writing

This summer I went out to Portland for two separate visits. One visit was to see my cousin get married and my second visit to attend Magical Radical an Art and Writing Retreat with Rachael Rice. Both events filled me up with love, for real, geesh.

The wedding was so great and I got to hang out with my parents during this trip too. Here is me and mom, not the best photo but whatever, we were both having a martini and we were in the moment, photo credit: DAD. Lol.

I gifted my cousin Nick and his wife Lindsey with a painting of their favorite peak in Oregon, Mt. Jefferson. If you go to my Instagram I posted a video of their reaction (just scroll down a bit): https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamaloneyart/. I love them both so much. Congrats you two!

Now if all this wasn’t good enough, I got to reunite with my friend Lisa who I met last year in Glacier NP! She recently moved to Portland and graciously took me out to see a ton of waterfalls. Oregon has got it all. Thank you Lisa, so good to see you!

Fast forward a few weeks after this trip and I was back in Portland to attend the retreat a double perk was I was able to see my family again, my cousin Nick, Lindsey, Eric, Hazel and their friends. Love you guys thanks for your hospitality as usual. You guys are the best.

I never attended a retreat like this before, something that included thoughtful and important discussion, art, and writing. In my inner most being I felt like I was holding in a lot and the idea of being surrounded by other women who could hold space for that and let me be seen was inviting. Being there I received that support and was able to give it back. I appreciate Rachael’s authenticity and big heart as well as that of all the women there. This retreat was incredibly refreshing and inspiring.

Oh… and we made a lot of art!

Through writing prompts, meditations, and the art, I rediscovered what was within me, which I had forgotten, like revisiting an old friend that says, “Hi I’m here, I never left, you can depend on me.”

At the beginning of the retreat one of the things we shared with each other was what we were there to receive and give. I was asking to receive clarity and I was there to give love. I gave lots of love in the form of hugs and listening. We all shared laughter too. I did receive clarity in different forms which will be expressed through my art as time passes and also through just who I am. That is the thing with growth you can un-grow, you can’t retreat back to who you used to be, thankfully. For all this I am grateful.

More writing and art to come.

Thank you all.

Over the last several years I have made art-making a priority along-side everything else. Some weeks are easier than others and it’s important to me to stay disciplined and motivated.

The artist Chuck Close says, “Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work.”

Here are some ways I stay motivated…

I write about it.

I like to write, I write morning pages when I wake up. Sometimes they make no sense and that’s all good. If I am trying something new I’ll write about it. I include any thoughts that come up for me in that moment. I believe getting things down on paper helps make it tangible and as a visual person I like to see it there in front of me.

I’ll pick up a good book.

I like to pick up books that can motivate me and get me thinking creatively. I even started a book club recently. Getting into a quiet space with a book is a peaceful thing. When there is some peace around me new ideas can have space to pop up.

I do something little everyday.

This week I needed new motivation. I decided to play with texture and use some mediums that have been sitting on my shelf for months untouched.

Here is a small piece that I played with.

I used tar gel, acrylic skins, coarse textured medium, and modeling paste. The new materials brought me the excitement I was seeking.

After I started playing with these mediums I felt I was in a flow and now I am excited to see where these pieces will go from here.

I think of it like everyday a drop of water in a bucket, eventually those drops will turn into a bucket full of water.

Lastly, I like to set goals.

I decided to enter a juried show in November this year for artist’s who work with paper. This will be something I look forward to and because there is a deadline, I have to stay on schedule.

What do you do to stay motivated? What are you working on? Lemme know in the comment section below 🙂

Magical Radical and visits in Portland

Tips for Motivation

rebeccamaloneyart