Creating a road map to yourself

This past August I was sitting on my couch with needle and thread in hand - embroidering a flower on the cuff of my jean jacket. Like a tiny tattoo, one could almost miss if they were not looking close enough. On the pocket, I had just finished a small solar system with a shooting star. I worked my way around the jacket leaving messages for myself to find.

In the room with me was my best friend Amy who was visiting. We met back in Colorado in the third grade. With our two teens beside us, now 15 and 18. We were all covered in threads, heads down, needles pushing through fabric. The last time we lived close to one another, we were 15. I owned a jean jacket that I had hand-sewn beads into intricate designs onto the collar and the cuffs. This memory has been buried deep inside me until this day. Who would I become? I used to wonder. All the dreams housed inside me. All the things I did not know. And all the things I did and forgot.

What is becoming? Being financially secure? Achieving your goals? Checking things off a list you’ve always wanted? All the conditions we put on our happiness in life. When all along - sitting on a couch all day, making something inspired by nature, sharing stories with people I love - that is all I ever need.

I need nothing when I’m alone in the silence, under the breeze of a tree, or in the pages of a sketchbook. There. There is that light. There is me - content picking colors of string alongside the person who knew me as a child. When my daughter asks me to sit and talk, her head in my lap as I run the silk of her hair between my fingers. When my husband and I talk in the kitchen while waiting for the water to boil for coffee before we get to work. When I place the harness around my dog Midge’s neck, she fidgets in excitement eager for the the scent of the morning air. All these little moments make up my day.

Who will I become? I was her all along. I only need to remember how to reach her. To know where she lives. How do I create a roadmap back to myself when I get lost? I push away all the to-do lists. I sit in silence. I take a walk outside. I make time to do nothing. And I allow myself to enjoy it. How important it is to lose ourselves in moments each day. To tune out the noise of the past and the future. To forget our age and expectations. To just be. Because when we do, we find out who we were all along.

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In September I hosted a Wild Wonders Mini Collection challenge on Instagram. It was delightful to see all the creations roll in. It is amazing all the creative ways to interpret prompts. You can check out all the art at the hashtag #wildwonderschallenge

I created this piece as my main illustration for the challenge. It was inspired by the birds I stumbled upon in Florida this summer. They perch above the water to dry their wings. It felt like a moment of silence to feel the wonder of nature. A good way to exist in the world.

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I have a couple for you this month…

I am in no way affiliated with this free yearly online event. I just love it. Karen Abend invites over 30 incredible artists to share their sketchbook practice with you. You get to play along and learn techniques in your sketchbook. They even share their favorite art supply. There are two a day for two weeks. Though one week has passed, you can still watch all the replays until mid-October. You can even buy a pass for a small fee to own them forever. If you want to get inspired and make new things, I highly encourage you to check it out. It is so worth your time!

Mystical Stitches by Christi Johnson

This book. I am by no means gifted with thread. But I find a lot of joy in trying. And THIS book makes it possible. It is filled with amazing, simple designs. It is so easy to follow. So much inspiration. Florals. Constellations. And more complex symbols that feel like they came out of a tarot deck. A small project will take you less than an hour. For example, my little floral on my cuff. But then they become addictive and you have an arrow on your other cuff. And a solar system on your pocket. And thoughts of a bigger piece on the back. The possibilities are endless!

Until next time. ✨ Kim