Darcy Goedecke

Whimsical Paintings and Magical Mind Tricks for Joy

Artswalk Cover Interview

Last week I was interviewed on camera here at my home studio about my art process, journey, and the cover piece I created for the city’s Spring 2019 Artswalk Map!

The people from the city were SO nice, but Ah! Apparently I have stage freight from a public speech gone wrong my sophomore year of high school… It was SO hard!!! My heart was pumping so loudly, I was stress sweating, and my mind just went totally blank! It was awful!

For my fellow fear-of-public-speaking friends out there, turns out this happens because when you have intense anxiety like that you go into “fight or flight” mode, which turns off the thinking part of your brain by diverting all the energy to the reactive, emotional part of your brain — making your mind go blannnnk. 

Josh, the videographer at the City of Olympia was really kind and did a great job editing though — so the interview actually turned out really good! And woo! I made it through! Now time for some public speaking classes and to work out that childhood fear!

Check out the video! The bloopers at the end are the absolute best part — so be sure to at least watch that ;P

Details about prints and seeing the original during Artswalk are below the video!

Cover piece Prints available here

Pre-order them NOW for delivery or pick-up the weekend of the event April 26-27th!
Archival quality & signed by me! ♥︎

⫸ Come see the original! ⫷

During Olympia Artswalk, April 26-27th, the original painting will be hanging at Childhood’s End Gallery! I will be there with it Friday, and with my other work at The Mouse Trap on Saturday! 

I hope you can make it out!

Duality and The Sly Fox

Duality stones I found lying next to each other on the beach in Sequim, WA – Oct 2018
The first knock at the door that inspired this poem.

A sharp stone.
A dull blade.

A longing to stay
and a need to go.

Light and dark.
Love and hate.

More than I have now,
but less I can pay late.

The world swims in mercury
pools of Duality.

Bending to our every form,
thick cold layers of silver doubt.

Thrice she knocked on my door,
and at the third rap,
I finally heard her cackle
and laughed myself at the synchronicity.

Paradox.
Duality.
Always the Trickster. [Read more…]

Letting the Mud Settle : What I Learned on My Solo Retreat

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you might have seen that I went on a solo retreat last week! Nothing but me, myself, and I and only the trees, king fishers, and waves of the Salish Sea to guide me through each day.

It was pretty lovely!! But also incredibly frustrating! Haha!

Things have been pretty crazy busy in my work-life for the past year and I’ve started to feel like an octopus with twice as many arms and the mental chatter to match.

So on this trip I had planned to unplug from my life and immerse myself in the spiritual practices that normally keep me grounded, in hopes that I could create some massive changes.I wanted to bust through the boulder barrier I’d built around my life into a space where I felt clear-headed, like I had all the answers to where I was going next, and where I could find a gentler, more enlightened way of being.

Really, what I was looking for was a breakthrough… 

But while my mornings were filled with yoga, journaling with a cup of tea, and wandering the beach…  And my evenings with meditation and spiritual studies in front of the fireplace… After a few days I still found myself going through those crazy cycles of inspiration and joy to unworthiness and self-pity.

It was SO frustrating! I had wanted BIG CHANGE and this just sort of felt the same! I mean, I was having new amazing ideas…. But I was still falling back into that crappy place where I felt undeserving of anything good and stupid!

After three days I was starting to get really disheartened, but I kept on with my spiritual practice agenda and worked on a digital meditation course I’d been taking.

But the best thing actually happened when my computer died… (no surprise there).

[Read more…]

New Goddess Series at ARTSWALK // Oct 5-6th

I’ve been working on an all new series called SPIRIT ANIMAL: GODDESS and I’d love for you to come see it this weekend during Artswalk!

It means the world to me to hear your feedback and celebrate these things with you. Every time you come to one of my shows it brightens my heart so much!

But this show also now has extra meaning to me…

While I had no idea how women’s voices and worth would be questioned so publicly this past week, it has only enlivened my passion and deepened the meaning of these paintings for me.

From the beginning they have been meant as a totem of empowerment, and now I see their delicate golden strands entangling themselves within current events.

These etherial paintings of women-animal goddesses serve as a reminder of the magic and power inside each of us. They are a celebration of the Goddess in all women. Of the deep connection to nature we feel and the divinity always present at the root of our souls and bodies.

