My Good Things Jar 2013

As the year draws to a close it's easy to focus on all the negative things that have happened throughout the year. 

I saw this idea sometime in mid December 2012 and was determined to start one for myself.

The concept is simple. It costs very little to put into action And will help you realise it's the small things in life that bring the joy and reflections of all the good things that happen Throughout the year.

Take a Kilner jar or something similar, This could be a pretty box or container with a lid like a teapot perhaps And starting on January 1 fill the jar up with pieces of paper writing on each piece anything good that happens. 

                                     

Then on new years eve of that year open up the jar to see all the good stuff that has happened that year. I am surprised and impressed with how full mine actually became. With all the bad news in the media and the normal struggles of everyday life it's easy to become entangled in the web of negativity. 

I'm thinking of creating some of these jars for my brides and grooms And will call them wishing jars. Guests can write on pieces of paper or card and add them to the jar. The bride and groom can then open the jar and read the messages from their friends and family. 

Why not start the jar for 2014? I think you'll be as surprised as I was as to how much good stuff happens. I wish you all the very very best for 2014

If you are on Facebook.... come and join our dedicated group: Good Things Jar 2013

5 Most Inspirational Creative Spirits I know.....

I've been meaning to do this post forever.....well for at least the last few months! I'm often asked where do I get my inspiration from. I'm inspired by nature, positive thinking, motivational quotes, philosophy, colours, oh and many, many other things. Most importantly I am inspired by other creative spirits and I'd like to share with you my top 5. I couldn't decide what order to put them in as they are all equally important to me...so I decided to put them in alphabetical order to avoid favouritism.

First off, I offer you the wonderful Joanne Sharpe of Whimspirations. Wild and free lettering, bright optimistic colours and a flair for mad doodling. Pop over and see her blog here....

http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/

Then comes Joanne Fink and her wonderful Zenspirations. I first got to know about Joanne's work, when during my beginner years as a calligrapher and bought Calligraphy and Lettering Art Books from America. If you haven't managed to Doodle and don't know where to start, Joanne's Zenspirations will open up a world of simple, clean lined and funky drawings, which will amuse and encourage even the beginner in this art form. Joanne can be found here. http://www.zenspirations.com/

Then there's the beautiful Lori Vliegen from Elvie Studio. I love her blog and look forward to her 3 times a week posts which act as a quick fix for me. I love her lettering style and more subtle colours as she uses watercolour crayons and a simple waterbrush with a fine micro pen to create her magical little works of art. Lori's blog is here http://elviestudio.blogspot.com/

Ahhhh, the wonderful work of Martha Lever and her blog at Art Du Jour. Her work has developed and changed over the years and I love the enthusiasm that comes over in her art and blog posts.

Martha can be found on the following link at

http://marthalever.blogspot.com/

Finally we have Violette Clark from Violette’s Creative Juice. I've known of Violette for some 5 years now....ever since I started blogging. We share the same madness for colour, creativity and we seem to have not only read a lot of the same books, but go through similar events together. Sort of spiritual sisters across the pond. Her work is vibrant and there's not an ounce of self-consciousness to be seen. Her art is what it is. Every woman is a Goddess and every woman seems to go through the same rites of passage. Her work is optimistic and motivational and I would advise you to take a look at her amazing blog http://www.violette.ca/

Hopefully, you will see these artists work influence but not copied in my work. My Power Doodles were spurred on by these amazing women. In many ways they are all similar, working with positivity, but in other ways they are so different. I guess what I am looking for here is the common denominator that sparks something within my psyche and gets my Creative Spirit flying. Whatever it is, these 5 women do it for me and really float my boat.

I thank each and every one of them for their generosity in sharing their creativity in Cyberspace so that others can be motivated and inspired.

Blessings to you all xxx

It's not a hot flush.....it's the sparks that are flying!

Well, what can I say! I've been thinking a lot recently about the menopause and why is should be called 'The Change'.
there's one helluva lot of synchronicity happening around me right now and we must learn to go with the flow.
this blog is about to undergo MAJOR changes....driven on by many factors, but mainly a deep need inside to make it somewhere for people to come and

BE Inspired, BE Motivated and BE Creative!

