For Day Twelve of Rhonna's {21} day challenge, I explored what is known as Beginner's Mind
This is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgements and prejudices. Beginner's mind is just present to explore and observe and see things as they are. Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior judgement, just asking "what is it?" This is easier said than done:)
I feel like this art journal challenge has really fostered my beginner's mind. Since I don't have a lot of time each day to do my entry, I try express whatever comes to mind first. I create my art from a non-judgemental state. It is what it is. What I was feeling at that moment. I have found it to be a very remarkable experience.
13 comments:
That's it!Beginner's mind, I love it, I have to agree with you as I am trying to do this with my journal to. Your page today seems so Zen, love it! I really appriciate the comments on my blog, they make my day even brighter, Thanks!
Beginner's mind - I NEED some of that! I spend way too long ctitiqueing everything I do, and hoping it will look good, or that someone else will like it etc etc etc, until it ends up being a marathon!
I am trying to go back to basics with my journal - lots of swirls, circles brushes and stamps - I feel comfortable.
I LOVE your journal! You're so inspiring!!
Oops - didn't mean to be anonymous! I LOVE your journal! You're so inspiring!!
This pages are beautyful!
Love your work! :-)
You are so inspiering. Thanks alot!
This is wonderful as usual.... lucky you to have taken a class with Donna Downey! I love her!
Hi there :o)
As usually I love your entry, and I really like the name "Beginner's mind"! I think I'll have ti adopt that ;o)
You're doing so well, and I love the calmness on yoyr page.
Thank you for the inspiration :o)
I have so much catching up to do with my altered journals. You have done such a beautiful job on these. Love the cultural feel to this.
Beautiful, beautiful as usual.
You were asking how to stitch on paper:
BY HAND:
-draw your lines very lightly in pencil
-poke dots with a skinny sharp needle for every hole you want to put thread in. This is easier to do if you put your paper on top of styrofoam.
-go ahead and sew
BY MACHINE:
-lower the feed dogs, or cover them, depending on how your machine works. My machine comes with a metal plate that covers them. The feed dogs are the teeth that move the fabric along as you are sewing. You want to be able to move your paper freely, not have the feed dogs guide you at a measured pace.
-use your "embroidery foot". Mine is clear and minimal, which enables you to see what you're doing. The foot might have another name.
-thicker paper will be easier for you to use, because it won't wrinkle.
-It's harder for the needle to sew neatly through paper than through fabric. The best kind of needle is a denim needle because it is very sharp and goes through easily.
-rubber gloves might help you in gripping the paper
-keep the paper always facing in the same direction. You don't need to rotate it in order to get the designs you want, and it's much easier on your hands if you don't.
-when beginning to sew, make sure you are holding firmly onto the upper and lower threads of the machine, otherwise they'll tangle in the most annoying way
-it takes a fair bit of practise to learn how to move the page so that you're happy with the direction and length of the stitches.
Let me know if you have any more questions
As beautiful as always! I admire your style...those papers are really beautiful to by the way. What are they? Foof a laa? I like the way you are thinking to....Beginners Mind.. what a lovely phrase! I think we all are in need of getting some of that! ;o)
:o)
I totally love this! It is absolutely GORGEOUS!
another wowser page by you and I love that beginner's mind concept...thanks for sharing your journey...love that I'm learning a little about meditation too!
You know...you are a true artist. The journal pages that you create emit the calm that you have through your meditating. They are incredible to look at and always leave me with a feeling of peace.
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