These modern-day goddesses are meant to lift up each and every woman — to remind you of who you are, where you come from, and what you are capable of: Magic.

Together we are stronger, and you are never alone — I am here holding your hand and standing with you.

Thank you to every woman who has been brave enough to tell her story. And to every man who has believed her and stood with her, unquestioning.

Please join me this Friday and Saturday at the Yoga Loft in Olympia to partake in the celebration of these new spirit animal goddesses! Hot spiced cider, snacks, and magic will be included. (More details below).

I would feel so blessed if you could make it out!

All my love,

SPIRIT ANIMAL : GODDESS

AT THE YOGA LOFT

Friday, Oct 5th // 5-10pm
Saturday, Oct 6th // 1-5pm

YOGA LOFT
219 Legion Way SW
Olympia, WA 98501

Join me for hot spiced cider, snacks, and magic!

Facebook Event

This event is taking place during Fall Artswalk, which is Olympia’s biannual art event where businesses showcase local artists. There is live music, street performers, food trucks, and events for kids. Find more info here!

Three Tips for an Awesome Morning

How do you start your day?

Do you have a routine or do you feel frantic and discombobulated like I used to?

For the longest time, when I woke up my mind was already on my to-do list for the day.

It’s was hard for me to handle the “hassle” of getting myself and everyone else ready for the day when my mind was already at work, and often feeling behind.

You could usually find me jumping between half-completed tasks, while trying to send emails and write notes to myself.

It’s the opposite of presence and didn’t start my day off very well.

Over the past year, I’ve been learning how much ritual grounds me. Particularly in the mornings.

[Read more…]

Why I Paint People of Color

I just had the most amazing conversation with a woman about my painting of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and it brought us both to tears.

It was during my most recent show at Splash Gallery, the “Spring Unveiling”. For this event, each of our 18 artists literally unveils a new piece of artwork and talks about it in front of all the event attendees (WITH A MICROPHONE, OMG).

I unveiled three new pieces, all from my January challenge: “Trash Panda” (a raccoon), “Guinea-corn” (a guinea pig with a golden unicorn horn), and “King” (my painting of Martin Luther King Jr). In hindsight, this seems like a strange collection, but hey.

I wasn’t particularly nervous to unveil them — I’ve been through this a few times at the gallery. That was, until I had the microphone, began talking about the work I was yet to unveil, and turned around to see two African-American women right in front.

Now the town I live in is admittedly very white. All the members of this gallery are white, as far as I can tell. And most of our clientele is white. So here I am, in a room full of white people, with two black women right up front, staring at me from 5 feet away. I wouldn’t have noticed this, except for the fact that I (whitey mc-whiterson), am about to unveil my painting of arguably the most amazing iconic black man in history.

(Face-palm). Just a little nervous now.

As I unveiled the paintings I started talking about the two animal paintings in length but just glossed over the MLK painting because I was so scared what they’d think. I seriously just said, “and my painting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which was really awesome to make”. LOL.

The reason I was nervous, was because I wasn’t sure if it was my place. I wasn’t sure if it was my place to paint the icon of a struggle I will never know. I wasn’t sure if it was my place to talk about how amazing his message was and how when I think about the power in his voice and what he meant to this world, I undoubtedly start crying. Maybe that’s why I didn’t say more — because I probably would have started crying.

Well the unveiling by each artist finished and right after, those two women were on me. “Oh shit”, I thought…. “Hiiiiiiii”, I said.

One of the woman greeted me, also with a nervous smile, and said she had a question for me… She wondered why I had chosen to paint Dr. King.

The rest of this conversation won’t be verbatim, and I’ve probably forgot half of it because I was so caught up in the moment, the emotions, and just awe-struck by the words coming out of her mouth…

Here’s what I said:

I told her I chose to paint MLK because of everything going on right now. Because I feel like he was such an amazing person, with a very important and uplifting message. I rambled on a little longer and did actually start crying, as I said I would.

Her response blew me away:

She said that she was not expecting me to unveil a painting of Martin Luther King Jr. and she was flabbergasted. For someone who “doesn’t look like her” to paint someone who does, to paint an icon of the struggle people who look like her are going through, made her feel supported and meant a lot to her.

She said it was amazing and wonderful that I used my place of power as a white woman, that I used my artwork, and that I used the platform of this gallery event to speak out for her. That it was important, because we can’t do this alone. We can only heal our past and rise together. I agreed.