I've been working on many projects and the universe has given me a good hard shove in a direction that I have procrastinated about for years.

It's all about working to your strengths.

Where this started and how this come about is any ones guess. I've tried to work back on a time-line to pin point the exact moment when this 'Change' happened in me....but I can't! That's another symptom of the menopause.....FORGETFULNESS!

At the moment I'm working on mini-art pieces....quite unlike the formal calligraphy I have been taught. Driven on by my dear friend Melissa Dinwiddie and her idea of creating some art EVERY DAY. Melissa herself has been though some big changes too, you can read all about her on her blog.

Reading and connecting with her has probably been the catalyst for the biggest changes in me and what I am doing at the moment.....but there are others who have been a big part of this synchronicity, energy shift, universe kicking up the arse thing that's happened to me and I'll write about then very soon.

For now, the blog needs a revamp. BIG TIME revamp and it's all in hand. Articles are being written and the old posts, no longer relevant are being removed.

I did wonder whether to start a new blog and delete this one altogether, but I have many followers both on Blogger, Email and Facebook it would be a shame to loose them.....beside which....I LOVE the name and it very fitting for my new blog.

Am I excited?

Oh YES, I most certainly AM!

I will be back very soon....in the meantime.....

BE Inspired,

BE Motivated and most of all

BE creative!

While I busy myself in the background

and make those changes....

MENOPAUSE ROCKS!

It's not a hot flush.....it's the sparks that are flying!

Did anyone else feel this way when they hit menopause?

you hear so many bad things about this stage of life....I'm interested in hearing YOUR story....either leave a comment, write on your blog and leave a link in my comments box or email me inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk

I'd love to hear others exciting experiences

TRUST ME GIRLS....It's not all bad! :o)

Bright, hot blessings,

Sue x

Believe in Yourself

And here's another little colour, affirmation doodle, to serve as a gentle reminder to:

Believe in Yourself

This is probably one of the hardest things to learn. I remember from way back, reading a book on Self Awareness, when I was told that it's far easier to remember the bad things people say about us than the good.

No wonder then, as adults the difficulty and struggle we have with this one. At times you may feel it's rather arrogant to 'Believe In Yourself'......But wait a moment....if you have no belief in yourself it's very unlikely anyone else will believe in you too.

Damaged self esteem can take years to repair. Starting is that hardest thing.....but once you do, you will find that it makes such a difference, you will never want to go back.

Start by making a list of all the things you are good at. However small you think that achievement is. Add to it daily....very soon you will build a list bigger than you ever thought possible.

Read this list on a daily basis. Repeat the list starting with the words:

I am good at.......
I am great at......
I am successful at......
I am brilliant at......

It will be hard at first....but once over the initial self doubt you will find that these daily affirmations will become more and more powerful and heal those long and deep ingrained beliefs.

REMEMBER TO: Stop judging yourself and being so harsh on your soul....treat it as a little child who lives within.
You would not speak to others the way you speak to that child within now would you? So make it your mission to STOP right now and pull yourself up when you catch yourself doing it.

You will exchange the negative destructive beliefs for positive creative beliefs and YOU WILL notice a difference.

Repeat after me (and shout this out loud)

I BELIEVE IN MYSELF!

Give this a try and let me know how you get on :o)

Follow your Heart!

I don't mind admitting it....I've got the bug! The bug for these little doodles!
Planning a workshop is never easy. You have to think from start to finish or rather how you will get the students from learning a basic technique and then running it through to a finished item.

People have different levels of experience and learn at different rates. The advanced students have to be held back, while the beginner students seem sometimes to be fast tracked..

It was while I was preparing this lettering workshop, that I got the bug for these colourful doodles.

For the advanced students my fear is that they will find it.....shall we say 'Kitsch' while I worry that the beginners will not grasp that the playful lettering is a different thing altogether than the formal lettering they are used to. Contemporary calligraphy can only come from a solid foundation and with experience of of formal lettering....no matter how easy it looks.

