Art. Photography. Gratitude. Life.

Art.
Photography.
Gratitude.

Life.

Saturday 23 August 2014

Genuine You ~ Pssst......I'm teaching here.

Psst......................can you keep a secret?
I've been longing to teach on-line for a few years now.
Ever since taking my first on-line art course
with Connie of Dirty Footprints Studio
several years ago.
 
"She-Tree" painted during DEEP class with Connie.
 
So what has taken me so long? You ask.
I have all of the skills, after-all I'm a secondary art teacher by trade,
I have a computer,
I have inter-net access (even if it is a tad limited).
I have a passion for sharing art.
I have a passion for helping people.
I have a passion around healing of mind, body and soul...........
 
"Fiery Opening" journal page
So what has taken me so long?
in two words :  "My Gremlin".
(You can read about him in the above link,)
but you know him,
he's inside us all,
having an uninvited party in our heads,
stamping on the desires of our heart.
That undermining voice who puts every obstacle in our way,
convinces us not to try,
 after-all who wants to fail?
 
"Silver Lining of a short time on the beach...."
photo credit Melissa Dowling
 
Do you have a 'burning desire"?
something you've always wanted to do?
or a quiet 'whisper'?
 something you have a secret longing for?
or a persistent niggling?
 something new you've discovered you love but are afraid to pursue?
 
photo credit Melissa Dowling

For me this desire was on the back-burner,
simmering away,
waiting for the right opportunity,
the right vehicle.....
sent me an email re-enquiring if I wanted to teach in her latest offering.
I had no idea to what she referred,
her first email had disappeared into cyber-space.
 
"Elements and Grandmother Moon" painted during Primal Power class with Lisa
 
My heart skipped a beat,
a longing was being answered.
You see we'd had a conversation about me teaching on-line years earlier
and I gave her every excuse under the sun as to why I couldn't.
Everything from lack of time,
lack of inter-net access,
lack of technical knowledge,
too busy with my family commitments,
too much going on with our farm and drought,
and, and, and...........
you get the picture!
 
photo credit Melissa Dowling

photo credit Melissa Dowling
 
What has changed you ask?
Well I am still time-poor, and maybe even more so now,
as I now have a health and wellness business I run from home
and it also involves a lot of travel.
We do have a few more 'gigs' a month download,
but we still can max it out before the end of the month.
My html knowledge still is at the kindy level!
My family commitments haven't lessened. 
 I still have a hubby and 3 busy kids
and play 'mum's taxi'
and my eldest still is 'differently-abled'.
We still have a farm
and in the ensuing years we've had 3 massive floods and more drought.
So what has changed?
ME.
 
Taking the step to sell my paintings

Me.
To para-phrase the famous quotes:
 "if you want something different in life, you've got to do something different",
and "in order for things to change, you have to change".
Through my health and wellness business
I have been fortunate enough to undertake some amazing personal development,
 combine that with all I have learnt from the value of doing something
Creative
every single day and the wisdom of tapping into
Creative Source
 and
 KAPPPPOOOWWWW!
"Seeds of Change"
You LOOK at yourself one day, and I mean really LOOK 
and realise you have changed.
And you ARE taking steps towards fulfilling your dreams.
You DO have the courage to take the risks.
You ARE happy to fail forward.
You DO realise you have gifts to share with the world.
You DO realise that
 someone,
somewhere
 can benefit from what only you have to say or share.
 
"Release the Fear"
 So even though I'm still busy as.....
And even though I still have another 5 or more plates in the air............
And even though I still have other really BIG GOALS I am working on.
And even though I still have the "Gremlin" muttering in the background of my mind.
I have planted my feet firmly in the ground,
and I have reached inside, to my heart space
(with the gentle guidance of Lisa)
to see what it is that I can offer to the world.
And so, Gratitude through the Lens was birthed.
 

photo credit Melissa Dowling
So I invite you to come on a journey with me.
A journey of seeing "Silver Linings" in your daily grind.
A journey of Gratitude.
A journey of quiet Courage.
A journey of careful Observation.
A journey of Mindful Reflection.
A journey of Fun and Exploration.
A journey of Creativity.
A journey with your Camera.

photo credit Melissa Dowling
 
I'd be humbled to have you join us.

 
 
You can take a look at my fellow 9 amazing Genuine You teachers
and you can read about their 9 amazing Genuine You classes
that all come together as one course, Genuine You.
Pop over to Wild Creative Heart
and join us on a different path.
 

photo credit Melissa Dowling