International Women's Day and hand-lettering

week 7 HOMwork

As I love to join in creative challenges I have jumped onto HomSweetHom's  wagon of weekly #HOMwork challenge, where each week we get an assignment to play with.
Now I signed up before I knew that I had to move in about a month, so I told myself that I would join in on the challenges once the dust had settled from my move ... HA!

Well a few weeks ago, week 7,  our assignment was:

Your assignment this week is to determine who your biggest hero is and why, then letter their name along with some of the reasons you look up to them.

This person could be someone who has made you feel like you can go after your dreams and achieve them, someone who has encouraged you along the way, or someone who has been an example to you of who and what you want to be. This person could be a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a family member, someone from a different era, or someone you've never even met.

the minute I read the assignment I knew who I would celebrate, but I put it aside because I was moving! I had also side-lined my annual postings for National Women's History Month because of moving! But when we here in Boston got a snow day yesterday and it was International Women's Day and I really do not!! like this whole moving thing, I decided I would treat myself by doing my week 7 assignment ... hand-letter my two heroes and just some of the reasons that these two women rock my world.

So in honor of International Women's Day, I wish to say thank you to my heroes, my two incredible daughters, Maya and Harriet.  You two amaze me daily. love, mom

peace & thank you,

Happy October, or for some ... Inkober!!

So it is officially October,  and with a new month comes a few things ...

First, your 'just-for-instance' gift, a printable calendar for your personal enjoyment: 

(if you have issues with downloading the image, email me and I will send you a PDF)

Feel free to download and print out this calendar for your personal use this month.

Secondly,  a mini moth-in-review mash-up.  Somehow I missed doing a 'best-of' August so I have combined the best of August AND September from my Instagram. 

 I am always interested to see which and what images of mine make the 'best of'.  One of the reasons that I participated in the #100day challenge was to see which of my different art interests would be most prevalent.  As usual what I discovered during my #100daysofvirginiacreates is that I am drawn to many, many artistic endeavors.   Another plus of participating in the #100day challenge was that it made me conscious of creating each day.  At first I thought that I didn't need the 'challenge' as I am usually 'creating' something every day.  

However when I reached my 100 days and the pressure was off, that when I realized that I needed the 'challenge', not so much as a reminder to 'make something' but as permission to create every day!  The desire to make art and the ideas are with me ALL the time, but unless I have some kind of exterior demand, such as a gallery opening, a due date or even a casual challenge, I tend to let life outrank my art.  

(I believe this stems from my catholic upbringing, if I enjoy doing something just for myself, it must be WRONG?!?!? anyone else familiar with that thought process?!?) 

So with my new awareness of the importance of some exterior commitment, I am jumping on to the #inkober bandwagon.  

After doing some research I have found that Inkober was started by Jake Parker,

 "I created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve my inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year."   To learn more check out his Inkober post. There is a video, more information, a list of inking materials and so much more. (mrjakeparker.com/inktober.)  And who knows you amy want to join in TOO!!!  

He also has set up some 'rules' and an official prompt list: 

Inktober rules:

1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).

2) Post it online

3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2017

4) Repeat

Note: you can do it daily, or go the half-marathon route and post every other day, or just do the 5K and post once a week. What ever you decide, just be consistent with it. INKtober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more you’re consistent the better.

That's it! Now go make something beautiful.

 So let the fun begin.  

I will definitely posting my drawings on Instagram and FB and I hope to post them here as well.  

Please join me in this creative endeavor, as I so strongly believe in the benefits of creating 

EVERY DAY!!!

#thisismyreligion

peace, 

virginia