After, writing and rewritings my class plan, I've decided to 'Follow My Heart' and run with this idea. It will not suit everybody and it will appeal to some more than others. However, I have decided to take my own advice for once.

By following your heart you can be sure of one thing, you are being true to yourself, and from this comes enthusiasm which hopefully you can pass on to your students

So often we hold back through fear. When the head takes over and all sense or reason flies out of the window and the seeds of doubt creep in. Don't let your head rule your decision making. Just go wit the flow and 'Follow Your Heart', your most basic core instinct!

How will you 'Follow Your Heart' today?

I Am an Artist....

I just LOVE this!

Available from:

http://www.hesaidteeshed.com/

Are you STUCK, before even starting?

I love my job as a Calligrapher...but sometimes need to escape from the hum drum 'formal' lettering styles that people expect you to come out with on their commission work.

These Pen Play Doodles have been great fun and a welcome pause to the Creative Spirit.

I was chatting to a friend the other day who is finding it terribly difficult to start her own business. I'm trying to help her as best I can.....and advice is freely given if not always taken.

One of the problems is getting started.

The actual producing of any work.

It's hard when you are juggling kids, jobs, housework, partner, pets.....We've all been there, done that, worn the T-shirt.

Oddly enough, this came up with another friend as she was starting her business, so I thought I would write a blog post about it here....

OK.....so you have all the gear (and more) to start creating.....but something ALWAYS gets in the way. My main advice here is to STOP RIGHT THERE.....hold your horses and BREATHE!

OK....so if this was a conventional job, you wouldn't be able to make excuses as to why you hadn't turned up for work. So, you need to treat it just like that....like a 'PROPER' job!

When you first start out there are lots of reasons and from now on we will call them EXCUSES - (I'll come to this one later) as to why you haven't done anything.

Sometimes, the problem is that you are looking at the BIGGER picture.....looking at having a shed load of stuff to sell, make, create and because you are looking at the bigger picture it becomes overwhelming and you never get round to even starting.

SO....make some ME time....go on.....write it on your calendar right now.....even if it's only time on an evening....and while you're at it.....pen in the following 4 weeks....same time and day.

RIGHT - From now on.....at these Me times you are BUSY....got that? Hell can freeze over, but you are BUSY!

It's better and more conceivable to schedule in one hour per night than try and cram in a full day once a week.....so think carefully before you commit yourself.

Once you have.....it's immovable.

The above little picture is for you.....print it out and hang it somewhere prominent....print and give them away....but PLEASE do NOT try to sell them!

....remind yourself daily that

YOU are WORTH IT!

Believe me, the hubby will be happier, the kids will be happier, the household chores will STILL get done )and quicker if the truth be known!) and the sense of achievement will be AMAZING!

REMEMBER: Take small deliberate steps....each one leads you closer to your goal!

What advice would you give to someone who is stuck before starting?

From Pen Play to Crazy Colour

Well, here's another Pen Play and Doodle Fun piece that I created.....first outlined in 0.5mm permanent fine line pen....

And then coloured in using a water based brush pen.....diluted with water. the trick is to go around the edges with the brush, then use the water brush to dissolve the water from the paper and push it around. The result is 'similar' to watercolour paint, but far cleaner (she says with pen all over her finger tips!) .

The above pictures are a scan of the pieces, so the colour quality is a bit yucky1 I have taken photos and I'll share the finished piece, which I am going to add to my Art Journal.

Any type of colouring medium will work with the Pen Doodles, the choice is up to you. There is a variety of water soluble crayons as well as felt pens out there. Just remember: Permanent for the outline and water based for the colouring....you don't want your outline to be cloudy by painting over with heavy acrylic, but acrylic inks work well too.

Happy creative spirit :o)

Pen Play.....Doodle Fun!

Autumn Equinox is here....and a natural time for winding down.....why is it then that I feel so creative? Perhaps it's the thought of the nights drawing in, belly filling food, crisp mornings and warm cozy log fires that will soon be upon us. Whatever it is, it happens at the same time every year.
As I continue with my Doodle Art, I'm finding that I'm becoming More and more obsessed. It takes me back to when I was a kid and I always had time to create.....for no other reason than pure self indulgent pleasure. These Doodle Frames are just the beginning....

