One of the most supportive things we can do for ourselves is to open to receiving what we want, need and deserve. We are often good at giving but struggle with allowing ourselves to get what we need.

There are mornings that the best thing to do is to remember all the things I am grateful for.

Be gentle as you gain the confidences to accept from others. I tend to be a giving; seeing what others need and wanting to step in.

I am not sure if this was just a my nature tor that I was raise as the middle daughter with four brothers and three sister. Growing up I was asked help, to give up thing I had to bring calmness such as my doll to a a sibling crying. I babysat at home, for neighbors, trying to be what they all needed me to be. Still at 59, I need to remind myself about my needs and that it is okay to take care of them first.

My office in the winter is in one the upstairs bedroom in the house I turned into my office, studio and gallery. This house is mine, one that I had once held many dreams. The year after I purchased the house, SuperStorm Sandy ruined it. Initially after the storm I tried so hard to repair and complete it but, it took way longer than I thought. During the time, life changed, as it always does. Now the house is home to my workspace. This is taking care of what I need at this time… a peaceful beautiful place to create in.

From my desk, I can see the Barnegat Bay in Point Plesant, NJ and the Mantoloking Bridge. This morning it s dreary outside, raining mist, cold with a fog softening the bridge view. There a telephone poles and power line but what I see it the beauty. 

Is this ‘rose colored glasses?’

I have often heard that I need to be ‘realistic.’ My dreams, my hopes even my business has been part of those criticism.

“All the time you spend on taking pictures, on the computer, on marketing it - you could make more doing something else.”

Or 

“You charge too much for your work, I cannot afford your services.”

These comments hurt in the past yet they only came from those who did not understand. Possibly it was also I did n to understand either. It takes a knowledge of yourself as an artist to see your value and to know this value will be

My work is for those who do, my life is about seeing past the ugly and finding the beauty. This is living a joyful, inspired life to me.The spent years developing my skills, has been important to the development, giving art the time. I understand when working with others what time we need to create and then charge accordingly.

One of the important aspects to my life is spending more of my time seeing beauty.

My work is always evolving, there are certainly certain themes