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

Melissa here today to share with you a page created with the November kit LUCKY.

When I was pondering all the blessings in my life, my parents immediately came up.

I know that I am truly blessed to have parents who support me the way they do. They are always there for me. Really and truly, I am thankful for such amazing parents who have guided me on this journey of life. 

I'm thankful that they have let me explore on my own and have allowed me to make mistakes in order to grow. That is such a valuable thing and I am not blind to how much of a blessing that is.

 At the time of preparing pages using this kit, I was in the midst of a move. Once again, I was blown away by the generosity and support of my parents. Even at 37 years old... mind. blown. I know... I know... I'll always be my mommy's "kiddo" and my daddy's "little girl". I'm kind of okay with that.

But I know that most of my confidence and independence, has been a result of the way they have loved and guided me.

I hope, that if I ever have children, I can be the same way.

After finishing this layout, I realized just how rare I express my emotion to my family. We've never been a super emotional family. But our actions speak very loudly when it comes to expressing our love and connection. I think that's okay. Personalities are what they are and I'm so thankful for this outlet that I get to use, to express that emotional side.

I hope that you can be inspired by that and use our approach to visual journaling to express your emotions. Maybe you aren't very good at doing so verbally or face to face but, in an effort to get it out, you can use scrapbooking or art journaling to do so. It's so therapeutic and wonderful. I highly encourage it!

Behind the Art with Jen

 Jen here to share a journal page I did this month with the "Liberation" kit!  It's my birthday month... I just turned 40 and had to kiss my 30's goodbye.  That was hard to do.  I won't lie, this has been an emotional decade.  Lots have happened in my 30's that have changed me as a person forever.  Some things are amazing and some have been difficult but needed.  I became a mother to both of my children in my 30's.  I got my National Board Certification in Art education, lost 30 lbs, gained 35 lbs., and started running (resulting in my weight loss journey again) and have completed three 5k races before 40 years old.  I've learned a lot about myself.  I've been very disappointed in myself, realized I'm stronger than I thought and am so proud to say that I've accomplished goals that I thought I could never do.  But it's still a journey and I think my 4o's will be even more memorable than my 30s! 

 I usually don't work in a 9x12" format but this page is in a journal and I decided it would now house my layouts for these kits.  I love the idea that 4-5 of the pages each month will be in a bound book in an art journal format!  So I am challenging myself to work a bit differently.  It feels more natural to me.

 Love those wood print letters/numbers!  This page was made to welcome my life in a new decade.  I can't wait to see what the 40's bring me.  Age is only a number after all! 

 Have any of your age milestones been recorded?  If not, why not reflect on what was learned or goals you want to accomplish in the next decade.

 

Guest Designer: Stacey Michaud

What an incredible month of exploring Ambition with everyone and we have VERY much enjoyed having Stacey Michaud joining us. Earlier this month you got to know her more and I hope that you visited her gallery on the SFTIO page.

I pulled a favorite layout to share with you today.

Stacey is always brilliant when it comes to using the kits down to the little details. Whenever I look at her layouts I am always gasping with delight when I see how she cut something or tweaked it to make it her own. Such is the case with the paper with the heart. It seems so simple! But, it provides the perfect pop of color below her photo and symbolism.

 

Looking closer at the ladies, I notice she used the embellishments at the appropriate place. It looks like those powerful and colorful ladies are marching with bright stars and hearts in their hands. And I KNOW Stacey is a lover of banners. Placing them at the top to help balance the movement at the bottom was perfect.

Reading her journaling is enough for us to see that Stacey knows the benefits and rewards of visual journaling and scrapping from the heart. 

Thank you so much Stacey for joining us this month! 

Visit Stacey's blog here: It's Just Paper