Inspiration!

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Boy it's been a scorcher here in the south!  Makes it real hard to get that yard work done, but done it got this weekend! LOL!!  We have some relief coming this weekend with a little cooler weather and I can't wait!

I have been loving the vids I have been seeing online where different artists having been tagging one another and they share about themselves!  For me, it's a peek into who they are and their own inspiration for their art.  I love it because we get to see all their wonderful work online, but seeing the vids kind of put us in touch with who they really are....kind of like a face with the name thing.  I want to share a spread from my journal that was inspired by Roben-Marie Smith!  I love her work and also her work with her art buddies in Art to the 5th.  

When I first started art journaling, I didn't really know what I was doing, all I knew was that I wanted to do it! LOL!!  Not too sure that I know now any more then I knew then, but I'm having a ball!! LOL!!  One thing I knew after seeing so many YouTube vids was that I didn't want to copy anyone per say, but I wanted to be inspired to find my own style, if you will!  I'm so thankful for the internet and the ability to see all the fabulously talented artists out there and to be able to glean from them!  What a blessing!  But the main thing that I pull from all those vids is the opportunity to get me out of my "comfort zone!"  Roben-Marie uses a lot of bright colors with just random placement that turns out to be just this fabulous work!  Number one, I am not a bright color kind of girl.  I like fall colors all day long and second I am such an OCD kind of girl that I think everything has to be "precise" and she just goes with the flow!

So, I let my hair down and did my best with bright and random with a little twist of "me style!"  So I just laid down the brightest acrylics I had along with some some gesso.  I did use a few of my Crafter's Workshop stencils to add just a "little" structure and then added some doodling to give it a little fun flare!  I really enjoyed doing it and feel better for stretching myself!  Thanks Roben-Marie!

Who or what inspires you?  How do you allow yourself to be stretched or taken out of your comfort zone?  Sometimes it can be a little scary, but you never know where taking that first step will take you!  Usually I find that if I just initiate and engage the first step that I receive a blessing in the end.  When I hear talk on different blogs about being in a rut or "artist block," I find that's an opportunity to challenge ourselves!  What's something you haven't ever considered trying?  Why not try it and see where it takes you!  You never know where taking that step may lead you!

Be Blessed!