Springing into action

It's around this time of year that a lot of people's thoughts turn to Spring cleaning. This is not usually the case for me. However this year it feels particularly poignant to have a big clear out and make time to fix those little niggly things that have needed doing for so long especially before my attention turns to my next, potentially quite long, art project.

The last few years for me have seen massive change, upheaval, uncertainty and tragedy. More latterly I have seen personal growth, healing, stability, trust and love. Now is the time to build upon that foundation something enduring, strengthened with a true sense of purpose and a clear direction. I feel more motivated than ever to create something that will truly define me and my journey through this life.

I have never been a particularly tidy person, nor very well organised in general. I have been a terrible one for hoarding things, always finding it hard to let go. I hate waste and don't see it as such a bad thing to want to be able to repair, re-use or recycle things. In this day and age I feel it is even more important to adopt this attitude which seems to have been quite lost in the age of consumerism. My problem lies in never actually getting round to the 3 Rs and instead collecting all my unusable stuff and cramming it into cupboards or, worse still, my work room which should be my sacred space. I wish to rectify this as I can no longer live under the pressure of all my clutter and no longer want to.

It has taken me time to adjust to this decision, so far only working in baby steps but at least I have been moving forwards however slowly. I feel that I am better able now and more willing to take bigger steps towards decluttering and what better time to initiate a full soul cleansing clear out than as we approach Spring. This is my favourite time of year, full of budding potential, bringing new growth and fresh ideas.
So without further ado, I'm off to clear out my darkest spaces, cast off the shackles of the past and let in the light so I may be transformed. I will leave you with this, a little something that came to me today as I was walking my tiny dog round the lake near my house.

Like the Earth, I am growing.
Like the Air, I am blowing.
Like the Fire, I am glowing.
Like the Water, I am flowing.
Like the Spirit, I am knowing.

And just for fun I'd like to add: Like the Peacock, I am crowing! ;-)

Following the Peacock

My project for the coming year is to create my own Tarot deck based around The Girl in the Red Dress. This will be a personal journey for me and will also be a lengthy one as there are a total of 78 cards in a full Tarot deck. I have wanted to do something like this for a long time but have never found the right theme for me until now. For some time I have been seeing peacocks everywhere to the point of seeing them in one form or another at least once every day. Recently I found this particular Tarot card depicting Juno and her peacock and believe it to be a clear go ahead for my project. I mean, she is wearing a red dress after all and her place in this deck is that of the High Priestess which has always been my favourite card as a Tarot reader. 

It is my intention to create this deck intuitively rather than rely on all of the traditional symbolism, although that's not to say that some natural associations won't be present. What will be, will be, as they say and I will be documenting my progress in my blog so feel free to share. I welcome constructive input so let's make this journey together and see where it take us.

As for the original Red Dress pieces, I have decided to use them to illustrate a Little Red Dress Book of Inspiration based around the journey I was on when I created them. I will draw on my experiences of what got me through a very dark time in my life and what ultimately led to huge personal growth. I hope that whatever else comes out of the healing already received through the process of painting the series, it will also have an equally positive effect on others. That is my in tention, so mote it be <|;-)