Artwords - Indulgence

in·dulge (n-d lj)
v. in·dulged, in·dulg·ing, in·dulg·es
.1. To yield to the desires and whims of, especially to an excessive degree.

The theme for this week’s Artwords challenge was Indulgence … and what a source of inspiration it was! Though, I am not completely happy with this piece... I do so love what it represents...

 “Indulgence of the Soul”
8” x 8” Art Squared on Canvas
One of a Kind, Mixed Media Painting & Collage on Canvas
By Raleigh, NC Outsider Artist – Chrysti

I admit it...I indulge myself in small ways daily .. a Starbucks… a long bath…overpriced lip balm.. all truly wonderful little bright spots in my day.. but somehow, all those trivial, minute diversions, keep me from what’s truly important.. the nurturing, and indulgence of my soul… I find that so often, I’m running from moment to moment.. kinda like living a connect the dots puzzle .. that by the time the day has come to an end.. I have overlooked the things that heal me, touch me.. that transform me…

 Well,  Enough is Enough!

 Creating this piece, was a baby step for me.. a tiny step towards awakening, and acknowledging that inner part of me that needs as much as time, as much indulging as those I love, as much devotion as I give to my work, and the 101 other ways I stretch myself too thin. I lost myself in the making of this .. each stroke of the brush, line of the pen pushing me forward in my quest… It is my sincere desire, that it serves as a powerful reminder to indulge & nurture your own soul.

 I will be putting this up for sale soon.. and will keep y’all updated when I do. But, for now … it will remain in my studio as a daily reminder of what it is I truly need to allow myself to indulge in.

 Which bring me to my next announcement.. I find myself craving some 'me' time .. you know the kind, no phones...no computer...no people.. just pure, simple, chosen solitude.. my 32nd birthday is fast approaching (June 3rd) .. and I'm thinking, that's just what I may do to celebrate ... can anyone suggest some spots around or within a few hours of Eastern N.C.?

"The moment we indulge our affections, the earth is metamorphosed; there is no winter and no night; all tragedies, all ennuis, vanish,-all duties even."
  --  Ralph Waldo Emerson

xoxo -- Chrysti

Five Things .. 5's ..

 

1. One Digit / 5, 2. Hooked on fli..r, 3. One Digit / 5, 4. Almost blue
5. Here lies number 5, 6. Cinco, 7. Cell 5, 8. 5 - delicatessen
9. White 5 on Orange Dumpster, 10. guess where nyc, 11. 5, 12. give me
13. Untitled, 14. Travel Bug #5, 15. Five, 16. five

Why the 5 Montage You Ask?   

Well, The oh so talented Deryn Mentock Tagged me ...  

 So I'll try to give this a go ... Really, I'm pretty Boring..
(Think i'd tell ya the exciting stuff?)

 5 items in my fridge

1. Starbucks Venti Iced Skim Mocha
2. Sugar Free Tapioca Pudding
3. Diet Arizona Ginseng & Honey Iced Green Tea
4. String Cheese
5. Parkay Spray Butter (so it's not real butter)

5 Items in my closet

1. A Pile of Clothes to Cut into Fabric
2. Vintage Ponchos
3. Size 4 Sundress I'd kill to fit in again
4. Lotsa Old Purses & Handbags
5. Paint covered t-shirts & sweats

 5 Items in my Purse  

1. A Bottle Of Hydrocodone (Toothache)
2. 10 Kinds of Fun Lip Balms/Glosses
3. A Shoe Shine Sponge
4. Victoria Secret Corset Shaped Mints
5. My Wallet

 5 Items in My Car

1.  I
2. Don't
3. Have
4. A
5. Car !!

 5 People I Tag 

1.  Carmen aka Gyspy Froggie
2. Chel
3. AmyMa (Time to update that blog girl!)
4. Lisa Carney
5. Art Junk Girl

 " He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes;
he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever "

I Could High 5 Y'all... But I'm really not THAT lame.. ( Ok so maybe I am...)

^5's to All... Chrysti

Rainy Days & Thursdays ..Always Leave Me..

 Blah.

What is it about these grey, dismal, rainy days.. that just leave me feeling so.. dull, unimaginative, drowsy, down, depressed, dim, bland, lifeless, distressed, lethargic.. well.. just...

 Blah.

I'll admit, this blustery weather got me thinking about how we always tend to dwell on the bleak, the dreary.. the not so good things in life... you so seldom wake up & say.. "I'm so glad there's a bit of sunshine today!" (unless it's a truly spectacular, out of the ordinary kinda sunshine day) ... Yet Rain? It always gets a bad rep. Whether it's light rain, or a heavy storm.. it tends to receive the raw end of the deal.

Well, not from me... not today... soooo... in the spirit of not wanting to give in to my pessimistic side.. this was the perfect excuse to find the everyday beauty and magic in rain again !! After all, if we can't find the magic within everyday moments... how can we be expected to truly, fully, enjoy anything else? How we see the things we've become accustomed to, shapes our views and experiences of everything else.

Time for a new perspective.

 
 Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

 1. another rainy morning in London, 2. Rain Soaked (4), 3. The lonely umbrella., 4. After The Rain, 5. driving home in the rain, 6. Catching the rain, 7. Rainy Day, 8. Rainy Street, 9. a c c e p t a n c e, 10. rain watchers, 11. creepy building, 12. Easily excited, 13. a walk in the woods..., 14. Liquid, 15. Las Calles de Florencia, 16. Rainy day, 17. woman with broken umbrella, 18. Labyrinth, Union Square, 19. any year now.., 20. Rainy day, 21. Untitled, 22. Cluster of Miniature Houses, 23. after the rain, 24. The Pale Grass Blue in the misty rain

 Wow.

 So simple.. just a little dash of my time, some clever searching on Flick'r ....the generous talents of these photographers..  and I'm left feeling optimistic, more at ease... and a whole new viewpoint on good ol' rain.. gotta love that.. life really is all about perspective isn't it?

 So to continue this positive spirit... How about creating some artsy, rainy day fun in your corner of the world? I'd love to hear what you come up with!

 Here's a few quick project finds for today to get you started..

• Altered RIT Dye Box Album


• 200 Things You Can do With Slide Mounts


• Make a Pretty Notecard Gift Set


• Coffee Filter Book

 "Let the rain kiss you.  Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.  Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
~Langston Hughes

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet."
~Roger Miller

And with that, I'm off to "walk"! - xoxo Chrysti

P.S. I just couldn't resist ...

All this talk about rain reminded me of something.... one of the old SNL skits .. Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy.. In particular the following quote.. (Sooo wrong, and yet you laugh!)

“If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."
--Jack Handy