She also began to cry, which made me cry even more.

I told her I was nervous to present the painting in the first place because I didn’t know if it was my place, and she said she was so glad I did. That it meant a lot for me to do it.

After thanking each other profusely, we hugged, and I felt like I had just done the most important thing in my life thus far. I made someone in pain, in a world that’s against them, feel supported.

I can’t express in words how much this interaction meant to me, except to say that it was one of the most encouraging, heart-expansive interactions I’ve ever had. And that it confirms for me why I consciously choose to paint people of color.

Because you see, it’s a definitely a conscious choice for me.

I instinctually want to paint white women, because that is who I am surrounded by and who I am myself.

But the thing about me is, I question everything I do instinctually.

(When I was 19, I noticed I felt like I had to put on makeup to leave my apartment. So I stopped wearing it for a full year)

I actually only recently started painting people again. And when I found myself painting white woman after white woman, I questioned it.

A teacher of mine from college, Lisa Sweet, once said you have to ask yourself if you’re not painting something because it doesn’t matter, or because it’s too challenging.

People of color are neither of those things for me. They’re not too challenging to paint, and they certainly DO matter. So I started painting them.

This was a bigger choice for me than just aesthetics though. I wanted to do it because I realized there are two things I believe:

1. People of color (and all minorities), need to see themselves, and be seen as beautiful, successful, magical, and amazing too.

Just as I noticed those two African-American women in the gallery, I notice when a credit union commercial includes a black family, or a mixed family, or a gay couple, or a person who is differently-abled.

It always makes me smile and think, “Good for them”! We need positive images of minorities in the media. For them to believe in themselves, and for us to believe in them too.

Artwork is no different. I aim to paint beautiful, magical things, so I thought I might be able to contribute to this.

2. I think the more we are included in each other’s lives, the less we notice our differences and the more we can break down the barriers between us.

They say the best way to overcome a prejudice, is to spend time with one of those people. When you take the time to learn about someone’s hopes, dreams, and fears, you begin to see yourself in them.

One of my ways of including people who don’t look like me into my home and reality is through art. I identify deeply with the people and animals I paint. My art is about celebrating their humanity, divinity, and spirit, so I have to put myself in their skin to do it. I have to really see them.

And in turn, I hope my artwork does this for others. I hope that women will buy paintings of women who don’t look like them, because they can see their own spirit and dreams within it.

Even knowing these were my motives, painting people of color still made me nervous. Would I do them justice? Is it okay to be consciously choosing to do this? Are people going to be mad? Why would they be mad? This should be okay. I’m just painting people here! Which again solidified for me why I was doing it. Because it should be okay. This shouldn’t be a thing.

Now, thanks to this amazing woman at the art show, I have my answer. It is definitely okay. It is needed.

I had no idea this painting was going to be so important to another person. And I had no idea how it would change me through her.

So I ask you, what is your platform? Where can you show kindness, acceptance, and support to people who don’t look like you? Where can you use your power to lift another person up? In your work, your talents, your community, your day-to-day life?

 

We can only rise together. Here is my hand.

 

Today marks 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and it is also Dr. Maya Angelou’s birthday. Their words and actions are still out here changing lives, and may they continue to forever. Rest in peace, dear ones.

 

 

Many people ask if this woman bought that MLK painting after I tell them this story. She did not, she gave me a far bigger gift. The painting did sell a couple days later to another woman though. And prints are now available here if you want one.

If you liked this story, please feel free to share it

I think this is the first time I’ve written about such a controversial issue, and I truly hope I didn’t offend anyone. I was even more nervous to share this post than to make the paintings or talk about them at that event. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I am always here with an open heart and ears if you want to talk.

 

All my love,

What I Learned from Being Sick

Three weeks ago I got super sick.

Normally I can kick a cold pretty easily. Often times I don’t even get sick all the way. I have my regimen I do when I start feeling the crud: I take special herbs and vitamins, use my neti pot, cut out sugar, increase water and sleep, and manifest my buns off toward wellbeing.

But this time was different and I could feel it.

These last 6 months have been crazy in my business. I’ve packed things in a little too tight to where I’m not getting enough rest and not enjoying life enough. I just move from one task to the next, pushing through thirst, hunger, and exhaustion to get things done.