They are drawn with a 0.5, permanent pen and with NO pre-planning. Perhaps I enjoy this spontaneous way of working, because it becomes organic and grows from a small starting point...

Because there is no pr- planning, there is no set time to stop. The piece can just grow and grow.

These pieces may be finished or not.....we will see. After the first couple the ideas come thick and fast. Perhaps I will add colour, perhaps I will add words, but more so on my mind is to make them into a colouring journal for adults, something I have been thinking about for some time.

There was no set reason as to why I started these. No hidden agenda. No ultimate goal in mind. Just a Creative Spirit, enjoying a little 'ME' time, after the flurry of the last few months.

However they develop, I will keep posting them.

The greatest appeal for me is the lack of materials needed to create them. This means they can be done anywhere and with just a pen and paper.

Why not grab a cuppa, pick up a pen and start doodling today?

Trust me it's addictive.....so stock up on the ready meals :o)

BUT - If you really can't be bothered and fancy a bit of Art Time, I've left the pictures big, so feel free to click on the one/s you like and print them out.....you may even add to mine.....if you do PLEASE leave a comment and link back to this post....lets see if anyone wants to participate?

Blessings to your 'Creative Spirit' this equinox xxx

Beautiful.....simply, beautiful

This takes me back to my Buddhist training....a sense of peace, calmness and tranquillity. And yes I agree...Artists and musicians have a responsibility to uplift the people. ...Enjoy.....

Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher from Planetary Productions on Vimeo.

Personalised Labels for Crafters - FREE P&P!

I'm posting this here from my Inspired by Script blog as I know there are many crafters who follow this blog.
Inspired by Script: Personalised Labels for Crafters - FREE P&P!: "It always surprises me how much effort crafters put into their products, but then send them out to the purchaser without so much as an Invoi..."

Goodbye is the hardest thing to say.....

Spring always gets my creative juices flowing and the ideas come think and fast. This year has been no different....but there have been many changes in my life.

Steve has moved in to both the house and the studio and being with a fellow creative has certainly spurred me on with things that have been on the back burner for quite some time. He helps drive and motivate me as I do him. Together we make a great team.

My once full of animals home is now down to just 2 cats after the sad and sudden loss of my lovely Garfield impersonating cat Simba, she was so missed by my remaining 2 that they went through depression and it's taken then some time to recover.

On a personal level, I have been devoting my time to my Wedding Website and Blog and building up portfolios containing my new designs to be installed in various shops and with Wedding Planners.....all good stuff.

I have also found a niche motivating and inspiring other creators, helping them along, giving advice and encouragement, something that I get great pleasure from and with their encouragement I have started a new blog called Makers and Shakers. (Connecting Creators together, profiling their work and offering advice, motivation and inspiration to those new on the path of selling their wares.)

The blog is at the moment still in it's infancy and I am writing a lot of articles off line ready for future publication. I've wanted to do this for quite some time and you can only hear the words 'You should write a book' so many times, before you take up the calling :o)

So....what I am saying here is that posting on this blog will be very infrequent as I build up my other blogs.....possibly I will ditch this one for good as it has served it's purpose.

You can keep up to date with my work at the studio by visiting and following Inspired by Script

and my Wedding Blog and website at North Yorkshire Weddings

You can also find me on Facebook: Inspired by Script on Facebook

I hope my followers will join me and many others on Makers and Shakers and we also have a Makers and Shakers Page on Facebook!

Oh.....and on the subject of Makers and Shakers, I know I have a large number of followers that are also Makers and Shakers.....so why not get some FREE publicity and share your knowledge and experiences with other by answering the call of Spotlight Sunday... it's painless and fun! Honest!

So for now....it's not goodbye......it's just I am otherwise engaged with pastures new. Change is good :o)

You Are Worth the Time

Quotations...Finding inspiration

There's no doubt about it...I love quotations and as such I am a keen collector and have books full of the. I often get asked where do I get them from and the answer is....from many many sources. However the internet has certainly made things a lot easier.

