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Original Painting by Natasha Reilly, Copyright 2011.

I wish I had taken photos of the process of creation. This work went through so many evolutions before it came to life. I started with a desire to understand movement – specifically the dance of my fingers across the page. At first, the dance led to the creation of a tree but the tree was nice, pretty, something others would like – it was not a reflection of me.

Why was I not being true to myself? Why was I thinking of others? I pondered this and discovered that I’d had a conversation with a friend who sometimes confuses me, sometimes makes me forget that I know who I am. My hands ran over the painting, blending the colors together so that I might begin again.  The next time a flowery plant with stars emerged. Again, it was pretty and so clearly not me. I stepped away for a moment and thought – “This is me.” I felt energy surge through my hands, my fingertips as I thought of those words and covered in paint, my hands went wild. I felt the electric energy that surges through me when I am being my most authentic self. It was exciting to see the paint and my fingers dance just the way my insides do.

When this was born, I jumped up and down.

This is me.

This painting is me when I am being true to myself.

What do you feel when you are being true to you?

Sunlight dancing along water, a boat filled with happy people, a bird hovering on breeze, a good conversation with a friend, the smile of a baby, the hug of a child – details. Details are what make our life worth living.

What details struck you today?

Original Art Journal Page Natasha Reilly Copyright 2011

We can wait for someone to come into our life and change it. But they may never come. We can wait for people offer you opportunities. But the opportunities may never come. We can wait for someone to make our dreams come true. But that someone may not believe in our dreams the way we do. We can wait for someone else to make us shine. Or we can shine all on our own. It’s all a choice. Which one will you make?

I was in a funkity funk today….you know just one of those moods where you are riding the creative rollercoaster and you drop from a great height into a valley. I was hanging out in the what’s my purpose, does anything I do matter, I want to do this for the rest of my life space. Luckily I had some lovely souls around who reminded me that peaks and valleys are all part of the craziness of the creative journey and the journey of life. Their advice was so spot on that I was able to channel some of this crazy energy into something for you. Remember….

Original Painting by Natasha Reilly Copyright 2011

This painting felt as though it were meant to come to life. As images appeared beneath my fingertips, I felt myself smiling, breathing deeper and truly enjoying the process of spilling paint. When I finished I sat with the painting for awhile and these words came to me. I believe in my heart that  I am supposed to share this work and these words with you. Breathe it in. Bask in it. Feel what a radiant beauty YOU are and share it with other radiant beauties in your life. Love to you! xoxo

Rise and Dance

Radiant beauty
Rise
and
Dance
Upon the white tips of the ocean waves,
Upon the edge of the fiery volcano,
Upon a simple blade of grass.
Open your arms and release the light
Your beautiful light
Brighten the world around you
Make love to the stars
Expand
All the while,
Illuminating truth
Dreams
Lives
And giving birth to endless, limitless
Love.

Written by Natasha Reilly. Copyright 2011

Original Painting by Natasha Reilly. Copyright 2011

Last night, the kids had been crazy before bed and protested sleep because they wanted to play more. Eventually Mommy won and the house was quiet. I was so tired and I knew that I could climb into bed and sleep but instead I forced myself to get up. I had not had any creative time throughout the day and I needed to honor the commitment I made to myself  to carve out some creative time for me each and every day.

So, I got up and I didn’t really think about what colors to use as I began to paint. I just started with an intention. “Let this be me.” I wanted to see my inside on the page. I randomly grabbed some paints and started to move them across the page and when I finished I smiled. I was exhausted but it felt so good to see what had come to life on the page. That’s the magic within intuitive painting that I have been learning from Connie at Dirty Footprints. If I trust myself and just begin, my hands will know where to go.  I will know what needs to come to life.  My fatigue prevented me from thinking – “What will I paint?” I just trusted that my hands would know when they touched the page.

I love this piece. When we allow ourselves to trust in our own intuition, our own inner guidance we find answers, we find love, and we find our way. I have adopted this practice to my writing and I’m finding that I don’t need to think and overthink about what to write, I know it. If I go with it I find a way.

There a million people, companies, products and more that want you to “trust” them with your health, children, dreams, and life. Few people encourage you to trust in YOU. I say trust in you and whether you pick up paints or a pen or a sewing needle, trust that you know – just by being drawn to that medium  - what within you needs to come to life.

Original Painting by Natasha Reilly Copyright 2011

Recently I discovered that some of my “dreams” may have been far to heavily influenced by others to have ever been my own. This frustrates the hell out of me. In the process of striving to make others proud of me – because proud equals love right? NOT – it’s clear that I often buried my own dreams.

In some ways this was easier to do that than to admit that living my dreams – the ones buried deep down in the middle of nowhere – would mean I’d have to take responsibility for their success or  failure and quite honestly I’ve been afraid of both.

As I begin to excavate my soul and unearth my dreams – the ones that came to me as my own ideas – I find light and darkness. I find joy and pain. There is so much fertile material in there that I’ve been hiding; I feel as though I’ve hit the lottery with all landscape I have uncovered. So, I will explore this unknown land and bask in its mystery, all the while excited for what I might find.

You have a lush, rich fertile inner landscape. Have you explored it?? What do you think it might look like?

Original Painting by Natasha Reilly Copyright 2011

“You’re too emotional.” “Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve.”

These were common phrases I met with growing up. They led to the building of walls so high I almost couldn’t get out. Once I finally did, I thought I was home free but what I discovered was a smaller layer was still at work. It was transparent, giving the illusion that nothing was holding me back from really living but alas I uncovered the truth. That thin layer was stronger than all the walls I’d built. For behind it lay my heart and all the bursting color of emotion I’d ever hidden.

While in Sedona I shattered that layer and now my colors are bleeding onto the streets, coloring the building, the grass, trees, small dogs, people, sky, stars and Universe. It is glorious and frightening, magical and unknowable, yet knowable. It is like the whipping winds of a hurricane and the calm of the ocean on a crystal clear day. It is an ocean wave of massive proportions and sprinkle of rain during a sun shower. I love exploring the depth of this space because when I dig down deep I find things like this – this painting –  and how can I not treasure this?

Break it down. Burn it down. Rip it open. Do what you need to do, just be YOU!

Original Painting by Natasha Reilly Copyright 2011

She makes me want to swivel my hips and lose myself in music, lights and moments. As she  finally allows herself to be consumed by the colors in life and in her soul, she finds her true center. What I love is her willingness to play …to allow her body and imagination to play with all the gifts she is given in life.

Color continues to explode from my being and as it does I discover hidden desires such as a longing to do things like learn flamenco dancing, salsa and create everything from my paintings to my writing with a new fiery passion.My longing to play has deepened as I think play is the only true way to explore anything in life.

Today I invite you to breathe deep, breathe in this beauty and let your soul get a little hot, a little spicy and bask in the colors within and all around you.

Play!

This beautiful woman is sharing something so painful in the hopes of bringing about change.  For the next few days you can win a breathtaking painting created by Lisa Wilson and help a cause that’s incredibly important to her and to me, suicide prevention. Having lost my cousin David to suicide, I have spent many a night wondering how to end the pain that so many silently suffer. Lisa and her sister are working to do just that by participating in the Out of the Darkness walk with the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Together they are working to bring about awareness to a situation that effects more people than we know.

Please take a moment and read her post HERE. It will change your life. It will open your heart. Lisa is one of the strongest, bravest, warmest, most talented beams of light in the world, let’s all work with her to help bring more light to the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and her post. Thank you, Lisa for sharing the raw contents of your heart and in doing so, changing lives all around you for the better. Much love and light to you and yours, always.