It was no surprise to me then when this last cold took me down hard. But what did surprise me was what I learned from it — Not just that I need to rest more (yes yes yes), but that I can get more work done by working less.

Let me explain…

Being down for a week (and I was) isn’t really an option in my business right now. Whether you’re employed by a company or by yourself, I’m guessing it’s probably not for you either. Who has that much sick leave?!

So like most of you would probably also do, I tried to work through the sickness. There was stuff that just HAD to get done.

This proved to be a fairly hard task. If I sat at my desk or so much as thought critically about something for 5 minutes, I started to feel really sick and my body would ache.

My body had reaaaaalllly had enough of me pushing her. She was done.

So I yielded. I gave myself deep permission to be sick. I gave myself deep permission to lay on the couch and nap and watch movies and play video games and nap some more.  No guilt allowed.

And while healing was definitely top priority, I knew that I still had to get those work things done. So I did the only thing I could do:

I worked in 5-minute increments.

With lonnnnnnnng breaks in between.

I oscillated from the couch, to my computer, to bed, back to the couch, to my computer again.

I did a lot more sleeping and relaxing than working, and a surprising thing happened: even though I worked less hours and took way more breaks, I actually got a lot more done than I normally would!!! I was like “daaang, I’m good!!” (high-five self)

Here’s why this worked:

  1. I made quicker decisions and didn’t over-work a task because I knew I only had 5 minutes to do it.
  2. And because I knew I only had 5 minutes, I wouldn’t let myself get distracted by shiny objects (notifications, other to-do’s, new ideas).

I got my shit done and then went and laid back on the couch.

This idea isn’t new.

It’s a method I’ve heard of many times — working on things in small, uninterrupted increments of time… Even with long breaks in between.

But I never really allowed myself to try it until it was the only option.

Usually my approach is to just push through thirst, hunger, and exhaustion to get things done.

And deeper than that, I realize I equate that push feeling when you’re busy and stressed, to the feeling of success and accomplishment.

I knew that wasn’t right. I knew there was another way to get things done, but I wasn’t quite ready to try it.

Is it weird to say I’m happy I got sick?

It sucked, but it totally showed me a whole new possibility for how to approach my work. A way where I can actually enjoy my life, and even get more done in my business.

This method has continued to work too.

Since I was sick few weeks ago I have still been trying to work in short periods of time and take breaks in between to recharge or work on other stuff at home.

The days I do it, I get SOOOO much stuff done and feel really accomplished, relaxed, and even happy!

If you try this method, here’s the four keys I’ve found to success:

  1. Prioritize your to-do’s. Check out a book called “Eat that Frog” if you need tips.
  2. Minimize Distractions – Turn your phone off and stay away from Google.  You must be vigilant in staying focused on the task at hand until it’s complete.
  3. Give yourself a limited amount of time to complete your task. This creates the hustle and pressure to make fast decisions. Even if it’s a longer task, like writing this blog post, complete it in shorter increments. I like to set a little blue bird kitchen timer I have.
  4. Take breaks! This part is really important! Just try it! When your time runs out, take a break. Get up and walk away from your project to drink water, stretch, read a few pages of a book, or sit on the couch and do nothing — whatever will make you feel rejuvenated! 

The work we do in the world is so important, but so are our lives and our hearts.

I hear so many women talk about how they’re too busy to take any time for themselves. And I get it, I was just there.

But will you at least try it for a day? I think you will be surprised at how much you get done and how refreshed your heart feels.

Give yourself permission to sit on the couch, to take a bath, to cook a meal without thinking about work. To laugh, to giggle. To appreciate the softness of your flannel sheets, the smell of your lover, the sunshine on your face. Notice the way the fur on your cat floats in the sunlight. And just be. Sink into your heart like snuggling into your favorite blanket. Soft, warm, and thick with the scent of home.

Everything will be alright. In fact, it will be grand.

There’s more than one way to do this, and we here with you, learning too.

Did you find this article useful? Please feel free to share it and sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to receive articles like this in your inbox!

Lots of Love,

Duck the Malls – This Saturday!

Find me and all my new BRAND NEW THINGS at

Duck the Malls

this Saturday!

This Saturday I’ll be selling up in the balcony at Duck the Malls at the historic Capitol Theatre in Olympia from 11-4pm!

Duck the Malls is Oly’s biggest holiday craft fair and I feel so honored to be a part of it again this year.

