Trying My Hand At Painting . . .

September 21, 2018September 20, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy, happy, happy Friday! I am so happy to see this week finally come to an end. It hasn’t been a stressful week but I haven’t had as much downtime as I usually enjoy. As a result, I’m far more exhausted than normal. But with the weekend upon us, I’m looking forward to getting some glorious rest!

A few weeks ago, I stopped by Barnes & Noble and walked around for nostalgia’s sake. I can’t tell you how many days and evenings I spent in this bookstore, just inhaling the scent of paper and possibilities . . . On my way out, I saw an art kit and picked it up. I found myself wanting to buy it, which is funny, because I’ve gone to Michael’s and Hobby Lobby who knows how many times, and I’ve never been moved to buy painting supplies. Following inspiration, I decided to buy the kit.

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My new art kit – such a bargain!

I’ve always been creative, but painting is a whole new world for me. And before anyone thinks that I’m trying to be Monet or Picasso, trust me, those aren’t my aspirations. At all LOL! However, I do think that practicing my hand at painting will give me a deeper appreciation for the art and skill involved with creating some of the masterpieces that I love so well. So, I figured I’d start painting a bit when I have downtime again. I also think this will be a good thing to do while listening to some soothing music or even a podcast (because I’m always trying to multitask. . . )

Inside of the kit

After taking so many online classes and participating in umpteen webinar trainings to maintain one of my certifications, I figured it was time to enjoy an activity that doesn’t feel like “school”. It’s time to do something strictly for the pleasure of it, and that allows me to “learn” in a different way. So, painting seems like a good idea. I’ll post my “masterpieces” as I complete them. Here’s hoping that I can start painting and sharing my finished works in October and November.

That’s all for today. I hope you all have a great Friday, and I’ll check in tomorrow. Take care!

life curation

Making Dreams Come True Using Conscious Creation

September 14, 2018September 14, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I came across a post from my favorite LOA coach, Jeannette Maw. As it just so happens, she is launching a brand new course titled The Dream Render. Jeannette will be teaching participants how to manifest one of their big dreams in under 30 days. As someone that has personally worked with Jeannette and has seen what she can do, I have no doubt that this course will be a powerful one.

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Jeannette Maw of GoodVibeBlog and GoodVibeUniversity

The course kicks off on September 27, and the best way to take advantage of this awesome opportunity is to join Good Vibe University. I have an annual membership and it’s worth every penny, but there are also monthly options for those that want to test the waters.

To catch up with the latest over at Good Vibe Blog, check out the most recent post, 10 Insights From Studying Successful Creators. This will be a great way to get familiar with Jeannette’s work and perspective. While you’re over there, go ahead and read everything she’s written – it’s all great stuff!

Enjoy your Friday, friends, and I’ll talk to you all soon!

art · culture

When Maturity Was Valued

August 30, 2018August 29, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I gave an abbreviated review of Nasher Museum in Durham, NC. I mentioned in that post that I was considering doing a separate post about a particular exhibit that caught my eye. Well, I had a moment to really process what I saw, and I want to share my thoughts with you here.

I want you all to take a good look at the marble bust below.

This is a bust of a Roman matron, sculpted sometime between 40 and 30 BCE. She’s poised, stately and undeniably mature. The sculptor didn’t attempt to depict this woman as a youthful maiden or an adorable waif. This likeness captured is that of an adult woman, self-possessed and satisfied with her position in life.

What really struck me is the caption next to the bust. The museum described this period of art as being one where “portraits tended toward a realism that valued maturity and experience over idealized youthfulness”. I looked in awe at this woman that was able to enjoy her maturity being captured in marble and I thought to myself, “When did things change?”

I know that every adult was once young, and there are many beautiful things about youth. But I wonder why we spend so much time idealizing youth, both in art and culture. Is it because the fleeting nature of it is akin to the scarcity factor that fuels the supply/demand concept that we learned so well in those college economics courses? Is it because life’s disappointments make us long for the days before we knew the troubles that laid ahead for us? Is it because we wish for some of the fearlessness that we once knew but had to trade in for the “seriousness” of adulthood?

I’m not exactly sure when youth became the ideal, but I long for a time when we return to reverence for maturity. After all, the average person spends way more years as a mature adult than as an inexperienced youth, and if you have experience, you can make wiser choices that lead to a happier life. Even though I’ve had my share of disappointments and frustration, I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed my 30s far more than my 20s, and once I get to my 40s, I’m sure my life will be even better.

I can’t change an entire culture that worships youth, but I can share this lovely bust with you, and encourage you to see the beauty in being aged, experienced and (hopefully) wise.

That’s it for today. Have a great afternoon, and take care!

life curation · reading list

Reading List Temporarily on Hiatus . . .