If you are looking for a special quotation

to suit a particular event or occasion,

go to The Quote Garden. It's full of inspiration.

You can go direct to the site by CLICKING HERE

Warning!

Go and grab yourself a coffee first....

you may be there some time :o)

Old Endings - New Beginnings

Well the decorations are down, the house has been given a good clean through and before you know it, it's back to normal. Tthere's nothing like a long holiday to get your creative juices flowing. I hope you've all had a fantastic holiday and inspiration is coming thick and fast. Time out is a great way to plan for the future and non so more than the Christmas Period.

The last 2 weeks before Christmas was harrowing to say the least. Usually my busiest time, the snow along with the worst temperatures ever seen in the UK brought with it frozen pipes at the studio and the climate was warmer outside than in. I decided to go with the flow and spend as much time as possible planning and thinking (we artists do a lot of this!) And work from home if the studio was out of the question.
Friends around me had to deal with frozen pipes, no water for days and even worst burst pipes due to frozen header tanks in their lofts.....yes the back end of 2010 was certainly as challenging as the start of it. Hopefully, this has made many people take stock and realise that keeping warm, having warm food and having good friends along side you is more important than any materialistic 'thing' you can acquire. Back to basics and using the resources that many of our elders and ancestors used. In these days of modern technology we get more and more used to flicking a switch or pressing a button and all our problems are solved for us.

Just about the only victim in the freezing cold studio seems to be my computer which I seem to rely on more and more these days and certainly will do in the coming months. However, I do use it daily and am about due for an upgrade, I think a new all singing all dancing computer is on the cards :o)

All in all, the ending of one thing means the beginning of another. Along with the old year and lessons learnt, there's a bright light on the horizon and Spring will soon be here once again. As the days get longer, the earth starts to wake from her slumber and warm up and the leaves and buds start to grow on the trees, we are reminded once again that the sun will return and with it comes optimism and, new ideas and inspiration.

Happy New Year Everyone......This year is going to be a good year!

And, if we only scratch a living from it, At least it's a living worth scratching,

"If I only scrape a living at it,

at least its a living worth scraping, there's no firture in it,

but it's a life worth remembering"

Mikey Smith - Surf Photographer

To see the Video of this remarkable man

CLICK HERE

I never grew up wanting to be an artist. I was encouraged as a child to create, and creating was play, and people didn't make money from playing.... People earned money from working...hard graft, drafting your fingers to the bone, working yourself to death....all to pay the bills and put money on the table. This preconditioned belief was reinforced so much so, that a career in Art was never an option. Even at school the subconscious messages slowly drip fed into my brain. I could imagine the Careers Teacher shaking her head in dismay if I had ever answered the question: 'So Susan (that's my Sunday name.....generally reserved for when my mother was really angry) what would you like to be when you leave school?', 'Well I was thinking of being an artist'.... you see I have an issue here....you cannot BE an Artist....or become one for that matter....no you either are one or you aren't. You either feel comfortable referring to yourself as an artist or not. However I believe that EVERYONE is creative.

I have often had it said to me that people would LOVE to be Artistic.... and we all are, but to what degree is only a matter of opinion. But being Artistic is a very different title that actually labelling yourself as one. I Am.....try it....I Am An Artist.....how comfortable are you with that?

For most people, they can only say 'I Am An Artist' once they truly believe in themselves and in what the produce. It all becomes easier once you start to make Art your only source of income. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and I am generalising and my observations are directed at the majority of creative not the minority.

'I Am An Artist' I am fortunate to have taken some crazy risks in my life and ended up making my Art my full time career. I fought against it and tried, without success to be many other things before....But I am inside me a Creative Spirit, and working in any other job would drive me stir crazy. You see, I just can't help the way I am. I get great delight from making a blank piece of paper come to life. I work with words....positive thinking, motivational, inspirational, emotional words that resonate inside me and actually make me 'Feel' that emotion to my very core. My spiritual beliefs and practices give me food for my soul which in turn translates to creativity on a page. You see....we artists 'FEEL'....we have to be moved to create. Our souls need to be fed like a hungry child. Sadness, pain and trauma, somehow stifles our creative souls. We need to take time to look, to think, to meditate, to be still.....and then the magic happens.