I’ve been working on lots of new items since my last show a couple weeks ago and can’t wait to share them with you this Saturday!


If all goes well with crafting these next couple days, I will have:


T-shirts – I’ve placed a big order with American Apparel and am currently working on adhering my designs to their shirts! I’ll have onesies, kids, and adult tees for sale! Plus crop tops, vnecks, and dresses available for pre-order. 

Tea Towels – A new thing I’m going to try out! I ordered some of the fabric I sew my pillows with in the size for tea towels, so I will have a handful of select designs available this weekend!

New Pillows – You probably guessed it — I ordered some Misunderstood animals on fabric to make pillows for this weekend! (Unfortunately I’m making all these things today and tomorrow so don’t have pics for you)!

New Stickers (pictured above)– One of the favorites from my last show — Waterproof decals! I had a ton of new designs at the last show and wanted to add in some other requested ones. So this weekend I will also have elephants and squees available to stick on your stuff! They’re super cute! 

New Prints at a Lower Price – Last week I got a fancy new printer that allows me to print archival quality prints at home! It’s amaaaaazing!! Best part is, this will allow me to now sell them at a lower price!!! Yay! You will see the reduced prices this weekend.

Mini Prints (pictured above)– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! I’m all about minimizing my waste, and realized that the cropped paper from my standard size prints are the perfect size for mini 3″ prints! So I will have a hand full of these available at the show, and to make them extra special, I’m adding some hand-painted metallics to them. ♥︎

I hope you can make it out on Saturday! If you can’t and are interested in my new stuff, anything I still have will be available for purchase on my website next week!

Thanks for all your support! 

⫸ Hugs and Hot Cocoa ⫷

Duck the Malls

Saturday, December 9th
11-4 pm

I’ll be selling upstairs in the balcony!

CAPITOL THEATRE
206 5th Ave SE 
Olympia, WA 98501

My Secrets to Getting Great Pet Pics

Luna – Stanley, Idaho 2017

I spend a ton of time working with my customers to find cute pictures of their pets to paint that are good quality.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about clarity, lighting, and angles, and how these affect portraits.

Whether you’re hiring me to do a painting of your fuzzer, or just want to take some cute pics for Facebook, here’s my guide to taking print-worthy or painting-worthy pictures of your pet!

1. Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important parts of taking ANY good picture.

Cameras use light to capture images. The more light that’s available, the more information they can capture clearly.

Each photographer uses light in different ways, some like high contrast, and some like a more even light. I’ll be telling you about the latter, which creates the best images for my paintings.

Some Issues:
ISSUE #1: Too Little Light

This happens most often when shooting indoors under regular lights, especially at night.

Your pictures will lack detail and look very grainy, especially when you zoom in.

This picture of my dog, Luna, was taken indoors and has terrible lighting. As a result, it’s kind of fuzzy and has very little detail. This would be a really hard picture to paint from because of that lack of sharp detail.

ISSUE #2: Too Much Light

A lot of light is great, except when it’s too intense and creates strong shadows and highlights.

While our human eyes can still see all the details, when you take a digital photo, the details in both the shadows and highlights are lost due to the extreme contrast.

For my purposes, it’s best not to shoot in direct bright sun or under spotlights.

This picture was taken outside on a sunny day. You can see how Luna has extreme shadows on most of her body with a few very bright highlights. There will be little detail in both areas, so it’s not ideal for painting.

This extreme contrast isn’t a problem if it’s the style of photos you like, but for my paintings, I prefer a much more even light. And to do that, we need to diffuse it so it’s not hitting the animal directly.

Goldilocks’ Umbrella

So how do we get it juuuuuuust right?

The best way is to use diffused sunlight! Sunlight is bright and shows a full spectrum of colors. When we diffuse it, it creates a nice even light.

Sunlight can be diffused by either overcast clouds (easy to achieve in Washington) or by standing in the shadow of something on a sunny day. Things like trees or buildings make great diffusors, just be sure you’re not capturing any bright sun spots in the background or it will have the same issue of creating too much contrast.

The best times to achieve diffused bright light are early in the morning before the sun is too intense, or around noon, either in the shade if it’s sunny or in the open if it’s overcast.

 

This picture was taken on an overcast day. You can really see the details all over her body, even down to the individual hairs. GREAT for painting!