August 25, 2018August 24, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, beloveds! As you all know, I’m gearing up to start regularly producing content on my YouTube channel and, as a result, there will be a few changes to the blog.

For now, I’ll be putting the reading list posts on a bit of a hiatus. I’m still reading – a lot – but I’m going to save my reviews for the really special books that cross my path. That way, I’m focusing on creating content that I’m truly excited about, and I believe that enthusiasm will be contagious.

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Other than that tidbit, I’m doing a lot of writing today (I’m updating my word count once I finish up for the day) so I can make a real impact on my 365k words goal. I’m glad that I’m making progress, but I’m being gentle with myself because I know I’ll see the most impact in the fall, when I go on vacation (which is always a good time to write) and when NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writers Month – rolls around.

After I finish my writing, I’m going out. I deserve a treat! I hope you all get to treat yourselves to something nice today, as well.

Take care, and enjoy your Saturday!

life curation

My Not-So-Secret Tool for Getting Things Done

August 22, 2018August 21, 2018 Mstldelano1 Comment

Happy Wednesday, friends! I wanted to quickly share one of my favorite tools for getting stuff done. I recently started back to using this tool regularly after I discovered that time was “getting away from me” and I wasn’t quite as productive as I’d like.

We’re all so busy that I know you all can relate to the feeling of too much to do and not enough time to do it. I honestly feel that the reason why we feel that we don’t have enough time is that we try to “make stuff happen” even when the best thing to do is to take a hands-off approach and let the chips falls where they may. The harder we push, the more difficult we make things for ourselves.

checklist

So, to help me with this, I reach for the placemat process. The placemat process is a tool described by Abraham Hicks (if you aren’t familiar with Abraham-Hicks, then you probably haven’t gone deep enough down the law of attraction rabbit hole LOL!) that allocates the day’s tasks based on things to do and emotions you want to feel. The day’s tasks are divided into things that you intend to do yourself, things that you intend for the Universe to handle on your behalf, and the way that you want to feel throughout the day. If I do a placemat, I do it as soon as I get to my desk, so that it sets the tone for the day.

For the record, I don’t follow Abraham’s teaching as much as many of my favorite LOA teachers. However, I recognize when there’s a beneficial teaching or tool being described, and the placemat process is one of my favorites. It has been extremely effective in creating more productive days and for helping me stay focused on what I need to do. There’s something gratifying about checking off completed tasks, and being clear on what I’m leaving up to God/Spirit/the Universe/Source really helps me to focus my energy where it is best served.

I use a template provided to me a couple of years ago, but I found a very similar one on this Abraham Hicks downloadable template page. The format that I enjoy most is Eva’s template.

Give this a whirl for a few days and see if you notice that you’re able to get more done. I think you’ll enjoy using it!

international

Another Visit to the Embassy of Haiti

August 21, 2018August 20, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I visited the Haitian Embassy again: this time, it was for a cocktail-hour social event. The Embassy of Haiti is easily my favorite, and anytime I can find an excuse to go, I make it my business to be there.

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Bust of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the embassy

The last time I visited the embassy was last year, during the Around the World Embassy Tour weekend. Unfortunately, my time in the embassy was limited: it was my last stop during the tour and the embassy was closing within 30 minutes of my arrival. However, you couldn’t tell that the embassy was about to close by how gracious the staff was: the diplomats at the embassy were so charming, warm and friendly. This evening at the embassy was much of the same: the congenial spirit of Haiti was on full display.

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Photograph of His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of Haiti

The food for the evening was catered by Gisele’s Creole Cuisine, and it was excellent! I’m fairly certain I’ve never had authentic Haitian food, so it was a real treat for me. I wish I had taken pictures of the food but alas, I was too busy eating!

Gerard Valcin, Agoue Ceremony, 1977

The embassy is my favorite because of the fact that is absolutely gorgeous on the inside, and it could easily double as a Haitian museum. There is so much breathtakingly beautiful art on the walls that I never realized that they have a LIBRARY on site. I almost squealed out loud when I stumbled into the simple but elegant library that housed all sorts of books on Haitian history, culture, art, food, politics – you name it!

So, it’s official: I want to live in the Haitian Embassy. Just put an air mattress on the first floor and I’ll be set LOL! Seriously though, I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about the beauty of this embassy. It is easily one of my favorite places in DC, and I fall more in love with it every time I go. If you ever get a chance to go to this embassy, DO IT! You’ll be glad that you did.

life curation

Motivation for Writers

August 18, 2018August 18, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Hey folks! Today’s post is going to be a super-short one, because I am majorly behind on my 1000-words-per-day goal. I don’t mind occasionally falling behind, but I don’t want to have to do a mad dash at any point because I’ve slacked too much. So, today is a writing day. Time to play catch up!