When we follow our true calling, our life's purpose, all is well with the world. Artists who choose to make art their living are courageous, risk takers and above all warriors, who dare to go against convention. We are not afraid of feelings, emotions, risk taking....for we do that every time we put pen to paper. We have our innermost thoughts and feelings transparently superimposed on paper. We have nothing to hide. We are who we are and what you see is what you get. We are open to criticism and are ready to take the harsh blows life has to throw at us. Being an artist is not a soft option. Those who think we need to stop messing and get a real job, should change places for a few weeks.....for being an artist is both a blessing and a curse. We have a great deal of self motivation and we learn to ride out the storms. We love to share our knowledge and encourage others to create, for our creativity is part of our soul and we find it hard to distinguish where one starts and the other ends. We work long hours for little return and certainly do not do it for the money.....for if we did, most of us would be doing something else.

No, we do it for the love of it. For the sheer pleasure of sharing our passion with others. We do it to change the world, bring some light into0 the darkness and let the world for some people just stop for one brief minute. Oh and we don't retire...because we are what we are. A concert pianist doesn't stop playing music just because he has reached 65.

We are born to create and will create all our lifetime, it's not something we can switch off....no matter how hard we try. We need to be understood and ask that people go gentle on us....for at the end of the day....through art we gain inner peace and calm and only want to spread a little around.

And, if we only scratch a living from it,

At least it's a living worth scratching,

and a life lived following our bliss.

Sue Simpson

Calling All Letter-Lovers NEW BLOG!

Well, I've been busy, sorting out a new Blog, designed for Letter-Lovers of all kinds. It will feature Calligraphers, Lettering Artists, Sign Writers and Makers, Graphic Artists, Font Designers, Typographers, Stone Carvers, Glass Etchers.....In fact it will appeal to ALL who have a passion and love of Letters.

I will also use it as a useful resource for UK Calligraphers and Lettering Artists to promote groups and exhibitions, and hope you will link to this blog and let's get Lettering (and particularly Hand Lettering) back on the map.

Come over and have a look:

Just click on this link here

Don't forget to Follow and/or Subscribe

Magic in Glastonbury - The Dream Coat

If Glastonbury does nothing else, it makes people smile....lots! Perhaps their ability not to take life too seriously helps. There's a more relaxed attitude to life and that probably what draws me there the most. People have time, no rushing, no deadlines, no panic.....flowing, gentle energy and lots of love and kindness going on. Regular readers of my blog will know my affinity with positive, motivational and inspirational quotations....and it's pretty much a coincidence that on our last day we met Nicola, a beautiful Pixie Spirit with her Dream Coat of many colours....well actually I never met her.....Steve picked her up first, telling me that he had met a girl in the Cafe that wanted to swap one of her dreams for his....Hmmmm....helped along by the fact that she was beautiful I expect ;o)

My first reaction was...Oh yes and what medication is she on....but then she glided out with her coat of many colours and I called her over....And no she was not on medication, nor did she want paying.....and the story of her coat brought smiles all round.

So, the idea is that each pocket holds someones dream.... And you are asked to put your dream in any pocket of your choice, but first you have to take one out......

Here's what we picked........The picture should enlarge if you click on it.....

Nicola intended to walk from Glastonbury to Pilton where the festival was being held. So if you see her on your travels, stop her and swap a Dream or Two.

Interestingly while we were chatting we found we both have a lot of similar ideas regarding the increase in Creativity that is around at the moment, we both want to teach Creativity Classes and while her idea is a Dream Coat, I want to do a similar thing with Words For Peace in the UK....An exhibition made up from donated Art, hung in a collection and exhibited in perhaps more than one venue.....At the moment, it's just an idea....gestating away and seeing how I can make my dream a reality.

What Dream would you add to the pocket???

Do you still dare to dream????