For indoor pets or photoshoots, diffused natural light are still the ideal conditions to take photos! You can take them in front of a window when it’s overcast and the diffused light will reduce harsh shadows and allow for crisper details.

 

2. Angle

The angle that you shoot your pet is very important. When I’m looking for a good photo to paint from, angle is the first thing I’m looking for.

So often, we take pictures of our pets from above, but this results in truncated bodies and really restricts the composition if it’s going to become a painting.

In my opinion, it also doesn’t show off the animal’s personality.

When you crouch down to your pet’s level to take the picture, they become more confident and their personality shines through. You’re seeing them in their world, which is what I like to capture in my work.

The other reason for shooting at the pet’s level, is that it gives me the ability to add in a background behind them in the painting. So often, I’m putting pets into a magical nature scene, and when the photo is shot from above, there’s not much I can add in.

Here’s an example of my cat, Trillium:

This is a cute picture of Trilly, but the angle makes his body small and it lacks his personality. There’s also not a lot I could add in the background of a painting from this angle.

 

So much cuter! You can really see his personality and smugness about his box come out when you’re on his level. This is also much easier to compose in a painting and is ripe for adding in all sorts of magical details!

This slight change in angle makes a huge difference!

Tip: Sneaking to the Right Angle

Thanks to smart phones, most of the pictures we take of our pets happen spontaneously when they’re being cute.

In these moments, it’s important to capture the cuteness first and foremost, and then slowly move to a better angle, taking photos all the while.

Most animals will respond when you move, so just keep it slow, avoid eye contact, and wait until you’re in the optimum position to pop your head out from behind the camera and get their attention.

 

3. Capturing Expression

Once you’re at the right angle, you can try to get some cute expressions!

Take tons of photos of your pet as you try different things to get their attention.

Make weird faces and noises, raise your free arm in the air and lightly snap or move something to make a noise (i.e. a squeaky toy or crumpled paper).

Avoid calling to them in a tone that means “come here”, or they may move and you’ll miss the cute pose!

For this reason, I taught our dog Luna the command “Look at me”, so that she makes eye contact but only moves her head to do it.

Big Tip:

Your animal likes to see your face and make eye contact with you. If you keep your face behind the camera, they will lose interest very quickly and may even avoid looking at you and this strange thing in your hand that makes you act weird.

So when you’re snapping pics, make sure to peak out from behind the camera and look into their eyes and smile as you talk to them. (This is especially helpful with camera-shy pups)

Most pets will only respond to your antics for a short while, so be sure to be snapping lots of pics, as you never know when you’ll get the perfect expression!

4. Image Quality

Image quality refers to how big and crisp the details are. Like bacon. Okay, not really.

When you have a high-quality, high-resolution image, you can zoom in and see very clear details.

When you have a low-quality, low-resolution image, it’s very blurry or grainy when you zoom in, especially in the eyes (which is the most important part)

I’m usually making paintings larger than the photo is, so it’s important to have as much detail/as high of quality, as possible. If you zoom in on a photo and it’s not very crisp, chances are it won’t work very well for painting.

As I said above, lighting can affect image quality, but here are some other things to consider:

Cameras & Cameraphones

Of the cameras and smartphones you may have, try to use the one with the highest megapixel number. Megapixels refers to how many millions of pixels are in an image. The more pixels are in an image, the crisper the details are!

Most of us are taking pictures with our phones. If you have the newest model of smart phone, it should totally be sufficient!

If you don’t have a fancy smart phone or have an older one (nothing wrong with that), opt for using a camera, especially if it’s higher Megapixels.

File Size

Whenever you send a photo through text messaging, social media, or even sometimes email, the photos are compressed. This means they make the image smaller and reduce the clarity so it can travel faster through the interwebs.

For this reason, I ask that you email me pet photos at as high resolution as possible. Usually when you attach the photo, it will give you options for the file size. Please choose to send it at the original size. It’s okay if you have to send multiple emails to get them all to me, or attach it using Google Docs.

 

These are just some guidelines of what makes the best pictures for me to paint from. I understand that sometimes it’s not possible to achieve all these things in one picture, and sometimes a pet has passed on and you have limited photos. I’m happy to work with whatever images you have to find the perfect one for your painting.