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However, if you’re a writer looking for a little motivation, check out this podcast from Side Hustle Nation. This is one of the earlier podcasts available on the website. An author lays out his exact formula for writing success including (you guessed it) a minimum writing quota that helps him generate enough content to create his books. This could easily work with any genre, and can be tweaked to accommodate anyone’s schedule. I highly recommend listening to this one if you’re a writer: I’ve listened to it more than once!

In fact, while you’re on Side Hustle Nation, check out all of the self-publishing podcasts and blog posts: you’ll find so many great resources for aspiring writers there. Have fun gleaning all sorts of tips, tricks and recommendations to help you achieve writing success!

life curation · travel

Why I Have To Get Away . . .

August 16, 2018August 15, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I had an acquaintance comment on the frequency of my getaways. As you all know, I like to go on short and long trips as much as possible. The gist of what was said was, “It must be nice to get away whenever you want [. . . ] I wish I could do that [. . .] But it’s not like you actually need to travel [. . .]”.

Funny thing is, I do need to travel. I feel a bit bored and uninspired when I spend too much time in my routine. I crave the experience of going new places and seeing new things. I truly feel that traveling has made me a better person: I’m more creative, more educated, and more comfortable within my own skin due to my traveling experiences.

globetrotter

For me, getting away is a necessity. I must have different experiences and see new faces. It’s part of what gives me new things to discuss and new ideas to ponder. My last trip to Raleigh left me buzzing with excitement and clarity regarding what I want to do over the next year. I also felt so much PEACE, as I was enjoying a stay at one of my favorite hotels in the Raleigh/Durham area. It makes such a difference to my state of mind when I can disconnect from the ordinary and spend some time living at the pace that I choose.

I know that I’m not the only one that loves travel, and I realize that there are a lot of people that want to travel but can’t quite figure out how to afford it. I will be remaking a video describing how I can afford to travel. The original video was on my Instagram live feed but I would like to “polish it up” before I add it to YouTube. When that video is finished, I’ll come over here and let you all know. I know you’re going to love it!

life curation

My Top Three Goals For This Year

August 7, 2018August 6, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

I’m still buzzing from the excitement of welcoming in a brand new year of life, but I wanted to share some thoughts I had over the past few days.

It’s easy to talk about the “stuff” that I want, but I spent some time getting real with myself and asking, honestly, what do I REALLY want for myself in the year to come?

My list is brief, but it perfectly captures what I think will be the most powerful things that I can do to create a wonderful new year.

kindness

1) Be more kind and generous

I always strive to be kind but I want to make this my signature personality trait. That will involve me regularly taking a more empathetic stance and avoiding “hasty” reactions. I’ve been working on these things for a while but I can always stand to improve. As far as generosity goes, giving is one of my favorite things EVER! So I’m looking forward to giving even more in the year to come.

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2) Deepen my commitment to my writing

I’d like to write a lot more. I already work on my craft frequently, but what if I wrote daily? I’ve decided to commit to writing 1000 words per day. This won’t include blog entries, thought that would be a wonderful way for me to rack up my word count. No, these words have to be in the form of entries in books that I will (hopefully) one day publish. It doesn’t matter if the entries are great or nonsensical: the point is to get in the habit of doing it daily. I decided a day ago to do this, so I’m a little behind. I’m keeping count, however, and I’m aiming to catch up soon. Just for fun, I’ll put the count in the bar on the right side of the page, so you all can see my progress as I go along. The end goal is 365,000 words before August 1, 2019. I can do it!

joy

3) Incorporate more joy daily

Joy is always my daily goal, and I have made it a point to share a lot of my daily joys on this blog. But a bigger commitment to experiencing joy daily is a goal that I can really get behind! I’m open to however it comes – big, elaborate displays, small, interesting surprises, and everything in between – and I am looking forward to seeing how joy shows up in my life daily. Of course, I’m going to make sure that I’m a vibrational match for joy, so that it has no choice but to set up permanent residence in my life!

life curation

Operation Birthday Blowout Was A Success!

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 MstldelanoLeave a comment

I can say, with no doubt in my mind, that my birthday blowout was a success! I got to see Janet Jackson perform, I went to two museums I’ve never visited before, I spent time with friends, I made some new friends, AND I got to try some new restaurants while I was away.

Then, the day after I got home, I was a bridesmaid in a wedding and I went to a family reunion. It’s been a very busy past few days! I’ll admit, though, that I’m loving every minute of it. It’s been a while since I’ve had a whirlwind (long) weekend.

I’m still working on a few of my side projects related to this blog and life in general, so I’m going to keep this post short and save my energy. I’ll share a few photos that will be part of future posts in the next few days. Also, I’m still thinking of a special way to commemorate this blog’s 1 year anniversary . . . I have something in mind but I’m open to suggestions! Feel free to let me know how we should celebrate this first year of Bronze Butterfly!