Have you ever looked at an abundant flower garden and wondered what obstacles were overcome for it to grow and become the luxurious garden that it is?  Sometimes, I find that my focus is on the beauty and I seldom think about the hurdles that might have occurred during the process of creating such a garden.

Maybe the soil needed tending to by removing rocks or old roots. Tilling and nourishing the soil is sometimes found necessary before anything will grow.  The planting of the seeds and providing protection from the birds and other creatures. Having the hope that the weather will cooperate so the seeds will have the right conditions to germinate.  When the seeds begin to grow, regardless of weeds, they thrive and soon bear blossoms in adversity to all the challenges the seedlings once faced. I relate to the parallels of the natural garden within and the obstacles I have been facing with the new year and the new possibilities arising.

The reality is that I started the new year feeling a bit weary.  It was a good kind of weariness; however, since the previous year, I had successful exhibitions in which my hard worked creating beautiful art received awards, and many found forever homes (like “Idyllic Fence” above.)  I was truly overjoyed, and in December, I finally found a studio assistant, Brook Peipert to help with my growing business.

I entered this year with creative enthusiasm until my tiredness started making me feel like I was tripping over myself at every turn. I could not focus and felt that I had nothing to give creatively. Naturally, self-doubt began to creep in.  I realized that I needed to tend to myself and metaphorically speaking, my own soil. I decided to take time to rest and made a conscious effort to stop overthinking, and to easy my worry about projects that demanded my immediate attention.

It is incredible what rest can do for you.  I decided to deal with my tiredness by going to bed one hour earlier and sleeping in a bit longer each day.  Then I started tackling everything I had to do by breaking it down into small chunks. This gave me the feeling of accomplishment.  I regained trust in myself and my creative abilities just by making an effort each day to have some play time with my art supplies and different mediums in the studio. I chose to create some more simple artwork for the time being to meet the needs of the gallery.  I had Brooke help me create kits for future upcoming classes, while I organized and tidied the studio because it helped me relax. Thank you, Brooke Peipert for your invaluable help.

The last hurdle I had to overcome, which felt like a monumental one, was writing my blog.  I struggled for weeks on what to write, until I realize that the struggle itself was the subject of what I needed to share.  I finally was able to sit and write, but it took days to tweak it before I could send it out.  If you are reading this you know that I succeeded!!!

Obstacles can be overcome by being aware of what they are and taking steps, even small one to change them.  Only then, can incredibly beautiful things be accomplished.