But for all future shooting, here’s a recap of how to get the best pet pics:

  1. Shoot in Bright Diffused Sunlight
    1. Early in the morning on a clear day
    2. Around noon on an overcast day
  2. Get down on their level
  3. Be weird
  4. Use a high megapixel camera and send me uncompressed photos through email

Know someone who loves taking pics of their pets? Pass this along to them!

If you’d like more info about my whimsical pet paintings, you can find more info here!

And you can sign up to receive articles like this in your inbox monthly or weekly here!

 

Hugs and Fluffs,

Why you should stop “multi-thinking”

Photo by Nostalgia Captured

As per my agreement, I have written every day this week. Woo!

But man, it’s been SO hard!

I’ve really enjoyed adding the daily practice to my life — writing in the mornings, painting in the afternoons. (la la laaaaa)

But the actual act of writing has been frazzled, disjointed, and frustrating.

I’ve been super busy AND have that PMS-induced anxiety, fatigue, and Rage (with a capital ‘R’) in my heart that makes it hard to organize my thoughts, let alone write them down coherently.

So writing has been particularly challenging this week.

But still I persevere. Still I show up and sit my butt down each morning and write. Knowing that the most important thing to the Muse is just that I’m here. Knowing that someday the ease and flow of words will return.

To help, I’ve been using all my tools: This Easy Stress-Buster, a Heart-Opening Trick, Mind-Wine, and my new fave: Stop Multi-Tasking, or multi-thinking, as I like to call it.

I call it “Multi-Thinking”, because for me it’s not about trying to do multiple tasks at once. It’s about trying to do a single task while thinking about a billion other things.

Multi-tasking used to be seen as a strength, but now we know that it’s actually impossible for your brain to work on two tasks at once. You just end up doing a crappier job.

And multi-thinking is the same thing. There’s no reason to be thinking all the time, it just leads to a clouded mind and more stress.

I want to be present, clear-headed, and flow through my day, rolling off obstacles and getting shit done. Ba-bam!

I mean, it’s okay to think about things…. But I personally obsess. I’ll think about the same thing over and over again, without any real purpose. I’ll think about dozens of different things while I drive twenty minutes to downtown, none of which are related to driving or anything around me. (Who needs a phone to be a distracted driver)? 

And it doesn’t ever get me anywhere. I never come to a new conclusion or have a brilliant idea by over-thinking. No one does. The best ideas are born in mental silence, in nature, or while you do the dishes. Over-thinking just raises your anxiety and makes you feel frazzled and overwhelmed!

While you may or may not deal with PMS, mental and emotional overwhelm is probably something you experience.

The hormones just make it extra strong and hard to get out of… And it was there, in the depth of the shadows of the Mount Doom that is PMS, I realized that if I quieted my mind, and focused on whatever was in front of me… The road, the toaster reheating my gluten-free pancakes, the coconut shampoo in my hair… that my anxiety lessened and my mind cleared.

How to stop multi-thinking.

  1. Catch yourself multi-thinking
  2. Tell yourself to stop multi-thinking
  3. Take a deep breath and focus on whatever’s in front of you. Either move with purpose or sit in stillness and breath.
  4. Keep reminding yourself to stop-multi-thinking when you feel your mind drift.
  5. Give yourself a pat on the back for however long you make it.

For most of us, learning to clear our minds and not multi-think is a tough task. It can take patience, persistence, and gentleness.

But even just giving myself the simple reminder, “Stop Multi-Thinking” , is helpful when I find myself distracted or obsessing about something.

I may have to say it over and over again, but even just a few minutes of silence is worth it. Even just a few minutes can make your life easier and your day better.

As one of my favorite movie characters said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while. You could miss it” ~ Ferris Bueller.

And this is also the other purpose of not multi-thinking — actually enjoying the moments of your life. The cat on your bed, the fuzzy socks on your feet, the friends at your table.

Living your life, and not just thinking about your to-do list. Cuz I’m telling ya’, you won’t get it done any faster.

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Oo-bown-bown. Chicka-Chicka,


 

 

P.S. Speaking of PMS, have you seen my friend Devon Perrino Loftus’ Moon Cycle Bakery Kickstarter Campaign? She’s launching a subscription service that bakes and delivers (OMG YES) sweet, healthy, hormone-balancing treats to women for right when they start their cycle. I pledged and am so excited. There’s only a week left for her to reach her goal so go check it out! (And yes that’s me in the video)! I have a few of her treats in my fridge for extra help this week! They’re chocolatey amazing-ness!