Behind the Art with Melissa

Living in a developing country really does broaden one's world view. Back when I lived in Guatemala, I had the amazing experience of volunteering at an orphanage. I thought maybe I would bless the kiddos and staff by providing my knowledge and ability to care for children.

Boy, was I in for a surprise. Instead of me changing or influencing them, I was the one who was inspired and amazed. These kiddos that have grown up with so much less than me, monetarily, have so much more than I did, resilience and spirit. I was moved by that. No parents - for whatever reason. No TV. No electronics. Soccer balls were cherished. Handmade bracelets were loved until worn out. Hugs were tight and genuine.

When it comes to our kits theme of Soft & Strong, I knew I wanted to record my thoughts from this time at the orphanage. 

I wanted to use lots of contrasting elements to exude the two words Soft and Strong. Black and gray and blues and reds. I divided the page to create a "balance" of sorts. This gives the feeling that Soft and Strong are equal. You need both. And I learned that it's possible to be both.

I threw in some of the sparkly gold to represent how invaluable this whole experience was and how it affected me. This will forever be embedded into my soul and I hope to continue remembering those children when I live out my daily life. 

Behind the Art with Melissa

Sometimes there is a kit that just hits me in the gut and it was this one.

The name along - RESTORE - should be a perfect indicator as to the journey my heart would be going on as I recorded my pages.

The first page I am sharing is one that records WHAT things or living objects restore my soul. What can I count on, physically around me, to continually be a source for soul restoration... the place I go to feel peace and healing. To quiet my raging mind and heart and listen to the words God wants to whisper to me.

Naturally, I had to record about where I live. I absolutely love the Pacific Northwest. I love where my little hamlet is nestled. You see those islands out there? That is the tip of the San Juan Islands. Yep... that's my back yard. I am one blessed chica! It is beautiful on a clear day! There are some amazing parks and, one in particular, that I frequent. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming peace that flows over me when I walk out by the water.

I used a lot of the "natural" elements from the kit for this page. Browns... earthy colors... and a lot of the cork. I think, from a design perspective, it plays off nicely with my photo. And from a symbolic perspective, I love the nitty gritty it provides. Because when we do REAL restoration of our souls, you gotta strip stuff away... prime it... and make it beautiful. 

A mix of earthy, blingy and stitching... it all goes together, don't you think?

Behind the Art with Melissa

Hi everyone!

The layout I'm sharing with you today is chronicling an experience of mine, while living in Chicago. 

Living in this city has taught me many things; Empathy definitely being one of them.

I could easily walk by people on the streets with a judgmental attitude.  I could easily, and have, thought to myself how they could choose to do better with their life. 

One day, while walking to work, I passed where I usually pass and saw something that rocked my world. There, sitting on the edge of the Dusable Bridge (Michigan Avenue bridge that goes over the Chicago River), was a site for my eyes. Sitting on the ground was a homeless man I had seen many times and sitting next to him was a man in a three piece suit. The man in the suit was in the process of taking out some food from a Starbucks bag. As I got closer, I could see the pure joy in the homeless mans face. 

The imagery that was shown to me through this act was that... we all have our stories. We all come from different pasts, cultures, upbringings, choices, lifestyles, etc., etc. Yet, we all have many things in common. We all have breath, a heart, a soul, a mind and a body that needs to be nourished. 

After that day I challenged myself to stop, instead of zoom by on my way to work. 

I've waited a long time to document this "rock my world" event and how PERFECT is the Empathy kit??? Because that is exactly what this has taught me. Have Empathy before Judging. 

Because this whole situation seemed to strip me, I went with the bare basics with this layout. Soft colors. I love the bokeh paper by Maggie Homes for American Crafts (January bonus!). It was the perfect backdrop. 

I intermingled the raindrops and the hearts to symbolize my heart being cleansed. 

I still see Ulysses. That's his name! I'm not sure if he likes donuts but, he always takes my donut with a huge grin. We know each other by name now. He loves coffee. One of these days I'm going to need to leave work earlier than usual so I can stop and hear his story.