There was no choice. It was either paint or explode and so I chose to express my inner passions through the medium of acrylic painting. This time I wasn't painting small, but instead put my whole body into lifting, painting, making marks and covering paper, then silk, and then masonite sheets that were 4 foot by 4 foot (48" x 48") .

I obviously had a lot to say but words just weren't cutting it. As an artist I had to get it all out there through color and movement expressed in big, broad, splashy, sensual strokes, gouges and scratches painted to loud music: Celtic, Industrial, Acoustic, African, French...a mix, depending on my mood.

As the months went by I continued to paint, explore and express my feelings through art and writing that accompanied the paintings. That combination was new for me; one fed off the other. I combined the two in part because I wanted my blog readers to see what I was going through as I painted.

My friend Ian asked me if these paintings came from a metaphysical, meditative place within my soul and I had to answer 'no,

this series is pure emotion.

For those of you wondering what in the heck Process Painting is, I'll explain. Process Painting is painting without concern for anything but the process itself. This allows one to really focus on being present and in the moment without concern for where the painting will go afterward or if it will ever be sold. It's not easy for many of us to let go of control over outcome, so it felt risky and strange at first, but I grew to love it and crave it as time went on.

What I learned

By experimenting with Process Painting I gave  myself permission to express my emotions out loud and in paint and how to be fully present.

I granted myself time, space and freedom for emotional outbursts and for believing in myself. I spent time just being and I spent time writing, painting, pondering, dancing and absorbing music. I could feel myself coming alive in every pore and I expressed that being-ness, that alive-ness through my creations; my paintings, my photographs of the paintings and my writing that accompanied each painting and finally through my blog posts which brought it all together.

Process Painting has put me back in touch with my emotions; joy and faith and strength and yes, pain.

I painted as if nothing else mattered but this being-ness, this process of painting. It was a reminder of what's really important for my spirit and my soul.

Painting abstractly encouraged me to translate my feelings very directly onto the canvas without worrying about depicting anything recognizable.

As for the future, I'm going to continue what I started one year ago today because frankly,

I am in love with process painting.

I created two slides shows (see below) documenting all the paintings I created between October 30th, 2009 and October 30th, 2010. You can check out the accompanying blog posts at Creative Soul Blog or read my original Art Mystic blog that was eventually abandoned half way through the year so that I could focus on my Creative Soul Blog instead (all posts are now on my Creative Soul Blog).

Let's not forget that this is also a 1 year BLOG PARTY so I encourage you to leave your comments below expressing how this post has inspired your creative soul. I plan to pick one lucky winner at the upcoming Full Moon in Taurus on Nov. 15th, 2010 and gift them with a card or two from this collection.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathycrabbe/sets/72157625176624687/show/